Post-crash Barbie dons mantle of entrepreneur

She has been a model, a vet and even a cowgirl, but Barbie has moved with the times and decided to go it alone, with Entrepreneur Barbie the latest Mattel incarnation to hit the market.

Equipped with a briefcase, a smartphone and a tablet, the business focused doll is intended to inspire young girls to follow their dreams and start their own business.

The new doll is part of Barbie’s “I Can Be” range, which looks at a different careers for the popular toy.

This year, Mattel has hitched its wagon to a growing trend in the business world that has seen female entrepreneurs on the cover of Time magazine’s most influential people issue, and take charge of one in five startups.

“Female entrepreneurs are changing the world, surpassing their goals and showing girls they can be both capable and captivating,” the company said.

The company has teamed up with a number of female entrepreneurs on the project, including the founders of Girls Who Code, Rent the Runway and Plum Alley.

However, the website promising “inspirational tips, career-themed games and activities” was unavailable at the time of writing, directing visitors to a page that proclaimed: “You actually found a place in the B Community that doesn’t exist. That’s pretty amaze!”

Over the years, Barbie has had a varied career history, notching up more than 150 since the doll was launched in 1959. From a stint in the US armed forces to some time as a lifeguard and tour guide, the past few years have seen the emergence of computer engineer Barbie, architect Barbie and even presidential candidate Barbie.