Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment Unveils 2023 Wonder Women Award Winners In New York City

Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WiT) has announced its 2023 Wonder Women Winners, celebrated at the 18th annual Wonder Women Awards at Pier 60, Chelsea Piers in New York City. The leading global organization focused on advancing and advocating for women in the toy, consumer products, licensing and entertainment industries also honored Laura Zebersky with the Visionary Leader Award; Lisa McKnight, who received the Trailblazer Award and Nyla Hayes, recipient of the Future Leader Award.

The Wonder Women Awards honors top female executives, thought leaders, entrepreneurs and other changemakers for their extraordinary accomplishments and impact within the toy, licensing and entertainment industries. 

The 2023 Wonder Women Award Winners are:

Brand Franchise:  Meredith Norrie, Mattel

Commercial Sales:  Kristen Shackleford, Amazon

Creative Genius:  Carly McGinnis, Exploding Kittens

Designer/Inventor (Corporate):  Sunno Cho, Jazwares

Designer/Inventor (Independent):  Britney Crowell, CurlCap

Digital Storytelling: Alexandra Kavalova, Spin Master

Inbound Licensing:  Tanya Thompson, Hasbro

Marketing: Jonelle Brown, Paramount

PR/Communications: Molly Martin, The LEGO Group

Rising Leader (over 500 Employees):  Amy Bastuga, Radio Flyer; and Kim Chang, Just Play

Rising Leader (under 500 Employees):  Adeline Trento, Toys“R”Us at Macy’s; and Angela Beck, Mattel

Social Impact (Corporate): Pamela Krominga, Target

Social Impact (Independent): April Showers, Afro Unicorn

“We celebrated a truly spectacular evening with over 750 guests, marking the triumphant in-person return of the Wonder Woman Awards,” say Nancy Molenda, Children’s Foundation Corporate Philanthropy, Mattel and Ehi Oviasu-Kahn of Little Art in a joint statement. “Showcasing the dynamism and energy of this extraordinary community has long been a defining hallmark of this event, and the electricity from tonight’s gala continues to resonate. It was a night that embodied the resilience, strength, and inspiration of every Wonder Woman that walks among us.”

Through the support of its sponsors, WiT also presented 12 $2,500 scholarships to outstanding students who’ve demonstrated leadership and academic excellence in their chosen fields of business, design, engineering and entrepreneurial studies. In addition, thanks to Spin Master for their sponsorship of the WiT Excursionista Grant, all scholarship recipients received a ticket to the gala, and a stipend for their travel to New York to experience the gala and attend the Student Congress at Toy Fair.

WiT 2023 sponsors include Amazon, Mattel, Paramount, Hasbro, Banda/Namco, Jazwares, LEGO, Spin Master, TOMY International and many more sponsors who support the organization year-round. Proceeds from this event provide funding for vital programming and initiatives and the WiT Foundation Scholarship Program.