Small Business / Entrepreneur
of the Year
Recognizes a female entrepreneur who has built and grown a successful business in the toys, licensing or entertainment space.
Anna Barker
Glo, Glo Pals
Co-Founder, Chief Creative Officer
Glo Pals began with a powerful moment; a young boy with autism who feared bath time discovered that glowing cubes in the water redirected his senses, turning a struggle into a calm routine. Anna has carried that purpose through every product since. She authored all seven original titles in the Light-Up Library, the company’s largest product launch, featuring patent-pending inductive LED technology. She also helped secure licensing partnerships with Sesame Street, Lovevery, and Worldwide Buddies, extending that magic to millions more families. She is the first woman from Mississippi named to Inc. Magazine’s Female Founders 250 list.
Diane Alber
Inspire To Create
Author & Illustrator
*Diane Alber is the bestselling author and illustrator of the A Little SPOT series, a collection of children’s books designed to help young readers understand and manage their emotions through colorful characters and engaging storytelling. She has sold over 5 million copies.* Diane's own journey was a kid with dyslexia to become an award winning author* She enter into toys with plush and partnering with All 4 Fun toys (Rich Mazel) to bring sensory compounds based on the hit series.
Helen Smith
Roo & You
Founder, CEO
Before Roo & You, play couches existed. A system didn't. She created an entire ecosystem that now defines the category. She laid the foundation and continues to innovate it. She scaled Roo & You to over $40M in revenue spending less than 3% on paid marketing, proving that genuine community connection is the most powerful growth engine in the industry. From day one she built a business with purpose at its core, and Roo & You has now donated over $1 million to families and communities in need, proving that doing good and building big are not mutually exclusive.
Helga Árnadóttir
Tulipop
Co-Founder, CEO
Helga Arnadottir led Tulipop’s transformation from a design-led consumer products brand into a vertically integrated, cross-platform IP. Recognising the limits of traditional licensing, she built in-house content capabilities, including subsidiaries in Iceland and the UK, and expanded into publishing, animation and digital platforms. She pioneered a model combining direct audience growth, including YouTube, with strategic partnerships, unlocking new revenue streams. By securing venture funding and implementing smart financing structures, she scaled the business internationally while retaining IP ownership, creating a foundation for long-term franchise growth with strong creative and commercial control.
Inna Yermolenko
Naturally KIDS
CEO
Under Inna's leadership, Naturally KIDS reached $5M in revenue in 2025, with its toys and backpacks bringing smiles to more than 1,200,000 kids — and their parents and grandparents — around the world. Entirely bootstrapped, no outside capital. The brand has held the #1 spot in Amazon's Kids' Backpacks category across the U.S., Canada, and U.K. every Q4 for several years running, with 26,000+ genuine customer reviews behind it. She also built a proprietary, AI-assisted production and stock-planning system that lets a small family company plan and ship with the care and precision of a global toy giant.
Iris Solomon
Hahn/Solo Consulting, Inc.
Co-Founder
A trailblazer in the toy and gift industry, Iris co-founded Swingset Press, pioneering the first Black Light invisible writing products and helping create the Tween category. She also co-created The Creditors Network and MAPP Trap — solutions helping brands stay solvent and protect brand integrity. As founder of Hahn/Solo Consulting and former VP of Sales, she expanded market share for leading consumer companies. Iris specializes in helping brands transition into B2B, securing key retail placements while navigating complex sales cycles with discipline, clarity, and consistent execution.
Jenelle Peterson
Wild Life Outdoor Adventures
Founder & CEO
Jenelle led a strategic pivot from a subscription model to wholesale 2022-24 rebuilding Wild Life for the toy market, redesigning packaging for mass retail clarity and international compliance. Facing rising costs and shifting consumer demand, she rebuilt the supply chain, and expanded into 500+ retail locations across North America. She also established partnerships with leading sales rep groups and national organizations, including Girl Scouts of America. This disciplined pivot resulted in rapid sales growth up 11% YTD 2026, stronger margins, and positioned the brand for major retail expansion, including a 2026 launch of 4 SKUs Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s.
Khushboo Saraf
Lattooland
Founder & CEO
I created a new category of taste-safe educational sensory toys in India, including taste-safe claydough, paints, sensory bin fillers designed for both neurodivergent and neurotypical children. These products are safe for young children who often explore through mouthing, ensuring a worry-free play experience for parents and caregivers. In 2025, I expanded to the USA navigating tariffs as high as 50% and ongoing cross-border logistics challenges as a solo immigrant founder operating across two continents. I built, led a fully integrated global value chain with my India-based team, scaling to six-figure run rate with 20-SKUs and earning the “Amazon’s Choice” badge.
Maud Decombe
Miniature Market
CEO
Maud spearheaded the successful launch of a new e-commerce platform and warehouse management system, transforming our fulfillment operations and positioning the business for scalable growth. Under her leadership, our fulfillment division has expanded to new heights while maintaining an unwavering commitment to service excellence and long-standing client partnerships. Maud fosters a culture of innovation and accountability, empowering her team to challenge conventional processes and pursue new opportunities that drive our small business forward. Her vision, perseverance, and ability to lead through complex change have strengthened our operational capabilities and created lasting impact across the organization.
Meredith Jurica
Makeup Junkie Bags
Founder & CEO
1. Scaled a nationally recognized brand: Makeup Junkie Bags, founded by Meredith Jurrica, grew from a grassroots idea into a Shark Tank-featured company by identifying a gap for stylish, functional cosmetic bags. She addressed market demand with patented designs and U.S.-based production, resulting in nationwide retail growth and a loyal customer base.
2. Innovated through brand expansion: Launched complementary lines like Man Junk, expanding audience reach and increasing revenue streams while staying true to brand identity.
3. Led with resilience: Navigated rapid growth, media exposure, and scaling challenges while maintaining quality and culture...positioning the brand as both aspirational and accessible.
