My Villager

“Created in our image”
by Anne Murphy
Aug 17, 2026

Highland woman draws on mother’s art for multicultural Kozi Dolls.

Creating a line of dolls in the image of her mother’s artwork had been on Kathryn Bennett’s mind for nearly three decades. It wasn’t until 2024, after hearing former First Lady Michelle Obama urge people to “do something,” that Bennett acted on her idea of paying tribute to her mother’s life as an artist and social activist. Kathryn and husband Ron Bennett of Highland Park are marketing her Kozi Dolls through Corazon gift shop, 4646 E. Lake St. in Minneapolis.

Each doll in the new line reflects a different culture or background as depicted in paintings by Kathryn Bennett’s mother. “Corazon is supportive of artists,” Kathryn said. “They have jewelry, ceramics, cards and Minnesota-made items, and they share our philosophy in terms of inclusiveness.”

Children in particular are meant to see themselves in the pillow-like dolls, which at 10 inches tall are small enough to be snuggled at home or carried on adventures.“Kozi Dolls reflect a belief that all children are worthy and beautiful,” Kathryn said. “And part of the gift is letting the recipient decide what to call them.” The dolls do not come with a name but have a tag on which a chosen name can be written.

Mother set an example of loving the stranger

Kathryn Bennett received her esteem for other cultures from her mother, Speed Gold, who would paint just about everything she saw, but kept her art tucked away. While growing up in Wisconsin and as an adult, Kathryn watched as her mother welcomed hungry immigrants into their home for meals and companionship and provide international students a place to stay during the holidays when student housing did not remain open.

The Bennetts, who are now in their 80s, moved to the Twin Cities in 1965. “We first lived in South Minneapolis because it was multicultural,” said Ron, a retired professor and dean of engineering at the University of Saint Thomas. While raising the couple’s three children, Kathryn became an author, screenwriter, artist, educator, community activist and entrepreneur. By the 1970s, Kathryn was making stuffed animals from her original designs, not only for her children but to sell through gift shops under the brand name suggested by her youngest child, Pigs and Things. Kathryn began looking back through Speed’s artwork a few years ago and found a series of paintings that were intended for the doll project they had planned together. “After hearing Michelle Obama’s words, I thought if I could resurrect that idea and get dolls reflecting other countries and cultures into production, it would help with the sense of belonging we need in Minnesota,” Kathryn said.

The dolls represent cultures the world over

The name Kozi Dolls relates back to Kathryn’s earlier designs involving a bear and a cat that she converted into tea cozys. “We liked the notion of the product being ‘cozy’ but wanted a unique spelling that we could trademark,” Ron said. “The typeface for the logo was designed to convey an ancient but uncertain origin. Is this from Latin America, North America, East Asia, South Pacific, Africa, Middle East, Nordic countries? The doll could be from anywhere, as could any person in the United States. It’s up to the imagination, as are the adventures kids and adults alike will have with their Kozi Doll.”

As part of the project, Ron consulted with University of Saint Thomas professors on the potential positive psychological impact and overall marketability of the dolls, which the Bennetts believe includes seniors. “The dolls are indeed personal and not just for children,” said UST Professor Emeritus and retired consulting psychologist Gene Audette, also a Highland resident. “Each of the dolls has engaged my emotional self such that when I saw them I wanted to take one and bring it close.”

As the parent of two boys, now in their 50s, Audette said he could immediately relate to the sleepy boy doll in the line as well as the Aleut Alaskan doll holding a fish.“I could relate to the sleepy expression of that towhead in jammies, reminding me of moments with my sons during those innocent years,” Audette said. “Anyone who gives (the Kozi Dolls) more than just a quick glance will be drawn in.” The Bennetts sought consumer product safety certification for the dolls. After having a battery of tests done at a product safety laboratory in Buffalo, New York, the data on fabric, ink and all required components were sent to an agency in Pennsylvania and Kozi Dolls were certified.

Kozi dolls are made near Appalachia

The Bennetts searched for a manufacturer in the Twin Cities and Minnesota, but ended up with one in Ohio. “We found a startup near Athens, Ohio, near Appalachia,” Kathryn said. “The founder knew coal mining isn’t going to make it, so she decided to work on bringing skill sets back to people there. She calls her employees ‘sewists.’” Kozi Dolls retail for $30 each.

Future plans include online sales, sales through other gift shops and making the dolls available at pop-up markets. Recently, the Bennetts were asked to include the dolls in a market day at Marvella Senior Living in Highland Park. “There have been layers to this project,” Ron said. “It proves there’s a lot to learn at any age. We don’t know where this is going to go, but we hope people will enjoy Kozi Dolls and that they will increase a sense of belonging.”