Arlington-based toy company aims to break the gender-gap in STEM.
Sharmi Albrechtsen, creator and CEO of SmartGurlz
Investor Richard Branson looks at the dolls on a recent episode of Shark Tank.
Daymond John makes a deal with Albrechtsen on a recent episode of Shark Tank.
A new group of dolls recently hit the market and at face value they may look like any other on the market—stylish clothes, pretty hair and a smile—but Arlington-based creator Sharmi Albrechtsen hopes that her SmartGurlz will in fact be a trailblazer in solving the gender gap within STEM occupations by expanding STEM-focused education and play for girls.
The 11-inch self-balancing dolls, each equipped with her own robotic scooter, are controlled with an app—but here’s the catch: in order to play with the dolls, girls (or boys) must code their way through interactive stories and activities. While learning to code, users can make their dolls dance and do tricks. SmartGurlz come in different personalities that range in ethnicity, educational field, and interests.
SmartGurlz are the first of their kind for robotic toys. Albrechtsen began the company as a “labor of love” when her daughter was having difficulty in school. When Albrechtsen bought her a robotic toy to help with learning applied math, her daughter showed little interest in the toy which was decked out with blades and bazookas. In addition, the coding was difficult, and the cost of the item far exceeded other toys in the marketplace, so Albrechtsen set out to produce something more approachable to young girls and friendlier to parents’ wallets.
“I wanted to create something that was ultra feminine,” says Albrechtsen, who has a background in education. “Something that you would look at it and say ‘that’s for a girl’, and also that would connect with existing play patterns. A play pattern that has been around for hundreds of years is doll play.”
Jun doll comes with a chemistry set.
Mechanical engineer doll Jen comes with her own toolkit.
The Zara doll comes with an electric guitar.
The Maria doll is a mathematics whiz.
Creating a feminine robotic product is just the start for what Albrechtsen, who is self taught in coding, wants to see in the tech and toy industry. Underrepresentation of women in STEM, and the sheer lack of women who even consider the field for their career, lends to the tech industry’s lack of cultural growth, according to Albrechtsen. When it comes to women pursuing a career in the currently male-dominated industry, “It becomes the exception, and not the rule,” she says. “What we want is a situation where there is a large population of women in the [STEM] workforce coming in, and then being able to balance out the workforce.”
SmartGurlz is partnered with multiple female coding nonprofits, including BlackGirlsCode, a national organization to which Albrechtsen’s company donated over $75,000 worth of product last year. “For us, it’s really about cultivating these young, all girl environments that are empowering girls, and helping them gain confidence at a young age,” says Albrechtsen. The company hopes to launch their own nonprofit, SmartGurlz Code, which will serve a younger demographic by targeting girls aged 5 to 12.
After launching the first SmarGurlz doll last year in Denmark, Albrechtsen made the move to the United States, hoping to attract additional investors and capitalize on the larger toy market. Last month, she made an appearance on the TV show Shark Tank and within 24 hours after the episode aired, the SmartGurlz website saw more than $100,000 in new sales. Albrechtsen has since been working around the clock to fill orders after making a deal with Shark Tank investor Daymond John, whose $200,000 investment proposes to increase SmartGurl brand awareness, especially through social media efforts and licensing with other brands. Albrechtsen hopes to partner with other toy brands to create a SmartGurlz version of more well known characters by next Christmas. SmartGurlz are currently sold online and at 50 speciality toy stores across the country. SmartGurlz.com
