FIT Toy Design Department Establishes Inaugural Alumni Advisory Board

fit-toy-design-departmentOctober 17, 2022 | The Toy Design Department at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City has created an alumni advisory board to guide the next generation of toy designers and support the toy community. A select group of eight graduates, many representing Toy Association member companies, from the program’s past 35 years are participating in the program.

The group will collaborate on a regular basis to uphold the tenets of the toy design program within the toy community, work on new initiatives in cooperation with the toy department at FIT, support the college and the industry, and bolster candidate recruitment.

"FIT Toy Design alumni have become an integral part of the industry, so I'm thrilled to have this group represent the integrity and ingenuity of our students and their peers,” said Judy Ellis, Toy Design Department chairperson at FIT.

The inaugural class of the Toy Design Alumni Advisory Committee includes:

  • Mike Bisogno, Spin Master, licensing lead for games, GUND, and seasonal/outdoor
  • Ramon Campos, NBC Universal, design manager of product design for multi-category and LATAM product development team
  • Rocío Cintrón, Disney, design manager
  • Karen Harel, Spin Master, design manager
  • Alena Niu, Mattel, senior manager of product design for Monster High and Fashion Doll IP
  • Bill Rawley, Hasbro, principal product designer, action brands for Ghostbusters and Power Rangers
  • Jen Tan, Pixar Animation Studios, director, consumer products
  • Monica Vandergrift, Just Play Products, managing director of product design

The Toy Association is a proud supporter of the toy design departments of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City and Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles through scholarship grants and student memberships in the Association so that up-and-coming toy designers may take advantage of industry networking and other professional development opportunities.

Click here for more information about FIT’s Toy Design Department.