People of Play (POP) is bringing in new professionals from across the toy industry to join the Chicago Toy and Game (ChiTAG) advisory board.
POP is a community made for the toy community by the toy community. As a division of The Toy Association, the group organizes industry events such as POP Week, the POP Platform, and The Bloom Report. In order to continue promoting a network of creativity and connectivity, successful innovators Tara McGrath, Mike Bisogno, and Amy Friedland are joining the ranks of the POP advisory board. With the addition of these talented industry professionals, POP can continue to create events that reach and represent the entire toy community.
Tara, Mike, and Amy bring inventor relations, marketing, PR, and even more visionary and ideation expertise to our extraordinary Board. We are fortunate to have their talents as we continue to grow our POP Week events, champion innovators, and promote community, connection, and the power of play!”
— Mary Couzin, SVP, The Toy Association, Founder & Leader, People of Play
Tara McGrath began her career in the toy industry in the FIT Toy Design Program. After graduating from the program, McGrath worked at the NYC Pace Development Group. At Pace, McGrath concentrated on toy inventing, dolls, games, and preschool toys. She placed products at impressive companies such as Mattel, where she later became Creative Director of Inventor Relations and Innovation. During her more than 20-year tenure with Mattel, McGrath has worked on a variety of product lines such as Barbie, Polly Pocket, Disney Princess, Uno Games, and Disney Cars. Tara was also the recipient of the TAGIE Game Changer Award in 2023.
Mike Bisogno is another graduate of the FIT Toy Design Program. One month before his graduation, Bisogno was hired by Cardinal Industries as its first full-time game designer. He designed games and puzzles for powerhouse licenses such as Disney, Marvel, Warner Brothers, Sony, and more. When Spin Master acquired Cardinal, Bisogno was promoted to Design Director and held different roles across design and licensing in every game category. Now, Bisogno holds the position of Director of Design and Inventor Relations for the Games team at Spin Master.
Amy Friedland has worked as a PR strategist in the toy, licensing, and consumer product industries for more than 25 years. She has produced work for classic toy companies such as Fisher-Price and Playmobil, as well as non-toy brands like Jeep and Sara Lee. She specializes in brand building, influencer and media relations, new product launches, and special events. Now, Friedland is the Executive Vice President of Freeman PR, which was recently acquired by Carve Communications. This is not her first time working closely with POP — Friedland also leads PR efforts for People of Play and its events like ChiTAG.
To learn more about People of Play and its mission of an innovative and imaginative toy community, check out its website here.
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