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As members of the toys, licensing, and entertainment industries, we have a big opportunity with the products and media we create to protect our climate, our planet, and our children’s safe futures. But we’re not there yet, and it can be challenging to know how to even get started. How can you design a sustainable toy? How can the content you create engage kids and their families on topics like sustainability? And how can you encourage your colleagues to be part of the change? If you have a lot of questions about sustainability — we hear you. The good news is, our community is filled with tons of brilliant people who have the answers, ideas, and energy we need to move the needle on sustainability. WiT’s new Sustainability Learning Community will be a place to ask these questions, find answers, and create change, together — not with “expert presents” webinars, but as a community where we give and take and work together to figure it all out. We’re so excited to bring this community to life at WiT. But it would not have been possible without the help of its co-chairs, Paola Dyboski, Owner and Managing Director of Dr Zigs and Sharon Keilthy, Founder and CEO of Jiminy Eco Toys…so let’s start by meeting them. Tell us a bit about yourselves and your WiT journey. Sharon: It was 2018, and I wanted a nice, plastic-free, locally-made toy for my daughter’s fourth birthday — but I couldn’t find one! I later learned that the toy industry is the world’s most plastic-intensive industry. In fact, we’d have to plant 1 billion trees to absorb all of the CO2 released while making plastic toys. Then, after reading the 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, I redefined myself as an environmental activist. It felt like there was nothing more urgent and important I could be doing. So I put the two together and created Jiminy Eco Toys — the world’s first eco-activist toy company. Jiminy exists to inspire a playfully sustainable world for us all – to make “sustainable” the new normal for toys. It wasn’t until 2021 that someone told me about WiT. I joined 30 minutes later, and my life was instantly enhanced! WiT is so well-organized and such a helpful community to be part of! Paola: My background is in Marine Conservation, studying cetaceans — whales and dolphins. Before that, I was a professional sailor, and I grew up on the Ligurian coast in Italy. I am passionate about nature. When I was about seven years old, there was a huge sewage spill on my area of pristine coastline. The water — our environment — was suddenly not safe, and it took years for it to recover. I think that’s when I became an environmental activist. Then in my twenties I sailed the Atlantic. And there, in the stunning beauty of the wild open ocean, between sightings of Sperm Whale – I first saw drifts of plastic, and I really began to question our impact on the earth. I’m also the child of a Polish refugee, and that has marked my life. I’m passionate about justice and human rights, and to this day, I work with refugees, including, increasingly, climate refugees. When my youngest son, Ziggy, was a toddler, he fell in love with bubbles. He’d get those crazy contagious giggles every time he saw them. So I made more and bigger bubbles until it became too good not to share. That’s how my company, Dr Zigs, and our line of eco bubble toys, was born. It was pretty obvious then that every bubble toy on the shelf was cheap, low quality, plastic and mostly made in China. So I thought I could re-invent these for the 21st century. I worked to redesign and reinvent what I found. I went from selling what I made at my kitchen table out of the boot of my car, to local markets, then larger festivals, then pop-up shops, then a retail outlet — and now, our Dr Zigs Bubble toys are available in 18 different countries worldwide. From the very beginning I based Dr Zigs around the principles of sustainability — from ingredients, to materials, to calculating our carbon miles. And at the heart of Dr Zigs is our “Bubbles Not Bombs” program. We work with refugees and with kids who need bubbles around the world. Our bubbles have been sent to children in Chernobyl, Kenya, Delhi, and just this week, they arrived at a refugee camp in Lebanon and in Lviv, Ukraine for kids arriving there every day, tired and traumatized. I came across WiT when I was exhibiting at the Spielwarenmesse, the Toy Fair in Nuremberg in 2018. It was pre-COVID, so I actually managed to meet some of our wonderful members “in 3D,” as my son now says. I was really thrilled to find this group and to find such friendly, supportive allies in this world of toys. I have been blown away by the opportunity and support this group gives — including the ability to suggest the idea for the Sustainability Learning Community. And wow, here we are! Sustainability as a term has become a bit mainstream and it is sometimes used interchangeably with a variety of meanings. In your own words, how would you define sustainability and why is it important in the design and development of consumer products? Paola: Sustainability for me means that it has to last into the future without damage to our present. Including people and the physical world around us. And while the concept of Sustainability is huge and global, meaning our planet and our resources, I like to take this down to the every day and personal level. When I set up Dr Zigs, for example, it had to be sustainable for me and my family. I have three kids, one of whom is autistic. That meant slower growth for the company, traveling less, etc. Dr Zigs also HAD to be sustainable in terms of the environment, of course. Sourcing locally when appropriate, harvesting water, and offering £3 off refills for our customers — we did these things from the very beginning when I started the business 10 years ago. On a daily level, sustainability also means carsharing to work, or living close enough to cycle or walk. It means counting the tons of waste we recycle. It means we plant bee-friendly plants outside our factory. And it means becoming detectives to hunt down the origin of every component and ingredient in our product line. I also work with a global group of women tackling the issue of microplastics in our oceans. Plastic is a huge issue worldwide. Sustainability here looks like closing the loop on refuse in the system. That’s why we created our “For Hire” range. And for me, from the micro to the macro, from local to global, sustainability includes education and information — empowering people, and kids especially, to BE THE CHANGE. What is WiT’s Sustainability Learning Community and what inspired you to bring it to life? Sharon: It’s a learning community for people curious about sustainability in toys, licensing and entertainment! A welcoming space to ask any question at all, and to offer what you do know. When I speak with toy industry people about toy sustainability, I see that people really want to do better, but often don’t know how. Which materials are sustainable and workable? Is the toy or packaging more important? Which has a bigger effect — choice of material or transport distance? I also see cool things happening in products — recycled plastics, design for repair, mainstream pre-loved retail like Zalando and toy libraries. It’s very clear that our industry, like every other industry, needs to urgently reach net-zero emissions. So it’s a no-brainer to bring everyone together to swap what they know, to energize each other about this change, and help each other make it happen. What is your vision for this chapter, and what are some of the objectives you want to achieve? Paola: Originally, my vision was to have a forum — a place of exchange, discussion, and sharing. A place where we can come together and share the challenges, share the knowledge, share the questions, and share the solutions. But increasingly, I also think this learning community needs to be a place that helps people feel empowered. The vision and objectives will actually be formed by the members themselves. I am just a small company making (the best, obviously) eco bubble toys, but I love working with others. I love the way WiT brings us together, whether we work for multinationals or as self-employed inventors. It breaks down barriers and allows space for communication. So if we focus on a topic as large and as broad as Sustainability — imagine the conversations, questions, and solutions that we can come up with together! Imagine if as an industry, we all demanded that plastic was post-consumer, or made of ocean waste. Imagine if we created that demand. Imagine if we can change the whole industry. That may be ambitious, but there is so much that we can do together. I’m excited to have a space where we can ask questions without feeling stupid. How do you calculate your carbon footprint? How many of us are aiming for net-zero? How sustainable IS bioplastic really? I’m excited to have a space where, by working together, we start to feel like we really can bring about change. What would you say are meaningful steps towards sustainability you have seen companies take over the last few years? Sharon: LEGO’s 2030 Sustainability Plan is very impressive and exciting. It’s holistic — it’s not just packaging, renewable electricity, or a few pilot products. They’re looking at product and packaging across their entire range! It’s great to see the other toy makers (big and small) experimenting and learning with bioplastic, recycled plastic, less packaging, localizing production, renewable energy, etc. In your opinion, what is the role the Toy, Licensing and Entertainment industries play in creating a more sustainable future? Paola: Well, we’re all in this because of the kids aren’t we? This is all about their future — a future where not only will they have to learn to do better than us, but one in which they will have to learn to be mighty resilient and resourceful. The tools we can give them now, through play, learning, and entertainment, will be invaluable as they grow up. As an industry, what we do best is inspire, enable, and create opportunities for role play, skill development, problem solving, and, of course, laughter. We are there for the early years, those crucial learning moments. It’s so important that these are filled with items, games, and toys that are right for them and that they, and their parents, can feel good about. How are the advancement of women, inclusivity and equality, and the future of sustainability connected? Sharon: If women are roughly half the talent, then excluding them deprives our world of half the good ideas and half the energy. The same goes for any other group. Our world has some major changes to make, and we need the best ideas and effort from everyone. Moreover, sometimes a problem is best solved by someone looking at it from the outside. So in a way, the people who’ve not created the current challenges may have the best ideas to solve them. I’m sure we’re all on board with diversity, inclusion, and equality just from a values point of view. But there’s also a really strong business case for it — businesses with more diverse boards perform better (research by McKinsey & Co). What three things would you advise companies in the Toy, Licensing and Entertainment industries change in their journey towards more sustainable operations? Sharon: Here are three things to keep in mind about sustainability: The change to sustainable isn’t optional. It’s not a trend. It’s not a niche market segment. It’s a must-do for every company. Once we accept that, we’ll get there much more quickly! Think about your products by weight (as a measure of impact). What percent of the toy’s weight is its packaging? If the answer is 1%, why start with that? The bigger impact will be the 99% by weight (the toy itself!) Recycled plastic is an exciting opportunity. So little plastic waste gets recycled at all. Globally, most gets entirely wasted — incinerated, landfilled, or left out in nature. The more we seek recycled plastic, the more people will figure out ways to recycle it. There are challenges with finding suppliers and with safety-certification, but I feel we can find ways to overcome these, especially if we act together. Any upcoming milestones / events our community should be on the lookout for? Paola: My new Plant-Based Bubble Mix, made of sustainably sourced ingredients that are fully biodegradable, vegan, and utterly awesome. Oh, and they make the biggest, bestest, most colorful bubbles in the world. Apart from that? Earth Day, and the launch of the WiT Sustainability Learning Community, of course! — WiT’s new Learning Communities are shared spaces where members can exchange ideas, ask questions, discuss challenges, and explore solutions. This is a community-led initiative where everyone is welcome and every question is valid. The Sustainability Learning Community is just the first of many that we’ll launch soon, stay tuned! Have a topic idea for a Learning Community? Contact us at info@womenintoys.com.

Given the environmental and climate crises, more and more people are wanting to incorporate sustainability into their daily lives. Some have switched to using public transit in lieu of cars, others have started composting and recycling, and some have begun buying sustainable goods. One often-forgotten category of goods that has traditionally been hard on the environment is toys. The toy industry is the world’s most plastic-intensive one. Most children’s toys are made from plastics and other materials that take hundreds of years to break down, often leaving harmful traces on our planet. If you’re looking to switch to buying more sustainable toys, here are the top five things to consider before purchasing, according to Founder & CEO of Jiminy Eco Toys, Sharon Keilthy. 1. Toy Materials. 90% of children’s toys are made from virgin (new) petroleum-based plastic. Getting petroleum from the ground does a lot of damage, and refining it into plastic releases a lot of CO2. We’d have to plant 1 billion trees to absorb the CO2 released making plastic just for toys! But there are emerging alternative materials that can replace petro-plastic in existing toy designs and manufacturing. Toy-safe recycled plastics use-up troublesome plastic waste, avoid new petroleum projects, and have a low carbon footprint. Another option are bioplastics, which are made from plants making them carbon-neutral and renewable (plants can be regrown). While many assume bioplastic is biodegradable, there are many different types of bioplastics. Bio-polyethylene (bio-PE) is a useful one for toys – made from agri-waste, durable, long-lasting, washable, and recyclable at end of life. Other eco-friendly toy materials include recycled cardboard, recycled paper, and wood. 2. Packaging. A toy’s packaging is only a few percentage points of its overall weight, making it less important to the environment than the toy itself. But as the part of the toy that gets used for the shortest time, it’s still worth minimizing its footprint. A McKinsey report on packaging sustainability suggested “low-hanging fruit” opportunities – where barriers are low, and companies can act alone, with close to zero impact on cost, functionality, or attractiveness. Such opportunities include eliminating unnecessary packaging, making packaging lighter, using already-recycled materials, using less plastic, and designing for easy recycling at home. Compostable bags have gained popularity, but they confuse people and sometimes have a high carbon footprint, so it’s preferable to stick to simpler materials like paper. 3. Travel. Another consideration to take into account is how far the toy traveled from the factory to your home. Toys are mostly (80%) manufactured in China, and shipping them across the ocean adds about 10% to their carbon footprint. Additionally, manufacturing in China typically has a higher carbon footprint, for example due to more coal use for electricity. You can decrease your carbon footprint by choosing locally-made toys. It is worth noting, however, that materials determine 90% of a product’s carbon footprint, so better a made-far-away natural or recycled material toy, than a locally-made virgin-petro-plastic one. 4. Lifetime. It can be helpful to think of a toy’s lifetime in terms of pollution-per-hour-of-play. If a toy has a low carbon footprint, but sits unused on the shelf, it has a high pollution per hour it was played with. A movement gaining traction across multiple industries is design-for-repair modular toys where if one part breaks, you can replace it. Another way to increase a toy’s lifespan is designing it for use by multiple ages, so that it retains a child’s interest as they develop. Open-ended toys, such as blocks, are great examples, because they allow for creative freedom at any age. Toy libraries avoid the “unused on shelf” scenario through toy-sharing. Ultimately, the toys with the lowest carbon impact are second-hand toys because they have the longest lifetime. 5. Offsets. A final consideration for the sustainability of toys are the carbon offsets, meaning the company invests in a project that removes carbon from the atmosphere to “cancel-out” some of their own carbon emissions. In general, it only counts as an off-set if it’s a project that would not have happened without climate-motivated investment such as tree-planting or renewable energy in the developing world. If you picture a sink overflowing with water, off-setting is like pulling-out the plug: it does help but the sink will never drain until you also turn off the faucet by reducing the CO2 emitted making the company’s products. Taking into account these five ways toys can be more sustainable will help you decrease your environmental impact. The goal should never be perfection, rather progress, so tackling whichever of these hits the “sweet-spot” of high impact and easiest to do is the one to begin with. This blog is inspired by Sharon Keilthy’s WiT Webinar ‘How Toys Can Be Climate Superheroes’. Watch the webinar HERE.

Whether you’re a toy inventor at heart, you just have a good idea, or you’re in the business of selling toys, pitching to toy companies can be a scary and intimidating process. We asked a team of five experts to share their advice on the dos and don’ts of pitching inventions: David Winter, Sr. Director, Inventor Relations at Jazwares LLC Trina McFarland, Owner and General Manager at TinkerTini, LLC Harshunan Sivanander, Director of Innovation and Preliminary Design at Spin Master Tanya Thompson, Senior Director Inventor Relations and Innovation at Hasbro Adam Hocherman, Vice President of New Business at PlayMonster Here is what they had to say on how to nail your pitch and improve your chances of moving forward. Do your homework. Does your invention fit within the company’s portfolio? Is it in line with the latest trends? Are there any similar games or toys already available on the market? You need to do your research on these questions before you even decide where to pitch. The companies you’re pitching may make toys, but that doesn’t mean they’ll make yours. And they will factor these important questions into their decision-making process. Prove your idea is great, but don’t overthink it. Put your idea on paper and flesh it out. What are the key features and play patterns? Remember: companies are looking for ingenuity. They want to see and feel your passion — not just read a paragraph describing your toy. Use images and sketches to help communicate your idea. A buy-in quick model is another great and cost-effective way to showcase your invention — buy toys that fit with your idea, and then cut and glue them together for a rough prototype. And, if your invention contains electronics, you need to show off the technology, not just allude to it. Don’t pitch with a PDF or PowerPoint presentation. Make a video! Again, don’t overthink it. All you need is a smartphone and your product. Companies aren’t looking for a studio-quality production, they just want to see your toy in action. Keep it under a minute – 30 to 45 seconds is ideal. Highlight the main features and show what makes your invention cool. If it’s a game, show how to play it. People will invest the time to watch a short video, but there’s no guarantee they’ll invest the time to get through your PDF. Sizzle reels are a great way to keep your audience engaged during a pitch, and it’s easy for them to pass it along internally. Do bring the energy. The more energy you put into your pitch, the more engaged your audience will be. Companies want to see your passion and creativity, they want to see you excited about your idea! Don’t put pressure on yourself, stay positive! Pitching your idea to toy companies can be intimidating and nerve-wracking — so try to not think about it as a pitch! Instead, think about your actual goal: to build a relationship with the people in the room with you. The people you’re pitching want you to succeed, and they want your invention to succeed for them too. Don’t put pressure on yourself, stay positive! Pitching your idea to toy companies can be intimidating and nerve-wracking — so try to not think about it as a pitch! Instead, think about your actual goal: to build a relationship with the people in the room with you. The people you’re pitching want you to succeed, and they want your invention to succeed for them too. But sometimes, it’s just not the right fit, and that’s okay. Pay attention to their feedback, and inform yourself on what they’re looking for. Now that you’ve built the foundation of that connection, the door is open for you to come back with a pitch that is more aligned with their wish list. Don’t worry about patents. Most companies don’t expect you to have your idea patented, and it’s not necessary. Patents are tricky, expensive, and fear-based, making you feel like you need to protect your idea. In fact, it’s often not possible to patent an idea, so don’t waste your time and money. But, if you have an innovative mechanism or idea, then consider taking out a utility patent before pitching. Don’t worry about trademarks. Pitching an idea with a trademarked name or logo may seem like a good idea, but it’s not necessary. Although trademarks are easier to obtain than patents, they’re not needed for a pitch. More often than not, if a company decides to move forward with your idea, they’ll likely change the name. So don’t worry about trademarks, just focus on your invention! Don’t ask a company to sign an NDA. Most companies will ask you to sign an NDA before you pitch to them so they can confide in you about the things they’re working on and the new toys they’re making. But, they won’t sign your NDA for one simple reason: They’re not lawyers and they can’t sign on behalf of the company. Your NDA would need to be vetted through their legal team, which is costly and time consuming! One final tip: stay hopeful! We’ll let you in on a little, (poorly kept) secret — many of the most successful toys in the world came from small invention houses! To watch the complete panel click HERE.

Haley Chapman – Team Leader at the LEGO Group Can you believe we’re already two months into 2022? Time seems to be flying, so here at WiT we wanted to share a recap of our Vision Boarding Workshop held in January for anyone looking to kick start their goals – because who says you have to wait for a new year to set new goals? What the heck is a vision board? A vision board is a collage of images that represent goals and dreams. They are a tool to help us gain self-awareness and self-reflect on what is important to us. We know that it can be overwhelming to create a vision board from scratch – especially when we might not have the exact inspiration and direction. That’s why the WiT Young Professional’s Network hosted this dynamic vision board workshop experience and created this recap to help you with this process! During the event, attendees had the opportunity to build out their own personal Vision Boards in small groups led and encouraged by volunteers from our YPN committee around four specific topics: Lifestyle + Growth, Career + Learning, Wellness + Care, and Explore + Play. Here is the link to the vision boarding template workbook, where you’ll find prompts for each section and helpful tips to get started. Use these free sites as resources to pull beautiful images for your vision board. Unsplash – https://unsplash.com/ PixaBay – https://pixabay.com/ Pexels – https://www.pexels.com/ FreePik – https://www.freepik.com/ Keep reading to hear from each of the topic leaders on how to build out your vision board for each of these areas of your life, and follow along in the workbook to see all of the prompts and add your own images for each section! Topic 1 : Lifestyle + Growth In your workbook we’re sharing some thought starters, but really consider what you want to focus on this year in terms of yourself. Is it that you want to be more authentically you in all areas of your life? Is it that you watch to ditch drama and inauthentic people because they don’t bring you joy? Is it that you want to find your purpose and create a roadmap to ensure you are on the road towards that purpose? This is about finding what matters most to you as a person and determining what would inspire you to live out that vision. Now, take a look at the Lifestyle + Growth slides in your workbook, and start pondering what types of images fit your vision. Topic 2 : Career + Learning (Led by Amanda Marschall of The LEGO Group) Before starting our Career + Learning section, take a moment to think about where your career is now and where you would like it to be at the end of the year. When thinking about this, don’t just think about your title, your pay, and what company you worked with – but also think about how you feel and how you would like to feel. Think about your benefits, and what type of people you want to work with. Developing within our career and developing our knowledge and skills needs to be rooted in something, otherwise it is really easy to de-prioritize it. So, we’ll ask you – what is your WHY? Why do you want to expand your career, expand your knowledge, develop your skills? Who are you doing it for? What are you doing it for? What is driving you in your hardest moments? There are no wrong answers for this, only true answers. Look through the prompts and add what feels right in that moment. And remember what we said earlier – vision boarding should change throughout the year. Today is to help ground you and energize you for what tomorrow will bring. Topic 3 : Wellness + Care With all of these different areas in mind, try to hone in on a few so you can focus without fatiguing yourself! One final thing to consider… When it comes to fulfilling your wellness goals, who or what will be there to help you remain accountable? This is equally as important as the goal itself. Topic 4 : Explore + Play Exploration may mean thinking about the travel you have planned, or those places that you aspire to visit. Does one stand out and make you feel motivated to get there, somehow… some way? Or perhaps exploration means understanding your community on a deeper level and getting involved in new ways. When you think about play, think about how you show your creativity: Are you a color-within-the-lines, adult coloring book type? Would you rather thrift and redecorate a room? What colors and movements make you happy? Is it dancing in a pink dress, swimming in crystal blue water, or hiking in the bright sunshine? And when we, as adults, think about ‘play’ – what comes to mind? For many, it could be as simple as tossing the ball and playing fetch with your dog. Or think back to when you were in elementary school, on the playground – what was your favorite part? Where you a rollercoaster kid, or a sports fanatic? How has play as a child influenced your play as an adult? Check out the prompts on the ‘Explore & Play’ slide for more ideas to tap into what motivates you to get out in the world and explore your playful side! We hope you have as much fun as we did building out your vision board, and as you do, consider these additional tips + examples for every category. Additional Tips + Examples Consider the images you select and if you will remember why you chose that in 3/6/9/12 months time. (For example, if you want to include a picture of a lion to signify being brave but in 9 months… will you look at that and wonder if you placed it there to be more vocal in meetings? Ensure your choices are thoughtful and if you think you are at risk for forgetting, add text or context!) Put your vision board somewhere you will see it! Now that you’ve set and created your incredible vision boards make sure you’re able to see it regularly! Consider adding it as your desktop background or print it out and hang it on your mirror so you can visualize your goals each morning. Add checkboxes next to some of your images/text so you can mark your achievements! Everyone loves the feeling of crossing off something on their to-do list, so give yourself the opportunity to check things of your to-goal vision board! Once a quarter take a few minutes to see if you are still striving towards the same goals – and add a checkmark to the ones you feel you have done (and give yourself a pat on the back while you’re at it!) That’s a wrap! We’d love to see the vision boards you create, so once you’ve got yours in a good place send it to us via Slack or post it and tag @womenintoys on social! We look forward to cheering you on as you reach your goals and set out to make those visions a reality this year!

We’ve had some work done. After many months of talking to our community, reflecting on our mission, and working with our creative partners at TBWA\Chiat\Day LA, it’s time to unveil WiT’s new look! We’ve come a long way since Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment was founded in 1991, when a small group of women casually met up to network during New York Toy Fair. (Fun Fact: we were known as Women in Toys until 2000). As a community and an organization, we’ve evolved; and our previous logo and color pallete no longer represented who we are today. WiT has transformed in every way – size, scope, reach and influence. We’re delivering on our mission of advancing women like never before. Change isn’t easy, and the decision to change WiT’s branding and logo was not an easy one either, but it was vital to have a bold visual identity that represented our diverse community, the impact we’ve had on the industry, and all we’ve accomplished together. We knew that having the right creative partner was going to be the difference between success and failure…and failure wasn’t an option. We turned to the renowned agency, TBWA\Chiat\Day LA, who often partners with organizations that work to elevate marginalized voices and communities in culture and business. At the heart of our new look is our logo, which now conveys the inclusivity of our community. As we’ve grown, we’ve expanded our reach and support of women working in the three fields within our ecosystem – toys, licensing, and entertainment. Our new vibrant color palette reflects our community culture of belonging. The colors are now bolder and more sophisticated, yet playful. Our new main font is Futura Now, an iconic, warm and contemporary font that couldn’t be a more perfect fit as we continue to create our vision for the future. What is that vision? The future of WiT and the women in our industry has never been brighter — as we continue to advocate for women, lead important conversations, connect our community and give voice to women who are not being heard. And, our impact is felt throughout our industry. We’re so grateful for each and every member of the WiT community, and excited to build the future of WiT together. WiT is connecting our expansive global community with our robust mentorship program, community forums, DEI workshop initiatives, and sponsor-driven roundtables that elevate important topics impacting women in business around the world.

By JANICE ROSS, president of Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WIT); founder and managing partner of Brand Fresh Management I don’t know about you, but in all my life, I’ve never been more ready for a fresh start than I am now. With this year in full swing, I’m laser-focused on what really, truly matters. I’ve never been more invested in reimagining what is possible and acting on my intentions — and it’s been life-changing. 2020 left us all a bit burned out. Between politics and the pandemic, we’ve been bombarded with nonstop sound and fury that even noise-canceling headphones couldn’t block out. Although it seemed chaotic at times, for me, every day wasn’t total chaos. There were highly productive days, but there were also moments when the noise got so loud that I found myself checking out. I knew things had to change. The fresh beginning of a new year gives us all moments to reflect and make some well-intentioned resolutions. This year, things had to be different. It wasn’t about making resolutions — I needed to be resolute about reflecting on what mattered to me. But first, I had to dig deep and turn down the noise. The process was hard. It was challenging to hone in on what mattered. But I powered through with intention and did it on a consistent, daily basis. It taught me that people matter, relationships matter, helping others matters, showing up matters, and, most importantly, I matter. It helped to revitalize my professional and personal life with intention and purpose. All the things that mattered started to quiet the noise, and going into 2021, the volume is lower and I’m hearing life again. I’ve never felt more awakened, and I have more peace, clarity, and energy than ever before. In my life, just a few small changes are having a big impact. Taking just 30 minutes each morning for mindful, energetic me-time sets the volume for the entire day. Now when I sit down to start my workday, I see and hear things more clearly. True connection is now happening for me, simply because I turned down the noise. With the pandemic, we thought video calls would keep us connected, but Zoom fatigue is real, and it seemed like we were just constantly looking at screens and connecting less. Now, I’m much more present for the people in my life. I listen with full attention, compassion, and empathy. We all have the power to transform our lives, to hear the quiet, and then to focus and act on what matters most. By doing this every day with consistency, we can keep the noise in check and be more productive, compassionate, and engaged. How about you? What matters most to you? What you’re focusing on can make a big difference in your business, your relationships, and your health. Take a little time to reflect and adjust the volume. It opens our minds and opens our hearts. This article originally appeared in The Toy Book February, 2021 and has been republished here with permission.

Between juggling work-at-home schedules to the demands of being a mom, women, particularly mothers, have been disproportionately impacted by job loss since the start of the pandemic. In September 2020 alone, 865,000 women dropped out of the workforce, compared to 216,000 men — and one in four women is considering either leaving the workforce or reducing their work hours. But unemployment is just part of the story. Illness, sick kids or parents, home-schooling and lack of daycare more fully paint the picture of why women have been hit harder. I recently sat down for a screen-side chat with Amy Thompson, EVP and Chief People Officer at Mattel. We talked about what women — and what companies — can do to make sure 2021 doesn’t become the year we undo all the work we’ve done to close the gender gap. Here are some of Amy’s key takeaways. If you’d like to hear the whole conversation, check it out in the WIT Webinar archives at womenintoys.com. JANICE: How Has COVID impacted you personally? AMY: COVID has of course brought strain and challenges, but I’ve experienced some incredible personal learnings and insights along the way. With three kids at home, spanning high school to middle school to elementary school, we’ve got a full house at the Thompson’s. Some personal takeaways for me are 1) Importance of time and structured days. Between mornings spent setting up for the day and school schedules, and afternoons and evenings aligned around homework plans, there’s very little time left for me — especially in the mornings and evenings. So as a practice, I block out time mid-day to either work out, take a walk, center my thoughts and intentions. This is truly uninterrupted time, just for me. 2) Deeper connections with my kids. With sports, sleepovers and birthday parties on hold, there’s more time for conversation. It’s been especially important since this is such a formative stage at their ages and in their lives, as they’re processing the news, social media, environmental debate, and forming their own opinions on these issues. It’s been uplifting to engage with them on a deeper level. Maintaining those connections is something I intend to carry forward with our family, whenever we return to the new normal. 3) More time at home created a “reset moment.” Life is less transactional than it used to be. There’s more time and space for personal and home goals. But at the same, I think we’ve had to personally do a reset on what can be accomplished. I’ve learned to appreciate what I call micro-goals, and really just focusing on one or two things at a time. These simple practices have had a big impact on my overall outlook and general wellness. I’m also focused more on healthy coping strategies. I now make it a daily habit to do one nurturing thing a day. It could be a workout, a facial, reading — the point is to build stamina and help me rebalance. Just by carving out time for that one thing has helped me rebalance work and home, and all the roles we play in our lives. J: There really is a blurring of lines between home and work. How are you and other leaders at Mattel balancing it for yourselves and for your teams? A: This has been our focus at Mattel over the past year. For me personally, and for all HR leaders across all companies, 2020 presented a series of unprecedented, redefining moments — from COVID and ensuring our global workforce was protected from a health and safety perspective, to Black Lives Matter and ensuring that the company was elevating important social injustice conversations and taking meaningful action, to supporting the business through massive disruption. The role of HR was not only critical, but we needed to adapt, lead and reprioritize in ways that were progressive, strategic, and thoughtful. At Mattel, we support our employees and their families in three specific areas: 1) Health and Wellness — For YOU. Focusing on the individual, we’ve taken a mindful approach to working remotely and the importance of flexibility. This has been the most important action we’ve taken — just recognizing that the 8-5 workday has evaporated, and employees need flexibility in their day. We empower employees to break up their workday and find time to move their body. We know that exercise reduces fatigue and tension, especially when you’re in Zoom meetings all day. We encourage employees to take time off, to take a real lunch break, or to take “walking meetings,” which have been very popular. Introducing additional ways to incorporate health and wellness into the workday has also been a priority for us. 2) Taking Care of Your TEAM. Recognizing that wellness is both physical and mental, we work with managers to make sure they’re not only promoting flexibility work schedules within their teams, but also equipping managers with the tools and resources to support mental health in the workplace. Through our poll surveys, we’ve found there’s a direct correlation between retention and well-being; happier employees are more optimistic, more motivated, and they tend to stay with the company longer. There are four actions that leaders can take to support their teams: a. Burnout: Normalize the Experience. Acknowledge that it’s OK not to be OK. The role of the leader is to create a culture of psychological safety. Create the space and environment where employees feel comfortable talking to their manager about where they’re experiencing challenges. b. Role-model Healthy Behaviors. We found that when leaders start sharing more openly about how they’re coping and how they’re balancing work/home life, it not only helps to build camaraderie and trust on a team, but also provides examples that employees can practice themselves. c. Listen and Lead with Empathy. This has been a primary focus for us at Mattel. The simple gesture of just asking, How can I help? It opens conversation and creates an even playing field where the employee feels that it’s OK to talk about what’s going on in their life, that they have a manager who’s there for them, not only to help them grow in their career, but also to help them grow as an individual. d. Leverage Your Resources. There are many actionable resources, tools, and tips that we share with our employees, specifically on working remotely, health & wellness, and parenting, but peer groups and mental health resources (like Headspace) and counselors through your company’s EAP program can also be very helpful. 3) Supporting working PARENTS: Essentially, parents have needed to recreate the structure that happens in the classroom at home. I don’t think we can underestimate the extraordinary demand that’s been placed on working parents, and especially women, over the past year. More often, the parent responsibility falls on the mom, and is often referred to as the “double-shift.” Studies and articles shared in the media cite that the “dropout” rate for women mid-career is due to feeling pressured to work more, burned out and exhausted. So, what can we do about it? Here are some of the things we’re doing at Mattel. a. Offer Flexible Schedules and Leaves. Above all else, this is the most impactful gesture a company can make. Allowing working moms especially, to set a schedule that works for them and their families, goes a long way to create balance and retention, and avoid “dropout.” By offering flexibility and remote working options, we’re seeing great returns. Employees have never been more engaged, more productive, and for us, it’s working really well. b. Parenting Resources. As I mentioned, we provide a host of tips, tools and resources for parenting. One of our designers at Mattel hosted a virtual art and drawing class for toddlers. It was a great way to leverage our internal resources and provide a productive hour for parents, while keeping their child engaged in a fun and creative activity. c. Offer Parents Groups and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). We have many ERGs at Mattel, but two in particular — our Parents Group and Women of Mattel — have been the most helpful during this time. These communities have been highly influential in recommending policy and program changes to help us drive a more progressive work environment and more support for our working parents and women at Mattel. I encourage all companies to create forums like these. It’s really helpful feedback that we use to inform our efforts to retain and grow talent while we’re balancing the new challenges that come with a remote work environment. J: To wrap up, what are some takeaways that can help all of us in both our personal and professional lives? A: For me, there are three key takeaways: 1) Mindset Shift – PERSONAL. Just as businesses have needed to reimagine growth and how they operate in our new reality, we too have to pivot our mental frame to what we focus on and what we let go of. With all challenges come opportunity. During the most trying times, I try to isolate my thoughts to focus on what the universe is presenting to me right now, how do I capitalize on this moment, what good can I do for others, and what I can learn from this experience. 2) Work/Life Shift – PROFESSIONAL. Try and test new methods, from daily schedules to walking meetings. Define what works best for you to help you achieve balance. Talk to your boss and your team; people around you want to support you. The more they know, the more they can do to set you up for success. This is also a great way to role model healthy behaviors for your team. 3) LIFT EACH OTHER UP! Practice compassion. listen with empathy, and support one another. Life can be tough, these times are uncertain. So the more we can lift each other up and support each other, we’ll come through this stronger together. This interview appeared in the February 2021 issue of TFE Magazine. This article originally appeared in aNb Media February, 2021 and has been republished here with permission.

by MARY KAY RUSSELL, executive director of Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment Entering its 30th-anniversary year, Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WIT) recently made the exciting announcement that Janice Ross, managing partner at Brand Fresh Management, has ascended to the role of WIT president after serving on its leadership team as vice president for the last two years. An industry veteran for more than 20 years and senior-level global licensing and marketing executive, Ross has a diverse background across multiple industries from entertainment to consumer products, having worked at LEGO, American Greetings, and Lisa Frank Inc. With her strong commitment to helping women advance and succeed, coupled with her extensive and varied knowledge, Ross has built a career creating and maintaining trustworthy business relationships with like-minded individuals and companies, and she brings this same passion to her new role at WIT. Now is your chance to get to know Ross a little better as she shares her views on her new role, how she plans to tackle it, the challenges women in our industry face, and what’s on the horizon for WIT. Mary Kay Russell: What attracted you to WIT? Janice Ross: Hands down, it’s the incredible people in the WIT community. What drew me in as president is my strong belief in and commitment to our mission of advancing women. I’ve been in this business for more than 20 years, and this is an amazing way for me to give back and have the opportunity to make a real difference. WIT is a robust group of more than 2,000 professionals who come from all corners of our industry. They want to connect with each other and participate in the organization through our myriad of networking events, webinars, and programming, such as our recently announced Ruth Handler Mentorship Program, which is our industry’s first one-on-one online mentoring initiative. These vital resources can help women bolster their industry knowledge, elevate the quality of their networks, and have a beneficial impact on their careers. More information about these game-changing programs [and events] is available at womenintoys.com. MKR: Looking to the future, what are your top goals for WIT? JR: There continues to be a gap in female leadership today in many areas of the business. What’s exciting to see is that so many of our WIT partners and sponsors who believe in our mission and support our efforts are coming together, rolling up their sleeves, and working with us to advance more women into leadership roles. My goals for the organization are to deliver on that mission by continuing to elevate awareness and lead the conversation about the challenges we face, help to come up with solutions, and provide critical programming and opportunities that will help our members advance and succeed. Together, we’ll cultivate more female leaders who will positively impact our industry’s bottom-line results. The WIT Executive Committee (pictured left to right) rang the closing bell at the Nasdaq MarketSite on Friday Feb. 21: Alita Friedman, Nancy Zwiers, Jennifer Caveza, Ashley Mady, Janice Ross, Mary Kay Russell, Genna Rosenberg, and De de Sherbinin. MKR: In your view, what are the challenges facing women in our industry today? JR: I see a few top challenges for women, the first of which is confidence. At times, our natural instinct is to understate our experience and capabilities and [believe] that with enough hard work, our talents [will] be recognized and rewarded. But what we’ve heard from so many successful leaders, both female and male, is that they stepped up into roles they were not exactly qualified for on paper, but [they] had the confidence to know they could learn and succeed in those roles. I would like to see more women own their power, be more confident, and use their voice to successfully navigate and lead in today’s business environment. Second, women have historically been given fewer opportunities to propel their careers to new heights. We see this across most industries, and ours is no different. There are many ways for women to gain new experiences that will prepare them for future roles, and I look forward to having this important conversation with our community and industry leaders. We need to explore ways we can collectively change this and give women more visibility and exposure to new opportunities. MKR: How do you think WIT can help solve these challenges? JR: We’ve created programming and opportunities to help foster these and other important leadership skills for women and the men who advocate for them to succeed. We have a network and community that introduce women (and men) to each other across industries. Having a robust network is critical to succeed in any business. Women need to build their skills and resumes and then be given the chance to take on leadership positions. MKR: WIT has grown so much over the last few years. What fuels the organization? JR: We’re a 501(c)3 nonprofit that was purely volunteer-run until 2016. Since then, we’ve hired two full-time employees — our Executive Director Mary Kay Russell and our Community Manager Peg Brom — and several project managers. We rely exclusively on sponsorship and membership to fund all of our programming and initiatives. Other than our small-but-mighty staff, WIT is fueled by hundreds of volunteers who, like me, juggle our day jobs with our passion to make WIT the amazing community that it is today. The magic of WIT is in the people who participate and have the passion to deliver on our mission. As we continue to be a visible voice for advocating the advancement of women, we invite the toy, licensing, and entertainment industries to join WIT and become a part of our powerful community. This article originally appeared in the Toy Book May 2020 issue and has been republished here with permission.

by KAREN KILPATRICK, co-chair, South Florida chapter, Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment Pooping unicorns? Pets wrapped like burritos? A brief stroll down the toy aisle will reveal that there is no dearth of creativity in our industry. The toy industry thrives on innovation, with each new season bringing a showcase of the creative forces behind some of the biggest brands and hottest new properties. From Eleanor Abbott (Candyland) and Ruth Handler (Barbie) to Sydney Wiseman (Fingerlings) and Angie Cella (Blinger), creators are at the heart of toy-making. However, creativity is a critical skill to cultivate in our industry well beyond inventors, designers, and internal creative teams. Why? Research shows that creativity benefits the bottom line: Companies across all industries that intentionally focus on creativity are more financially successful than those who don’t. But how exactly can you translate creative capacity into business value — and is it a process that can be encouraged and effectively managed? When I stumbled my way into the toy industry several years ago, it was as an independent creator with a dream — and while I eventually did get a toy on the shelf, my creativity served me as much (if not more) as a toy company executive and manager as it did as an inventor. In an increasingly complex, global, and competitive landscape, creative thinking and problem-solving are what allows companies to successfully navigate obstacles and push past roadblocks. Creativity challenges the status quo, opens the door to big ideas, and leads to new opportunities. It is at the heart of innovation, and innovation is what drives growth. No matter what your level or position is, it is easy to fall into regular routines and patterns, especially in certain workplace cultures. Creativity entails risk and boundary pushing. Taking risks in the workplace, however, is often cause for hesitation, especially when it means you might fail. But failing forward is exactly what you must do, whether you’re an entrepreneur or intrapreneur. Working in ways that guarantee safe and secure results is not what will propel business success, and leadership teams should seek to cultivate a company culture that encourages fresh approaches to solving problems and creating new opportunities. Effective leaders encourage employees to fail forward, share new ideas, and try new ways of doing things. Within organizations, it is important to have practices in place that not only can foster creative thinking, but that will allow insight to readily translate into action. This goes beyond just brainstorming for product or design ideas. From marketing and operations to sales and business development, creative problem-solving greatly impacts an organization in every department. Inspiration is not just a moment; it is a practice. It needs to be prioritized and approached with discipline — just like any other skillset. As a former executive who’s led creative and marketing teams, as well as an entrepreneur who’s led business teams, these are my five tips for harnessing your creativity in the workplace and creating a company culture that encourages innovative thinking. Do not fear failure. Breaking free of “frozen thinking” — hanging on to ideas that we don’t question but should — requires taking risks. Risks can be scary, but the rewards can be immense. As a leader, encourage others to share ideas freely, and lead by example. Just because things have always been done a certain way doesn’t mean there isn’t a better way. Create a culture of excitement, not fear, by encouraging and valuing ideas. Analytics are important, but don’t forget the art behind the science. Look at the issues from all perspectives to come up with new approaches and solutions. Become comfortable with ambiguity. In an ever-changing world, flexibility is key. Creative thinking and problem-solving often mean taking an unknown path, so be prepared for uncertainty. Announce your company’s goals. Build and promote a strong narrative detailing what your team or company is trying to accomplish — and how everyone has a role in achieving a collective goal. Challenges are opportunities to try something new, and working toward a common goal makes people more invested in their work and willing to contribute. Surround yourself with creative thinkers. There is nothing better than being surrounded by other interested and invested women (and men) who can lend an ear, advice, or a connection as needed. This article originally appeared in the Toy Book January 2020 issue and has been republished here with permission.

January 10, 2020 – New York – Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WIT) announced its 2020 slate of finalists for the 16th Annual Wonder Women Awards, which celebrates top female executives, thought leaders, entrepreneurs and other changemakers for their extraordinary accomplishments and impact within the toy, licensing and the entertainment industries. Winners in each category will be announced at the Awards dinner held on Sunday, February 23 at Pier Sixty, Chelsea Piers, coinciding with Toy Fair New York. The 2020 Wonder Women Award Finalists are: CREATOR / DESIGNER / INVENTOR Angie Cella – GemC2, Creator of Blinger™ Carla Schneider – WubbaNub Catalina Escobar – Basic Fun! Deirdre Cross – Funko Games Kana Claussen – Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Company Kathryn Hosford – ViacomCBS Kim Culmone – Mattel Roxana Powell – Disney Consumer Products Teri Weiss – DreamWorks Animation Vickie Stratford – Hasbro LICENSOR / ENTERTAINMENT Bek Fairweather – Moose Toys Carla Silva – King Features, a division of Hearst Glenda Beltran – ViacomCBS Julie Thompson – LEGO Systems, Inc. Laura Clunie – Spin Master Linda Morgenstern – Beanstalk Mellany Masterson – Nelvana Enterprises, a division of Corus Entertainment Michelle Fode – The Walt Disney Company Susan Brandt – Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. LICENSEE / MANUFACTURER Anna Mowbray – ZURU, Inc. Bridget Russo – Just Play, LLC Haley Maiden – Moose Toys Heidi Schwartz – Universal Branding & Media Ivonne Olivares – The LEGO Group Joyce Reid – Little Kids Inc. Kate Keller – Spin Master Kate Sheets – Playtime Engineering Katia May – Bandai America Sasha Davenport – Hasbro MARKETING / PR Amy Wann – PlayMonster Cristy Collins – Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Company Danielle Norwood – VTech Electronics North America Jen Boswinkel – Hasbro Jessica Aceti – Funko Games Jessica Murphy – ViacomCBS Jodi McDonald – Spin Master Karen Branson – IMC Toys US Krista Berger – Mattel Sunny Lauridsen – Just Play, LLC RISING STAR CORPORATE Azhelle Wade – Creative Kids Chelsea Morrissey – Hasbro Elaine Chang – The Walt Disney Company/Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Elizabeth Scarwid – IMG Jacqueline Daniels – VTech Electronics North America Maddie Michalik – The Toy Book Marissa Beck – Mattel Mika Nakano – NBCUniversal Natalie Wight – WowWee Rebecca Mond – The Toy Association Tanja Gaspardo – Spin Master RISING STAR INDEPENDENT Beth Fynbo – Busy Baby LLC Callie Christensen & Kelly Oriard – Slumberkins Jessie Silbert – Celestial Buddies, LLC Jillian Lakritz – Yoee Baby Jill Walters – Crazy Aaron’s Puttyworld Joanna Paul – Whatsitsface, LLC Madeleine Hunter – Hunter Products Madison Robinson – FishFlops Marcia Haut – SmartNoggin Toys Robin Sydney – Zorbitz, Inc. Sara Farber – Galactic Sneeze SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Allison Kohll – Hasbro Anna Mowbray – ZURU, Inc. Belinda Gruebner –- Moose Toys Claire Ellis – Entertainment One Elizabeth Max – The Toy Foundation Jennifer DuBuisson – The LEGO Group Jennifer Pace Robinson – The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis Nancy Molenda – Mattel Rachel Griffin – JAKKS Pacific Rebecca Mond – The Toy Association Voting for the Wonder Women Awards will be open to all WIT members, from Wednesday, January 15 to Monday, January 27. “We had the most submissions to date, and our slate of 2020 Wonder Women Finalists reflects the brain trust of brilliant women making an impact on our industry,” said Karen Kilpatrick, WIT Nominations Committee Chair. “We are excited to celebrate this year’s outstanding finalists, the incredible winners and our esteemed honorees at the upcoming Wonder Women Awards.” To purchase tickets/tables, or to sponsor the WIT Wonder Woman Awards or purchase a Digital Tribute Book ad, please visit www.WomenInToys.com. WIT thanks its generous 2020 sponsors, including Hasbro, Mattel, Disney, The Bandai Foundation, ViacomCBS, Jazwares, Amazon, LEGO, PlayMonster, Spin Master, VTech, and the many sponsors who support the organization year-round and help contribute to the success of the Wonder Women Awards. Proceeds from this event are used to fund scholarships, develop and maintain a full calendar of programs and networking events, and support initiatives for WIT’s members and its community. ABOUT WOMEN IN TOYS, LICENSING & ENTERTAINMENT Founded in 1991, Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WIT) / The WIT Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to advance women through leadership, networking and educational opportunities. WIT serves and supports women at all stages of their careers, from entrepreneurs and startups to seasoned industry veterans. The WIT Foundation grants scholarships to deserving students enrolled in industry-related undergraduate programs. WIT has 25 chapters throughout the U.S., Canada, Hong Kong, France, the UK and Australia, with liaisons in Finland, Germany, India and Lebanon. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

How to Know if Kickstarter is the Right Path for You Ideas for tabletop games could remain just unrealized ideas if not for Kickstarter, the world’s largest funding platform for creative projects. The numbers tell the story with 17,000 successfully funded game projects to date and close to $1 billion in pledges. We win both as creators and consumers with innovative concepts finding the lifeline they need on Kickstarter to reach people who love the game category. Luke Crane, Head of Games at Kickstarter and designer of games including Burning Wheel, Mouse Guard and Inheritance, provided some of his top tips for a successful tabletop game campaign. The Concept. Crane shared that niche and focused ideas get the most backers. In fact, he says “game ideas that do well on Kickstarter wouldn’t necessarily work at retail.” Board and card games found at retail need to target a broad audience who enjoys casual gameplay. Whereas, Kickstarter reaches a community of people who are passionate about tabletop games and want depth of story, quality, and detail of the product. And adds Crane,“they want weird.” The highest funded game on Kickstarter to date is Kingdom Death: Monster 1.5, a cooperative board game set in a nightmare-horror world. 19,264 backers pledged nearly $12.4 million to bring this dark and macabre project to life. If you’ve got a novel game idea, the next question you should ask is what success looks like to you, if you’re a unicorn creator; to your team, which is more commonly the case on Kickstarter; or to the small, independent game publisher who uses Kickstarter to bring its pipeline of game ideas to life. Set Realistic Expectations. The typical range of funding is $10,000-$50,000 with an average of 255 backers. While there are some stand-out campaigns such as Exploding Kittens with 219,382 backers, Kickstarter is not a hit-driven ecosystem. What it can help you do is build and amplify your community of fans, if you do the upfront work. Perfect the Play. Before launching your campaign, connect with your local tabletop game community to play-test your game. Early feedback helps creators refine the gameplay before going live on Kickstarter. Attending game conventions such as GenCon and PAX Unplugged gives you visibility to the industry at large, and as an exhibitor can help build awareness with a fanbase. Do Your Research. Talk to manufacturers early on to see if your game is feasible to make or what adjustments you should consider to avoid manufacturing delays. Plan for shipping by getting cost estimates to deliver the final product to your backers. Promote. Once you launch your campaign, post meaningful and frequent communication. Someone Has Died is a good example. Not only did its co-creators Adi Slepack and Ellie Black post videos that explained the gameplay, they shared audio and video play-throughs with New York-based comedians that built anticipation leading up to the game launch. They were also responsive to questions from their backers and quickly addressed any concerns, such as delays in delivery of the game. Keep Engaging. Once the project concludes, creators should continue to connect with their community and drive them to their social media channels, share updates if they’re attending or exhibiting at any game shows, or simply find out how people are enjoying the gameplay. Creators can also provide details on any planned game sequels. Kickstarter’s game projects are one of the most successful categories on the platform and continues to thrive. In 2018, tabletop games delivered a 48.4 percent success rate (defined as fully funded) and 2019 is starting off well with a 54 percent success rate. Creators who tested, planned for production, and actively developed a community of interested backers in anticipation of their campaign can count on the Kickstarter platform to help bring their idea to life. This article originally appeared in aNb Media June 2019 issue and has been republished here with permission.

This post originally appeared on The ToyBook and has been reposted here with permission. by Nancy Zwiers, co-chair, WIT Empowerment Day WIT AND WALMART TEAM UP TO HOST THE ANNUAL MENTORING EVENT Women in Toys, Licensing, and Entertainment (WIT) will be holding its seventh annual Empowerment Day on Oct. 1. The day is dedicated to helping dozens of women each year give their dreams a chance. Many women spend a lot of time with children, as mothers, educators, or community leaders. Not surprisingly, that “together time” often inspires promising new product ideas. Who better to see what children would like than those who spend so much time with them? Yet, many of these inventive women don’t necessarily have the avenues available to them to penetrate the black box we call the toy industry. As industry insiders, WIT has the infrastructure, the connections, and the know-how to launch a new toy — and welcome ideas from diverse sources. WIT Empowerment Day brings together aspiring female entrepreneurs and volunteer industry veterans to help give these product ideas the chance to become a reality. Industry veterans just happen to include Walmart’s Vice President of Toys Anne Marie Kehoe, and the bulk of her buying team. WIT Empowerment Day 2018 volunteers board. It all started nearly seven years ago. Patti Becker, founder and CEO of Becker Associates LLC and a leader in WIT, had the idea of arranging a Walmart pitch session at Toy Fair New York (TFNY) open to women in the industry. She knew that Walmart had launched its Women’s Global Economic Empowerment Initiative in 2011 and that they set a goal to increase its sourcing from women-owned businesses. Her timing was perfect: The Walmart WIT pitch event launched at TFNY in February 2013 and was a resounding success. Based on that success, WIT and Walmart moved it to Dallas Fall Toy Preview, where the event has been ever since. Since 2014, Deb de Sherbinin and I — the WIT Empowerment Day co-chairs — have worked with Walmart, WIT staff, and volunteers to further expand the scope of the event. We have partnered with The Toy Association and secured a large space at the Dallas Market Center. We will host the full-day event and evening cocktail reception on the eve of Dallas Toy Preview’s opening. PRICELESS ACCESS Participants can pitch to Walmart and toy inventor relations representatives from companies, such as Spin Master, Hasbro, PlayMonster, Wicked Cool Toys, and Basic Fun. MENTORING ADVICE Participants can also attend multiple educational webinars leading up to the event and learn from more than 30 expert mentors across many disciplines at speed mentoring and informational sessions during the conference. These mentors are industry veterans who volunteer their time and generously offer their expertise. The educational program includes panel discussions with Walmart buyers, inventor relations representatives, financing and e-commerce marketing experts, the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), and the Small Business Administration (SBA). At WIT Empowerment Day 2018, industry experts offered their expertise and encouragement during 15-minute speed-mentoring sessions. INSPIRATION AND CONNECTEDNESS Keynote speakers have included Mark Cuban of Shark Tank, Melissa Bernstein — co-founder of toy company Melissa and Doug — and, most recently, Natalie Rebot, the inventor of the storybook projector Moonlite. To close out the conference, participants will share the value they have created in the toy industry and attend an evening cocktail reception to network with toy industry insiders. WIT Empowerment Day 2015 Keynote Speaker Mark Cuban with Empowerment Day Co-Chairs Nancy Zwiers and Deb de Sherbinin. THE RESULTS ARE HAPPENING The event keeps getting better, and the partnership between WIT, Walmart, and The Toy Association is stronger than ever. For the many volunteers who help make WIT Empowerment Day possible, participant feedback is the best part. Consider Angie Cella, who came to last year’s WIT Empowerment Day with her invention of the Hair Blinger. A simple but powerful idea, the Hair Blinger is a cartridge-based system that lets you easily add sparkling crystals to your hair. Pitches to both Walmart and Wicked Cool Toys co-founder Michael Rinzler went well, they quickly signed a deal with Cella, and now the product is sold at Walmart. In fact, Kehoe has expressed excitement about the toy’s possibilities. Cella couldn’t have been happier with her participation in Empowerment Day. “Things have gone great,” she says. “We signed the deal with Wicked Cool this past Monday night. It’s just been incredible these last three weeks. I feel like the last four years are finally coming to a head, and it’s all so surreal — and it’s all because of WIT.” “[EVEN] IF NOTHING COMES OF [WIT EMPOWERMENT DAY], I COULD RETURN NEXT YEAR MORE PROFESSIONALLY PREPARED.” – MAXINE ROSE SCHUR, AWARD-WINNING CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHOR Not every registrant will achieve distribution at Walmart as Cella did. However, we’ve learned that many perceive WIT Empowerment Day as a process, rather than an event. Walmart buyers give valuable constructive feedback to each person they meet and encourage women to act on the feedback and return the following year with a stronger proposition. Several women have participated in WIT Empowerment Day over multiple years, gradually honing their offerings based on pitch feedback and mentoring. For example, Karen Kilpatrick pitched her product at our first WIT Empowerment Day in Dallas. She returned the following year as a volunteer, which ultimately led to her meeting the folks at Jazwares. They offered her a job as a manager and creator at JazWings and have since promoted her to vice president of marketing at Jazwares. Hair Blinger’s inventor relations pitch with Wicked Cool Toys at WIT Empowerment Day 2018 was a success. The toy industry’s generosity is the rising tide that lifts all boats. Please visit WIT Empowerment Day’s website for more information on this year’s event. Nancy Zwiers is a recently retired, 29-year toy industry veteran, who has held top executive positions at Mattel and Spin Master, where she was EVP and CMO. Zwiers also founded the consulting firm Funosophy Inc. She serves on the WIT Executive Board and as co-chair of Empowerment Day. She also started The Nancy Zwiers Empowerment Fund, which is a proud sponsor of WIT.