Meet Zabina Bhasin | DE&I Expert + Child Psychiatrist + CEO, In KidZ

We had the good fortune of connecting with Zabina Bhasin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Zabina, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
“We are more similar than we are different. Remember, our differences make us unique but do not separate us.” – My Mom, an educator for over 40 years instilled this saying in me and it is now my company’s mission. A mission that comes straight from the heart.

As a 7-year-old, I looked at my mom with eyes wide open and glare on my face, but in my mind, I had no clue what she was talking about. Similar? Different? Unique? What would I know about all this?

As A young child, my parents immigrated to Southern California before I was born. The earliest memory I have at 7 is being surrounded by my family and extended family, where love was abundant. I grew up in a culturally diverse neighborhood and went to school where there were many different cultures, Mexican, African-American, Chinese. Yet, I still stood out. I was different and I knew it.

As a child, I was bullied throughout elementary and high school for my curry lunches, my large nose, and darker skin, among much more. My older brothers were also bullied for their long hair and their Padgri. I didn’t understand. If we are all the same, then why were people mean to us. When I look back on that time, I still feel the sting of hurtful comments and actions. However, those moments shaped the rest of my life.

In 2nd grade, my mother asked the teacher if she could teach the students about Punjabi and Indian culture. No one had done this before. No one had made it clear that I was different. I did not have blonde hair, but I had luscious dark hair that cascaded my back. I did not eat sandwiches but ate dal and rice. By sharing the traditions and stories behind our clothes, food, and hair, my mom showed my classmates that I was the same as them. She allowed them to experience life in someone else’s shoes.

This lesson sparked something beautiful — I experienced firsthand how understanding different cultures cultivated empathy and curiosity — which evolved into an “International Week,” celebrating culture throughout the school.

In the past years we have seen our country become more and diverse than ever before . It is not going to change it is going to become even more diverse as well as inclusive. The time is now for us as adults to make the change and teach our children to be more empathetic and knider individuals towards others.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
In KidZ is dedicated to creating connections, bringing awareness about cultural diversity, and embracing everyone as they are.

We created kid-focused products that help children learn about cultures, race, diversity & inclusion while inspiring them to create a world that embraces everyone as they are.

We are on a journey of empowering children with cultural awareness. We encourage children they are more similar than they are different. Differences make us unique but do not separate us by identifying the need for conversations about culture.

With social media, access to the internet, and many other technological advances, children today have access to more knowledge about different cultures and global opportunities than ever before. Yet, there is a lack of acceptance and understanding of cultural diversity. That distance comes down to us; as parents, guardians, and mentors, it is our responsibility to help bridge this gap. At In KidZ, we realized that we can’t expect our children to learn about things we, as a society, have yet to understand fully, which is why we created our Culture Boxes.

Kids are the future, and in this beautifully diverse world, they need to see how all cultures experience life uniquely. At In KidZ, we believe that in our differences lie our similarities. We encourage our ability to understand and celebrate the differences for each culture. Our vision is for our children to ultimately accept all humans to make the world a better place truly. In this regard, a portion of each box is donated to a charity to advance children’s education further.

At In KidZ, we educate all ages to learn about diverse traditions the right way. We provide the tools to be knowledgeable, accepting, and culturally aware citizens of the world. Each Culture Box contains items to encourage the conversation about various global cultures. Each item is hand-selected, researched, and thoroughly reflective as an essential aspect of the culture. The “In the Know” cards describe a cultural experience to encourage you to open your minds to the diversity of the world and to let it enter your homes and hearts. With your child, you can read and learn about traditions that, without In KidZ, you’d never have been introduced to otherwise.

The story behind In KidZ began in 2nd grade; my mother asked the teacher if she could teach the students about Sikh culture. She was a professional educator. By sharing the traditions and stories behind our clothes, food, and hair, she allowed them to experience life in someone else’s shoes. This lesson sparked something beautiful – other parents began to do it too – Korean parents, Pakistani parents, Chinese parents started coming in and sharing the stories behind their food and cultures. I experienced firsthand how understanding different cultures cultivated empathy and curiosity – which evolved into an “International Week,” celebrating culture throughout the school.

Students still get bullied today for their culture. Since it’s impossible to walk into every school in the country and teach about multiculturalism, I created In KidZ xx With Love to deliver the world’s cultures to families every other month. I saw firsthand how learning more about culture helps kids to appreciate and respect differences. And studies show kids who learn about culture are kinder, more empathetic, and are more adaptable.

When we launched right before the pandemic and sustained this business with three paths, we have held them up with all the challenges we have had to face

1) Patience: we learn that when we are patient, wait, watch, and prepare, the following steps will always have more significant rewards.

2) Self-Discipline: Developing habits, routines, and patterns help structure life so that there is flexibility. This will help with our consistent growth.

3) Positivity: Staying Positive that everything we are doing will bring a change, even if it is a small change.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had to create an itinerary for a friend visiting southern California, here is the list of places have to go see:

Hollywood
Koreatown
Little Tokyo
Leimert Park
Thai Town
Olvera Street
Little Armenia
Historic Filipino town
Little Ethiopia
Westwood, Pico Robertson
Melrose
China town
Little Bangladesh
Little India
Little Saigon
Cambodia town
Watts
Santa Barabra

Does this list help list how in one little county Los Angeles we have so much diversity and cultural appreciation?

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My parents, my mom, especially without whom I would have never started my company.

“We are more similar than we are different. Remember, our differences make us unique but do not separate us.” – My Mom, an educator for over 40 years instilled this saying in me and it is now my company’s mission. A mission that comes straight from the heart.

As a child, I was bullied throughout elementary and high school for my dal chawal lunches, my large nose, and darker skin, among much more. My older brothers were also bullied for their long hair and their Padgri. I didn’t understand. If we are all the same, then why were people mean to us. When I look back on that time, I still feel the sting of hurtful comments and actions. However, those moments shaped the rest of my life.
In 2nd grade, my mother asked the teacher if she could teach the students about Punjabi and Indian culture. No one had done this before. No one had made it clear that I was different. I did not have blonde hair, but I had luscious dark hair that cascaded my back. I did not eat sandwiches but ate dal and rice. By sharing the traditions and stories behind our clothes, food, and hair, my mom showed my classmates that I was the same as them. She allowed them to experience life in someone else’s shoes.

The second person is my husband, my partner in crime, and the father of my children. Although his help was a little more unconventional…

My husband loves that I bring him so many ideas. Actually, he calls me the “idea queen,” and loves my imagination and ideas. He is an efficient communicator, a man with a plan, supportive, but also wants it all laid out. Every detail. He is the action behind my ideas, and is the one who holds me (annoyingly) accountable for even the craziest ones I bring to the table.

To say talking to him about my idea for In KidZ was daunting is an understatement. I had to find a way to tell him I was not going back to work, and that I was going to start a business; this was, in essence, my very first pitch.
When I took the idea behind In KidZ to him, he said “Yes, this is it! This is YOU! This is the thing!” before I could even finish the sentence. He has helped me every step of the way, through the various catastrophes that come with starting a new business.

then of course my children, who have motivated me everyday to do better and more for their future and all the kids who are going to be the future.

And I never forget my tribe of women who don’t let me fall and support me through everything
the Chaimommas, my South Asain Women tribe that grows with me and I with them.

Last my intimate group of friends have consistently encouraged me and never let me quit!

Website: www.inkidzco.com

Instagram: @inkidzco @zabina_bhasin_md

Linkedin: Zabinabhasinmd

Twitter: @zabina_bhasin @inkidzco

Facebook: @zabina.bhasinahuja @inkidzco

Youtube: inkidzco

Image Credits
In Kidz owns them all