The Dude Therapist

Summary

The Slumberkins founders, Kelly and Kaylee, discuss emotional health and wellness for children, the creation of their business, and the impact of their products. They emphasize the importance of emotional wellness for parents and children, the challenges of parenting in the digital age, and the need for a shift in the narrative around emotional growth and wellness.

Kelly Oriard is the co-founder and Chief Therapeutic Officer at Slumberkins, a children’s education and emotional health brand. She holds a dual master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and School Counseling. As a licensed family therapist, school counselor, and mother, Oriard is passionate about changing how we support the mental and emotional well-being of children and families. As the author behind the character storylines at Slumberkins, Kelly is changing the way children and families can access the content and strategies, usually found in a family therapy session, in a fun, easy-to-use way that creates healing and brings meaningful moments of connection that make a lifelong impact on the emotional health of children.

Callie Christensen is the co-founder and Chief Brand Officer at Slumberkins, a children’s education and emotional wellness brand. Callie holds a master’s in teaching elementary education and special education. As a mother and educator turned entrepreneur, she’s on a mission to use her educational background to create an accessible, meaningful, and purposeful brand that is useful in every home and school to help support families and communities on their journeys of emotional health. Slumberkins is at the forefront of brand building online as they expand into children’s entertainment by bringing the characters to life in a preschool television series produced by The Jim Henson Company for Apple TV+.

About Slumberkins

Slumberkins is the leading early emotional wellness brand promoting healthy emotional development through stories and characters in the form of consumer products, books, content, music, school-based curriculum and more. Slumberkins uses original storytelling through its 50+ books in print and popular cuddly creatures to help children connect with a wide range of emotions and empower them to grow into caring, confident and resilient people. Slumberkins was founded in 2015 by Kelly Oriard and Callie Christensen, both moms with backgrounds in child development and family therapy. 

Fueled by an appearance on Shark Tank and a growing community of more than 1 million, Slumberkins is continuing to expand its wildly successful consumer products and publishing business across multiple touch points, including a children’s music album, affirmation app, and mixed media puppet / 2D animation TV program produced by The Jim Henson Company, based on its plush toys, now streaming worldwide on AppleTV+. Slumberkins has sold more than 1.5 million books to date while also actively selling curriculum into schools nationwide. To learn more, visit Slumberkins.com and follow them on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.