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When Mr. Ashley T. Head, a proud Morehouse College graduate, went looking for a doll that celebrated big curly hair and the culture of Historically Black Colleges and Universities in stores, he came up empty. His wife, Lindsey Head, noticed the gap too. Rather than wait for someone else to fill it, the San Diego couple decided to create the representation they wanted to see.
The result is Curls Poppin’ Dolls—the first and only doll line expressly designed for HBCU campuses, and the only doll to ever be officially stocked in HBCU bookstores nationwide.
“We wanted females of color to see themselves, not just in skin tone or hair texture, but in the full HBCU experience, which is the whole spirit of these institutions,” Ashley said. “Our mission is to plant the seed of higher learning early and make sure the story of HBCUs is told in every HBCU bookstore toy that touches our community.”
From idea to campus icon
Ashley, who studied Chemistry and Mathematics at Morehouse, had spent over 20 years in Biotech and Pharmaceutical Leadership before the pandemic gave him downtime to create the dolls from decade old sketch concepts. Lindsey, a technical Chief Financial Office leaned into her formal education as a graphic designer and business enthusiast. She helped turn those sketches into fully developed characters. By late 2020 the couple had launched a website and begun selling a small run of dolls online, which complimented their preexisting hair product company, Curls Poppin’.
Word spread quickly across HBCU social-media groups. Within months the Morehouse College bookstore asked to stock the line, making Curls Poppin’ Dolls the first—and still only—doll brand carried by an HBCU retailer. Spelman College followed suit, and the dolls’ signature “Curls Poppin’” dolls began outselling every other novelty item in the store. The went on to be awarded the first ever license for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, which is the largest black sorority in the world with over 350,000 members worldwide.
Expansion timeline
- Now: Available in Morehouse and Spelman College bookstores
- Q1 2026: Clark Atlanta University bookstore
- Mid-2026: Rollout to at least six additional top-10 HBCU campus stores
- Late 2026: National retail partnership phase begins
More than toys or gifts
The Heads insist their products are educational tools, not just playthings.
“We think the toy space is getting better at skin-tone diversity,” Lindsey noted. “But we’re unique because we are the first to create a doll line from a textured hair product company.” Ashley emphasizes “We are unique because our dolls are beautiful, they have hair like me and we are going deeper—into legacy, scholarship, leadership and representation.”
With production scaled through a strategic partnership once reserved for major toy conglomerates, the Heads say they are excited to expand to many other bookstores and independent retailers throughout the United States. Curls Poppin’ also plans to continue to reinvest a portion of every sale into domestic violence safe houses, which are also sent dolls throughout every corner of the United States.
Ashley, wrapping a Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated doll into their signature box: “We’re not just selling toys. We’re selling possibility. And starting in 2026, we’re taking that possibility to every top-10 HBCU campus store and beyond. I’m thrilled to build my god-inspired company one HBCU bookstore at a time.”
