Elenor Mak, entrepreneur and mother, launches Asian American doll company after struggling to find adequate representation

The Jilly doll by Jilly Bǐng

After searching for a doll that looked like her daughter, Elenor Mak was disappointed by the dolls she found which amounted to nothing more than “clichés, stereotypes, and dolls painted tan over an existing white doll mold,” she says. “I was reminded of my own childhood – of not seeing myself reflected in the world around me, of feeling like I did not belong.”

In an effort to diversify their dolls and marketing, some toy makers have recently introduced a slim offering of Asian American dolls in their lineup. In 2022, American Girl introduced Corinne Tan, a Chinese American doll that was the first of Chinese descent to be named the doll maker’s “Girl of the Year.” And for its 2023 “Girl of the Year,” American Girl introduced Kavi Sharma, the first South Asian doll to hold the title.

While both of these efforts are good steps, did they go far enough? Critics say the dolls don’t actually look Asian or South Asian, and their backstories don’t always offer the most accurate representation.

That’s why Elenor Mak set out to create a doll that is unmistakably Asian. Her company, Jilly Bǐng, is named after her daughter (Jillian) combined with bǐng which is the Mandarin word for ‘cookie’ (and one of Jillian’s first words).

I spoke with Elenor about Jilly Bǐng and her journey as an entrepreneur. Here are excerpts from our conversation.

When you were growing up, what dolls did you have to play with?

Elenor Mak holding her blonde, blue-eyed baby doll named Ada circa 1985.  

Growing up as an only child with two working parents, I loved to play with my dolls and stuffed animals. In particular, I was especially fond of Ada, a blonde, blue-eyed doll I received for my 5th or 6th birthday. Ada was my bestie – joining me for dim sum on the weekends and many imaginary parties. I loved her so much, and I saw her Caucasian features as beautiful in a way I never could be.

One day, according to my Mom, I cut Ada’s blonde curls to make her hair shorter. My Mom thinks I wanted Ada to look more like me, and I had a short bowl cut. I only have one picture of me holding Ada, and I feel for that little girl. I don’t want my daughter to feel the way I did. 

What's been the hardest part of starting your own company and designing the doll? And the most rewarding part?

At the start, I did not know the first thing about how to design and make a doll. This was an industry in which I did not have any contacts, despite a long career in retail. The hardest part was finding a toy designer and, to add to that difficulty, one who actually understood and appreciated Asian features and could work within my startup budget. When I finally found a few traditional doll designers, some of whom had even worked on iconic dolls in the past, the results broke my heart and my budget. Their sketches ended up looking like every other doll you currently see in the toy aisles, but with poorly drawn Asian eyes. It became apparent to me why Asian American dolls continue to look stereotypical. Most people don't get it.

Thankfully, through my network, I met a Japanese American family in the L.A. area with a tremendous history in the toy industry. They joined my team, and we were off and running. 

Every detail of this doll – her eyes, button nose, smile, the egg tart patterns on her dress, the packaging – has been analyzed by the Jilly Bǐng team, all of whom are Asian American parents who want to meaningfully represent and showcase Asian features. With this talented team by my side, we have an incredible portfolio of ideas to create a world beyond just dolls and toys, an “edutainment” company. 

Within hours of introducing The Jilly Doll, I knew we had struck a chord with the Asian American community: There was an overwhelming and heartwarming reaction to my LinkedIn post with more than 2,000 likes in 48 hours; people posted personal, painful stories about the lack of representation in their own childhood; and people bought the doll! We sold almost 600 dolls in just six weeks.

One social media post that summed it up for me was this woman’s comment: “As someone who never owned a doll that looked like me, this means so much. Even in play, Asian girls have had to envision life as someone else….this vision is so much more than a toy, it is being seen!”

In the video, you say you wanted the doll to have some energy, some "feist" -- can you elaborate on the importance of those traits?

In my opinion, the majority of dolls have a blank face or a smile that is unrealistically sweet. To add to that, Asian Americans tend to be typecast as a nerdy sidekick, math whiz, musician, kung fu artist, or – even worse, I think – a pretty, demure girl. I wanted to break down those stereotypes and create a doll that is similar to the Asian American girls we know and love. I define “feist” as having a lot of punch. She’s curious, energetic, playful, spunky, which is the opposite of the one-dimensional characters usually assigned to Asian girls. For example, we spent a lot of time perfecting the doll’s smile and stance. The Jilly Doll is ready to play ball, race you to the end of the block, chow down on some shaved ice, or cuddle up for a snuggle. 

Is the little girl in the video your daughter? 

Yes! That’s Jillian, my feisty 3-year-old daughter. The company is named after Jillian and bǐng, the Mandarin word for cookie (and one of my daughter’s first words). She, along with many of my kids’ friends, were our initial inspirations and test users.

From the beginning, my husband and I agreed that, no matter the outcome of this company, having The Jilly Doll in our home teaches our kids that you can create the world you want to see.

What feedback about the doll have your own children given you?

Every time my kids and their friends see the doll, their reaction is pure delight. My daughter immediately recognized the “dan ta” (egg tart) on the doll’s clothing and said in Mandarin, “This is me!” Even at age 3, she knows this is the first doll that actually looks like her. My 5-year-old son James loves to say, “Jilly Bǐng, American Asian girl!” which I find hilarious. Everyone in my family is clearly involved! 

Older children and their parents have said, “This looks like me!” or “This looks like my daughter” or even, “This is the doll I wish I had growing up.” When I hear that, I know I’m tackling a huge problem. It is just crazy that the year is 2023, and no toy manufacturer has ever stepped up. But I’m thankful too because Jilly Bing gets to be the company that solves it. 

The Jilly Doll is available for pre-order and ships in Spring 2023.