2026 Toy & Game Innovation Excellence Awards
The TAGIEs®
A Global Celebration of Innovation Excellence and the 50th Anniversary of Star Wars!
Friday, November 6th, 2026
Joe's LIVE Concert Venue! Rosemont, IL
This year’s TAGIEs will also kick off the 50th anniversary of Star Wars with the theme “The Force of Play,” celebrating five decades since the original Star Wars debuted on May 25, 1977. Adding to the celebration, Ashley Eckstein — actress, entrepreneur and founder of Her Universe, best known for originating the voice of Ahsoka Tano — will host the evening.
To mark the occasion, every guest will take home a specially created commemorative coin, the Star Wars 50th anniversary on one side and the TAGIE Awards on the other, a keepsake from a truly memorable evening!
~ Evening Program ~
6:00pm Cocktails & Hors d' oeuvres (open bar)
7:00pm-8:00pm Seated Dinner
8:00pm-9:30pm Awards
Event ends 12:00am
Black tie optional, Cocktail Attire
Joe's LIVE Concert Venue!, 5441 Park Pl, Rosemont, IL 60018
Enjoy photos from last year HERE.
~ Welcome ~
JoAnn McLaughlin
Senior Vice President of Licensed Product Design & Development at Disney Consumer Products
JoAnn McLaughlin leads Hardlines product design and development for Disney Consumer Products, guiding a team of pioneering designers and creatives who bring these iconic worlds to life.
Prior to joining Disney Consumer Products, JoAnn held various executive-level positions at Marvel Entertainment, most recently Executive Vice President of Merchandising and Promotional Partner Services. Her career highlights also include key roles at Toy Biz, Matchbox Toys and Child Guidance, a division of CBS Toys.
Brad Schoeneberg
Vice President of Vertical Product Design and Development at Disney Parks Retail and Development
Brad helps bring beloved Disney franchises and stories to life through innovative products and immersive merchandise experiences. During his Disney career, Brad has played a key role in developing merchandise tied to some of the company's most celebrated franchises and experiences, including Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser and Avengers Campus. His work has spanned product strategy, design and development, bringing together storytelling, creativity and consumer products to deepen the connection between fans and the characters and worlds they love.
~ Our Evening Host - Ashley Eckstein ~
Ashley Eckstein is best known for voicing & originating the character of Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars. Ashley is the founder of the groundbreaking fashion and lifestyle brand Her Universe where she revolutionized the market for female sci-fi and fantasy fans.
Eckstein continues her design work with artist collaborations for Disney Parks worldwide. Ashley is currently creating and starring in a new franchise for Disney as the Co-Creator and Executive Producer for Disney's first original audio drama. She’s married to former MLB star, David Eckstein, and just released a romance novel inspired by their true love story titled Lucky 22.
~Lifetime Achievement Honoree~
Pleasant Rowland, Founder of American Girl
Pleasant Rowland is an educator, entrepreneur, philanthropist and the visionary founder of American Girl. In 1986, she created the company with a groundbreaking idea: to bring history to life for girls through compelling characters, beautifully crafted dolls and richly researched books. Her innovative approach blended storytelling, education and imaginative play, creating an entirely new experience that became part of childhood for generations of girls.
Before founding American Girl, Rowland was an educator, writer and publisher, experiences that helped shape her belief in the power of stories to inspire children. She later extended the American Girl experience beyond products, opening the first American Girl Place in Chicago in 1998 and pioneering an immersive approach to experiential retail.
Beyond her entrepreneurial achievements, Rowland has made significant contributions to education, literacy, historic preservation and her community through philanthropy. Her extraordinary influence on play, storytelling and children’s learning was recognized with her 2021 induction into The Toy Association’s Toy Industry Hall of Fame.
~ Game Changer Honorees ~
Elan Lee and Matthew Inman
Elan Lee is the Co-Founder of Exploding Kittens, the tabletop games company that has sold over 80 million games in 30 languages across 50 countries since 2015. Under his leadership, he has designed more than 100 titles and holds the record for the most backers on a Kickstarter campaign.
Before Exploding Kittens, Lee served as Chief Design Officer at Xbox Entertainment Studios and co-founded 42 Entertainment, pioneering Alternate Reality Games like I Love Bees, Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero, and The Dark Knight. He began his career as a Lead Designer on the original Xbox at Microsoft.
A 30-year games industry veteran, Lee invented the ARG genre and writes for the reality show Survivor. His accolades include a Primetime Emmy,, a Peabody Award, the Game Innovator of the Year award, and an IndieCade Trailblazer Award.
Photo Coming!
Matthew Inman
Co-Creator, Exploding Kittens; Creator, The Oatmeal
Matthew Inman is an award-winning cartoonist, author, entrepreneur and co-creator of Exploding Kittens, the wildly successful card game that became Kickstarter's most-backed campaign. He is also the creator of The Oatmeal, the enormously popular webcomic known for its distinctive illustrations, irreverent humor and creative storytelling. An Eisner Award winner and #1 New York Times bestselling author of How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You, Matthew has entertained millions worldwide. His creativity has expanded from comics and books into tabletop games and animation, including the Exploding Kittens Netflix series, demonstrating the extraordinary power of imagination and play.
~ Congratulations to our 2026 TAGIE Finalists! ~
TOY INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR - AGES 0 – 13
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Hapiko's Product Team for Stickerbox
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ZipString for ZipString Aracna
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Robert Schwartzman, Peter Williams, & Mike Lynders for Team Barbie Roll and Reveal
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Fat Brain Toy Co. Product Development Team (Adam Carson, Kevin Mathis, Kyle Gutzmann, Jess Norman, Yuli Xu, Tijil Arora) for Air Toobz Evo
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Alex Wilde, Cody Hampton, & Jessica Kaups for Disney: Batuu Adventure Buddies, Ewok
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Matt Nuccio & Steven Rausch for Turbomax Lot-a-Loops: 30 Looper
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Brandon Sopinsky, the Moose Toys CrunchLabs by Mark Rober Team, & the CrunchLabs Team for The Crunchinator
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Zack Bailey & the ZB Designs Team for Wigglitz
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Tree Town Toys: Brent Oeschger, Laura Morrison, & Michelle Delacourt. Nextoy: Robert Fuhrer & Rufus Seder (inventor) for SpinAnimator Studio™
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South Beach Bubbles for Bubble Goalz
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Crazy Aaron's Team for Crazy Aaron's Better Butter Thinking Putty® by Goliath
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JMP Creative Team & Sky Castle Toys for Sticki Rolls Stickimates
TOY INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR - AGES 13+
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Inna Yankelovich from IDEO for Blooms by Play Doh
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Crazy Aaron's Design Team with David Yakos and Tim Walsh for Pinchies
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Mattel Building Sets Design Team for Mattel Brick Shop
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Mitch Silver for Pizza Flow
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Alex Nelson for National Geographic 4-Cylinder Engine Building Kit Working Model
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Goliath's Clickeez Team for Clickeez Series 3: Bubble Pops
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The Play Initiative & Design Edge (Matt Nuccio) for U Build It!
GAME INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR - AGES 0 – 13
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Joe Barron, Sophia Ricciardi, David Yakos, Brady Peterson, Danielle Standring, & Grant Lyon for Cross the Line
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Brady Lang, the Moose Games Team, and CrunchLabs for CrunchLabs Squirrel Dash Game
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Peggy Brown for Down the Waterspout
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Jordan Goddard & Vango for Gummy Grab
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Raul Rios, Dominic Yard & Design Edge (Matt Nuccio) for Drop n Roll
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Seven Towns Ltd. for Pooch On The Loose
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David Yakos of Streamline Design for Queen Swarm from Mindware
GAME INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR - AGES 13+
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The Spin Master Games Team with Inventors Don Ullman & Bob Driscoll for Murder Phone, Rubik's Rush and Jumanji Ultimate Level Electronic Board Game
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Catapult Concepts LLC for Swing Shot Tower
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Thijmen de Schipper (Team Lead) for Hitster Music Bingo
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Product Development and Design Team at Educational Insights for Kanoodle Party
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Jordan Goddard for Trash to Table (Hasbro), How Long Is (Relatable), Gummy Grab (Vango), & Smack & Cheese (Vango)
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Richard MacRae & Corey Myckan for Centrix, The 3D Tiered Pyramid Board Game with Rotatable Levels
LICENSED PRODUCT INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
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Sky Castle Product Development Team for Sticki Rolls Minecraft
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Agnes Lee for ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Collectible Trading Cards
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Stephen Zelin & Paramount Team for Magic the Gathering x Paramount IP
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Chris Gollaher, Director of Product Design, Disney Consumer Products for LEGO Star Wars™ SMART Play Building Sets
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Jan-Maurits Duparc for The Floor Board Game
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Blue Marble Product Development Team for Barbie™ Chemistry Activity Lab
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Fraser Paterson, the Moose Toys Bluey Design Team, BBC Studios, & Ludo Studio for Bluey’s Light & Surprise Heeler Home
YOUNG INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
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Garrett Weaver for Baseball Card GM
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Bryce Mikolajczak for Cell Quest
MOST INNOVATIVE DESIGNER OF THE YEAR - ART & VISUALS
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Play Doh Brand Creative Team (Nikki Luther & Vanessa Milo) for Blooms by Play Doh
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Paulo Kang for Disney Animal Kingdom Tree of Life Playset
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Matthew Inman and the Exploding Kittens Team for Dead Therapist
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Spin Master: Wheels & Action Brand Design Team for Hatching Yoshi, Tech Deck: Free Riders, Monster Jam: Chomping Megalodon, HEX: Explodeapede, & How to Train Your Dragon: Trial of Flames line
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Zack Bailey & the ZB Designs Design Team for Wigglitz
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Mattel Action Figures Team (Tyler Russell, Brian Ostroff, Stacey Lloyd, Chloe Mun, Elizabeth Sweeney, Jam Jiang, Stephen Lo, Ray Chen, Joseph Zacate) for Jurassic World Hammond Collection 25th Anniversary Comic-Style Velociraptor
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Amanda Jenson for Seeker of Spells
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Amanda Norman for Mahjong Playing Cards Artwork
MOST INNOVATIVE PR & MARKETING TEAM OF THE YEAR
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UNO Marketing Team for Mattel: UNO Social Clubs
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The Op Games for The Op Games Marketing Team
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Sara Rosales & Michelle Wong for Squishmallows on Campus: Squish My School Campaign at Vanderbilt University
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Gamegenic Marketing Team for Magic: The Gathering x Marvel Super Heroes Accessories Marketing Campaign
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Amanda Rubinos Luna & Ali Way for Disney Lorcana: Curator's Collection, Heroines Edition — A Disney Park & Disney Store Exclusive
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Hasbro Brand Publicity Team for Blooms by Play Doh Launch
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Stephanie Haggerty, Mallory Van Laeken, Logan Stone, Claudia Vine, Marcus Taylor, Justin Escalante, Victoria Hagan, Jack Warnecke, & NVE Experience Agency for Gui Gui PR & Marketing Team - Gui Gui Glow Up Tour at VidCon
SALES INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
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Tyler Williams & the ZB Designs Sales Team for Wigglitz
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Amy Sullivan, VP Retail Licensing and Entertainment at Authentic Brands Group, for Care Bears Collaborations with Universal, Warner Brothers, Zuru, MGA Entertainment, and Just Play (Happy Haul)
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Eric Brendel, SVP, Sales and Custom Game Development, The Op Games
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Claudia Bettson-Burdett & the Lucky Egg Sales Team
MOST INNOVATIVE PARTNER OF THE YEAR
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Jordan Goddard for Flat Earth (Exploding Kittens), Cat Condo Cornhole (Exploding Kittens), Sam and Colby Spirit Box, Just a Theory (Walmart only), & Veritasium The Game
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Salient Technologies Inc.
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Creativity, Inc. for Product Development
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Bang Zoom Design for Pikimo, Bitzee Interactive Aquarium, & PAW Patrol Megasaurus Dino Vehicle
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Creative Fold for Product Development
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Steve Rad & Abacus Brands Team
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Amanda F. Turner for Toy-mation Stop-motion Shorts
Founded in 2008, the TAGIEs celebrate the outstanding achievements of toy and game industry leaders from around the world. The awards ceremony takes place annually in the fall in conjunction with People of Play’s annual POP Week (November 5 to 8 in Rosemont, IL), including the Global Inventor Pitch & Innovation Conference, Young Inventor Challenge, and Chicago Toy & Game Fair.
~ Our Presenters ~
Robert LaFlamme
Director, Merchandising for Hardlines - The Walt Disney Company, Parks Retail & Development
A brand-oriented executive leader who has spent his career turning beloved stories into toys people fall in love with. Across every phase of product development and licensing, he's built global toy businesses around story-centric brands, delivering first-of-its-kind play experiences through both core lines and bold new innovations. He has a sharp eye for merchandising excellence and a knack for spotting the white space competitors miss. By staying closely tuned to the global toy landscape, shifting consumer and kidult demographics, and emerging trends, he consistently turns insight into scalable strategies that grow brands and delight fans.
Bob Moog
Co-Founder and President of University Games
Bob founded with Cris Lehman in 1985. Over four decades, Bob has helped grow University Games into an international game and puzzle company known for combining learning, social interaction and fun. A game inventor himself, Bob has long championed inventors and creativity throughout the toy and game industry. University Games' portfolio includes University Games, Briarpatch, The Learning Journey International, Forbidden Games, Front Porch Classics, Great Explorations and BePuzzled. Bob is a graduate of Stanford Graduate School of Business and a longtime supporter of the global toy and game inventor community.
Everette Taylor
CEO, Kickstarter
Everette has a track record of building successful businesses as a founder, as well as experience overseeing product and marketing as a chief marketing officer. Everette is passionate about art, supporting creators, and making creativity accessible to all; and brings strong leadership and experience building a diverse, mission-driven, and highly effective team.
Everette most recently served as Chief Marketing Officer for Artsy, the world’s leading marketplace for buying and selling fine art. During his time at Artsy, he was recognized on The Forbes Entrepreneurial CMO List, an annual list which highlights chief marketing officers whose entrepreneurial spirit and actions are transforming their brands and culture itself, and was named by Forbes as one of the World's Most Influential CMOs.
Tara McGrath
Mattel's Creative Director for Inventor Relations/Innovation Hub.
For over 20 years with Mattel, she has worked on various product lines such as Barbie, Polly Pocket, Disney Princess, Uno Games, and Disney Cars. Before Mattel and directly after
graduating from the FIT Toy Program, Tara worked at Pace Development Group in NYC. At Pace, she focused on toy inventing, dolls, games, and preschool toys, ultimately placed products at companies such as Mattel, Parker Brothers, and Tyco.
Andrew Plastow
Vice President – Head of Global OEM, Ingredient Marketing and Licensing at Duracell
Andrew leads global partnerships that extend Duracell’s innovation, technology and brand into new products and categories. An experienced international consumer-products executive, Andrew has held leadership roles across Europe and Africa and previously served as Vice President of Duracell Northern & Central Europe. Today, he works closely with OEM customers, licensing partners and Duracell’s global teams to create new opportunities for innovation and growth. Andrew is passionate about collaboration, consumer-led innovation and the power of strong partnerships to bring meaningful new products and experiences to market
John "Cody" Hampton
Senior manager of hardlines merchandising for Disney Consumer Products, Games and Publishing, overseeing the toy category for the Disney-owned and operated business.
Known for blending strategic merchandising with playful innovation, Cody drives product initiatives that align global toy offerings with the Disney brand’s storytelling and audience engagement goals. His leadership underscores the company’s dedication to delivering imaginative experiences and high-quality playables that resonate with fans of all ages.
Amanda Rubinos Luna
Sr. Manager of Merchandising for The Walt Disney Company
Amanda brings more than 15 years of retail and product development experience to creating innovative toys and experiences for Disney Parks and Disney Store. Her work has included bringing beloved Disney, Star Wars and Avatar stories to life through imaginative products and immersive guest experiences. Amanda helped lead the award-winning Key to Disneyland interactive experience and has been recognized as a 2026 Women in Toys Wonder Women Awards finalist. She is also a 2026 TAGIE finalist with Ali Way for the Disney Lorcana: Curator's Collection, Heroines Edition.
Christopher Byrne
The Toy Guy
Chris is a 35-year-plus veteran of the toy industry. He has held major marketing and creative positions for toy companies. Since 1988, he has run Byrne Communications, Inc., a consultancy for product development, strategic planning, licensing, and marketing. He has written seven books on the industry and speaks extensively on the role of child development in play and toy design and consults to the investment community in the U.S. and internationally about the business of toys. He appears regularly on Live with Kelly and Ryan and is the creator and co-host of The Playground Podcast, now in its fifth season.
Rachel Griffin
Co-Founder at PlayWise Partners, QVC Host
An Advisory Board member for POP, two-time Women In Toys: Wonder Woman of the Year Finalist, and PRSA member, Rachel is a dynamic and best practice driven public relations leader with over 19 years of award-winning excellence. She has successfully launched numerous toy brands and franchises for top ten toy companies, including multiple Toy of the Year nominees and winners. She excels at implementing and negotiating strategic marketing & promotions, while deepening brand awareness year over year through comprehensive media coverage, events, digital and social media. And, she's a good poker player if you are looking for a game!
Donna Moore
Associate Producer, Toys of Our Lives
With more than 25 years of experience in the toy and family entertainment industry, Donna Moore has built a career connecting brands, talent, and audiences through storytelling and strategic partnerships. She is currently the Associate Producer for The Toys of Our Lives, where she helps bring the history and impact of iconic playthings to life on screen. Formerly a senior executive at TTPM (aNb Media) and FamFluence Talent Management, Donna has collaborated with nearly every major toy company, leading marketing and influencer initiatives to help businesses achieve their goals. When she’s not traveling and producing, you can find her producing wine on her vineyard in Connecticut.
Dan Klitsner
Co-Founder KID Design
Dan is an award-winning toy inventor, industrial designer and co-founder of KID Group, best known as the inventor of the iconic Bop It! Over his career, Dan has invented or co-created five #1 games, including Bop It!, Simon Swipe, Simon Air, Perplexus and Pop It Pro. His work has earned four Toy of the Year Awards and two Gold IDEA Awards. A longtime champion of the inventor community, Dan is known for combining ingenious interaction, industrial design and fun to create memorable play experiences. He and his wife, Alicia, also founded Bop It For Good, using play to support worthy causes.
Azhelle Wade
The Toy Coach
Azhelle went from doll design intern to VP of Brand & Product before founding The Toy Coach in 2020. At Toys"R"Us she ran a $20 million crafts line and led product design for all its private label girls brands. She holds three patents, an FIT toy design degree, an ASTRA board seat, and three Mojo 100 honors. As The Toy Coach she's consulted for National Geographic, NBC, Hasbro, and Rigamajig, and coached 250+ creators whose products have licensed to Mattel and landed in Target, Walmart, and Kohl's. In 2026 she founded Forge & Wade, the software company behind Toy Matchmaker.
Naomi Brugnatelli
Inventor Relations Senior Manager for Hasbro Games
I have the privilege of being the Inventor Relations Manager at Hasbro. I’m constantly on the hunt for new innovative game ideas. I like to think that first and foremost, I am an inventor advocate.
CEO of Abacus Brands
With over 18 years of diverse professional experience, I am the CEO of Abacus Brands, an educational book and toy company revolutionizing children's learning through immersive experiences, meaningful content and authentic materials! At Abacus Brands we harness the power of AR and VR to combine tangible play, with unforgettable immersive experiences. I'm also the founder of backdrop.com, providing portable backdrop solutions that elevate private events, trade shows, fairs and expos into branding opportunities.
James Zahn
AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report.
As a toy industry and pop culture expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC), Wizard World Chicago, and ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for outlets such as Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, History Channel, and more.
Amy Friedland
Executive Vice President at Carve Communications Public Relations
All things toys and consumer products. Love it when a plan comes together!
Photo Coming!
Jodi Goldberg
American Girl
Jodi has been part of American Girl for more than 35 years, joining the company in 1990 during founder Pleasant Rowland’s leadership. As Senior Director of Content Development, Jodi has helped shape American Girl’s storytelling across books, magazines, characters and other content. She worked on American Girl Magazine throughout its entire 26-year run, ultimately serving as its editorial leader. Most recently, Jodi edited The Making of American Girl, the 2026 book celebrating the brand’s 40th anniversary and offering a behind-the-scenes look at its creation through archival photographs, sketches, letters, product designs and more.
Ahren Hoffman
Executive Director, Young Inventor Challenge
Ahren is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist and a Certified Play Expert. She began her career in the toy industry in 2007. In her past role as director of education & training at the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association, Hoffman provided a full range of in-person and online educational programming that included webinars, podcasts, workshops, certifications and more. Hoffman also shared thought leadership on the developmental potential and possibility of toys and play for people of all ages and abilities through articles in a variety of industry publications and parent magazines.
~ Evening Entertainment ~
Music provided by Skip Towne and the Greyhounds, Chicago's #1 Blues Band and our band at the TAGIEs for over 10 years!
Chicago’s Skip Towne and the Greyhounds personify hard-driving, heartfelt, classic blues, jazz, swing, ballads, and downright good time Rockin’ Blues that you can’t refuse! The band has been regularly performing in various configurations acoustically as a 3 PIECE up to an electric 10 PIECE BAND all around the Midwest and frequently in Chicago area clubs such as The House of Blues, The Hard Rock, The Park West, Buddy Guy’s Legends, Famous Dave’s, Beale Street Blues Cafe, Frankie’s Blue Room, Penny Road Pub, The Brat Stop, Cubby Bear North, Port of Blarney, Blarney’s Island, Pete Miller’s, Las Palmas and The Firkin.
Thank You to our TAGIE® Awards Event Committee
(not the same as the Nomination Committee)
Karri Bean - Senior Manager, Licensing at Disney Consumer Products, Experiences and Consumer Products
Brent Rolland - Event Producer/DJ at Fig Media, Musician, Host/Producer: FANPOWER Game Shows
Peggy Brown - Inventor, Playwright, Designer, Author, Filmmaker, Funmaker
Danielle Reinhardt - Social Media and Marketing Manager, Vertigo
Robert Fuhrer - Owner at Nextoy LLC and KenKen Puzzle
Kaye White - President of Visual Playthings
Sari Wiaz - President of Baby Paper
Mary Couzin - SVP, Toy Association, Founder and Lead of People of Play