The Toy Association announced the formalization of its Diversity & Inclusion Committee that aims to build awareness of and provide best practices for creating diversity within toy companies’ missions, workforce, products, and content development.
“Educating the toy community and advancing best practices in achieving all forms of diversity is a priority within The Toy Association’s strategic blueprint,” said Steve Pasierb, president and CEO of The Toy Association. “This group of exceptional toy and youth entertainment professionals will help the industry foster cultures where unique perspectives are welcomed and embraced.”
Key objectives for the Committee include:
- Serving as a resource to the toy industry on diversity, representation, equity, and inclusion;
- Celebrating companies with hiring/staffing practices, products, packaging, and marketing campaigns that inspire positive social change as it applies to inclusion, representation, and diversity; and
- Creating educational opportunities for Toy Association member companies to learn more about how to make their companies more diverse and inclusive.
Co-chaired by Laurel Wider, founder of Wonder Crew, and Jodi Norgaard, founder of Go! Go! Sports Girls, the committee includes:
- Bryony Bouyer, senior vice-president, diversity and inclusion and multi-cultural strategies, Hasbro
- Kimberly Culmone, senior vice-president of design, Mattel
- Gerald A. Fernandez, president and founder, Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance
- Jay Francis, vice-president of current series and diversity, Disney Television Animation
- Mark Moynihan, senior key account director for Target, LEGO Systems
- Genna Rosenberg, founder and CEO, GennComm
- Rosemarie Truglio, senior vice-president of curriculum and content, Sesame Workshop
The Toy Association’s Marian Bossard, executive vice president of global market events, and Adrienne Appell, senior director of strategic communications, will act as staff liaisons for the Committee.
The group will assess current practices across the toy community and gauge progress made toward the goal of a more diverse and inclusive workforce. It will also identify value-added services for Association members and create research, guidance, and replicable best practices on the issues for members and the toy industry at large.
Members interested in joining or learning more about any of The Toy Association’s Committees may contact Bernadette Boyle, senior membership manager.