Anita Frost is the founder of Green Bean Studios, the Manchester children’s brand built around Green Bean, a character designed from the ground up on the Early Years Foundation Stage framework.
A child development practitioner for more than 20 years, she won the most promising medium-sized business category at KPMG’s Black Entrepreneurs’ Awards in October 2024, a prize that brought £25,000 and a 12-month acceleration programme. Now in its fifth year, the company has partnered with Findel Group on Green Bean & Me, an early years edutainment subscription series for children up to the age of seven, delivered on the EuHu platform.
She tells Business Matters why she wants Green Bean to stand alongside the legacy characters of children’s culture, and why founders should learn to celebrate the small wins.
What do you currently do at Green Bean Studios?
At Green Bean Studios, we are driving our leading intellectual property character and brand, Green Bean, forward into the marketplace for early years children. Our IP offers multi-revenue opportunities and holds a strong market position.
We produce an award-winning book series sold in Waterstones and independent bookshops, alongside a range of eco-toys stocked across independent toy retailers and prominent venues such as the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester. Recently, we launched an EdTech series in partnership with the Findel Group, powered by EuHu. Green Bean & Me is a subscription series for children from birth to seven, built to support the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum and school readiness.
Our goal is to support children to play, learn and go on fun adventures. We are in an era of declining child mental health, emotional development and social skills, driven by fast-evolving technology that lacks any real thought leadership. Green Bean provides a simple, highly engaging character and an appealing ecosystem.
Supported by major partners including the National Literacy Trust, KPMG, Innovate UK and the University of Salford, Green Bean is dedicated to bringing positive impact to our younger generation, one child at a time.
What was the inspiration behind your business?
The inspiration stems from my own background. I have more than 20 years of experience as a child development practitioner and consultant, understanding how children learn and view the world.
I set out to design a fun-loving character named Green Bean, combining social science, innovation and creativity. That became Green Bean Studios, the home of the world of Green Bean and his friends, and its retail arm, the Green Bean Collection.
Along with a talented team of professionals, I have grown a children’s edutainment brand into a popular and recognisable feature in schools, nurseries, libraries and homes.
While many legacy characters dominate the market, our aim was to create a character with equal appeal that is built from the ground up on the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. From fabrics and scripts to storytelling and retail innovation, every item supports children’s social and emotional development.
Our core brand pillars are Earth, Community and Kids. Earth is about giving back to the environment, for example through our outdoor gardening range, which teaches children to cultivate, nurture and care for nature. Community means engaging directly with our audience through storytime events in Waterstones, toy shops, shopping centres and attraction parks. Kids is about empowering children, who are also our future workforce, by providing products and resources that help them thrive academically, creatively and emotionally.
Who do you admire?
We admire legacy founders and creators who build long-term generational impact. Notable inspirations in our industry include the creators of Winnie the Pooh and Walt Disney, who envisioned immersive worlds and timeless stories that inspire children to play, imagine, build and form friendships.
Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?
Looking back, I would advise being less self-critical as a founder. It is important to pause, take stock of each milestone and appreciate the small wins along the journey, rather than constantly pushing on to the next goal.
What defines your way of doing business?
Our business is defined by impact, ensuring we meet real needs across our supply chain, workforce and consumer base.
Guided by a circular economy model, we aim to create precious moments through fun adventures, leave a lasting legacy and deliver positive generational impact.
What advice would you give to someone starting out?
Be kind to yourself and prioritise rest. Taking breaks refuels your creativity, inspiration and productivity, and prevents burnout.
Build a strong ecosystem, ask plenty of questions and evaluate your network carefully, so that you focus on spaces that unlock real growth rather than drain your resources.
Surround yourself with partners who genuinely support your mission and have a proven track record. For example, taking the Help to Grow: Management Course at the University of Salford in 2026, at the same time as securing a £5,000 grant, allowed us to position ourselves strategically. That directly unlocked our largest milestone yet: a non-exclusive IP deal with the Findel Group, expanding our trade across the UK with future international scope while securing further investment.
Find a mentor who can challenge and refine your thinking. Being matched with a mentor through Help to Grow: Management gave us the space to properly refine our vision, mission and values at a time when we were so focused on fundraising and growth. We have since gone on to work with Dr Ann Mulhaney and the University of Salford’s Sustainability Centre, and I would encourage any new founder to look for professional support and development opportunities. The Help to Grow: Management Course is 90 per cent government funded and well worth exploring.
