A Pretty Brainy Beginning

A Smart Little Girl, Her Aunt and a Market Need

Pretty Brainy began when Heidi Olinger was shopping for a gift for a young niece who had a keen interest in math and science. Heidi pictured science and girlish design features coming together on a girls’ printed tee, the world’s favorite medium for self-expression. She loved the idea of design that would represent the genuine girl — gutsy math facts combined with girlish styling, for example. And she wanted something that would reflect her niece’s preteen ambition, optimism and exuberance: something, in other words, girl-appropriate, age-appropriate and smart.

The design would include smart girl quotes chosen to inspire a girl throughout the tough years of adolescence. Her niece’s self-confidence, ambition and wonderment were in place, and Heidi wanted to help her maintain those fine qualities.

But in store after store, sales clerks told Heidi that science- and math-based goods for girls didn’t exist. No one had seen the gift item she was describing. That’s when, as if lightening had struck, Heidi realized she would create the girl-inspired ’tween fashion she pictured.

After several years of market research, interviewing women and girls, product development, and hammering out the Pretty Brainy brand identity, Heidi pushed aside hesitation and self-doubt, resigned a leadership position with a nonprofit organization and launched Pretty Brainy, Inc.

Pretty Brainy introduced its first designs at a Junior League holiday market in 2008. The first girls’ printed tees featured famous women in history Jackie Cochran and Babe Didrikson Zaharias, and women bought the largest girls’ sizes in stock for themselves. Women’s emotional connection to the Pretty Brainy concept was immediate.

In 2010 Heidi was named a Woman to Watch by Colorado Women of Influence. Also in 2010 the Mom’s Choice Awards^® selected Pretty Brainy as the Gold Recipient in Gear and Accessories for its Smart Tees for Smart Girls. The award was given for the design Heidi first conceptualized when shopping for her niece a decade ago.