Terri-Nichelle Bradley has never been one to play by the rules—she’s rewritten them entirely. As the visionary behind Brown Toy Box, she built a nationally recognized brand that celebrates Black children through educational play. Her toys have made it to the shelves of major retailers like Target, but when shifting consumer behavior and rising tariffs threatened to squeeze out diverse brands, she did what true entrepreneurs do—she pivoted with power.
Now, Terri-Nichelle is opening her very first brick-and-mortar store, creating a space where culture, creativity, and commerce meet on her own terms. It’s more than a storefront—it’s a statement.
“I want to blow out any limitations anybody has ever put on us—including the ones we put on ourselves,” she says. “My goal is for a kid to walk up to me in 15 years and say, ‘I’m a chemist because of Brown Toy Box.’ That’s my goal, and that’s my purpose.”
As a RICE Entrepreneur in Residence, Terri-Nichelle brings this real-world wisdom into our building every day, mentoring the next generation of founders through challenges she’s lived firsthand. She’s a guiding voice for entrepreneurs who are navigating the highs and lows of scaling a product-based business—and she’s doing it while centering children, culture, and curiosity at the core.
“Stay curious. It’s a phrase I live by,” she shares. “You don’t always have to be the smartest kid in class, just be the most curious.”
Terri-Nichelle’s belief in purposeful play isn’t just philosophy—it’s a movement. “Play-based learning is the vehicle for change,” she affirms. “We must be an educational toy company to meet our vision and goals.”
On May 19th, she returns to RICE for Day Two of the Retail Readiness Survival Forum, where she’ll offer real-world strategies and actionable tools that product-based founders can use to not just stay in business—but to thrive. From brick-and-mortar pivots to resilience planning, Terri-Nichelle is showing the way forward for Black brands navigating an uncertain retail landscape.
Terri-Nichelle doesn’t just lead from the front—she leads with intention, resilience, and a fierce belief in the power of Black-owned brands to shape the future of how we play, learn, and grow.
Don’t miss her insights on May 19: RSVP Here
