Phase One: The Hobbyist
December 2019: A little dino appears as a sketch on a piece of AP Physics homework, and given the name Happy Dinosaur.
February 2020: Happy Dinosaur comes to life in economics class and a ceramic dinosaur sculpture is made.
March 2020: Happy Dinosaur begins as a fundraiser for the Rhinebeck Jane Brook's Food Pantry
June 2020: The first dinosaur plush is made and the first sale is made and delivered through a car window (it was the pandemic!)
December 2020: Happy Dinosaur is featured in its first store, Starry Bird Kids, in Rhinebeck NY
September 2021: Founder, Lyla Andrick's first entrepreneurship course at UConn begins and along with it the idea to grow Happy Dinosaur into a real business
March 2022: Happy Dinosaur wins 2nd in CCEI's Get Seeded start up pitch competition
June 2022: Happy Dinosaur goes to Rhode Island with Mama's Garden Skin Care, the second wholesale account.
Spring 2023: Happy Dinosaur participated in CCEI's Traction
Fall 2023: Happy Dinosaur starts supporting UConn's HuskyTHON!
April 2024: Happy Dinosaur attends HuskyTHON's dance marathon with a brand new style from a redesigned pattern and Dan Hurley signs a dinosaur
June 2024: Happy Dinosaur starts the 9th cohort of CCEI Summer Fellowship
Phase 1: The New England Dinosaur
Happy Dinosaurs take over New England boutiques!
Phase 2: the Happy DinoStory
The Happy Dinosaur books get written!