Posts by Sandra Lepianka
Hair I Stand
How Embracing My Natural Hair Became a Career-Defining Moment
By: Azhelle Wade, VP of Brand & Product, Creative Kids & The Toy Coach, Creator of the Podcast, Making It in The Toy Industry Many people lately have been asking me how they can help the black community, how they can become anti-racist, and essentially how to be more compassionate people. And to me, I…
Read MoreWIT Announces 16th Annual Wonder Women Awards Finalists
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…
Read MoreWIT Gears Up For 7th Annual Empowerment Day
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…
Read MoreHow She Did It: Kate Karcher-Clark, Founder of YOTTOY
Guest Post by: Kate Karcher-Clark, founder of YOTTOY Productions, Inc. My passion for toys and design came at an early age in Memphis, TN, as the youngest of six children with a resourceful mother. As a child, I shopped with my mom and noticed all of the beautiful stuffed animals in “fancy stores” and longed…
Read MoreFive Musts for Making ‘Magic’ on Social Media
Guest post by: Alison Grand, Founder and President, Grand Communications, Inc. Previously published on www.grandcommunications.com. Whether it’s for a $1 billion+ preschool brand, a top-rated TV series or a thriving toy, tech or consumer products company, following these basic guidelines will help you build and maintain an active and engaging social media presence that makes…
Read MoreWIT Empowerment Day 2018 – Our Best One Yet!
Our 6th WIT Empowerment Day is in the books! Feedback is still coming in from mentors and mentees alike, and we couldn’t be happier to hear from so many about what a powerfully enriching day it was. With 25 simultaneous one-on-one mentor sessions with industry experts, dozens of private product pitches with Hasbro, Spin Master,…
Read MoreInnovation and Inventors are Trending – Especially Kid Inventors!
Guest Post: Mary Couzin is Founder and President of Chicago Toy & Game Group, and hosts a series of events each November celebrating play and innovation. Mary was honored with the inaugural Elise Lachowyn Mentorship Award at the 2017 Wonder Women Awards Gala and in 2009 for Women in Toys Entrepreneur Award. With…
Read MoreHow She Did It: Q&A with Moonlight Inventor, Natalie Rebot
Natalie Rebot is the inventor and founder of Moonlight World, Inc., and the creator of the Moonlight Storybook Projector, a product that turns any mobile device into a magical storytime experience. We were inspired by Natalie as she shared her story as our keynote speaker at WIT Empowerment Day this month. To learn more…
Read MoreBehind the Curtain of Toy Manufacturer Concept Selection
Guest Post by: Adam B. Hocherman, VP, New Business Development at PlayMonster While toy manufacturing companies are comparatively fun places to work, in fact, there are still processes in place. Decisions about what, when and how to license an external product concept are not made haphazardly! So, wouldn’t it be helpful to know…
Read MoreWhen Two Become One – The Everlasting Relationship Between Toys and Licensing
Guest post by Anna Knight, BLE Brand Director We’re just over a month away from Brand Licensing Europe and we’re really excited about the content at this year’s show from a toy industry perspective. Traditionally, toys and licensing have crossed over for many, many years: we are led to believe that the first ever licensed product…
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