E-liza Dolls, a Berkeley-based startup, is dedicated to eliminating gender-based barriers and gaps within STEM by teaching young girls to code using dolls. E-liza Dolls creates dolls that include programmable computers that girls can code using an app. Eliza Kosoy, a Ph.D. candidate at UC Berkeley who is interested in the nexus between child development and artificial intelligence, started the company in 2021 after noticing that her AI labs mostly consisted of men. Kosoy chose to merge dolls with technology because she wanted to discover a method for girls to learn about coding without having to sacrifice their passions.
"We want to expose young girls to technological concepts and encourage creative thinking through hardware and software, preventing girls from being influenced by generational stereotypes," Kosoy explained in an interview.
"Parents have so few options; they feel they need to force their daughters to play with STEM products designed for boys in order to get their daughters on a STEM path. We believe little girls don’t have to sacrifice their interests in order to play with educational STEM toys."
Youth-Focused Coding Dolls
E-liza Dolls Aims to Create a New Generation of Women in STEM
Trend Themes
1. Gender-inclusive STEM Education - E-liza Dolls is leading the way in creating a gender-inclusive STEM education system by using coding dolls to encourage young girls to learn about technology.
2. Interactive Educational Toys - E-liza Dolls is part of a growing trend of interactive educational toys that merge traditional toy play with technology to create engaging learning experiences for children.
3. AI and Child Development - The nexus between AI and child development is a budding trend that is being explored by companies like E-liza Dolls to create innovative ways to teach children.
Industry Implications
1. Toy Manufacturing - The toy manufacturing industry is ripe for disruption and innovation, as companies race to meet the demand for more interactive and educational toys.
2. Education Technology - E-liza Dolls is part of the education technology industry, which is experiencing rapid growth as schools and parents look for more interactive and personalized ways to teach children.
3. Artificial Intelligence - Companies exploring the intersection of AI and child development, like E-liza Dolls, are revolutionizing the AI industry and opening up new possibilities for innovation.