FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Toy Association Formalizes Diversity & Inclusion Committee

Toy executives to collaborate on best practices for advancing diversity in toy industry

NEW YORK, NY | May 7, 2019 – The Toy Association announced today the formalization of its Diversity & Inclusion Committee that aims to build awareness of and provide best practices for creating diversity within toy companies’ missions, workforce, products, and content development.

“Educating the toy community and advancing best practices in achieving all forms of diversity is a priority within The Toy Association’s strategic blueprint,” said Steve Pasierb, president and CEO of The Toy Association. “This group of exceptional toy and youth entertainment professionals will help the industry foster cultures where unique perspectives are welcomed and embraced.”

Key objectives for the Committee include:

• Serving as a resource to the toy industry on diversity, representation, equity, and inclusion;
• Celebrating companies with hiring/staffing practices, products, packaging, and marketing campaigns that inspire positive social change as it applies to inclusion, representation, and diversity; and
• Creating educational opportunities for Toy Association member companies to learn more about how to make their companies more diverse and inclusive.

Co-chaired by Laurel Wider, founder of Wonder Crew, and Jodi Norgaard, founder of Go! Go! Sports Girls, the Committee includes:

• Bryony Bouyer, senior vice president, diversity and inclusion & multi-cultural strategies, Hasbro, Inc.
• Kimberly Culmone, senior vice president of design, Mattel, Inc.
• Gerald A. Fernandez, president and founder, Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance
• Jay Francis, vice president of current series and diversity, Disney Television Animation
• Mark Moynihan, senior key account director for Target, LEGO Systems, Inc.
• Genna Rosenberg, founder and CEO, GennComm LLC
• Rosemarie Truglio, senior vice president of curriculum and content, Sesame Workshop

The Toy Association’s Marian Bossard, executive vice president of global market events, and Adrienne Appell, senior director of strategic communications, will act as staff liaisons for the Committee.

The group will assess current practices across the toy community and gauge progress made toward the goal of a more diverse and inclusive workforce. It will also identify value-added services for Association members and create research, guidance, and replicable best practices on the issues for members and the toy industry at large.

Members interested in joining or learning more about any of The Toy Association’s Committees may contact Bernadette Boyle, senior membership manager.

About The Toy Association  www.toyassociation.org / www.thegeniusofplay.org / www.playsafe.org

Founded in 1916, The Toy Association™, Inc. is the not-for-profit trade association representing all businesses involved in creating and delivering toys and youth entertainment products for kids of all ages. The Toy Association leads the health and growth of the U.S. toy industry, which has an annual U.S. economic impact of $110.9 billion, and its 1000+ members drive the annual $28 billion U.S. domestic toy market. The Toy Association serves as the industry’s voice on the developmental benefits of play, and promotes play’s positive impact on childhood development to consumers and media. The organization has a long history of leadership in toy safety, having helped develop the first comprehensive toy safety standard more than 40 years ago, and remains committed to working with medical experts, government, consumers, and industry on ongoing programs to ensure safe and fun play.

As a global leader, The Toy Association produces the world-renowned North American International Toy Fair and Fall Toy Preview; advocates on behalf of members around the world; sustains the Canadian The Toy Association; acts as secretariat for the International Council of Toy Industries and International Toy Industry CEO Roundtable; and chairs the committee that reviews and revises America’s widely emulated ASTM F963 toy safety standard.