4 days ago
Meet Summer, American Girl's entrepreneurial doll of the year from Maryland
American Girl chose a Maryland town for its entrepreneurial doll to call home in 2025, and consulted locals to get her story right.
Summer McKinny, a kid founder of a dog walking and treats business in Columbia, is American Girl's doll of the year in 2025. Each doll the company creates comes with a book detailing the doll's life. For this, Janear Garrus, a local educator and creator of children's business fairs in the Baltimore region, reviewed manuscripts and gave feedback about Summer's story.
It's rare for a doll to have an entrepreneurial background, Garrus said, and she's seen kids eager to read Summer's story.
'For students that entrepreneurship is their thing, they found the book very validating,' Garrus told 'They were really excited about someone that represented their interest.'
Garrus, also the founder of the private school Spartek Academy, started hosting children's business fairs in 2017. These events, where kids can sell products they've developed to customers and earn prizes, inspired a fair Summer attends in the book, per Jodi Goldberg, the senior director of content development at American Girl.
Through research and feedback, American Girl leadership noticed an increased interest in entrepreneurship among kids. Goldberg specifically noted that 47% of girls aged 7 to 12 said they could see themselves becoming entrepreneurs. Many girls also showed interest in baking. That's what led to Summer's character.
'Making Summer a business owner gave us a great way to present these two perennial interests — baking and pets — in a fun, new way,' Goldberg wrote in a statement to 'Through entrepreneurship, Summer's story gives readers lessons in decision making, problem solving, time management, and money matters in an engaging, appealing way.'
Goldberg said that American Girl, part of El Segundo, California-based toy juggernaut Mattel, often calls on consultants like Garrus when developing dolls' storylines. This helps ensure the narratives are 'rooted in authenticity and relevancy.' Developing stories can take upwards of three years — Garrus was called two years ago to start giving feedback.
Garrus, who's lived in Columbia for over a decade and is from Atlanta, specifically provided guidance on Summer's business ideas and plans, per Goldberg.
She also tested the character with its most important customer: children. Garrus passed out the books to kids participating in the business fair she started in Howard County and her students at Spartek Academy. Many highlighted the map of the town inserted at the beginning, pointing out to their parents landmarks they frequent.
Her own daughter loves Summer, especially the concept of her being an entrepreneur in the animal field.
'She's just really excited about the concept,' she said, adding: 'Those things together [were] really a selling point for her.'
American Girl is an iconic brand, Garrus said, and this doll highlights how entrepreneurship is a development opportunity for children. That's why she wanted to be involved.
'I thought it would be a great opportunity for other young people to learn about entrepreneurship,' Garrus said, 'and doing something with what they have.'
