Designer/Inventor
Individual
Recognizes an independent creator or entrepreneur whose original designs or inventions make the impossible, possible.
Annmarie Percic
Tomgrrrl Toys LLC
President/Founder
1. Business Leadership: Since 2011, I have co-led our family logistics company, continuing a legacy started by my father in 1981 and helping grow it into a thriving, successful business. 2. Toy Inventor: In 2023, I created and patented a unicorn-dinosaur toy concept that has grown into a brand with two figures produced, a published children’s book, additional stories, and a plush line in development. 3. Entrepreneurial Balance: While running two businesses, I continue to pursue innovation and creativity while balancing a full and active family life as a wife, mother, and grandmother.
Brett Lindsay Murphy
Sow Business LLC
Founder and Owner
B. Lin Murphy is a steadfast advocate of tenacious innovation and believes that creative problem-solving is essential to navigating life's unexpected shifts. Her philosophy centers on agility — the willingness to pivot, evolve, and build boldly amid changing conditions. She founded Unity Schooling and designs customized, experiential programming to students in virtual and alternative learning environments. Murphy owns Busy Bawdy, a wellness brand for "women on a mission." She invented The Bawdy Filter®, a patented soothing and shaping compression garment designed to merge function and well-being. She is a 4x author and owns children's brand, Bittyrina.
Courtney Smithee
Playcor
Founder/Lead Designer
Courtney set out to redefined “aesthetically pleasing toys” by elevating them into design forward pieces that belong within the home. As a new toy entrepreneur, she strategically launched multiple products using varied materials for a cohesive, impactful debut, requiring coordination across multiple vendors. She led this complex execution while pregnant with her third child, transforming a personal challenge into momentum.
Results: over $10K in soft launch sales, doubled online sales since the full DTC launch in January, placements in four Austin boutiques, and an upcoming showcase in Dallas Market’s IN DEMAND section, establishing a new category of intentional, design-led play.
Donna Teresa Fasano
The Owl and The Hourglass
Artgineer
Donna Fasano, an independent game designer and fabricator bringing her former set design experience to the Denver Art Museum’s newly expanded decorative arts wing with custom games that support their mission, “to build a world where art sparks creativity, connects, inspires, and empowers communities while engaging and educating the public.” In 2025, she designed and led fabrication of The Kirkland’s 300 SF permanent, multigenerational activity space, “It’s Teatime O’Clock!” and a signature game based on their collections. The design challenge was to invite a “pickup and play” approach. Fasano collaborated with curators to deliver a highly stylized “cartoonified” space.
Heftzi Zion-Mozes
2 Much Fun
Toy Inventor
In just three years, Heftzi Zion-Mozes has achieved extraordinary impact as a master of pretend play. Her debut product, the Simmer & Stir Color-Reveal Playset (Melissa & Doug), became a TOTY 2026 Finalist and Toy Insider Hot 20. Heftzi excels at "nailing the experience"—bringing fresh ideas to classic play while ensuring they are perfectly market-ready. With three major 2025 launches like the award-winning Flip & Fry Grill, and three more coming in 2026 for Disney Princess, National-Geographic, and Melissa & Doug, She consistently proves her superb grasp of product innovation, enchanting the hearts of children, parents and toy companies alike.
Sally Connolly
Napa Valley Toys USA, LLC
Founder CEO
I collaborated with my team to help a client launch a plush project, overseeing the design and manufacturing of 138,000 pieces for Walmart across 1,500 stores in May, which passed all inspections on the first attempt. I am renewing my bedding license to bring characters like Toothless the Dragon, Sonic, and Hello Kitty to market. Teaching at the college level is rewarding; last semester, I taught 38 students at Otis in plush toy design, inspiring orginal patternmaking, and sewing plush collections. I continue to have great experience mentoring with WIT mentees while assisting three students importing first short productionsfrom China.
