We are Anne & Linzi and we’d love to tell you why we started Ani’s World.
We both come from young, mixed race families and, just like any parent, we want our children to believe that they can be, and achieve anything they put their minds to.
However, in the Netherlands where we are based, it is extremely difficult to get hold of inclusive books and toys, and by the time our daughters were 3, we were hearing things like
“I can’t be a princess unless I have straight, blonde hair.”
We reailzed how powerful stories and toys are, and that no matter how much we spoke to our kids about dreaming big, without role models that look like them – we were fighting a losing battle.
It didn’t take long before we became so angry, and passionate about the problem, that we decided to fix it ourselves. And so Ani’s World was born. A shop and subscription model where the stories (whether in books, activities, or toys) are led by a underrepresented characters, and where the magic never ends!
Since we started, in late 2019 we’ve been honored with an award, press beyond our wildest dreams, and most importantly, little customers that love the experience of opening up an inclusive Ani’s World box each month.
