Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WiT) honored the 2025 Wonder Women Award winners last night at The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. The annual gala, themed “All That Glitters Is Truly Gold,” recognized industry leaders across categories spanning brand management, licensing, design, marketing, mentorship, and more.
“The Wonder Women Awards is more than an evening of trophies — it’s a golden moment where our community shines,” says Nancy Molenda and Deirdre Cross, co-chairs of the Wonder Women Awards. “Tonight we celebrate women who invent and design, market and mentor, license and lead — the very leaders who build the products we love and the partnerships that move our industry forward. This event captures the
brilliance of what happens when our WiT community comes together and proves that when one of us wins, we all win.”
Maya Rogers, CEO of The Tetris Company, received the Vanguard Award for her leadership in reimagining Tetris as a global lifestyle brand. Other winners included Suzy Raia and the BBC Studios team in Brand Franchise; Alex Yee of Disney in Catalyst for Change (over 500); Rachele Harmuth of CrunchLabs and MESH Helps, and Genna Rosenberg of GennComm in Catalyst for Change (under 500); and Tara Gartman of Paramount in Commercial Excellence.
Additional honorees were celebrated for achievements in design, digital innovation, inbound licensing, PR, marketing, mentorship, and leadership across large and small companies. Sponsors included Amazon, Mattel, Hasbro, Paramount, Bandai, Disney, Jazwares, The LEGO Group, Spin Master, and VTech. The event’s proceeds benefited WiT’s programming, mentorship initiatives, and scholarship fund.
The 2025 Wonder Women Award Winners Are:
● Brand Franchise: BBC Studios: Suzy Raia, Kirsten Fallon, Paulina Abrams, Jill Cook, Katie Scalere, Kealan Casey, Josh Pavloff, Francesca Flanagan, Carolina Cabal, Shannon Cuthbert, Stephanie Mendoza, Melissa Majerowicz
● Catalyst for Change (under 500): Rachele Harmuth, CrunchLabs and MESH Helps, Genna Rosenberg, GennComm
● Catalyst for Change (over 500): Alex Yee, Disney
● Commercial Excellence: Tara Gartman, Paramount
● Designer/Inventor (Corporate): Kate Fakonas, Hasbro
● Designer/Inventor (Independent): Serena Fadlunn
● Digital Innovator: Christine Tran, Amazon
● Emerging Technology Leader: Kristin Size, The LEGO Group
● Inbound Licensing: Hollie Holmes, Moose Toys
● Licensing Agent: Heidi Schwartz, Universal Branding & Media
● Marketing: Katie Buford, Mattel
● Mentor of the Year: Tal Schrieber, Spin Master
● PR Excellence: Sara Rosales Montalvo, Jazwares
● Rising Leader (under 500) Employees: Audrey Torrence, Basic Fun!
● Rising Leader (over 500) Employees: Megan Margolis, Hasbro
● Small Business Owner of the Year: Justine Tiu, The Woobles
● Unsung Hero (under 500) Employees: Ashlee Virtue, Relatable
● Unsung Hero (over 500) Employees: Stephanie North, Just Play, Stephanie Fischer, Bandai
● WiT Champion: Julien Sharp, Asmodee
Founded in 1991, WiT is a global nonprofit that supports women in the toy, consumer products, licensing, and entertainment industries. The organization connects professionals at every career stage through mentorship, scholarships, and community-building, and 25 chapters worldwide drive growth and opportunity in the industry.
Learn more about WiT at womenintoys.com.
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