Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WiT) has announced the winners of the 2026 Wonder Women Awards, celebrating excellence, leadership, and connection across the global toy, licensing, and entertainment industry. The awards were presented Thursday at Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles.
“The Wonder Women Awards celebrate leaders whose influence extends far beyond business results alone,” say Wonder Women Awards Co-Chairs Deirdre Cross and Lourdes Arocho. Cross is the Founder and CEO of Tiffany Birdsong. Arocho is the Senior Vice President, Head of Licensing at Gap.
The event also honored Sherrie Westin, President and CEO of Sesame Workshop, with WiT’s Global Impact Award. Westin was recognized for using storytelling to deliver educational content and critical resources to children and families in more than 190 countries.
“Sherrie Westin exemplifies the extraordinary power of purpose-driven leadership, using storytelling to create meaningful change for children and families around the world,” Cross and Arocho share.
Steve Totzke, President and Executive Advisor at Mattel, received WiT’s Inclusive Leadership Award for his longstanding commitment to mentorship and inclusive leadership across the global consumer products industry.
“We are also proud to recognize Steve Totzke for his longstanding commitment to mentorship, inclusion, and the advancement of women across our industry,” Cross and Arocho note. “Together with this year’s winners, they represent the innovation, leadership, and community at the heart of WiT.”
This year’s Wonder Women Award winners include:
- Brand Franchise Leadership: Bandai Namco — Tamagotchi Team: Tara Badie, Anita Komatsu, Monako Kuriiwa, Tanya Sexton
- Catalyst for Change (over 500 Employees): Buky Famosa, Mattel
- Catalyst for Change (under 500 Employees): Dr. Amanda Gummer, FUNdamentally Children — The Good Play Guide
- Commercial Excellence: VTech Electronics, North America — The VTech & LeapFrog Sales Team: Jane Donnelly, Amanda Vincent, Carrie Mueller, Eli Butler, Jim Mackenzie, Marnie Vogel, Melissa Granger, Nicki Shekalus, Sarah Riddle
- Designer/Inventor (over 500 Employees): Mollie Jameson, Spin Master
- Designer/Inventor (under 500 Employees): Maryam Syed, MAGNA-TILES
- Designer/Inventor (Independent): Donna Teresa Fasano, The Owl & The Hourglass
- Digital Innovator: Marie Navarro, Hasbro
- Emerging Technology Leader: Azhelle Wade, The Toy Coach Inc., and Fiona Hardie, Amazon
- Licensing Excellence – Individual: Jean Gomez, Spin Master, and Kim Bell, Paramount
- Licensing Excellence – Team: ZURU Toys Licensing Team: Aneisha Vieira, Gavin Correia, Joseph Fell, Leah Whitehead, Peyton Walker, Shuxin Chen
- Marketing Visionary: Mallory Van Laeken, Moose Toys
- Mentor of the Year: Humaira Shaikh, The LEGO Group
- PR & Communications Excellence: Shirley Kim, The Pokémon Company International
- Rising Leader (over 500 Employees): Krystal Rose, Asmodee
- Rising Leader (under 500 Employees): Jimeka Broussard, Dr. Seuss Enterprises
- Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year: Maud Decombe, Miniature Market
- Unsung Hero (over 500 Employees): Mimi Douet, The LEGO Group
- Unsung Hero (under 500 Employees): Tina Patel, Playmates Toys
- WiT Champion: Sunny Lauridsen, Just Play
Proceeds from the Wonder Women Awards support WiT’s programming, mentorship, and WiT Foundation Scholarship Program.
Learn more about WiT at womenintoys.com.
