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Wonder Women

GDA Staff -- Gifts and Dec, 5/21/2011 4:35:24 AM

Reyne Rice Presenting the 2011 Wonder Women in Toys, Licensing and Entertainment.

CONSULTANT
Reyne Rice
Toy Industry Association
Reyne Rice, a 30-year industry veteran, is the TIA's trend specialist who works closely with all facets of the industry to track and identify product and trend directions. "She continually strives to better the industry as a whole..." writes her nominator. "By connecting the ideas, people and product across multiple industries with new trends, technologies and partners, she helps create and nurture new alliances and build businesses."

INVENTOR/DESIGNER
Lisa Gelfond
9 dots
With nearly 25 years of industry experience as a product designer, toy inventor and marketer for a number of major industry players, Lisa Gelfond now heads up her own product development and innovation consulting firm, 9 dots. For Gelfond, the award has opened doors: "I [have] reconnected with folks I haven't seen since the beginning of my career. [And] as I reached out to various managers at toy companies, sharing my good news about the WIT award, I was cheered on and [viewed] perhaps more of a standout resource for the toy companies. I feel very proud; it has been the icing on my toy career cake."

MANUFACTURER
Shirley Price
Funrise Toy Corporation Lisa Harnisch
Shirley Price has been with Funrise since the year it was founded in 1987 and has risen to the position of executive vice president and COO, with responsibilities for strategic planning and business development. She also spearheads Funrise's "Toy Run for Kids," an annual toy drive benefiting the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. "To be in the company of the great women who have won Women in Toys Awards is an honor in itself. I am very proud of the work that I have done for the industry and to be recognized for it by my peers is incredibly rewarding," she remarked.

RETAILER
Lisa Harnisch
Toys "R" Us
Shirley Price Lisa Harnisch, vice president and GMM for Toys "R" Us and Babies "R" Us, works closely with manufacturers directing buying decisions and influencing product development, and also collaborates with marketing. Lisa remarks, "I am [always] impressed by the dedication to the toy industry that I see in the women that I meet. I am grateful to work for a company that respects women and elevates them to key roles. Several women I know and respect in this industry have been selected as ‘Wonder Women of Toys'; it is truly an honor to join their ranks."

SOCIAL MEDIA/DIGITAL MARKETER
Kim Vandenbroucke
The Game Aisle
As head of her own company Brainy Chick, Kim Vandenbroucke is a game inventor, developer and consultant, but wearing her other hat, she also is a respected writer and game reviewer on her website The Game Aisle. Kim notes, "Just being nominated for the award meant that the toy and game community appreciated what I was talking about online. The inventor community has some great stories ... [which] I believe humanize the products - and the industry - and encourage young creatives to continue thinking outside the box. So winning the WIT Wonder Woman of Toys Award feels like I've been given a large, collective thumbs up."

WOMAN TO WATCH
Anne-Marie Feliciano
Jakks Pacific Inc.
As senior director of corporate communications, Anne-Marie Feliciano is responsible for overseeing all public relations opportunities for Jakks Pacific and its diverse brands and worldwide divisions. She also helped formalize Jakks Cares, the company's philanthropic division, and is very hands-on in overseeing all aspects of Jakks' Corporate Social Responsibility Programs. "She has personally directed an [immense] amount of energy to help children in need, including volunteering her time to organizations to do PR, distribute toys and work one-on-one with kids," writes her nominator.

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