PR & Communications Excellence
Celebrates leaders in public relations who drive brand visibility, reputation, and storytelling through impactful communication.
Adrienne Appel
The Toy Association
EVP Strategic Communications
Adrienne elevates toy community through impactful, strategic communications and strong leadership:
1) Tariff crisis: Executed highly successful #KeepToysTariffFree campaign, securing dozens of media interviews for TA CEO. Led communications to members with round-the-clock updates about tariffs/critical guidance for companies.
2) Toy Fair: attracted 1,000+ global media to source toys/trends, resulting in 1.5 billion impressions. Helped control media narrative at TF'26, shifting focus away from AI chatbots, ensuring positive coverage for industry.
3) Advocacy: Highlighted industry's unique needs to White House at Easter Egg Roll/International Day of Play, via activations that made powerful statements about play, putting industry in positive light.
Alexis Winkler
Relatable
Public Relations Manager
Leading a lean two-person team, Lexy delivered PR results that would challenge teams three times her size. She drove 1,209 earned media placements, 22 TV segments, and secured 12 major award wins, up from just 2 the prior year, including a Toy of the Year finalist. She scaled an influencer seeding program to 39M+ followers with 105.7% ROI and built a full 365 PR infrastructure from scratch. Most importantly, she transformed PR from a support function into a measurable growth engine, elevating Relatable's visibility, credibility, and reputation as a company to watch in the toy industry.
Anne Polsak
Mattel
Head of Communication Germany/Austria/Switzerland
Anne leads Communications & Corporate Citizenship in Germany, consistently turning business moments into high-impact, culturally relevant with measurable outcomes. She spearheads communications for Mattel’s presence at Nuremberg Toy Fair, delivering a record-breaking 80th Anniversary showcase that drove significant media reach, stakeholder engagement and commercial momentum. She scaled Mattel PlayBack Germany into a market-leading circularity programme, earning external recognition, retailer support strengthening Mattel’s sustainability credentials while engaging consumers in responsible play. Anne led a first-of-its-kind Mercedes-Benz x Mattel Brick Shop collaboration, creating a locally rooted campaign elevated to global PR assets, demonstrating her ability to translate PR work into worldwide impact.
Beatrice Chow
Sesame Workshop
VP, Public Relations and Publicity
As VP of PR, Beatrice leads high‑stakes, mission‑driven communications that prioritize integrity and trust while keeping Sesame Street at the intersection of social impact, entertainment, and cultural relevance. Amid major distribution and funding challenges, she drove the PR launch of Sesame Street with leading streamer Netflix, while reinforcing the show’s 50‑year PBS partnership. A forward‑thinking strategist, she transformed a turbulent moment into a powerful global opportunity elevating the IP across consumer, fan, and industry spaces—expanding reach among families and advancing Sesame’s licensing business. Beatrice leads Sesame’s digital well‑being communications, shaping the conversation on children in the age of AI.
Dana Moncrief
Moose Toys
VP, Public Relations
Dana Moncrief is a transformative communications leader whose strategic vision and execution have elevated Moose Toys’ brands into cultural phenomena. Dana’s leadership has translated into exceptional, quantifiable
results; including:
- Massive, measurable impact: In 2025 delivered 5B impressions, 8 national broadcast segments, including TODAY, GMA and CNBC, with media driving up to 390% sales lifts
- Category-defining campaigns: Secured Bluey’s first-ever TOTY win; led Magic Mixies back-to-back TOTY wins, cementing both as cultural and industry standouts
- Contributed to wins across 8 major award programs, including: Toy of the Year Award, Good Housekeeping Best Toy Awards, Parents Best Toy Awards
Elizabeth Foster
Licensing International
VP of Content & Communications
Vice President of Content & Communications at Licensing International, Elizabeth Foster has elevated industry storytelling through strategic, high-impact initiatives. She led the development of a multi-platform content series on tariffs, including features, webinars, and social content, equipping companies with timely insights to navigate shifting market conditions. She also spearheaded the Global Licensing Industry Study and expanded its reach into mainstream business media, increasing visibility for how licensing affects a variety of sectors. Additionally, she supported the broadening of Licensing International’s Hall of Fame, showcasing the breadth of the licensing industry, with recent inductees including Dolly Parton and Kevin Smith.
Gemma Davidson
ZURU
Brand Engagement Director
Led the transformation of ZURU’s global communications, building a unified PR and content framework, aligning messaging across brands and markets. Also, developed a TikTok-first content engine generating over 20,000 assets in 2025, enabling high-volume, culturally relevant storytelling, and established a robust influencer/creator system turning influencers into consistent brand voices, while building an proprietary influencer management platform managing over 30k creators. These initiatives addressed fragmented communication and slow content cycles, resulting in stronger brand consistency, faster output, and shift to always-on, audience-driven storytelling. The virality of Mini Brands Fill the Fridge on TikTok was founded on this content and creator system.
Shirley Kim
The Pokémon Company International
Manager, Public Relations
Shirley Kim is a driving force behind The Pokémon Company International’s PR success, elevating the brand’s visibility and cultural relevance worldwide. She spearheads publicity for the 30th-anniversary campaign, anchored by a star-studded 2026 Super Bowl debut and amplified through global experiences, partnerships, and high-profile talent interviews, expertly navigating the complexities of celebrity engagement and multifaceted activations. Beyond the milestone anniversary, Shirley’s strategic leadership and knack for fostering a high-performing and collaborative team have directly impacted Pokémon’s high-profile brand pillars, including TCG, animation, consumer products, and licensing, contributing to Pokémon’s ranking as the #1 toy property in the U.S. (Circana, 2025).
Stacy Forgang
Hasbro, Inc.
Director of Global Brand Publicity
Stacy led a culture-shaping PR moment for Peppa Pig with the announcement of Mommy Pig’s pregnancy, transforming a simple storyline into a global media event. She executed a multi-platform reveal, pairing a high-impact broadcast moment with coordinated digital and social amplification, driving top-tier coverage across TODAY, People, and the BBC. By anchoring the news in relatable, in-world storytelling, she sparked organic conversation, social engagement, and meme culture among parents and fans. Her leadership sustained momentum with ongoing content, extending the news cycle and delivering a best-in-class earned-first campaign that drove global awareness, engagement, and franchise relevance.
Susan Tran
Bandai Namco
Sr. Director, Brand Development
In 2025, Susan Tran’s leadership shone through three distinct campaigns celebrating PAC-MAN’s 45th anniversary. First, she orchestrated PAC-MAN’s debut at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, captivating millions with a vibrant float and live performances, which amplified brand awareness on a national stage. Second, Susan partnered with the Red Cross to launch a themed blood drive, creatively engaging communities and leveraging PAC-MAN’s iconic image to encourage donations and promote social responsibility. Third, she led a collaboration with Krispy Kreme Donuts, producing limited-edition PAC-MAN donuts and interactive activations, delighting fans and expanding cross-promotional reach.
