The childhood friends attended high school together in Douala, Cameroon. When they met again during their studies in Paris, then in Montreal where they immigrated one after the other, they suspected that life had a joint project in store for them. Then, they became fathers at the same time. The chemistry that united them then gave way to entrepreneurship. It is for Yanaëlle, Kimane, Luam-Kamil and all the others that they created Ymma , which markets dolls that reflect the diversity they represent.

Share your values

“When I had my first son, I felt a strong desire to share the values of altruism and respect that were embedded in me,” says Gaëtan, a statistician by training who still works full-time in the banking sector. “Our entrepreneurial project crystallized. I poured my heart into these colorful dolls that children could identify with.” “We had found the reason for Ymma’s existence,” confirms his partner Yannick, an industrial engineer in Lévis.

The two men put their savings into the project and moved forward, heads down. “We read a lot and informed ourselves,” says Gaëtan. “We were inspired by a BDC business plan, we participated in workshops, including those of Entreprendre Ici , dedicated to immigrants. My brother, a businessman working in food safety in Gatineau, also guided us.”

Offering a better world to your children

Diversity is a hot topic right now. And for good reason. “Personally, as an adult who has already experienced racism, I can handle the shock,” Gaëtan maintains. “Younger people need tools. Exposing them to diversity in the toy offering is a good start. Whether they are white or black, they are building their identity at that time and will naturally be more open to plurality in society as they grow up.”

Racialized dolls break down prejudices, regardless of origin. Black and mixed-race children can finally recognize themselves in toys that look like them, find themselves beautiful and nourish their self-esteem. For others, juggling with a mix of shapes, genders and colors becomes normal. Being around difference, from a young age, is a guarantee of success for a more inclusive future.

The testimony that most touched the entrepreneurs was that of a mother of white children. "These dolls allow them to be exposed to ethnicity, to the image of a plural society."

Highlighting your origins

Invested and committed, they also wanted to give back to their homeland. The names of the dolls – Priso, Beri, Sad i – are neighborhoods in the city where they grew up. Local fabrics – such as ndop, an indigo blue Bamileke fabric once reserved for the high nobility – are assembled by seamstresses from Douala. “We know that where we come from, one salary often allows several people to survive,” says Gaëtan. The project has an impact on the economy in the communities.”

Ymma is also a story of close-knit families: while Gaëtan's wife takes care of contacts with the media, Yannick's wife prepares the orders and thinks about the design of the clothes.

Through colored dolls, Gaëtan and Yannick democratize African culture in their own way and bring a little more richness and diversity.