2025 Toy & Game Innovation Excellence Awards
The TAGIEs®
A Global Celebration of Innovation Excellence!
Move over Oscars, Emmys, CMA, the 18th Annual TAGIE® Awards are taking center stage!
Saturday, November 8th
6:30pm Cocktails and Hors d' oeuvres (open bar)
7:30pm-8:30pm Seated Dinner
8:30pm-10:00pm Awards
Event ends 11:30pm
Black tie optional, Cocktail Attire
Joe's LIVE Concert Venue!
5441 Park Pl, Rosemont, IL 60018
Enjoy photos from last year HERE.
Watch the 2024 TAGIE Awards video HERE.
Congratulations to our 2025 TAGIE Finalists!
PRESCHOOL TOY INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
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Design Edge and Sterling Life for Redi Rampz
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KID Team's Brian Clemens and Dan Klitsner for Chuckle & Roar Pop It! Book with Buffalo Games
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Reisa Schwartzman for BobBee - The Ultimate Water Toy with Griddly Kids
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Sankyo Toys for Rail Cube Magnetic Monorail
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Indy Toy Lab's Jordan Goddard for Room Patrol Chase with Spin Master
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Goliath Team for Jelly Blox
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Red Racer Studio's Tony Morley for Konvertibles with Mindware
PRESCHOOL GAME INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
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Brian Clemens, Dan Klitsner, and Buffalo Games for Pop It Color Mix with Buffalo Games
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Jen Hickey for Patch's Pockets with Mindware
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Moose Games for Bluey Hide & Seek Game
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Product Development Team at Educational Insights for Campfire Chatmallows, Storytelling and Dressing Skills Bean Bags
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Jumbo Group for Stratego Junior
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Richard Levy and Peter Pook for Dizzy Duckies with Mindware
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Die 7 Bazis for Cloudship with Amigo Games
KIDULT TOY INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
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Toot Sweet Toys and Design Edge for Pillow People
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POP MART for Lababu
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Valentina Pereyra for Pixo - Build Your Own Game Console Kit
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Hunt Rettig for Lumadrop
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Build-A-Bear Workshop for Emo Axolotl
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Moose Toys for FANDROP Star Wars
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Fisher-Price R&D Collector Team for Little People
ADULT/FAMILY GAMES INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
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Eric Olsen for Flip 7 with The Op
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David Yakos with Fat Brain Toy Co. for Why? Because! and for Ringer with Mindware
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FUSE London for Crash Cats with ThinkFun
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Brady Peterson, Bob Kamp, Anchor Creative, Jessica Butler, Joe Barron, and Sophia Ricciardi for Rhymes With Duck with Gray Matters Games
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Nick Hayes and Mattel Games Team for Uno Show 'Em No Mercy
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Identity Games Team for The Hangover and The Traitors Board Games (JM and Team) and Blue Matter's Nick Cravotta and Rebecca Blu for Medical Mysteries NYC Emergency Card Game
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McMiLLER for Fish Fight
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Elan Lee and Design Edge for Exploding Kittens: The Board Game
TECH TOY INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
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Hasbro's Fashion Team, IDEO and Ryan Kratz for Nano-mals
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Fuse London for Pets Alive Polly The Magic Surprise Bird with Zuru
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KID Group for Monster Jam Smash & Bash Grave Digger RC with Spin Master and Chuckle & Roar ABC & Spelling Pop Keyboard with Buffalo Games
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Indy Toy Lab's Jordan Goddard for Room Patrol Chase
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SG Labs and Bang Zoom Design for FurReal Handfuls line with Just Play
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DreamWorks - How to Train Your Dragon, Tame & Train Interactive Toothless with Spin Master
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Abacus Brands for ESPN Virtual Reality
TECH GAME INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
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Abacus Brands for Pixicade! Instant Game Maker
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Bay Area Innovation Center (formerly Shoot the Moon) and IDEO for Rubik's Pulse Cube with Spin Master
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Educational Insights for Wheel of Fortune Electronic Game
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Michael Lichodziejewski and Spin Master Games Team for Rubik's Timer 3x3 Cube and Beat the Parents
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7 Pips Studio’s Scott Dean, Rich Heayes, and Amanda Birkinshaw for Brainwright Color Sudoku with Gamewright
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KID Group for No Brainer and Soccer Dash with Golden Bear
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Valentina Pereyra for Pixo – Build Your Own Game Console Kit
BREAKOUT INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
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Flip 7's Eric Olsen for Flip 7 with The Op
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Mattel’s Hot Wheels Design, Development, Marketing, and Packaging Team for Hot Wheels Speed Snap Track System
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South Beach Bubbles for World's Only Color Bubbles Hydra Water and Color Blaster
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Sabrina Gareau for Cool Maker Stack’d Heishi Studio Bracelet with Spin Master
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Kate Meyerhoeffer for KEVA Planks Architecture Modules
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Mattel Building Sets Design Team’s Martin Boudreault, Charlotte Laflamme, Pierre Dion, and Thierry Beaurgard for Mattel Brick Shop
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Jordan Goddard with Indy Toy Lab
INNOVATIVE ART AND DESIGN VISUALS OF THE YEAR
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Nate Schimelpfenig for Vertigo with Mindware
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Mattel's Jurassic World Packaging and Product Design Team
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Moose Games’ George Guy and Prospero Hall for Menagerie
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Moose Toys for Gui Gui
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Jazwares’ Design Team and KID Group
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ST8MNT Brand Agency and Hootenanny Games
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Sky Castle and JMP Creative for Sticki Rolls
INNOVATIVE PR AND MARKETING TEAM OF THE YEAR
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Sky Castle for Sticki Rolls
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Brian Greenwald and The Op Games Marketing Team
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MAGNA-TILES and Playwise Partners for World’s Tallest Magnetic Tile Tower PR Campaign
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Hasbro's Peppa Pig Marketing and PR Team for Peppa Pig's New Baby Announcement
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Ren Beanie PR & Moose Games Marketing Team for Bluey Hide & Seek Game PR Campaign
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Disney's Amanda Rubinos Luna, John “Cody” Hampton, and Tatum Yusz for The Key to Disneyland Interactive Experience
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Adam Krell and Mattel's PR and Marketing Teams for Hot Wheels & Ferrari
INNOVATIVE LICENSE OF THE YEAR
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Play-Doh x Barbie
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Tim Walsh, The Playmakers for A Daily Cloud The Game
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Disney and Sky Castle for Stitch Sticki Rolls
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Octopus Creations’ Robert Marino for Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Tiger Shark Climber RC Vehicle
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Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Besties Bakeoff
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Carlyle Nuera for Barbie You Create
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Adam Krell and Mattel's Hot Wheels Licensing Team for Hot Wheels & Formula 1
Innovative Retailer of the Year
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FAO Schwarz
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Steven Zhang for TikTok Shop
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Rick Derr for Learning Express Lake Zurich
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POP MART
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Piccolo Mondo Toys
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5 Little Monkeys
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Mattel Creations Team: Jess Kirkman, Jeremy Bernstein, Ted Silverman, Stephanie Smith, Francesca Forrester, Luke Lamson, and Kayla Bugucki
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Amazon
INNOVATIVE VENDOR & PARTNER OF THE YEAR
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Matt Nuccio and Design Edge Team for Flip Pros with Thin Air Brands
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Jake Laser and Christian Eveleigh for JLaser Video / Bounce Disc
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Eastar Board Game Company
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Longshore
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Indy Toy Lab
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Creative Fold
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SG Labs
YOUNG INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR (UNDER 18 YEARS)
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Palash Bhasin for Ultramons
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Keegan Franck for Endless
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Persy Arcement for Drizzle
~ Game Changer - Innovation~
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Judy Ellis
Judith (Judy) Ellis is a designer, educator, and visionary whose educational work continues to shape the global toy industry. In 1989, she founded the world’s first baccalaureate program in Toy Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), where she served as chair and was ranked as Distinguished Professor. Her career has focused on advancing creative, ethical, and inclusive toy design while mentoring generations of industry leaders. A 2013 Toy Industry Hall of Fame inductee, Ellis has received numerous awards for teaching and service. Her legacy continues in every toy that sparks imagination, learning, and joy for children worldwide.
~ 2025 Lifetime Achievement Honorees ~
Mike Moody
CEO, Seven Towns Ltd
With nearly four decades of experience in the toy and game industry, Mike Moody has played a defining role in shaping global hits and driving innovation across generations of play.
Mike began his career in retail management in the 1970s before moving into the toy industry in 1985, managing the Toy and Hobby departments at John Menzies—then Scotland’s largest toy store. He later transitioned into buying and merchandising across hundreds of UK stores, eventually appointed Marketing Director Tyco UK, where he led the launch of numerous hit Tyco Hits.
In 1996, Mike joined the renowned invention house Seven Towns, where he helped transform Rubik’s from a single puzzle into a global brand phenomenon. Mike negotiated and guided the success of some of Seven Towns biggest hits, including Splashy the Whale, Greedy Granny, Who’s the Dude, Boglins, Dr Squish, Lotti Karotti, and of course… Pop the Pig..
Mike continues to champion creativity, innovation, and excellence in toy invention worldwide.
Philip C. Orbanes
Phil Orbanes began inventing games at age eight. At eighteen, he started his own game company, which helped pay for his college education, then entered the mainline games industry after graduation. He became director of games at Ideal Toy and went on to great success as Senior VP of R&D at Parker Brothers, where he also became the firm’s Monopoly expert. He founded his own R&D company after Parker, then became a founding partner and president of Winning Moves Games, which continues to flourish 30 years later. Phil is also the author of six books on games, most recently Monopoly X, which reveals the secret uses of the game in subterfuge and espionage during World War II. He and his wife Anna live in Massachusetts.
~ Our Evening Host ~
Karri Bean
Senior Licensing Manager, Disney Parks Experiences & Products
Introducing our esteemed host for the Toy and Game Innovation Excellence Awards, Karri Bean! With 17 years of dedicated experience in the toy industry, Karri began her journey at Hasbro, where she excelled in global marketing and licensed games. She then spent four transformative years at Spin Master Games, contributing to the growth of their global games group. Currently, Karri serves as a Senior Manager at Disney Consumer Products, where she oversees the very successful global LEGO business.
In addition to her corporate achievements, Karri is the chair of the People of Play advisory board and an active member of the executive committee, showcasing her commitment to fostering innovation in the industry. For the past seven years, she has also been the captivating host of the Toy and Game Innovation Excellence Awards, celebrating creativity and excellence in the world of toys and games. Full POP Profile HERE
~ Welcome ~
JoAnn McLaughlin
EVP Merchandising - Hard lines at Marvel Entertainment
JoAnn is responsible for delivering product innovation and development for Disney and Marvel-branded Toys and other products, and leading a team of pioneering designers and creatives.
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.
~ Keynote ~
Jeremy Padawer
Entrepreneur, Founder, Animated Television Producer and currently serves as Chief Brand Officer of Jazwares.
In 2019, Padawer sold his toy company Wicked Cool Toys to Alleghany Capital & Jazwares. In October 2022, Alleghany Capital & Jazwares was sold to Berkshire Hathaway. Jazwares is one of the world’s largest toy and collectible companies - the global master toymaker for Pokémon, Fortnite, Roblox, Hello Kitty, AEW, HALO, Cocomelon, Cabbage Patch Kids, the master costume maker for Marvel and Star Wars, and the owners of the remarkable Squishmallows franchise. Prior to Wicked Cool Toys, Padawer was the EVP of Jakks Pacific, COO of Jakks Pacific / Dentsu JV Pacific Animation Partners, Brand Manager Mattel, and founder JMP, an early internet startup focused on hit aggregation.
~ Our Presenters ~
Robert LaFlamme
Director, Merchandising for Hardlines - The Walt Disney Company, Parks Retail & Development
Brand oriented executive leader with experience in all phases of retail product commercialization and story-centric entertainment retail. Experience leading global businesses that deliver first-of-its-kind customer experiences through core and new products, merchandising excellence, and by specializing in identifying gaps in existing markets. Expert in monitoring the global competitive landscape, consumer demographics, and leverage trends to formulate scalable strategies.
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.
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.
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.
Dougal Grimes
Founder | EightyTwo
Product Designer, certified Potato Inspector, and founder of EightyTwo LLC, a creative games development studio and consultancy.
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.
Elizabeth is the Chief Operating Officer at Seven Towns Ltd.
With over a decade of experience working within the toy industry. Elizabeth leads a talented team who bring innovative toys and games to life, such as Dr. Squish - Squishy Maker, Pop the Pig, and Hydro Pods. With a background in business and child development, Elizabeth is passionate about the joy and experiences toys offer children. She loves blending the commercial and creative sides of the business, guiding her team to develop new products that spark fun and imagination.
President of Winning Moves, USA
With over 30 years experience in the toy & game industry, I have spent the majority of my career with Winning Moves Games USA. We make and market board games for the USA and Canada that range from time-honored licensed classics from the Hasbro portfolio (like Monopoly 1980’s Edition) and classic in-house brands (like Pass the Pigs and No Stress Chess). Our company motto is “Classic, Retro, Cool & Fun” - and that really does sum up what we’re all about! Our approach to business is very simple - we strive to make the best quality games we can, for a fair price, and to treat everyone we interact with fairly.
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.
Grant Lyon
Grant Lyon is a comedian from things like Comedy Central, SyFy, Comics Unleashed, Just For Laughs, and more. During the pandemic, he started making videos about the board games he loves, and now he has over 300,000 followers across his Grant’s Game Recs platforms. He also has an hour stand up comedy show all about board games that he takes to conventions across the world. In addition, Grant writes funny content for a lot of games sitting on the shelves of stores like Target and Walmart. His debut game Curmudgeon was published by 25th Century Games.
Amy Friedland
Executive Vice President at Carve Communications Public Relations
All things toys and consumer products. Love it when a plan comes together!
Randy Kimpert
Vice President Design Games, Puzzles, Plush & Outdoor, Spin Master
Randy is a game designer who started his design career working with Marvin Glass in the early 1980s. He later worked for game designer Eddy Goldfarb in California from 1984 until 1989 before returning to Chicago to help start up the then newly formed Meyer/Glass Design.
Randy was at Hasbro for over a decade working on product design for Cranium, Trivial Pursuit, among others.He not only plays the ukulele, he has a ukulele collection that would fill a moving truck.
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.
Tiggy Sliwinski
2017 Young Inventor Challenge Winner
Industrial Design Student - DAAP 2029, Cincinnati
Tim Walsh
Co-Founder, Roo Games; Filmmaker, Author, Designer, Creative Consultant, The Playmakers
Fearless Leader at The Playmakers and co-founder of Roo Games, a company specializing in games for the entire family. Tim designed or co-designed TriBond, Blurt, Mad Gab, You’ve Been Framed, Bull’s Eye, Cheese Stack, N'Sync Backstage Pass, TMNT Foot Clan Street Fight, and many others. These games have collectively sold over 7 million copies.
He was Creative Consultant and co-editor on Toyland, a documentary on toy and game inventors from director, Ken Sons. The film won Best Documentary awards at three US film festivals. In 2016, Tim co-produced and co-directed OPERATION: Operation The Power of Play with Peggy Brown. The film won the top prize for Best Film at the 2017 Naperville Independent Film Festival as well as Best Documentary.
As a speaker and lecturer, Tim aims to prove that PLAY is a means through which we can super-charge creativity and connect with others. He has spoken on this topic and others to teams as diverse as the USC’s Physical Sciences in Oncology Center, the State Bar of Arizona, Otis College of Art & Design and other creative organizations. Full POP Profile HERE
~ 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)
Chair: Karri Bean - Senior Manager, Licensing at Disney Consumer Products, Experiences and Consumer Products
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
Brent Rolland - Event Producer/DJ at Fig Media, Musician, Host/Producer: FANPOWER Game Shows
Kaye White - President of Visual Playthings
Sari Wiaz - President of Baby Paper
Mary Couzin - SVP, Toy Association, Founder and Lead of People of Play