Surf Soup® Branding & Licensing

Surf Soup® is a creative lifestyle brand by Emmy-honored TV animator, author, and illustrator Donna Kay Lau — celebrating imagination, kindness, and ocean adventure. Before launching the Surf Soup® book and cartoon series, Donna built a successful children’s clothing line featuring hand-painted apparel, shoes, and accessories for infants and kids. Starting from a California swap meet and art festivals, her designs grew into collections sold in high-end boutiques and major retailers like Nordstrom and FAO Schwarz. With a studio in Aptos, California, she transformed her artistic vision into storytelling, studying children’s book illustration at ArtCenter College of Design and animation, which led to a career at Nickelodeon working on hit shows such as Dora the Explorer and character merchandising. Today, Surf Soup® merchandise and licensed products continue her mission to inspire creativity and joy through books, animation, fashion, and art — connecting families to a world where learning, love, and laughter are always in style.

The Surf Soup® story is one of hard work and determination. Donna’s first business began with a borrowed $50 to buy plain T-shirts from Price Club (now Costco), which she transformed into hand-painted designs and sold at local markets. Years later, her commitment to her vision led to securing the Surf Soup® registered trademark — a milestone achieved after overcoming rejections and financial hurdles. Today, that registration proudly represents her dedication to building a lasting children’s brand, born from creativity, courage, and community.

The Surf Soup® brand was truly built from the ground up. Donna’s first venture began at her neighborhood park craft show, where she borrowed $50 to buy plain T-shirts from Price Club (now Costco). From those early hand-painted designs, she expanded into full children’s collections and merchandise. Years later, securing the Surf Soup® registered trademark became a major milestone — but not without challenges. The process was long and full of setbacks, including an initial rejection that required shifting funds and restarting the application. That hard-earned registration, now proudly displayed on the Surf Soup® home page, represents years of dedication, creativity, and perseverance — a reminder that every great brand starts with courage, passion, and a dream.