Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WIT) announced its 2019 Wonder Women winners at the 15th Annual Wonder Women Awards.
The Awards coincided with the New York International Toy Fair, honoring women in the industry. WIT presented 14 awards to women making an impact in toys, licensing and entertainment, including honorees Pam Kaufman, president of Viacom Nickelodeon Global Consumer Products, and Gaye Dean of Target.
The evening included the president of Lucasfilm and filmmaker, Kathleen Kennedy, presenting the Mentor of the Year Award to Kaufman, and a performance by Grammy award-winning artist Yolanda Adams. Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner presented Dean, the long-time Target veteran, with the Retailer of the Year Award.
WIT also presented four-year old Youtube influencers, Mila and Emma, with the 2019 Wonder Girls Award, and presented scholarships to nine students from universities around the country to a sold-out room of more than 800 women and men who run the toy industry and support the organization’s mission to advance women business leaders.
The 2019 Wonder Women honorees and winners follow:
Mentor of the Year: Pam Kaufman, Viacom Nickelodeon
Retailer of the Year: Gaye Dean, Target
Wonder Girls: Mila and Emma
Creator / Inventor: Amy Pruzansky, Spin Master
Licensing: Gabriela Arenas, Sesame Workshop
Manufacturing: Nancy Sanchez, LEGO
Marketing: Juli Lennett, NPD Group
Rising Star / Corporate: Chrissy Helmich, Wicked Cool Toys Kate Nichols – Spin Master
Rising Star / Independent: Marissa Louie, Animoodles; Natalie Rebot, Moonlite World
Sales: Marian Bossard, The Toy Association
Social Responsibility: Amy Knight, Hasbro
The 2019 Wonder Women Scholarship Recipients:
- LIU – Zeynep Ecem Atabay
- OTIS – Jessica Archibeque
- University of Arkansas – Jessie Daspit
- OCAD – Julia Babici
- Stanford – Sarah Cook
- FIT – Yang Liang
- GenHeration / Wharton – Jelece Morris
- GenHeration – Jelece Morris
- Wharton – Lea Chen
Hasbro, Nickelodeon, Disney, Spin Master, Mattel, LEGO, PlayMonster, Jazwares, The Bandai Foundation, and other WIT sponsors 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.