Hasbro details second annual Women Innovators of Play speaker line-up

Hasbro has detailed the speaker line-up for its second annual Women Innovators of Play – a free event taking place virtually on October 10th.

The event is designed to encourage more women’s participation in the toy and game industry, inspire the next generation of young women and girls to unleash their creativity, and increase awareness and exposure to creative career paths.

The 2024 virtual event will close with the launch of Hasbro’s second annual Women Innovators of Play Challenge. This encourages women inventors to submit their toy and game ideas to receive funding, mentorship and a trip to Hasbro HQ.

Event speakers this year includes:

• Dr. Becky Kennedy, Clinical Psychologist, Author, and Founder and CEO of Good Inside
• Emma Worrollo, Play-Doh Imagination Coach, Content Creator and Gen Alpha brand builder
• Dr. Michelle Thaller, Astronomer and Science Communicator at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
• Juli Lennett, Vice President, Industry Advisor, Toys at Circana
• Chris Cocks, Chief Executive Officer and Director, Hasbro
• Gina Goetter, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Hasbro
• Roberta Thomson, Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer, Hasbro
• Kim Boyd, President, Global Brands & Franchise Management, Hasbro
• Amanda DiSanto, Senior Narrative Design Manager, Hasbro Board Games
• Ellie Dix, Game Inventor & Winner of the 2023 Women Innovators of Play Challenge
• Jane Douglas, host and gaming influencer
• Andreana Lozano, Narrative Lead (Exodus), Archetype Studios
• Ali Mierzejewski, Editor-in-chief, The Toy Insider & The Pop Insider
• Christine O’Connor, VP, Consumer Insights, Hasbro
• Emily Teng, Senior Worldbuilder, Magic: The Gathering, Wizards of the Coast
• Tanya Thompson, Senior Director, Inventor Relations, Hasbro
• Jeffrey Wisenbaugh, Director, Social & Content, Meta

“The speakers we’ve lined up for this year’s conference include some of the brightest minds from a variety of influential spaces,” said Kim Boyd, President, Global Brands and Franchise Management at Hasbro.

“From a clinical psychologist who has changed the way we parent, to a renowned astrophysicist and NASA scientist, to a board game narrative designer, our speakers and program will galvanise women to harness their brilliance and create their best work. This event is just one part of our broader commitment to building a more powerful and inclusive community of women toy and game inventors.”

Angus Walker, Head of Inventor Relations at Hasbro, added: “We know that as an industry, we have a lot of work to do to welcome more women and underrepresented inventors into the fold.

“At the same time, there’s never been more of a need for connecting people through toys and games. Rather than wait for change to happen, we decided to be at the forefront by creating this opportunity to nurture and boost talented women creators. We’re proud of the Hasbro Women Innovators of Play program and we can’t wait to see where the next great toy or game idea might come from.”

To register for the free, virtual event, which is open to all, go here.

–

To stay in the loop with the latest news, interviews and features from the world of toy and game design, sign up to our weekly newsletter here

More Recent News

Our top 10 most read interviews of 2024

This year’s top 10 features interviews with Exploding Kittens’ Matthew Inman, Hasbro’s Angus Walker and Jazwares’ Magdalena Eichhorn.

AMIGO to meet game inventors at Mojo Pitch 2025

“We are thrilled to be back at the Play Creators Festival in 2025,” said AMIGO’s Alessandro Montingelli.

Think Influence eyes toy partners for Fisch

The popular Roblox game launched earlier this year and has over 800,000 concurrent users.

Transformers Age of the Primes figures land on Hasbro Pulse

The Transformers Age of the Primes Titan Class Thirteen Star Optimus Prime figure comes with a cannon blaster, shoulder blasters, and the Zodiac orb.

People of Play welcomes Shannon Swindle as Director

“I look forward to creating meaningful experiences, celebrating the work of toy and game designers and continuing to support the incredible people in this industry that I love so much,” said Swindle.

Rubies readies UK launch for Bluey costumes

“We are confident that Rubies’ new Bluey dress-up options will be popular with families on this side of the world, after the positive reception they received in Australia,” said Anita Majhu, Head of Licensing (Softlines) at BBC Studios.