It’s no secret that children’s media champions the importance of play, but the word is as expansive as the industry itself. This year, our storytellers share their personal reflections on the power of play to reveal pivotal moments when play shaped their identities and influenced the way they approach their craft. 

Join us for an unforgettable evening filled with shared stories!

Check out the amazing items in our Silent Auction! Bid on 1:1 coaching session with industry professionals, visits to production studios, tickets to Broadway and live variety shows. Bidding is open now through May 14th. 

Discover the world of children’s music with CMA Jamz! Join us as we welcome Harold “Fyũtch” Simmons II, the GRAMMY-nominated music and social justice artist. With his innovative sound and powerful messages, Fyũtch is pushing the boundaries of what children’s music can be, crafting tunes that are not only entertaining but also thought-provoking and socially conscious. 

From concerts to classrooms, his experience as a musician, teacher, and speaker allows him to educate, entertain, and empower audiences of all ages and backgrounds. The name Fyütch, which was originally ‘Future,’ represents knowing where you’ve been to know where you’re going. Fyütch coined his music genre “Fyüsion,” a blend of Hip-Hop, R&B, Pop, and Soul. His work has been showcased on The Today Show, the Nick Cannon Show, and The New York Times. As a songwriter and producer, Fyütch has contributed to Grammy-winning albums, radio charting songs, and original compositions for television and family media. Fyütch also writes and performs music with his 6 year old daughter, Aura V.

Crafting Kid Culture offers an inside look at the brands shaping children’s media. Through insightful conversations with key players across the industry, this ongoing series explores the vital roles and day-to-day efforts of professionals at all levels – from entry-level to executive – as they create what’s new, now, and next in children’s content.

David Levy is the Head of Studio at Pinkfong USA. With more than 20 years of experience in animation and development, Levy has worked for several entertainment corporations such as The Walt Disney Company, Invisible Universe, Viacom International, and more. Levy’s unique and fast-paced approach to development was honed during his time as Director of Animation at Disney+, where he spearheaded the creative and production to create original animated content on social media for Lucas Film, Walt Disney Feature Animation, Pixar, and others. Levy is the author of several best selling books on the animation industry, including Your Career in Animation: How to Survive and Thrive (2nd edition, 2021). He’s lectured and taught at Parsons, SVA, NYU, RISD, and Pratt, and was president of the New York chapter of ASIFA (Association International du Film d’ Animation).

Crafting Kid Culture takes you behind the scenes of the brands that shape the world of children’s media. This engaging series invites you into thought-provoking dialogues with industry insiders, offering an intimate glimpse into the essential roles and tireless efforts of professionals across all levels – from newcomers to seasoned executives. Discover the driving forces and creative processes that bring the newest, freshest, and most innovative children’s content to life.

Daniel Barnes is an Executive Producer and TV Development Executive currently based in Los Angeles, California. He was born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama, and is a proud graduate of The University of Alabama with a degree in telecommunication and film. In 2014, Barnes was selected for the prestigious Television Academy Foundation internship in the category of Children’s Programming. At the end of his internship, he was hired full time by Hasbro Studios and has been working in children’s and family entertainment since. Over his career, he has worked on some of the biggest children’s brands including “My Little Pony,” “Transformers”, “Thomas the Tank Engine”, “Rescue Heroes”, “Morphle”, “Little Baby Bum”, “Blippi,” “Cocomelon”, “Care Bears” and “Holly Hobbie” while working at major studios such as Hasbro Studios, Amazon Prime Video, Moonbug Entertainment and currently Cloudco Entertainment. In 2021, Barnes was selected by The University of Alabama’s College of Communication as an Outstanding Alumnus. In 2023, he was honored at the 18 Under 31 Young Alumni Awards which honors The University of Alabama’s legendary young alumni who have made a vital impact on their industry, field or community. In his spare time, Barnes enjoys spending time with friends and family, going to concerts and traveling.

Join our member-only networking event on Thursday, May 16th!

Please remember to register and the Zoom link will be sent the day before the event.

Kid-tech developers are always trying to incorporate new technologies into their products and today’s shiny object is AI. To date, many attempts to incorporate AI into kid-friendly technology have relied on chatbots to make kids feel as if they were engaging with a super smart, personalized friend. The results have been lackluster in their ability to engage, and the depth, appropriateness, and fun of the engagement. How do we move past bots into more meaningful uses of AI in kid products? This event is a unique opportunity to see how AI can enhance educational and entertainment products for children in ways that are imaginative, engaging, and go beyond the expected.Robin Raskin, founder of The Virtual Events Group, journalist and innovator in the tech landscape, will moderate the session. She’ll be joined by:

• Seth Raphael, CEO of Hello Wonder, who will discuss how AI can transform how children interact with internet content in a magical new way.
• Keren Ruth Wong, Senior Partnerships Lead at IDEO Play Lab, who enables experiences that spark joy, growth and connection through purposeful play.
• Joshua Garrett, CCO of Readyland, a leader in the toy industry, whose latest work integrates AI with physical books to create interactive storytelling experiences that captivate the imagination.
• Martin Horstman, CEO of Pixicade, an experience that revolutionizes play by turning children’s drawings into playable video games, demonstrating the boundless creativity that AI can help unlock.

Join us to explore how these trailblazers are redefining the interaction between kids and technology, opening a world of possibilities that enrich their learning and play.

Robin Raskin, Moderator
Robin Raskin is the Founder of The Virtual Events Group, a community that explores how we will meet in a tech-first future. An award-winning journalist, author, publisher, event producer and advocate for integrating technology into lifestyle, Raskin was one of the early editors of PC Magazine and one of the first women in technology publishing. Later she founded FamilyPC, createdYahoo!Tech as well as other tech-forward publications. She’s the author of 6 books on technology and appeared regularly on CBS and other networks.In 2008 she founded Living in Digital Times(LIDT), the producers conferences and expos at conferences and events worldwide. The company’s trademark events include: The Last Gadget Standing, Digital Health Summit, FashionWare,Fitness Tech Summit,Kids@Play Summit,High Tech Retailing, Wearable Tech Summitand others. The Consumer Technology Association acquired the company in January 2020. Raskin continues to consult for them and other event clients helping them understand new technologies. She writes a weekly column about the intersection of technology and the economy for Techonomy and a weekly newsletter on events.She served on the National Academy of Sciences committee to explore Internet Safety, is a Trustee of the CTA Foundation, and is a director of the Global Industry Council founded under UNESCO. She won a lifetime achievement award from the CTA in 2020.

Panelists

Seth Raphael, CEO Hello Wonder
Seth Raphael led AI prototyping teams at Google, where he spent 10 years in AI, AR, and VR leadership, and built the first version of Google Photos. He’s a professional magician who fooled Penn and Teller, a TED Fellow, and has an MA from MIT’s Media Lab.

Keren Ruth Wong, Senior Partnerships Lead, IDEO Play Lab
Keren supports partners at the IDEO Play Lab to enable experiences that spark joy, growth and connection through purposeful play. Prior to IDEO, she was based in the Bay Area and Beijing designing products for the education sector.

Joshua Garrett, CCO Readyland and VP Development, Creativity
Joshua Garrett, recognized by Mojo Nation as one of the 100 most influential figures in toy and game design, has contributed to thousands of toys for companies like Hasbro, Mattel, and Spin Master, and for dozens of brands from Star Wars to Sesame Street to Furby. As a co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Readyland, he’s led the creation of the first interactive printed books that work with Alexa, bringing a new level of interactive storytelling and digital engagement to the children’s book industry. Before developing kid products he was a professional French horn player, holding a doctorate from the Juilliard school and performing and teaching around the world.

Martin Horstman, CEO Pixicade
Martin Horstman, co-founder of Pixicade and CEO of BitOGenius Inc., transitioned from a career in molecular dynamics and software engineering at EMC Smarts to founding multiple startups, including Pixafy and AlgoCrunch Inc. He led the creation and growth of Pixicade, a gaming application that has amassed hundreds of thousands of users and over 5 million games. Martin’s creative skills, honed from childhood and enriched through diverse interests including ballroom dancing and reading to his children, are fundamental to his success and the innovative products developed by his companies.

Join us for some great networking and light bites at our monthly meetup! RSVP on the website for entry. Admission is FREE for members!