Katie Patterson

Katie is passionate about creating and advocating for products and programs that bring joy, create engagement, and enhance kids’ opportunities and skills for a bright tomorrow. She brings a unique combination of experience to WIT and the world of play with a career that spans entrepreneurship, nonprofit, education, public service and product development.

Katie spent almost two decades growing a start-up cookie shoppe into a national franchise where she helped franchise owners develop products, build awareness, grow sales and improve margins. After stewarding the franchise through acquisition, Katie leaned into her passion of advocating for kids and their families, locally and statewide. As executive director of a literacy nonprofit focused on adult and family literacy, she expanded fundraising and outreach to grow those served by ten-fold. Katie’s commitment to kids and families in the Dallas area extended to public service when she was elected as a school board trustee. Here, she gained invaluable insights into the K-12 public education system that allowed her to advocate for, review and establish policies that had a positive impact on students' educational experiences. As a lifelong fan of toys and games, Katie now leads a team at BDA that creates and produces kid and family products. This unique combination of experience has made her a well-rounded people leader and advocate for the power of play.

When she’s not working, Katie enjoys traveling with her family (and exploring toy stores in destination spots), playing and watching soccer, reading historical fiction and playing games with friends. She is excited to organize Dallas area events that foster opportunities for women in the industry to connect and engage, together and within the Dallas area community.