From nurse to pilot to NASCAR driver to computer engineer, Barbie has had a lot of different careers. Now she’s adding entrepreneur to the list of titles under her exceptionally small plastic belt.
Equipped with a smartphone, briefcase, tablet and even LinkedIn, Entrepreneur Barbie is now being sold.
The doll’s description explains that she has partnered with “a diverse group of female entrepreneurs,” including the founders of the Girls Who Code, Rent the Runway, One Kings Lane, Plum Alley, Genuine Insights, Sugarfina and TheTomKat Studio.
Adding to the innovation element of the plastic doll, who dons a hot pink dress, “elegant hair” and a glam necklace, Entrepreneur Barbie even hosts Twitter chats alongside her established entrepreneur partners and has her own hashtags like #BarbieChat and #unapologetic.
The entrepreneurs offered tips and advice to young girls with a Twitter discussion Wednesday to help reinforce the doll’s slogan, “If you can dream it, you can be it.”
“This year alone, female entrepreneurs have graced the cover of TIME's Most Influential People issue and lead 1-in-5 start-ups,” toy maker Mattel said in a statement. “Alongside Barbie, female entrepreneurs are changing the world, surpassing their goal and showing girls they can be both capable and captivating.”
More companies are starting to take note of female entrepreneurs. In Chicago, 1871 is set to launch a new facility designed to foster growth and opportunity for women-owned tech startups in the city.
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But Entrepreneur Barbie isn’t without criticism. Some have questioned why she has no real career focus, and others claim she is categorized an “entrepreneur” thanks to her handy electronic devices and “dressed for success” attire.
Others have also rasied questions about her hashtag, #unapologetic, wondering what a female entrepreneur would need to be sorry for.
#entrepreneur new Barbie, excellent message for little girls but don't get the #unapologetic why do they even need to refer to an apology? — Nina Dally (@NinaDally) June 19, 2014
I am also confused as to why their promotional # is #Unapologetic, why should one feel guilty for being a business woman... — Holly-Rose Howard (@hollywood747) June 19, 2014
Surely, if they were spreading the right message it should be #indifferencetowomenhighupinbusiness it's called equality — Holly-Rose Howard (@hollywood747) June 19, 2014
It wouldn’t be the first time the doll has been at the center of a controversy over her 55 years in the mannequin “business.”
Most recently, Mattel received criticism after the doll appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s annual Swimsuit Issue.
In the issue Barbie wears an updated version of her black-and-white bathing suit she sported when first introduced in 1959.
