September 12, 2026, will always be a special day for Zoe Oli and the Beautiful Curly Me family.
During the inaugural Youth Mean Business Summit on September 12, 2026, Our 14-year-old CEO Zoe received something she never saw coming. She received a proclamation from the Atlanta City Council, officially naming September 12 “Zoe Oli Day” in the city of Atlanta
The recognition celebrates Zoe’s work as a young entrepreneur, author, speaker and advocate for girls, as well as her commitment to helping other young people build confidence, pursue their ideas and create meaningful impact.
And for Zoe, who started Beautiful Curly Me at just seven years old, it was a moment that brought so many parts of her journey together.
AND a huge surprise!
From a 7-Year-Old With an Idea to A Day of Her own!
Beautiful Curly Me began with a simple but important mission: to help girls feel confident about their curls and themselves.
Zoe was only seven when she started the company with her mom's help. Since then, Beautiful Curly Me has grown from her idea into a brand that has reached more than 100,000 girls and families.
Beautiful Curly Me dolls have been sold on Target shelves nationwide, alongside a growing collection of books, puzzles and confidence-building products designed to help girls see themselves positively and believe in who they are.
Giving back has also been part of the mission from the beginning. Through Zoe’s Dollsgiving program, thousands of dolls have been donated to underserved girls in the community.
What started with one young girl wanting other girls to feel confident has continued to grow into a much bigger movement.
Why the City of Atlanta Honored Zoe Oli
The Atlanta City Council proclamation recognized Zoe’s impact across entrepreneurship, confidence-building, youth leadership and community service.
In addition to founding Beautiful Curly Me, Zoe is a published author and national keynote speaker. She has shared her message of confidence through national platforms including Good Morning America, Forbes and Black Enterprise, as well as with students in schools throughout Atlanta and Georgia.
She also holds the distinction of being the world’s youngest Black TEDx speaker.
As Zoe grew as an entrepreneur, her work expanded into helping other young people build ideas of their own.
Zoe co-founded Youth Mean Business, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization created to provide coaching, community and capital to the next generation of youth entrepreneurs. Through Youth Mean Business, $47,000 in grants has been awarded to youth entrepreneurs who have generated more than $800,000 in revenue.
Zoe also leads the 1 Million Confident Girls initiative, a national movement focused on building confidence and self-esteem in girls.
The proclamation recognized all of these efforts and described Zoe’s leadership as reflecting “the very best of Atlanta’s youth.”
A Full-Circle Moment at the Youth Mean Business Summit
There could not have been a more fitting place for Zoe to receive the honor.
September 12 was already a meaningful day. Zoe was surrounded by young entrepreneurs, aspiring founders, parents, mentors, business leaders and community partners at the inaugural Youth Mean Business Summit, an event created through the organization she co-founded to support the next generation of entrepreneurs.
She had no idea another celebration was coming and the moment was truly full circle.
Zoe was born in Atlanta, and at seven years old, she saw a problem and decided to do something about it. Today, she is continuing to grow Beautiful Curly Me while also helping create opportunities for other young people to take their own ideas seriously, build businesses and make an impact.
Receiving this recognition at the Youth Mean Business Summit, presented by Jay Bailey, President and CEO of the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs, Zoe's long time mentor, made the moment even more meaningful.
“Receiving this proclamation was such a special surprise. What means the most to me is that September 12 will celebrate confidence and entrepreneurship for young people in Atlanta. I want every girl to know that she can dream big, take action and make a difference.”
-Zoe Oli
A Day Celebrating Youth Confidence and Entrepreneurship
One of the most meaningful parts of the proclamation is that Zoe Oli Day is not only about celebrating Zoe.
The Atlanta City Council expressed its hope that September 12 will be recognized annually in celebration of youth confidence and entrepreneurship in the City of Atlanta.
That message is closely connected to everything Zoe has worked to build.
Through Beautiful Curly Me, girls are encouraged to see themselves positively and grow in confidence. Through the 1 Million Confident Girls initiative, that mission is reaching even further.
And through Youth Mean Business, young people are being encouraged to turn their ideas into action and given access to the resources and community to help them grow.
For the girls and young entrepreneurs watching Zoe’s journey, there is an important message in all of it:
You do not have to wait until you grow up to make a difference.
Your ideas matter now.
Your voice matters now.
And you can begin building something meaningful right where you are.
What Comes Next
We are incredibly proud of this recognition, but Zoe Oli Day also reminds us that the work continues.
There are more girls to encourage. There are more young people with ideas waiting to be supported. There are more opportunities to create spaces where children know that their voices, creativity and leadership matter.
We are grateful to Councilman Jason Dozier and the Atlanta City Council for recognizing Zoe’s work and for celebrating the importance of youth confidence and entrepreneurship in Atlanta.
And to every parent, caregiver, customer, partner and supporter who has been part of the Beautiful Curly Me journey, thank you.
This honor allows us room and opportunity to celebrate what can happen when a girl believes in herself, takes action on her ideas and uses her voice to help others.
September 12 is Zoe Oli Day!
Join Us in Building the Next Generation of Confident Girls
At Beautiful Curly Me, our mission continues to be helping girls see themselves, believe in themselves and grow confidently into who they are meant to be.
Shop our dolls, books, puzzles and confidence-building resources, and join us as we continue working toward a future filled with confident girls who know they can lead, create and make a difference.
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