Donegal, Ireland: Lottie Dolls, a diverse doll manufacturer with a rapidly growing international brand and strong growth in the USA market, today announced a strategic appointment to its team with the addition of HubSpot executive Nataly Kelly as an official business advisor to the company.
Continued USA Expansion on the Horizon for Lottie Dolls
As part of the official advisory role, Kelly will partner with Lottie Dolls founder and CEO Ian Harkin, consulting on international growth, ecommerce and digital marketing. She will focus on helping accelerate the company’s expansion into the US market, which is the company’s top market globally, while continuing growth in other markets around the world.
“I’m truly inspired by the mission of Ian and his team and honored to play a part in it,” Kelly explained. “As a mom of two small girls and as a woman working in technology, I see every day how important diversity and inclusion are both in work and at home. As an advisor to Lottie Dolls, I hope to help the company’s message reach more people, expanding their presence in the United States and beyond.”
“Working with Nataly will be incredibly valuable as we continue to grow internationally. She is completely aligned with our mission of impacting future generations through diverse and inclusive toys. We’re excited to work with her to further boost our online marketing internationally while broadening our brand presence among American toy retailers.”
From Donegal to Colombia, Boston and Beyond
The HubSpot executive first noticed Lottie Dolls at a shop in the international terminal at Dublin airport while on a business trip to the HubSpot Dublin office nearly two years ago. “I was immediately smitten with these thoughtfully-designed, diverse and STEM-focused dolls. Then, I turned the box over and was pleasantly surprised to see that the manufacturer was based in Donegal, which is a very special place for my family,” she shared.
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Kelly and her husband, an Irish tech executive who immigrated to Boston, often visit Donegal to visit his parents. Doing research on the company, Kelly also learned that Harkin’s wife and business partner was from Colombia, where Kelly was in the process of setting up HubSpot’s Latin American headquarters. Then, Kelly noticed that Lottie Dolls were being sold at a local retailer, Fiskes General Store in her Boston suburb hometown of Holliston, Massachusetts. “There were so many geographic links between us. The world truly is a small and interconnected place,” Harkin observes. From there, Kelly contacted Harkin and the seeds of a partnership began.
The advisory appointment comes during a period of unprecedented growth and momentum for Lottie Dolls. The company has been gaining international recognition for its inspiring and inclusive product line with many “firsts” for underrepresented groups, such as a girl doll that spent 264 days on the International Space Station, the world’s first doll with a cochlear implant, a doll with Autism and ADHD, and the company’s recently launched first ever achondroplasia dwarfism doll.
“With such a meaningful mission behind their products, Lottie Dolls is injecting visionary leadership into the international toy manufacturing industry,” Kelly said. “All of us want our children to live in a world that treats diversity as a strength. Putting a more diverse array of dolls in kids’ hands today will help them dream of building a more inclusive tomorrow.”
Lottie dolls, an Irish doll company believe that childhood should be an inclusive place where every child belongs regardless of gender, ethnicity or ability and aim to reflect that in their collection. Developed alongside academics in child development, the premium quality, relatable 7.5”/18cm dolls are based on 9 years olds as opposed to adults. Lottie’s motto is Be Bold, Be Brave, Be You!
The dolls and outfits are inspired by kids from around the world. When launching Lottie, the vision was to create a range of dolls that would empower children to be themselves, to be imaginative and adventurous and - most of all – to have fun!
The award-winning Lottie Dolls are now on sale in 35 countries around the world.
