When Keewa Nurullah, a performing artist, had her first child, she encountered a whole new world of things her son needed – and was disappointed by what she found.
Baby boy onesies with slogans like “Daddy’s Little Slugger” or “I’m So Tough” – or depicting a mug of beer – were in abundance, but seemed unnecessarily macho for her newborn.
“I was looking for colorful, creative, something reflective of his energy,” Nurullah said. “More positive and aligned with our values.”
That initial hunt for baby clothes outside the standard gendered assortment led Nurullah down a path to improve an element of children’s retail that she felt was lacking: representation.
In 2018 Nurullah opened Kido, a vibrant retail store in the South Loop’s Roosevelt Collection shopping center that specializes in selling books, toys, and clothing that reflects the diversity of children and their families. That includes kids of color, those with disabilities, and those living in alternative home situations, such as foster care or with adoptive parents.
“Kido is a brand focused on representation and inclusivity,” said Nurullah, an alum of the Polsky Center’s Small Business Growth Program. “We connect our brand to our community.”
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This story was first published by Polsky Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
