Inspiring women: Virginie Charles-Dear The entrepreneur whose kid’s craft box business has raised over $4.6m from the BGF and the founders of Innocent Drinks… Written by Megan Dunsby Published on 30 June 2016 Our experts We are a team of writers, experimenters and researchers providing you with the best advice with zero bias or partiality. Written and reviewed by: Megan Dunsby Name:Virginie Charles-DearFounded: toucanBox in January 2012 (launched April 2012)Start-up elevator pitch: Business delivering a ‘treasure trove’ of activities for children to your doorIndustry: Arts and craftsFollow her: @toucanboxWhy is she impressive?In just four years, Virginie Charles-Dear has built a business loved by children nationwide and, similarly, loved by investors with over $4.6m raised in funding to date. Inspired while watching a children’s TV programme with her daughter who was four at the time, Charles-Dear realised that the ‘everyday objects’ featured on the show were not so every day – ‘Who saves 24 ice lolly sticks?’ With this in mind the former Yahoo! executive created toucanBox, a subscription service delivering a personalised package of activities for children and toddlers every month containing materials and instructions for various DIY projects; think graze meets Art Attack. Backed by the government-funded Business Growth Fund and its founding partner Simon Calver (co-founder of LOVEFiLM), as well as the Innocent Drinks founders, Charles-Dear’s start-up venture is, according to Calver, primed to “become a global phenomenon”.Where can I find out more about Virginie Charles-Dear?Startups 100 2013: toucanBox Share this post facebook twitter linkedin Written by: Megan Dunsby