Janice Ross, left, President, Women in Toys, Licensing and Entertainment (WIT), and Amy Thompson, Exec VP/Chief People Officer, Mattel Inc.

At the 16th Annual Wonder Women Awards last weekend, Mattel and Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WIT) revealed the Ruth Handler Mentorship Program.

Timed to Mattel’s 75th-anniversary celebration, the new program is named for Handler — Mattel’s co-founder and creator of the Barbie brand — and is underwritten by The Mattel Foundation.

“Mattel marks its 75th anniversary this year and the Ruth Handler Mentorship Program for WIT is a perfect way to carry on the legacy of our founder, commemorate our rich heritage and celebrate our commitment to supporting rising female leaders,” says Amy Thompson, chief people officer, Mattel. “This is the industry’s first mentorship program for women designed to advance career growth across the toy industry through mentorship, coaching, professional development, and learning.”

Powered by Everwise, a platform that guides mentorship both on and offline, the program will also provide a library of content and career development tools for participants. The progress of the program will be tracked through participation, survey data, and annual reports.

“WIT is thrilled to have Mattel’s generous support with this game-changing program, which is a vital step in helping our industry grow,” says Janice Ross, newly installed WIT president. “This will benefit women at all stages of their career by connecting them with the mentors and support networks they need.”

More details about the program and how to get involved can be found at womenintoys.com.

The Toy Book is a supporting sponsor of Women in Toys.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.

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