Earlier this month, New York City lit up with creativity and empowerment as the LEGO Group hosted its “She Built That” campaign at STORIED NYC in Chelsea.
The event, tailored for kids ages 9 to 12, gave young attendees the chance to dive into different forms of building—whether in music, sports, science, or art—led by inspiring women at the top of their fields.
Grammy winner H.E.R., Olympic champ Suni Lee, astrophysicist Jackie Faherty, and creator Jennifer Zhang all joined forces to prove that building goes far beyond bricks—it’s about creativity, innovation, and self-belief.
Leading the Music Club, H.E.R. bridged the gap between LEGO and music by encouraging kids to design their own album covers with LEGO pieces—a fun yet powerful reminder that imagination has no limits.
“Building music is a lot like building with LEGO bricks, because it starts with a good foundation,” she said in an interview. “There’s no right way to make music. You can start with any instrument, or a beat, or the lyrics, or a melody. And when you’re finished, you get this feeling like, ‘Wow, this is something that I’m proud of, that I built.’”
She also opened up about her own path to discovering her voice as a child, crediting representation and supportive communities with showing her what was truly possible.
H.E.R. reflected on the women who inspired her, from icons like Lauryn Hill and Alicia Keys—whose Miseducation and MTV Unplugged performances she studied religiously—to the women in her own family.
“My mom would lug around my heavy keyboard and guitar to talent shows and local festivals,” she said. “When I was six or seven, I started writing poems, and she compiled them and had them published when I was nine. She really paved the way for me.”
Her story of possibility and support echoed throughout the She Built That event. Olympic gold medalist Suni Lee, who led the Sports Club, shared how confidence and risk-taking fueled her journey to the top. “Don’t be afraid to take risks and to fully believe in yourself,” she told the kids, per Patch. She then guided them through a team LEGO challenge, showing how collaboration and individuality can coexist in a single build.
Meanwhile, astrophysicist Jackie Faherty lit up the Science Club by helping kids create their own constellations out of LEGO pieces, bringing the cosmos down to Chelsea for the day.
“It’s super fun and inspiring for these young kids to let that creative side come out and feel like they’re building the nighttime sky,” Jackie Faherty said of her constellation-building Science Club.
Content creator Jennifer Zhang, aka JENerationDIY, rounded out the program with an Art Club that celebrated wearable creativity. Kids designed their own bracelets using LEGO elements, blending self-expression and style into one personal project.
For H.E.R., witnessing so many forms of creativity reinforced her belief in the power of expression. “I think it’ll open their world to possibilities,” she said. “There are so many ways you can be creative. It doesn’t have to be in arts, or music, or science, or sports—it can be in anything you want it to be. It’s important to not dim yourself for anyone, or to shrink yourself.”
The campaign’s mission is clear: to help girls build confidence in themselves. H.E.R. spoke candidly about battling perfectionism and the constant pressure to appear flawless, but explained that she’s learned to embrace imperfection as a strength.
“What makes my voice matter is the story I have to tell,” she said. “The parts of myself that I think are the worst are the best parts of me, because there’s someone else out there who feels the same way. It only humanizes my voice and whatever I create, because I’m putting everything—the good and the bad—into that thing that I want to give to the world.”
The LEGO Group built “She Built That” to challenge outdated ideas of what it means to be a builder. Research shows that many kids still picture a man on a construction site when they hear the word “builder,” which reinforces stereotypes and leads to girls undervaluing their own skills.
“She Built That” flips that script, highlighting women who build in all arenas—whether it’s writing music, soaring on a balance beam, charting galaxies, or crafting art.
H.E.R. wrapped up her Music Club with a symbolic reflection on her own path. If her career could be built out of LEGO, she said, it would take the shape of a mountain range.
“It would be multi-leveled, with a lot of ups and downs, because that is such a representation of my journey,” she explained. “Sometimes things feel like an uphill battle, sometimes I get in the rhythm, and sometimes I’m tired—but I know I’ve come so far I have to keep going.”
