It was a vibrant scene at Chelsea Piers in NYC last night as Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WIT) revealed its 2019 Wonder Women winners at the 15th Annual Wonder Women Awards. The event, presented during Toy Fair New York, honored the best and brightest women in the industry, with 14 awards presented to women making waves across the toy industry, licensing and entertainment.
Among the highlights of the evening, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, direct from wrapping Star Wars: Episode IX in London, arrived to honor her friend, Pam Kaufman, president of Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products, with Mentor of the Year.
Grammy-winner Yolanda Adams performed for the crowd, after which, Hasbro chief Brian Goldner took to the stage to present Target’s Gaye Dean with the Wonder Woman in Retailing award.
The 2019 Wonder Women Honorees and Winners:
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Mentor of the Year – Pam Kaufman – Viacom Nickelodeon
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Retailer of the Year – Gaye Dean, Target
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Wonder Girls – Mila and Emma
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Creator / Inventor – Amy Pruzansky – Spin Master
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Licensing – Gabriela Arenas – Sesame Workshop
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Manufacturing – Nancy Sanchez – LEGO Systems, Inc.
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Marketing – Juli Lennett – NPD
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Rising Star / Corporate – Chrissy Helmich – Wicked Cool Toys; Kate Nichols – Spin Master
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Rising Star / Independent – Marissa Louie – Animoodles; Natalie Rebot – Moonlite World
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Sales – Marian Bossard – The Toy Association
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Social Responsibility – Amy Knight – Hasbro
The 2019 Wonder Women Scholarship Recipients:
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LIU – Zeynep Ecem Atabay
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OTIS – Jessica Archibeque
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University of Arkansas – Jessie Daspit
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OCAD – Julia Babici
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Stanford – Sarah Cook
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FIT – Yang Liang
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GenHeration / Wharton – Jelece Morris
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GenHeration – Jelece Morris
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Wharton – Lea Chen
“We kicked off an incredible Wonder Women Weekend and Toy Fair by being invited to ring the opening bell at NASDAQ on Friday morning,” says Genna Rosenberg CEO of GennComm and longtime Gala Co-Chair. “Followed by an incredible evening celebrating these amazing powerhouse women who are making their mark.”
“This years’ Award Winners are some of the highest achieving and most remarkable women in our industry”, added Jennifer Caveza, Senior Vice President of Toys and Business Development, at Nickelodeon Consumer Products. “It is truly an honor to celebrate their outstanding achievements and to watch them continue to lead our industry, while inspiring greatness”.
WIT thanks Hasbro, Nickelodeon, Disney, Spin Master, Mattel, LEGO, PlayMonster, Jazwares, The Bandai Foundation, and the many sponsors who support the organization year-round and help contribute to the success of the Wonder Women Gala. Proceeds from this event are used to fund scholarships, develop and maintain a full calendar of programs and networking events, and support initiatives for WIT’s members and its community.
The Toy Book is a supporting sponsor of WIT.
