You Should Definitely Buy a Roominate Dollhouse

It's no secret to viewers of ABC's Shark Tank that Lori and Mark are the hearts of the show. While Mark doesn't hide the fact that he is a business person first, you'll notice that he is always there to champion people's accomplishments, even if he doesn't end up buying into their company. A father to daughters himself, he also seems to have a soft spot for the development of young women in business, and a desire for a better world for girls in general. So it came as no surprise when one hopeful business that caught Mark's eye this season was Roominate, a new learning experience for girls that wants to disrupt the world of pink playthings by allowing kids to construct and engineer their own doll houses.

As many know, the girls' toy aisle is woefully unimaginative. Having said that, I personally loved dolls, and many other girls seem to enjoy playing with them too. They can also be great for childhood development, as numerous researchers and parents have gone on record about the developmental benefits of some healthy fantasy play (and not just for girls). Roominate doesn't want to rid the toy aisle of dolls, but they do want to make sure girls of the world have dolls that promote education and engineering.

Watch the video below for a refresher on Roominate, and then learn the additional reasons that you should be rooting for them as much I am. And once you're convinced (if you aren't already) that this is an amazing product more than worthy of huge success, you can buy one of Roominate's many products on its website, and preorder the newer toys.

IT WAS CREATED BY TWO CRAZY SMART LADIES

They don't just talk the talk. Creators Alice Brooks and Bettina Chen met while pursuing engineering masters degrees at a little place called Stanford (maybe you've heard of it?). They bonded instantly, being two of the few women in the male-dominated field. They connected over what inspired them to take up engineering: the toys they grew up with. They wanted to bring the experience full circle and create toys that combine building and problem solving with traditional modes of play for girls, like storytelling and crafts. It's a perfect solution to an imperfect industry. Dolls aren't the problem, but the way the experience is marketed and packaged is. Roominate fixes the problem by encouraging innovation.

IT'S A REAL STEM EXPERIENCE

That's "Science, Tech, Engineering, and Math," for the uninitiated. For too long, toys aimed at girls have put the player in a passive role. Roominate is looking to invigorate young girls' minds with toys that encourage them to create before they play. This is not just some Erector set. In addition to building walls, floors, and furniture, you can also hook up and wire lights, fans, even a carousel. Now that's some real ingenuity. Imagine a world where a young girl in your life not only says "I made that!" but also "I wired this ceiling fan!" Get ready for a generation of super badass young women.

THEY ARE AWARD-WINNING

Roominate's tag line is "inspiring the next generation of innovators" and the pair behind it have certainly been reaping accolades for it. Including Academics Choice Brain Toy and Parents Choice Gold Award.

MARK Went IN WITH LORI... BUT WITH A CATCH

In the clip above, Mark gladly invests in Roominate, so the creators can go on to be role models for other girls. His catch? The Roominate girls have to let his daughters come in and shadow them so they can learn how to work, effectively hiring the duo to be role models to his girls directly. An actual millionaire business tycoon wanting their kids to learn from you? That might be the highest form of a professional compliment.

Image: Roominate