Keewa and Doug are married creatives based in Chicago. Doug is a visual artist who specializes in graffiti and murals. Keewa is a performing artist who sings jazz and plays characters. They have a blended family â two sons and one daughter. Keewa curates the shop and drives the vision, Doug designs prints for shirts, and cousin Amanda is the sunny voice on the other side of the screen. Grandmama Shanta even teaches music classes for the Kido community!
About Us
Our Story
Kido is a small shop owned by a 4th generation entrepreneur. Both Keewa and Amanda are Black Wall Street descendants, and Keewa has built Kido with a hope to keep their family legacy alive. Her great-grandfather had a tailor shop in the Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma. During the Massacre of 1921, he fled to Chicago and rebuilt his shop on the Southside. Keewaâs grandfather carried the torch and built his own tailor shop, and now, 100 years after Greenwood burned, she has her own shop in Downtown Chicago.
When her son was born, Keewa wanted to find clothes with positive affirmations that were eco-friendly and trendy too. She couldnât find what she was looking for, so she created her own line! Kido started with one onesie and big dreams. Keewa would travel all over Chicago, selling her onesies at local markets. She kept saving and releasing more designs, until she developed a following of diverse, millennial parents.
As the daughter of activists, Keewa knew that she had to connect her brand to the community. With a fellow mom Megan Jeyifo, she created the Southside Story Time to give local families the opportunity to connect in a safe environment for free. This is where her commitment to sharing books featuring kids of all cultures began. Her Story Times grew and grew, until she realized that so many of the parents just wanted somewhere to hang out while their kids were being entertained. Enter the Baby Soul Jam. Along with Mama Fresh aka Jenny LeFlore, Keewa created a family day party for millennial families on the Southside of Chicago. A consistently sold out affair, the Baby Soul Jam connected hundreds of diverse families from all over the Midwest.
Cousin Amanda is like the heartbeat of the Kido crew. She's all about manga, music, and puppies, and her energy lights up the room. Her Filipino heritage informs the store buying, always looking for the best products that focus on Asian culture. She's all about spreading good vibes and making sure our little ones are entertained, and the Kido store events are infused with her kid magic.
And so, community has become the life force of the Kido brand. Author events, musical storytimes, and cultural activities happen in the shop. Family dance parties, Parent-focused events, and Skate Jams happen offsite. Kido is all about uniting families, and our Kido families are the best around! Join the party on Instagram, where kid lovers from all over the country are connecting and sharing culture on the Kido page!