KINDRED SPIRITS: Transforming Darkness into Creativity

MELISSA BERNSTEIN is the co-founder of Melissa & Doug, a toy company with a mission to “provide a launch pad to ignite imagination and a sense of wonder in all children so they can discover themselves, their passions, and their purpose.” In this article, EMILIE MOGENSEN starts with a simple interview approach with Melissa, which blossoms into much more – a meeting of kindred spirits!

- EMILIE MOGENSEN

“I am fearful, oh, so fearful, that if you do not show me light I will lose the will to live, and choose to end this futile fight.”

Back in 1970, this verse was written by a 5-year-old girl, who learned early in life that expressing her innermost vulnerable feelings in creative writing was not merely an expression of words, it was a way to survive.

Originally, the intention of this article was to write a portrait of a very successful and conscious entrepreneur. But that seemed too linear for her. It feels true to the essence of her lively, ethereal, and delicate being, to instead share a mystical and most rewarding story of how a meeting on Zoom turned into a sweet connection between two creative souls.

When I first experienced Melissa Bernstein, she was a guest speaker at The Inner MBA, which I am currently doing through Mindful NYU, Sounds True and LinkedIn. I was unaware that I had been buying her designs over the years as toys for my kids. I discovered that when I looked her up and recognized the online red logo of “Melissa & Doug.”