“It’s heartbreaking if you think that a child at the age of six, seven years old, didn’t believe or didn’t see her own beauty and her brilliance,” William shares in reference to seeing an updated doll study. “It affected me so much then, and it affects me now. I was that little girl. The difference is I had a mother who told me I could become anything at that age.
Williams enjoyed the research aspect of her position in logistics and the global supply chain. Her work quickly became internationally recognized. She then accepted an offer from the University of Arkansas as an endowed chair, meaning the University would dedicate millions of dollars towards her research and projects.
Then one day, she watched a news segment talking about the doll study and similar recent studies. Still, more Black girls preferred white dolls. That moment changed the trajectory of her career. In 2003, she gave up her tenure. She relinquished the endowment. As a single mom, it wasn’t easy to give up financial security, but Williams believed in the societal impact she envisioned and launched the World of EPI....
However, she remained steadfast. Williams and her team grew the company into a multi-million dollar and leading multicultural toy manufacturing and design firm. Today, she offers six doll collections on her site and in stores, including Rock The Bells by L.L. Cool J and the Fresh Fairies.Know your why. If it’s for the money, what happens if you fail? If it’s passion-driven, you’re more apt to work through the challenges.