Ladue, Mo. entrepreneur launches ‘superheroine’ doll collection to empower girls

When Jennifer Ozimkiewicz (Oz) read her daughter the story of Artemis – a fierce, independent legend – little did she know she was opening more than a book.

Rather, Oz was opening a door that would quietly rewrite her own family’s story and spark the Olympia Doll Collection, a line of dolls sold locally and online. 

Olympia Doll and Story Collection is a superheroine collection [that] brings to life iconic goddesses and female figures, designed to inspire and empower today’s girls through interesting and fun stories and imaginative, screen-free play,” says Oz, who owns and operates Oz Creations, LLC as its CEO.

Photo by Mary Crane of Alter'd Arrow Photography and Design, LLC

The collection showcases Greek and Roman mythological goddesses including Athena, Artemis, and Venus. According to Merriam-Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature, Athena’s personification in the “Iliad” and later the “Odyssey” by Homer details the goddess as a representative of “the intellectual and civilized side of war and the virtues of justice and skill.”

The legend of Artemis has been cultivated through religious beliefs and rituals. She is often associated with wild animals, hunting, and vegetation, among other things, states Merriam-Webster. The encyclopedia says that Venus, known also as Aphrodite, was “widely worshipped as a goddess of the sea and seafaring,” and is primarily linked to love and fertility as well as revered as “the creative element in the world.”

“[Athena] is the strategist and is admired for her sharp intellect, her creative genius as an inventor, and her protective leadership,” Oz says. “[Venus] embodies love, compassion, creativity, and self-expression. [Artemis is] all about independence, athletic strength, and fearless bravery. She protects nature, animals, and girls.”

Photo by Mary Crane of Alter'd Arrow Photography and Design, LLC