Breaking Gender Stereotypes in the Toy Industry: Jodi Bondi Norgaard
Jodi Bondi Norgaard is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and activist committed to breaking gender stereotypes and advancing equality. She is the author of More Than a Doll: How Creating a Sports Doll Turned into a Fight to End Gender Stereotypes (Post Hill Press, 2025), a powerful story of perseverance, purpose-led business, and disrupting the status quo.
Jodi founded Dream Big Toy Company and created the award-winning Go! Go! Sports Girls line to inspire confidence and healthy play in girls. Her advocacy has led her to work with the White House Gender Policy Council under the Biden administration and the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, influencing policy and representation in toys, content, and publishing.
A TEDx speaker and contributor to Ms. Magazine, Jodi has been featured on The Today Show, Forbes, and more. She speaks nationwide on entrepreneurship, resilience, and the power of using business to drive cultural change, while fighting for equality for women and girls.
In this episode, Jodi shares her journey of advocating for gender equality, particularly in the toy industry. She discusses her experiences with gender stereotypes, the founding of Dream Big Toy Company, and the challenges she faced in promoting positive images for girls. Jodi emphasizes the importance of breaking down gender norms and the role of media and marketing in shaping perceptions. She reflects on her collaboration with Walmart and the ongoing struggle for female representation in leadership roles. In this conversation, Jodi Bondi Norgaard and Marcylle Combs discuss the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in today's society, emphasizing the need for empathy and balance in leadership. They explore small actionable steps individuals can take to foster change, particularly in empowering young women. Jodi shares her personal journey, the significance of mentorship, and her evolving definition of success, which transcends monetary achievements. The discussion also touches on her recent book and her passion for advocacy and social change.
Get In Touch With Jodi:
Web/Social Media – jodibondinorgaard.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodibondinorgaard/
https://www.facebook.com/jodinorgaard/
https://www.instagram.com/jodibondinorgaard/
https://jodibondinorgaard.substack.com/
jodibondinorgaard.bsky.social