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Thank you for joining Hasbro's inaugural Women Innovators of Play EVENT on September 12. We hope you enjoyed our first global virtual event centered on women's leadership, women innovators, and women-led creativity.

We are thrilled to announce the first ever Women Innovators of Play CHALLENGE! Submissions will be accepted through the link below between September 12 and October 12, 2023. The top 3 innovators will be announced in November 2023. Check out the CHALLENGE details and prizes below!

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Our Speakers
Chris Cocks
Chris Cocks

Chief Executive Officer & Director @ Hasbro, Inc.

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Elizabeth Hargrave
Elizabeth Hargrave

Game Designer @ Elizabeth Hargrave

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Tanya Thompson
Tanya Thompson

Senior Director Inventor Relations and External Innovation @ Hasbro Gaming

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Azhelle Wade
Azhelle Wade

CEO & Founder of The Toy Coach

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Kate Fakonas
Kate Fakonas

Director of Design, Play-Doh and Creative Play @ Hasbro, Inc.

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Jennifer Boswinkel
Jennifer Boswinkel

Vice President Brand Management Hasbro Gaming & Monopoly

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Cynthia Williams
Cynthia Williams

President, Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro Gaming

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Aisha Tyler
Aisha Tyler

Actor, Director, Entrepreneur

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Kim Boyd
Kim Boyd

Head of Toy @ Hasbro, Inc.

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Eleanor Black
Eleanor Black

Commercial Director @ Fuse London Ltd

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Our Schedule

10:00am

5 Mins

Welcome to the inaugural Women Innovators of Play Event

We are honored to have Chris Cocks, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Hasbro, Inc, to give the opening remarks to welcome everyone to the Women Innovators of Play Event!

Chris Cocks

Chris Cocks

Chief Executive Officer & Director @ Hasbro, Inc.

10:05am

20 Mins

My Wingspan Journey

Elizabeth Hargrave, the designer of the hit board game Wingspan, will share the journey of how Wingspan came to be, as well as advice she’s learned along the way.

Elizabeth Hargrave

Elizabeth Hargrave

Game Designer @ Elizabeth Hargrave

10:25am

15 Mins

The Perfect Pitch

What makes a perfect pitch? Tanya has lost count of the thousands of pitches she’s been a part of in her career and she’s excited to share her best tips on what makes the perfect pitch.

Tanya Thompson

Tanya Thompson

Senior Director Inventor Relations and External Innovation, Hasbro Gaming

10:40am

25 Mins

Journey to Mass Market

Ever wonder how Hasbro takes an idea from concept to shelf? Get an overview of the product roadmap, including what makes an idea suitable for the mass market. On this panel, hear from leaders at Hasbro about the different phases of development and unlock a new way to think about your own toy and game ideas so you can invent products that better align with the needs of a mass market company like Hasbro.

Azhelle Wade

Azhelle Wade

CEO & Founder of The Toy Coach

Kate Fakonas

Kate Fakonas

Director of Design, Play-Doh and Creative Play

Jennifer Boswinkel

Jennifer Boswinkel

Vice President Brand Management Hasbro Gaming & Monopoly

11:05am

20 Mins

Overcoming Doubt and Imposter Syndrome

In this talk, Cynthia Williams, President of Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro Gaming, shares stories from her life and career and provides concrete actions you can take to navigate feelings of imposter syndrome.

Cynthia Williams

Cynthia Williams

President of Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro Gaming

11:35am

25 Mins

Cultivating Dynamic Resilience

How embracing serendipity, setback and yes, failure can lead to dynamic breakthroughs in professional outcomes and personal creativity, and foster intention, joy, and play in everyday workflow.

Aisha Tyler

Aisha Tyler

Actor, Director, Entrepreneur

12:00pm

15 Mins

How to be a Successful Inventor

Eleanor has worked in the Toy industry for 20 years, with toy companies, both big and small, building relationships and getting to know the DNA of these companies. Her talk will include strategies and tips she has learned firsthand, insights on what it takes to be successful when pitching, and how not to take rejection to heart.

Eleanor Black

Eleanor Black

Commercial Director @ Fuse London Ltd

12:15pm

15 Mins

Special Key Announcement and Closing

Don’t miss our special key announcement to close out the inaugural Women Innovators of Play event!

Kim Boyd

Kim Boyd

Head of Toy @ Hasbro, Inc.

Tanya Thompson

Tanya Thompson

Senior Director Inventor Relations and External Innovation, Hasbro Gaming

Women Innovators of Play Challenge
We are thrilled to launch the first Women Innovators of Play CHALLENGE! We will accept submissions from September 12 to October 12, 2023.
What are we looking for?

We are searching for the next great woman-led mass market toy or game! For this CHALLENGE, ideas will be judged on innovation, mass marketability, fun factor and playability, design and aesthetics and manufacturability.

Who can submit?

Eligibility includes:

  • Must be 18 years of age or older
  • Must be a resident of one of the following 11 countries: Australia, Canada (excluding Quebec), France, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, United Kingdom, United States
  • People who submit must either
    • - Identify as a woman
    • - Lead a team (maximum of five people) and identify as a woman
  • Limit of two submissions per person whether as an individual, team lead, or member of a team. Submissions must be written in English

What are the prizes?

The top 3 innovators will be announced in November 2023, and they will receive:

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$10,000 USD
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A trip to Hasbro's World Headquarters in Pawtucket, Rhode Island for “A Day at Hasbro”
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A mentorship session with one of Hasbro's top women leaders

See CHALLENGE Rules for more details!