Deena Shakir, a venture capitalist at Lux Capital, found it difficult to explain her job to her three young children. She attempted to illustrate the concept by purchasing a Chia Pet, a figurine where chia seeds are planted to demonstrate growth. She chose a unicorn figurine, which her children did not understand, but she found amusing.
During the quarantine period in 2020, Shakir felt the need to create something that would explain the process of starting a business in a way that would captivate children. She decided to write a picture book, which led to the creation of her first book, “Leena Mo, CEO,” which was released on Tuesday.
In the story, Leena Mo invents a robot to clear snow, and her neighbors encourage her to make more to sell. With the help of an investor, Leena Mo builds a team, promotes the robot on local news, and ultimately becomes a CEO.
To publish “Leena Mo, CEO,” Shakir reached out to hundreds of agents, most of whom ignored her. Eventually, she found an agent and secured a deal with Simon & Schuster in the spring of 2022. Now that the book is out, Shakir is considering expanding Leena Mo’s universe with a follow-up picture book or a graphic novel, and she hopes to tell the story from an investor’s perspective.
Above all, Shakir wants children to read about Leena Mo, a character who is American Iraqi and Muslim, and see a woman succeeding in the business world. She wants to normalize the idea that anyone, regardless of gender or background, can be an entrepreneur. Shakir believes that representation is important, and she wants children to understand that individuals can embody various identities and still achieve their goals.
