Joeydolls Named a 2026 Canada Small Business 100 Honouree
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Time to read 2 min
I’m proud to share that Joeydolls has been named a 2026 Canada Small Business 100 Honouree. We are one of the businesses recognized in the inaugural Canada Small Business 100, presented by Mastercard.
What the Canada Small Business 100 is
The Canada Small Business 100 (CSB100) is a national platform created by GLORY Media and presented by Mastercard. It recognizes the entrepreneurs and businesses shaping Canada’s economy and communities, and 2026 is its very first year. You can see the Joeydolls CSB100 profile here.
Many of our past awards have recognized our dolls. This one recognizes the business behind them, and for a small family company like ours, that means a great deal.
Why we started Joeydolls
Joeydolls began with a search. When I became a mom, I went looking for dolls that looked like my daughters and reflected their heritage, and I couldn’t find them. I grew up between cultures myself, born in Malaysia and raised in Australia, and I rarely saw my own heritage in the toys around me. I didn’t want my girls to grow up with that same gap.
So we started making the dolls we couldn’t find, one culture at a time. Today Joeydolls creates multicultural dolls, books and gifts representing nine cultures, each created with input from the community it represents, so more children can feel seen, celebrated and proud of who they are.
Building a Canadian product business from the ground up
Joeydolls is a bootstrapped, family-owned business based in Toronto. Building a physical product company this way means every decision carries weight: every production run, every new culture we add, every order we ship across Canada, the US and Australia. There have been hard seasons, and there is always a long road between an idea on paper and a finished doll in a child’s arms.
What keeps us going is hearing from families. A mom telling us her daughter recognized her doll’s dupatta right away, then hugged her and said “I love you, Priya.” Another sharing that her son’s doll now joins family storytime with his Vietnamese books. Those moments are the reason this business exists.
This recognition belongs to our community
No small business gets here alone. Thank you to the families who chose Joeydolls and shared their stories with us. To the educators who brought our dolls into their programs. To the retailers and community stockists who believed in us early. To the creators and media who helped tell our story, to our partners, and to our small team, who care about every detail as much as I do.
When I started Joeydolls, I was a mom trying to solve a problem for my own children. Being recognized in the Canada Small Business 100 tells me that representation isn’t a niche. It’s something Canadian families want, and something a small business can build with care. I hope it encourages other founders who are building for communities that have been overlooked.
Samantha Ong
Founder & CEO, Joeydolls
Still building
We’re proud of how far Joeydolls has come, and we know there is so much more to do. There are many more cultures, stories and children still waiting to see themselves in the toys they love. This recognition is a milestone, not a finish line.
To learn more about where we started, read our story, see more of our press and awards, or explore our dolls by culture.
With gratitude,
Samantha Ong
Founder & CEO, Joeydolls
Meet the dolls behind the recognition
Our most-loved cultural dolls, each created with input from the community it represents.
#GLORYCSB100
