At 5 years old, Mia Monzidelis’s dad took her to a horseback riding lesson. Shortly after, Mia became a horse enthusiast. She was always wanting to own and ride a horse, yet this was not a possibility with where Mia and her parents lived. This inspired her to create something that was like a real horse that you could ride anywhere, anytime. So, Mia invented Power Pony.
Power Pony is powered by the patent pending ZüME engine. It is iOS connected, fully interactive, and guaranteed to provide fun, smiles, and laughter on many exciting riding adventures. The Power Pony riding experience is fully customizable when paired with the ZüME iOS App. Three pre-set speeds allow you to quickly set and change your Power Pony’s speed and sensitivity: trot, gallop or race. The Power Pony is imagined “by kids for kids”. Mia went through several versions of the name and samples of the toy before reaching the final product. Mia explained how it took many failures to get it right, but each failure taught her something new.
Mia’s proudest moment was when she was asked to be on the Kelly Clarkson show with Joy Mangano, a very successful inventor and entrepreneur. Joy and Mia were able to build a relationship and Joy is a great mentor and role model for Mia as a young entrepreneur.
Moving forward, Mia and her team are in the process of bringing some additional horses and unicorn options to their “stables”. They are also pursuing various other animals. Power Pony has many more ideas for the ZüME product, and they are looking forward to sharing all of those with their audience and customers soon. Mia continues to work hard assisting with designs, testing samples, providing feedback, helping with marketing, video shoots, being the spokesperson, and much more. She said the most important lesson she’s learned throughout the development of Power Pony is to “never underestimate a kid”.
The story behind this business is inspiring, since there are so many ways Mia and her team are able to innovate by adding new animals and features. She was able to find a niche audience and effectively solve their need of pony-riding at home!