We recently connected with Flora Ekpe-Idang and have shared our conversation below.

Flora, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Often the greatest growth and the biggest wins come right after a defeat. Other times the failure serves as a lesson that’s helpful later in your journey. We’d appreciate if you could open up about a time you’ve failed.

Being a business owner, especially as a solopreneur, means facing a constant stream of challenges. Each trial and tribulation, however, offers powerful lessons in resilience, adaptability, and perseverance—qualities that shape your path to success. I’ve lived that journey firsthand.

My name is Flora Ekpe-Idang, and I’m the Founder and CEO of Corage Dolls, a multicultural doll and book company that encourages girls of color to be unstoppable. My trial began years ago in business school. I set myself the ambitious goal of launching my dolls just in time for the holiday season, backed by a successful crowdfunding campaign. I felt confident. I had secured a supplier in California to manage the communication with my manufacturer in China. But in hindsight, I realize how little I understood about the process—and how much trust I placed in the wrong hands.

My first mistake was paying a significant portion of the order upfront and rushing into the contract. I didn’t fully grasp who would be managing my project, and the role shifted so often that I rarely received consistent updates. Communication faltered, and my progress stalled. Even worse, the supplier failed to inform me about delays at the manufacturer’s end. The doll mold I eagerly anticipated was being held up by issues that could have been avoided, and time was running out.

As the end of my school year drew closer, I had no dolls, no timeline, and no plan for my crowdfunding campaign. And then came the final blow: I learned that my supplier had switched manufacturers without consulting me, meaning we would have to start the entire process over. In that moment, I found myself alone in the hallway of my school, overwhelmed with frustration and disappointment. I had poured my heart into this dream, only to see it crumble.

But here’s the thing about challenges—they aren’t the end. They’re the beginning of something greater.

After the long wait, my manufacturer finally delivered the dolls. But they weren’t perfect. They didn’t include my edits or feedback, and they didn’t reflect my original vision. I had no choice but to part ways with the supplier, ending the contract. However, that was only the beginning of my real breakthrough.

A friend connected me with a new toy manufacturer, and through that partnership, I received the doll I had always dreamed of. I launched my crowdfunding campaign, and though I raised only 40% of my original goal, I was incredibly proud of the accomplishment. My backers and supporters believed in me, and that was enough to get my products into their hands.

Since then, Corage Dolls has grown into a brand that includes books, affirmation cards, apparel, and more—each piece designed to empower girls of color to dream big and be unstoppable.

That difficult trial taught me the importance of never giving up, no matter how insurmountable the obstacles may seem. Today, I’m more determined than ever to keep pushing forward, and I’m grateful for every lesson along the way.

So, to anyone facing a setback—keep going. Your mission is bigger than the obstacles you face, and the lessons you learn will be the foundation of your future success.

Flora, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

When I was in high school I watched the documentary “Girl Like Me” in which a “doll test” was conducted. A group of Black children were given a Black doll and a white doll and asked various questions about the doll’s perceived attributes such as which one was smarter, prettier, uglier, etc. The majority of the children chose the white doll when it came to anything positive and when the children were asked which doll they associated most with they said the Black doll.

Now you must know that this same test was conducted more than 60 years earlier and garnered similar results. It was frustrating and disheartening to see how children as young as 5 could already have a negative perception of themselves and underlining internalized racism. I didn’t know at the time what I wanted to do with this realization, but I knew I would always remember that moment. As time went on I soon built this idea of wanting to fix the toy aisle with positive representation of dolls of color that weren’t fashion dolls.

I spent years perusing toy shelves and talking to parents and kids to see if change was happening, but it continued to be dismal. I even interned at one of the largest toy companies in the world Hasbro to understand the inner workings of the toy industry, but it was during grad school that I decided that if I wanted to see the change on the shelves I had to be the one to do it. I wanted to celebrate Black beauty and other ethnic and racial identities of beauty through dolls that looked authentic and like girls of today. I wanted to educate children on rich career developmental stories that were inspired by girls today taking charge in the space of entrepreneurship, STEM, activism, and more and lastly, I wanted to build a sense of sistership among girls, families, and advocates for the empowerment of girls of color.

Especially in the era of racial reckoning today, parents want to find greater diversity in toys for their kids but struggle, families want to have meaningful conversations about race but don’t know how, and brands want to support Black-owned businesses, but don’t understand the barriers. This is why Corage Dolls exist to encourage girls of color to be unstoppable.

This is Because Representation Matters!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Word of mouth is my most powerful asset. By participating in local events and activations, I’ve been able to share my story and products directly with my target audience, building relationships and driving sales. This has led to new customers and partnerships. Sisterhood is central to my business, and Black women have been the backbone of my support through word of mouth.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

Email has been the best way for me to stay engaged with my audience and grow loyalty followed by Instagram.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://coragedolls.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coragedolls/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coragedolls/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/floraekpeidang/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@coragedolls
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/coragedolls/

Image Credits

Lalea Raymond, Marques Ruiz