A Founder’s Story with A Children’s Book Disruptor, Valene Campbell

I am Valene Campbell. In 2 short words, I’m a change-maker and an advocate for matters that I‘m passionate about — children’s literature and Alzheimer’s disease awareness. I facilitate early antiracism intervention (K-8th grade) through my bestselling diverse children’s literature series The Amazing Zoe. I present to elementary schools, non-profit organizations, and corporations on topics based on the messages from my books. My children’s stories are loosely based on real-life scenarios and offer solution-based, actionable processes, that nurture inclusive future leaders.

Tell us about your childhood and where you grew up

I grew up in a quiet partially diverse neighborhood, a suburb just west of Toronto. I’m the youngest of 4 children, with parents who belonged to a large church network. My school had little to no representation by way of teachers, special guests, or fellow students. I wasn’t an avid reader at the time only because I found it difficult to connect with the characters I read about. Of course, being so young, I didn’t understand what it was that I felt, but I recognized I stood out from my peers, most people in my community, and of course what I observed in the media. I remember not embracing my hair or the food my parents would give me to take to school for lunch yet I was deeply drawn to my heritage (the Caribbean by way of Jamaica). Both of my parents hail from this beautiful island and through its influence is where I learned the power of storytelling. I later started participating and occasionally writing skits as part of my community for church, fundraisers, or anniversary events. When I started connecting to my heritage more and more, I then had a better understanding of who I was as a Black little girl.

How did you get started as an entrepreneur?

I observed my dad who is an entrepreneur. He was a contractor and interior/exterior decorator. He counseled me as a child about how to run a business. When I graduated from physical therapy school, being a business owner is all I wanted to do. I launched my second business in 2015 (a home health care agency), the first was my working as a personal trainer. I took time off in 2019 after having my daughter and then realized something that I had forgotten when I was a child. I noticed as my daughter’s library began to grow, there was a repeat of what I experienced. There was very little representation in her books. While on maternity leave, I started writing. I wanted my daughter to connect with the characters she read and never to have the feeling of being excluded. 1 book shortly became 3 books and now I have a series. I soon realized there was room for BIPOC children’s characters who could share their everyday experiences-many of the experiences that any other child of any other race, culture, or background may experience also. As my books continued to grow in popularity, there were other aspiring authors, who also sought help from me to create characters that open the door to the imagination. I formed my boutique publishing house that supports all authors who desire to write inclusive stories. This is how I positioned myself to become a disruptor of children’s books.

What is one business lesson you would tell a startup founder?

Seek to solve a problem when thinking of your target audience and be genuine in your approach.