WIT Panel at New York Comic Con – October 5, 2017!

WIT is heading to New York Comic Con!

Last year, WIT presented its first panel at New York Comic Con, and we’re thrilled to be back again in 2017! This year’s dynamic panelists will explore The Power of Narrative: Iconic Characters and How They Reflect a Dynamic Culture.

Storytelling may have changed, but the power of narrative and its role in human cultures has remained constant throughout history. Our panelists look at the ways storytelling and narrative in the contemporary world reflects and reinforces cultural changes from gender to interaction and identification. What property owners, licensees and, most importantly, storytellers, should know to make the most of the current environment.

Join us!

Thursday, October 5 5:30 – 6:30 PM Javits Center, 1A05

Meet the Panelists

Zuri Rice – Vice President, Production and Development, Nickelodeon

As Vice President, Product and Development at Nickelodeon, Zuri oversees production and development for innovative scripted and unscripted series by employing diverse partners and production models across the U.S. and abroad. She currently serves as EIC on several series including Lip Sync Battle Shorties and the Amsterdam-based Hunter Street, and has oversight of additional projects in development. Zuri also sits on the board for Colour Entertainment, a non-profit organization dedicated to maximizing the potential of executives of color who work in the entertainment industry. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in English.

Bill Doyle – Kids Author, Random House

With over 2,000,000 books in print and an MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU’s Tisch, Bill Doyle has been working in kids media for decades. His publishers include Random House (Attack of the Shark-Headed Zombie), Scholastic (Behind Enemy Lines series) and Chronicle (the CYOA Worst Case Scenario: Everest). He is co-founder of Crab Hill Press, publisher of award-winning interactive storybooks, and the developer of digital storytelling experiences for cultural institutions, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Sesame Studios has recently come on board as a co-producer to develop one of Bill’s book series into a TV show. Learn more about Bill at BillDoyleBooks.com.

Casey Collins – Executive Vice President, Consumer Products, WWE

Casey Collins is Executive Vice President, Consumer Products at WWE, a publicly traded (NYSE: WWE) global entertainment company. He joined WWE in 2012, and is responsible for overseeing WWE’s Consumer Products division, which includes E-Commerce, Venue, Licensing, Gaming, Retail and Home Entertainment. Prior to joining WWE, Collins was EVP, Global Licensing & Entertainment at MGA Entertainment, where he oversaw the entertainment, consumer products, retail development and promotions divisions. Before joining MGA Entertainment, he spent 10 years at Lucasfilm Ltd., where he was Head of Lucasfilm’s Domestic and International Licensing and Retail Merchandise Programs. Collins also spent time as Director of Worldwide Licensing & Motorsports at World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW), where he built and managed WCW’s Worldwide Consumer Products Program. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in International Business from Florida State University and did post graduate work at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Tori Cook – Senior Vice President of Domestic Consumer Products and Retail Development, Saban Brands

Tori Cook serves as Senior Vice President of Domestic Consumer Products and Retail Development for Saban Brands. In this role, she leads the company’s product development, creative, licensing and retail business development teams to build relationships and brand connections with retailers and licensing partners to develop engaging and memorable products for fans of all ages. Tori spearheads retail and L&M efforts across all product categories for Saban Brands’ full slate of entertainment and lifestyle properties. Prior to joining Saban Brands, she served as VP, Retail Business Development at Sanrio, Inc. Before that, Tori held various retail development and marketing positions at 20th Century Fox, New Line Cinema and Sears Holdings Corporation. She earned a BS in Business Administration and Mathematics from Monmouth College.

Tonya Lindo – Director, North American Licensing, Nelvana Enterprises

Tonya Lindo is Director, North American Licensing, for Nelvana Enterprises, a leading independent animation studio with headquarters in Toronto, Canada. In her current role, she heads all merchandise licensing activity for the US and Canada. Throughout her 15+ year career, Tonya has focused on licensing and brand management for many top children’s entertainment brands, such as Max & Ruby, Beyblade, Bakugan and most recently, Mysticons. She holds an M.B.A. from York University’s Schulich School of Business. Nelvana is a division of Corus Entertainment, an award-winning international media company comprising production, consumer products, broadcast, and radio divisions based in Canada.

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