33 AAPI-Founded Pregnancy and Kids Brands to Shop Now and Always
May marks Asian Pacific American Heritage Month—a celebration of the history, legacy and contributions made by Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in the United States. In the wake of a distressing uptick in hate crimes committed against the AAPI community, showing your support and educating your children about AAPI culture is more important than ever.
One clear way to help the AAPI community is to give back to organizations like Stop AAPI Hate, Asian Mental Health Collective, AAPI Women Lead and Asian Americans Advancing Justice.
Another way to help is to pay attention to where you spend your money. Put the power of your dollar toward supporting the AAPI community by shopping at AAPI-owned businesses not only this month but year-round. Meet a few of our pregnancy and parenting favorites below!
A mom of four, ex-Google exec, and MacArthur Genius Award-winner who inspired the first STEM Barbie, Yoky Matsuoka, knows how hard it is to juggle career and family. To help busy parents get it all done so they can spend more time with their families, Yoky created The Yohana Membership, the first-ever concierge service that matches families with a team of specialists (backed by AI) to tackle your household to-do list. In a world where there seems to be an endless mountain of parenting duties, Yohana boasts a track record of saving parents up to 10 hours a week. Oflload your to-do list at Yohana
Modi Toys is founded by brother-sister duo Avani and Viral Modi. When Viral found out he was about to become a dad he wanted to get his daughter a gift upon her arrival—something she would be able to enjoy as a newborn and after. The pair came up with the idea of plush toys that are both cuddly and teach about Indian heritage. Along with the plush toys, the brand also offers kids’ books and mantras, all of which help little ones celebrate Indian culture. Shop Modi Toys
Anika Martirez’s Filipino lifestyle brand is made by women, for women. She launched the brand in 2016 with a clothing line of timeless, versatile pieces. At its core the brand aims to empower women, encourage support for Filipino craftsmanship and spread positivity. Plus, the brand places an emphasis on “slow fashion,” meaning they keep quantities limited, build high-quality pieces and produce as little waste as possible during the production process. Shop Anika
Canadian company Loulou Lollipop was founded by twin sisters Eleanor and Angel. The brand gained popularity in 2015 after the successful launch of its original silicone Donut and Ice Cream teethers. Now, with stores across North America, the brand offers their hit silicone teethers, as well as bibs, swaddles, apparel and more. Added bonus—Loulou Lollipop is donating a portion of the proceeds from all of their May sales to Asian Mental Health Collective and Heart of Dinner. Simply select the charity of your choice at checkout! Shop Loulou Lollipop
After the birth of her first child, founder Ying Liu found it increasingly difficult to leave her newborn with caregivers so she could go to work. She decided to pivot her career to one that allowed her to be there for all the big moments in her child’s life. So, she quit her bank job to open a retail store that sold quality baby products. Since then, both Liu’s family and brand have grown. Today, the brand offers apparel and accessories for babies, toddlers and even adults. Shop Kyte Baby
Helen Lo was looking for a bag that would keep up with her frequent travels without exacerbating her back issues. The options she found were either too heavy, too frumpy, tech-y or overpriced. So, she, along with her two sons, set out to create her own line of bags. Lo & Sons offers functional, stylish, high-quality bags that make staying organized on the go a breeze. Shop Lo & Sons
When founder Sweta Doshi couldn’t find adequate skincare options for her daughter’s eczema, she turned to organic coconut oil—a natural remedy that’s a strong part of her Indian heritage—to soothe her little one’s skin. With a line of clean, nourishing products, as well as adorable packaging, Bubbsi makes skincare healthy, easy and fun for the whole family. Shop Bubbsi
Sarah Paiji Yoo embarked on a journey to use less single-use plastic after becoming a mom. Wanting to do her part to help the environment (and its people), Yoo, together with Syed Naqvi, co-founded Blueland to help make it easier and more affordable for people to be more environmentally friendly. The brand is B. Corp certified, meaning it’s met the highest standards of social and environmental performance and transparency, and offers sustainable soaps, laundry detergents, sprays, bottles and more. Shop Blueland
Hsiang-Yu Chen started her business with one goal: To create something that could continuously generate profit to support charitable organizations, specifically ones for childhood cancer research. The brand offers adorable blankets for babies and adults alike. As of December 2021, Honey Lemonade has donated $14,000 to various organizations supporting childhood cancer research. Shop Honey Lemonade
Getting your kiddos to floss can be an all-out war sometimes. To make it easier to foster good dental habits young, sisters Cat and Chrystle Cu have created a whole suite of kid-friendly flossing products, from the Cocofloss Happiness Set to fun Confetti Cake floss and a refillable plastic flosser for toddlers. Born and raised in the Philippines, Cat and Chrystle came to the US in the ’70s as young adults and started CocoFloss to bring a soothing, ultra-cleansing, eco-friendly floss into the dental space. Chrystle, a dentist in California, also works with Philos Health, a nonprofit that provides medical and dental care to the island’s underserved, rural communities in the Philippines. Shop Cocofloss
Gielene Dela Cruz Wagas launched Shop Dela Gold in 2018. Her love for gold began after she inherited her first gold necklace from her parents. Her brand is inspired by her Filipino heritage, and all the pieces are unique and handmade in L.A. Shop Dela Gold
Co-founder Jennifer Tsay wanted to make it easier to link quality photographers with people looking to book photoshoots. She launched Shoott in the summer of 2018 in New York City, which has now expanded nationwide and boasts a team of photographers that have worked with brands like Forbes, Elle, GQ, The Cut, V Magazine, Buzzfeed and more. Shop Shoott
Founder Joanna Linton realized she needed to start making herself a priority when she found herself caring for her newborn and toddler in a depressed emotional state postpartum. She went back to her roots and turned to a group of ingestible Chinese herbs to help ease tension and stress—and Rae’s Roots was born. The brand provides products made from clean, organic ingredients that help mamas take care of themselves, including teas for expectant and postpartum moms. Shop Rae’s Roots
When Lin Chen founded Pink Moon in 2017 she wanted to help brands that were striving to create a better beauty industry. The NYC-based consultancy works solely with female-founded brands that value sustainability, philanthropy and holistic wellness. Her inspiration and mission? To first and foremost encourage genuine self-love and self-care for women. To help with that, their website offers wellness products, including skincare, bath and body products and items for the home. Shop Pink Moon
Amanda Stewart was tired of seeing her son in his favorite “Thomas the Train” shirt day after day. So, she started making shirts they both liked, with designs that incorporated some of his favorite things. What started out as screen-printed tees has grown into Mochi Kids, a brand that offers adorable apparel for babies and toddlers. Since the beginning, Mochi Kids has given back to causes that fight for racial equity, voting rights, women’s health and more. Shop Mochi Kids
Raised in India, Kshama partnered with early childhood expert Akhila to found Indigrow, a company dedicated to creating colorful and fun books, decor, festival kits and more designed to inspire play and conversation about identity, diversity and inclusivity. Check out Indigrow’s wide variety of play and learning bundles made for ages 0-6 for the perfect gift for your next baby shower. Shop Indigrow
The name ‘ilha” comes from founder Michelle Hsu’s parents’ native country of Taiwan. (It was named ‘Ilha Formosa,” meaning “beautiful island,” by Portuguese sailors in the 1500s.) Wanting to honor her heritage, Hsu named her company ILHA Candles. The brand offers handcrafted candles with cotton wicks, natural soy wax and toxin free fragrances. Shop ILHA Candles
Founded by Pinky Patel—a clinical pharmacist, experienced personal trainer and pre- and postnatal corrective exercise specialist—the SnapBack aims to offer women information on pre- and postnatal fitness and health. While pregnant, Patel quickly realized there was a lack in the resources and support she needed to relieve stress and be well-informed about her rapidly changing body. The SnapBack offers a safe community, simple resources and evidence-based methods that help restore a sense of self, both physically and, more importantly, mentally. Shop The SnapBack
Elle Wang was looking for well-made maternity business attire while pregnant and working as a UN adviser and strategist. When she realized she had limited options, she created Emilia George, a line of high-end, sustainable and professional maternity clothing. The brand has already garnered quite a name for itself, not only due to its chic style, but also because almost all its fabrics are recycled, eco-friendly and free of harsh chemicals and additives. Shop Emilia George
Pallavi Golla’s family likes to stay active. But during family outings, Golla realized that while she remained dry in her clothing, her son quickly became sweaty and damp in his. When her search for suitable outdoor baby clothes turned up fruitless, she decided to launch her own line. Lark Adventurewear clothing is made with the brand’s exclusive Softek™ bamboo blend that’s both breathable, moisture-wicking and up to UPF 50+ Sun Safe. Plus, the clothes are super soft, tagless, stain-resistant and functionally designed to make both kids and parents happy. Shop Lark Adventurewear
Founded by Jhoanna Belfer, a Filipina-American poet and former hospitality executive, Bel Canto Books is a women and POC-owned independent bookstore in Long Beach, California. The store offers a curated selection of fiction, nonfiction and kids’ books organized around monthly themes that celebrate books by women and people of color. You can order their books through Bookshop.org. Shop Bel Canto Books
This L.A.-based kids’ clothing brand is inspired by founder Mownika Chawla’s Indian heritage. She created the brand on the belief that incorporating diverse fashion into a child’s everyday life can help inspire values like curiosity, love and appreciation for other cultures. Hava World offers dresses, onesies, adorable kurta sets, vests and much more. Shop Hava
Habbi Habbi offers kids’ books that seek to teach diversity, inclusion, self-confidence, empathy, resilience and more. Plus, the books, broken down by levels of words, phrases, sentences and stories, also help teach kids Chinese, English or Spanish. The company was founded by Hanna Chiou and Anne-Louise Nieto with one simple goal: To help teach kids the values that were important to them. Recently, the brand also launched a digital reading wand that allows access to Habbi Habbi’s full library. Shop Habbi Habbi
Growing up bilingual wasn’t always easy for founder Via Tendon, but looking back, she’s grateful for her experience. She started Metta Play to help teach kids languages, yoga and how to take care of their mental health. The brand offers bilingual cards that include affirmations and yoga poses to help promote learning, empathy and cultural awareness. Metta Play also focuses on increasing representation for the next generation and aims to make sure each child is represented in its products. Plus, the brand donates 10 percent of its profits to kids in need. Shop Metta Play
Dagne Dover was founded by three women—Melissa Mash, Deepa Gandhi and Jessy Dover—from different backgrounds, but with a common mission: to make lives easier through good design. The brand makes eco-friendly bags that offer lots of pockets to help keep even the busiest person organized and are perfect for parents on the go. Shop Dagne Dover
Etsy is an online marketplace for artisans and small businesses all over the globe. In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, Etsy has curated a page that supports the artistry of its Asian American and Pacific Islander community. Shop Etsy
Florence Nacio, Earth Baby’s founder, has over four decades of experience researching health and beauty formulations. With all her experience, she wanted to fill a gap in the market and create a product line that was committed to using certified organic fruit and vegetable-based ingredients. The goal? To create products that were non-toxic, gentle and effective for baby’s delicate skin. All Earth Baby products are pediatrician and dermatologist-approved and recommended, as well as reef-friendly. Good for baby, good for the environment. Shop Earth Baby
Founder Shelley Suh was unimpressed with the clothing options she found while pregnant and after giving birth—so she set out to create her own line of maternity clothing. Loyal Hana creates stylish, comfortable and practical garments to help women transition from pregnancy to postpartum to parenthood. Each item offers discreetly hidden zipper openings, soft, machine-friendly fabrics and chic silhouettes. Shop Loyal Hana
Lollaland was founded by parents Hanna and Mark Lim after they noticed a need in the market for effective toddler straw sippy cups. The duo founded the Lollacup, a straw cup that’s easy to use and clean, safe and visually appealing. They pitched their idea on Shark Tank in 2012 and have since grown into an award-winning business that offers several products for babies and toddlers that are innovative, thoughtfully-designed, well-packaged and, most importantly, fun. Shop Lollaland
Rael was founded in 2017 by three women originally from South Korea, including the company’s CEO Yanghee Paik. The women found a lack of quality feminine care in the United States and set out to create their own line by combining high-quality US materials with innovative Korean manufacturing technology. The result is a line of safe and effective products—including pads, tampons, vulva wipes, heating patches, acne patches and more—that support women through all phases of their cycle. Shop Rael
More Sunday was founded by Danielle Wu in 2017 after she realized she wanted to live a healthier and more fulfilling life. On her quest to become healthier, Wu discovered fabric toxicity and learned some items of clothing are made with synthetic toxins that can harm our body and skin. Wanting to decrease her chemical exposure and find a solution that was both good for her and the environment, she turned to silk. Her goal? To help people feel their best so they’re inspired to do better for themselves, their loved ones and the planet. The brand makes silk robes, pajamas and sleep accessories, as well as offers numerous gifting options. Shop More Sunday
Co-founders Shubham Issar and Amanat Anand—both originally from New Delhi, India—met at Parsons School of Design, where they were studying how to design for social change. The pair discovered that over 50 percent of infectious diseases that lead to fatalities in kids under 5 can be avoided by hand washing with soap. Wanting to make this activity fun for young kids, the pair founded SoaPen, a hand soap pen that allows kids to draw all over their hands with soap. The best part? Parents can check if their child actually washed their hands by checking for leftover marks. So far, the SoaPen has won the UNICEF ‘Wearables for Good’ Challenge, been listed on Forbes 30 Under 30, appeared on Shark Tank and won a James Dyson Award. Plus, SoaPen helps create awareness for hand washing around the world, and for every purchase made the company donates soap or a percentage of profits to partner organizations working to support children’s health and hygiene. Shop SoaPen
Deepica Mutyala wanted to create a platform for those under-represented in the beauty industry. She went viral in 2015 for a makeup hack that showed how to cover under-eye circles and officially launched her beauty brand, Live Tinted, in 2018. The brand is driven, above all else, by its goals to be inclusive, kind and thoughtful. Best known for its color corrector, Live Tinted offers a range of makeup products that are versatile, easy to use and, most importantly, celebrate everyone’s individual shades and hues.
Shop Live Tinted
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