When I was 7 years old, my father took me to the bank and the teller offered me a lollipop. But I hesitated to take it. After all, everyone always told me that candy is bad for my teeth. That’s how my company, Zolli Candy, was born to make treats for those with dietary restrictions or who just want healthier options. Our meals are zero sugar, allergy friendly, gluten free, vegan, keto and kosher.
But a healthy attitude is not enough. In 2018, I founded the Million Smiles initiative to help educate children about oral health. We participate in school curriculum, community education and family events related to health, science and entrepreneurship. And of course, we send students our Zollipops too! In fact, more than six million children have been educated through our program so far.
I’m 17 now and our friendship is still going strong. Last October, Zolli Candy partnered with Google Registry when they launched the .boo top-level domain. Treats.boo helped increase our Halloween sales by 300%. With Easter just around the corner, we have another opportunity to make more people smile and reduce America’s most chronic childhood disease: tooth decay.
One of my favorite events I’ve participated in started in 2015 as part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative. During the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, 35,000 children walk away with Zollipops in hand each year. It is great to see the smiles on the children’s faces and the parents are happy to know that their children are eating healthier food. Join us this year and visit bunny.boo to find out how you can help us save smiles while enjoying a tasty treat that’s not bad for your teeth. How sweet is that?