WiT Tales: Honoring Excellence – The Toy E book

by JULIE GWALTNEY, Vice President of Toys, TOMY Worldwide

Awards season within the toy trade is a time to have fun excellence in product, design, invention, advertising and marketing, and gross sales. It additionally presents a chance to provide again to our communities and encourage the following technology of leaders. One factor I really like about my work with Ladies in Toys, Licensing & Leisure (WiT) is the chance to have fun excellence in girls past awards season and all year long.

An necessary approach that WiT champions success is thru the Ruth Handler Mentorship Program. Working with a mentor can have a huge effect on girls and help them in attaining their highest skilled objectives. It helps mentees construct talent units, improve management skills, and supplies a chance to applaud successes with trusted sponsors. From expertise, I can say that mentors can study loads from their mentees as nicely! It’s a progress alternative for everybody.

As a Co-Chair of WiT’s Chicago Chapter, I really like toasting achievements with my native WiT members. By way of our native occasions, we carry girls and our neighborhood collectively to community, uncover new alternatives, construct lasting relationships, and raise one another up all year long.

WONDER WOMEN EVERYWHERE

One in every of my favourite methods WiT celebrates excellence amongst girls is thru the Surprise Ladies Awards. Throughout the LA Fall Toy Previews, we gathered in Hollywood on the historic Beverly Hilton to honor our trade’s wonderful entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and changemakers. This gala celebrated excellence whereas fostering connections and alternatives that final nicely past the one night. It was additionally an evening to mirror and encourage.

There have been so many unforgettable moments throughout the occasion, together with reconnecting with mentees from our mentorship program, connecting with colleagues in individual that I hadn’t seen in a while, and celebrating achievements by way of the awards themselves. It was nice watching groups collect to assist and cheer on their members whereas studying new issues about colleagues and fellow producers. After all, a spotlight of the gala was celebrating and honoring Kitty Black Perkins, the designer of the primary Black Barbie at Mattel.

However there was one further second of the night that basically stood out: the second we introduced the WiT Scholarship winners and so they took the stage. This various group of robust and clever younger girls represents the way forward for our trade and will be the supply of nominees and winners to be honored at future Surprise Ladies Awards.

Sure, we have been celebrating their excellence in tutorial and philanthropic accomplishments up to now, however greater than that, we have been all imagining what they will — and can — accomplish sooner or later! As a WiT Board Member and a reviewer of the scholarship candidates, I’m proud to be a part of a company that celebrates its present members and helps the following technology.

So, as we proceed to take part in awards season celebrations honoring excellence in our trade, take a second to mirror not solely on the achievements but additionally on the delight we must always all really feel being part of an trade that not solely celebrates excellence but additionally offers again to our communities in a approach that units the stage for a brilliant future.

A model of this characteristic was initially revealed in The Toy E book’s 2025 Toy of the 12 months (TOTY) Awards Difficulty. Click on right here to learn the complete subject! Need to obtain The Toy E book in print? Click on right here for subscription choices!