Home Women Entrepreneurs CEO at 7, Funding at 10: Cassidy Crowley Build $1M Business

CEO at 7, Funding at 10: Cassidy Crowley Build $1M Business

by funzho@gmail.com
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Cassidy Crowley, young founder of The Baby Toon, smiles confidently while holding her innovative baby spoon product.

Entrepreneur: Cassidy Crowley
Brand Name: The Baby Toon
Founded: 2018
Headquarters: Honolulu, Hawaii,USA
Annual Profit: $1M

Why Cassidy Crowley Build The Baby Toon

What were you doing when you were seven? While most kids were playing pretend, Cassidy Crowley was busy solving a real problem that frustrates parents around the world.

Cassidy noticed something while watching her mom feed her baby sister Emily:

  • Hard plastic spoons often hurt Emily’s gums

  • Hot food could burn the baby’s mouth

  • The baby couldn’t hold the spoon well—and when it dropped, it had to be washed again

So Cassidy came up with a bold and simple idea:

“What if I could design a soft, safe spoon that babies could use by themselves?”

And that’s how The Baby Toon was born. 

A smiling baby self-feeding with The Baby Toon’s soft silicone spoon.

A happy baby using The Baby Toon spoon—designed to be safe, soft, and easy for tiny hands to hold.

A Rocky Road: The Realities of Entrepreneurship

Challenge #1: Funding
To mass-produce The Baby Toon, Cassidy needed to invest in manufacturing molds, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars. For a 10-year-old, that was no small feat. Her parents stepped in, investing their savings to help her launch the first official batch.

Challenge #2: Brand Awareness
Baby products, especially those that go in a baby’s mouth, need trust. Without a big brand name, most parents hesitated. Cassidy relied on local stores in Hawaii and set her price at $15—but even that price point raised eyebrows.


Shark Tank: The Moment Everything Changed

In 2019, Cassidy appeared on Shark Tank—the U.S. TV show where entrepreneurs pitch their products to investors. At just 10 years old, she confidently stood in front of the Sharks and introduced The Baby Toon.

Her pitch was solid:

  • Market validation: $5,000 in sales already

  • Strong margins: Production cost of $6.60, retail price $15

  • Smart design: Clips to baby’s shirt to prevent dropping

  • Patent protected: Multiple patents create a barrier to entry

The Sharks were impressed.

Cassidy offered 50% of her company in exchange for $50,000, and sealed a deal with Lori Greiner, known as the “Queen of QVC.”

With Lori’s help, Cassidy refined the product design, improved manufacturing efficiency, and dropped the retail price to $6—leading to a big spike in sales.

 

 

New Information: Following the Shark Tank appearance, The Baby Toon entered a licensing agreement with Munchkin, a leading baby products company. This collaboration facilitated mass production and distribution, making the product available in major retailers like Target and Walmart across the U.S. and Canada.

New Information: By 2024, The Baby Toon’s annual revenue reached approximately $1 million, reflecting its growing popularity among parents seeking safe feeding solutions for their children.

 

A Bump in the Road: Negative Reviews and Fulfillment Chaos

Things were going well—until they weren’t.

One manufacturing run hit a major delay due to equipment failure. Orders weren’t shipped on time, and hundreds of refunds and negative reviews followed. Cassidy faced her first crisis.

Each evening after school, she and her mom fielded calls, replied to emails, and packed boxes late into the night.

“That was a tough time,” she said. “But I felt like I was doing something meaningful with my parents.”


After the Buzz: Keeping Momentum

After the Shark Tank spotlight faded, Baby Toon faced new challenges—supply chain hurdles, pricing strategy, and brand growth. Cassidy took several bold steps:

  1. Hired professional advisors to manage inventory and analyze sales data

  2. Trained herself in livestream selling, learning to pitch the product in under 2 minutes

  3. Personally replied to customer reviews, and partnered with more parenting influencers


Brand 2.0: Product Expansion and Strategic Growth

With Lori’s continued mentorship, Cassidy pushed the brand further:

  • Launched new color variants like blue koala and green alligator

  • Introduced new products: baby cups and pacifiers

  • Entered major retail channels: Amazon, Target, and secured a licensing deal with Munchkin, a leading baby product brand

By 2024, Baby Toon had surpassed $3 million in annual sales and saw a surge in traffic to its official website.


Lessons from a Mini CEO: Cassidy Crowley ’s Startup Playbook

  1. Start with a real problem
    Cassidy spotted the spoon safety issue by watching her sister eat. That grounded Baby Toon in genuine market demand.

  2. Test your MVP
    A 3D-printed prototype and local shop testing gave fast, low-cost validation.

  3. Be brave
    At 10, she stood on national TV and pitched to business titans—and held her ground.

  4. Keep learning
    From school project to product line, Cassidy learned to design, manufacture, negotiate, and market.

  5. Build a brand, not just a product
    From one spoon to a full baby product line—and from Hawaii to North America and Europe—The Baby Toon became a household name.

Cassidy is still in school. But she’s no longer just that little girl tinkering in her kitchen.

“I don’t want The Baby Toon to be just a product. I want kids to know: your ideas can change the world.”

Cassidy isn’t the only child CEO out there.
But she’s proof that with curiosity, courage, and consistency, you can go from solving a tiny problem—to shaking up an entire industry.

Find more Women Entrepreneurs stories here !

📚 Sources of Information:

  1. Shark Tank Wiki – The Baby Toon Shark Tank Update.
    🔗 https://sharktankwiki.com/baby-toon-shark-tank-update
  2. CelebPeople.com – Baby Toon Net Worth
    🔗 https://celabpeople.com/baby-toon-net-worth
  3. Shark Tank Talks – The Baby Toon Shark Tank Update
    🔗 https://sharktanktalks.com/the-baby-toon-shark-tank-update
  4. Millennial Entrepreneurs – Cassidy Crowley and The Baby Toon
    🔗 https://millennialentrepreneurs.com/cassidy-crowley-the-baby-toon-2

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