Today we’d like to introduce you to Shajan Clay.
Shajan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey into the toy industry began in 2010 with the launch of Train Up A Child Toys™, which was both my introduction to the industry and the foundation of my work as a toy entrepreneur. The company was born out of my passion for education, faith, and child development, and my desire to create biblically based toys and children’s products that support Christian discipleship, faith formation, and strong moral values.
As I began ideating and developing products, I immersed myself in the toy industry—attending conferences, workshops, and networking events, and learning directly from industry professionals. During that time, I created beautiful prototypes, authored books, and developed coloring books that consistently received overwhelming interest and positive feedback from potential customers. Despite that traction, Train Up A Child Toys did not fully take off, largely because I had not yet secured the funding or investment needed to bring the products to market at scale.
In 2023, I experienced a pivotal moment of clarity. After attending a toy conference where—for the first time—I saw more than one other Black toy maker in the room, I realized that there was a much larger issue at play. In that moment, I also came to understand that the delayed growth of Train Up A Child Toys had a deeper purpose. I believe that had I been fully immersed in scaling my own company earlier, I would have been too busy—and my eyes would not have been open—to see the need for something much bigger than myself.
That realization led to the creation of Black in Toys, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting, connecting, and amplifying Black creators and professionals in the toy and children’s products industry. Black in Toys was born out of both lived experience and divine alignment—a recognition that the lack of visibility, access, and infrastructure for Black creators was not accidental, and that I was being called to help address it.
Through advocacy, education, and community building, Black in Toys works to create pathways into the industry, celebrate Black contributions, and ensure that Black creators—past, present, and future—are seen, supported, and sustained. The organization exists so that others do not have to navigate the industry alone or in isolation, as so many before them have.
Today, I lead both Train Up A Child Toys and Black in Toys with a renewed sense of purpose. As I prepare to launch the first Train Up A Child Toys product line through crowdfunding this Spring, I now see my journey not as delayed, but as divinely ordered. What began as a toy company has evolved into a broader mission—one rooted in faith, service, and community—to help build opportunity, representation, and legacy within the toy industry.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. Like many entrepreneurs—especially Black founders working in underrepresented industries—the journey has been filled with challenges, learning curves, and moments that required deep faith and perseverance.
One of the most persistent challenges has been access to capital. While many small business owners are able to raise early funds through family and friends, that has been more difficult in my case because people often struggle to wrap their minds around “toy making” as a legitimate business—particularly when it involves manufacturing. Unlike more familiar business models such as hair salons or clothing brands, explaining that I am building a toy manufacturing company as a Black woman from inner-city Atlanta has often required additional education, context, and credibility before support could even be considered.
Like many small business owners, I am also a solopreneur, which means I play nearly every role—from creator and designer to marketer, strategist, operations manager, and educator. That reality has required me to learn every area of the business, often in real time, while still moving the vision forward. While demanding, it has also given me a deep, holistic understanding of both the creative and operational sides of the toy industry.
Another ongoing challenge has been helping others understand the toy industry itself. The industry is complex and largely invisible to people outside of it, and that lack of understanding—especially within the Black community—can make it harder to gain early buy-in, investment, and long-term support. Many people simply don’t realize how toys are designed, manufactured, distributed, or scaled, or that these pathways are even accessible to Black creators.
Additionally, navigating an industry where Black creators are often underrepresented and under-resourced has presented its own challenges. For many years, I attended conferences and industry events where I was one of very few—sometimes the only—Black toy makers in the room. While isolating at times, those experiences ultimately sharpened my awareness of the systemic gaps that exist within the industry.
Each challenge has strengthened my resolve and refined my vision. What once felt like obstacles became clarity—confirming that my work is not only about building a toy company, but also about building understanding, access, and community so that others do not have to face the same barriers alone.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At the core of my work is building, supporting, and advocating for Black creators within the toy and children’s products industry. I operate at the intersection of entrepreneurship, nonprofit leadership, education, and industry advocacy.
Through Train Up A Child Toys™, I specialize in the creation and development of faith-based, edutainment-focused toys and children’s products designed to engage children’s imaginations while reinforcing positive values, spiritual foundations, and family-centered learning. My background in education, combined with hands-on experience in product development and design, allows me to approach toy creation with both purpose and play at the forefront.
Through Black in Toys, my focus expands beyond my own company to the broader ecosystem. Since launching the organization, I’ve had the pleasure of assisting other Black toy makers in bringing their toy ideas to fruition—sharing industry knowledge, helping them navigate product development, and guiding them to resources that support manufacturing, licensing, funding, and professional growth. I’ve also been able to create a centralized platform through the Black in Toys website that promotes Black-owned toy companies, creators, and children’s book authors all in one place, increasing visibility and access for both consumers and industry professionals.
What I’m most proud of is the impact and community that has already been built. Seeing other Black creators move from idea to tangible product, gain confidence in their place within the industry, and realize that they are not alone in this journey has been incredibly rewarding.
What sets me apart is my lived experience across multiple sides of the industry. I am not only a creator and entrepreneur, but also an educator, advocate, and bridge-builder. I understand the toy industry from the inside out—its creative, operational, and structural challenges—and I use that knowledge to open doors for others. My work is rooted in faith, service, and intentional community-building, with the long-term goal of creating sustainable pathways for Black creators and reshaping what representation looks like in the toy and children’s products industry.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
My relationship with risk has always been shaped by purpose more than fear. I don’t necessarily view myself as a traditional risk-taker—instead, I see risk as an extension of belief. When I truly believe in what I’m creating, it doesn’t feel risky to pursue it.
For nearly 20 years, I’ve been a self-taught graphic designer and small business consultant, taking on a wide range of projects and clients to sustain myself while simultaneously investing time, energy, and resources into learning the toy industry and bringing my own ideas to life. That season required balancing practicality with vision—doing what was necessary to stay afloat while quietly building toward something bigger.
Most recently, I took a significant leap by completely self-funding Black in Toys. That included covering all startup costs, building the website myself, and researching and listing more than 100 Black toy creators and children’s product brands—free of charge—because I believed that visibility mattered more than immediate return. In 2024, I also designed and printed a beautifully produced Black Toy Gift Guide to further promote these creators, again without outside funding.
I went out on a limb believing the catalog would sell if the featured companies shared it with their audiences. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, and I now have about 950 catalogs left. Even so, I have absolutely no regrets. The decision came from a genuine desire to serve the community and to show the world that there is an entire ecosystem of Black creators in the children’s products industry. I still believe the catalog is one of the most beautiful pieces I’ve created in over 20 years of designing.
For me, the satisfaction isn’t tied to immediate financial success or external validation. It’s in creating the thing I see so clearly in my mind and bringing it into the world. Being able to say “I did it” matters deeply to me. If the world embraces it too, that’s a bonus—but seeing my vision exist outside of my head has never felt like a risk at all.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.blackintoys.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackintoys
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackinToys/
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/blackintoys
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BlackinToys
- Other: https://givebutter.com/blackintoys
