Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WiT) has named the winners of its 18th annual Wonder Women Awards.
The Wonder Women Awards are designed to highlight influential women within the toy, licensing, and entertainment industries. The event, held during Toy Fair, aims to inspire and uplift women within the industry, with the goal of a more equitable and inclusive workforce.
The event announcing this year’s winners took place Sunday, Oct. 1, in New York City. In addition to the award winners across a range of categories, WiT also honored Laura Zebersky with the Visionary Leader Award, Lisa McKnight with the Trailblazer Award, and Nyla Hayes with the Future Leader Award.
2023’s Wonder Women Award Winners are:
- Brand Franchise: Meredith Norrie, Mattel
- Commercial Sales: Kristen Shackleford, Amazon
- Creative Genius: Carly McGinnis, Exploding Kittens
- Designer/Inventor (Corporate): Sunno Cho, Jazwares
- Designer/Inventor (Independent): Britney Crowell, CurlCap
- Digital Storytelling: Alexandra Kavalova, Spin Master
- Inbound Licensing: Tanya Thompson, Hasbro
- Marketing: Jonelle Brown, Paramount
- PR/Communications: Molly Martin, The LEGO Group
- Rising Leader (<500 Employees): Amy Bastuga, Radio Flyer; and Kim Chang, Just Play
- Rising Leader (>500 Employees): Adeline Trento, Toys ”R” Us at Macy’s; and Angela Beck, Mattel
- Social Impact (Corporate): Pamela Krominga, Target
- Social Impact (Independent): April Showers, Afro Unicorn
Thanks to a variety of sponsors, WiT was able to present $2,500 in scholarships to 12 students demonstrating leadership and strong academics in their chosen fields. Through the WiT Excursionista Grant sponsored by Spin Master, each scholarship recipient also received a ticket to the Gala as well as a travel stipend to attend both it and the Student Congress at Toy Fair.
2023 sponsors include Amazon, Mattel, Paramount, Hasbro, Bandai Namco, Jazwares, LEGO, Spin Master, TOMY International, and more. Proceeds from this year’s event will go toward funding programming and initiatives put on by WiT as well as the Foundation Scholarship Program.
“We celebrated a truly spectacular evening with over 750 guests, marking the triumphant in-person return of the Wonder Woman Awards,” says Nancy Molenda of Mattel Children’s Foundation & Corporate Philanthropy at Mattel. “Showcasing the dynamism and energy of this extraordinary community has long been a defining hallmark of this event, and the electricity from tonight’s gala continues to resonate. It was a night that embodied the resilience, strength, and inspiration of every Wonder Woman that walks among us.”
