When her daughter was 3, Eunique Jones Gibson realized none of her pull-ups had any Black characters.

The savvy brand builder learned we can enrich a child during the early stages by simply adding joy to their lives. What better way than to create diapers that reflect images of them?

Gibson, the founder Because of Them We Can, then created Happy Hues Co., a line of diapers, training pants and wipes that is making waves in the baby aisle at one major retailer.

Happy Hues Co. recently expanded its reach in the $88 billion baby and toddler care industry by now being sold in Target stores nationwide. But this brand is more than baby essentials. Gibson wanted to cultivate joy and confidence during a crucial time in the development of a child’s self-esteem.

“I noticed that none of (my daughter’s) training pants featured characters that looked like her,” Gibson wrote on happyhues.com about how this journey began. “This realization made me think about other little ones who rarely see reflections of themselves in this space.”

Happy Hues delivers diversity and gives all children a chance to see themselves represented. The Happy Hues crew features four inclusive characters that help build a sense of community in potty training.

Gibson’s latest venture also brings light to an underrepresented group in retail. The 15 Percent Pledge is a petition for retailers to dedicate 15% of shelf space to Black businesses. It was only in 2022 that Afro Unicorn made history in becoming the first Black-owned, woman-owned business to sell a licensed character in a major retail store.

The entrance of Happy Hues continues to challenge industry norms.

‘We’ve been putting in the work for over four years, so to see our products on Target shelves just 18 months after launching is surreal,” Gibson said. “It’s not just about being on the shelf — it’s about what it means for our community to see a Black-owned, woman-founded brand in this space.”