Joeydolls by Samantha Ong: A Story of a Daughter’s Search and a Mother’s Mission

Growing up in Australia as part of a small minority shaped Samantha’s early understanding of identity. It taught her what it feels like to search for belonging, to look for pieces of yourself in the world and not always find them. Those early lessons sat quietly in the background as she moved into adulthood.

Her career began in finance, a path she chose for its stability and predictability. But creativity eventually led her in a different direction. She built a thriving wedding photography studio—one that grew from passion, long nights, and the joy of capturing love stories. It was a life she couldn’t have imagined at the start.

Then the pandemic arrived. Overnight, hundreds of thousands of bookings vanished. The business she had spent years building collapsed in an instant. And in that same period of loss, another reality weighed heavily on her: the rise in anti-Asian hate. As a mother, the headlines and the stories hit differently. Samantha began thinking deeply about the world she wanted for her daughters—what they would grow up seeing, feeling, and believing about themselves.

That led her on a simple search: dolls that reflected her daughters’ culture. But what she found were options that were limited, stereotypical, and often too expensive. It was a moment that crystallized something important. Realizing how quickly children learn about who they are, the idea for Joeydolls began to take shape—quietly, but powerfully.

Turning an Idea Into a Brand

An idea, however, is only the beginning. Turning it into a real toy brand meant stepping into a world Samantha knew nothing about. She had to learn everything from manufacturing to product design to e-commerce—starting from zero. There was no roadmap, just persistence and a mission that felt too important to abandon.

The timing made it even harder. Pandemic rules slowed communication. Shipping delays stretched out timelines from weeks to months. With very little funding, every decision mattered. Every misstep cost time she couldn’t afford to lose.

Then tariffs on goods from China jumped to 145%, and suddenly even the future of the business came into question. There were moments when it all seemed impossible—too expensive, too complex, too overwhelming for one person to navigate.

But Samantha kept going. She kept refining the vision, pushing through setbacks, and holding onto the mission that started it all. And she didn’t do it alone. Throughout the long nights and the uncertainty, she was supported by a husband working multiple jobs so she could stay focused on building the brand their daughters—and so many other children—deserved.

A Brand With a Bigger Purpose

Today, Joeydolls has sold over 15,000 dolls and earned major recognition. But those numbers only tell part of the story. At its heart, the brand is Samantha’s answer to a question that began during one of the hardest moments of her life: How do we help children grow up seeing their cultures celebrated, not erased?

Joeydolls stands as that answer—a way for children to see their cultures reflected with pride, dignity, and everyday joy. What started as a search for her own daughters became a mission to help thousands of children feel seen, valued, and connected to where they come from.

A single doll can seem small. But for many families, it’s a beginning. And for Samantha, it’s proof that representation—when created with care—can grow into something far bigger than one person’s story.