Below is the advisory board for our 2014 Digital Kids Conference, February 18-19, co-located with the American International Toy Fair in New York:
Kathleen Alfano, Senior Director, Fisher-Price
As Senior Director of the Fisher-Price Child Research Department and Play Lab, Kathleen Alfano provides child development and play expertise to the product designers and engineers, as well as for company’s web content and articles. Alfano joined Fisher-Price in 1979 as a Child Research Department educator and researcher. In her tenure, she has evolved the Play Lab, founded in 1961, into the toy industry’s most respected —and often-emulated — research center on childhood development and play. Continue reading.
Michael Bellavia, CEO, Animax
Michael Bellavia is an Emmy winning producer and CEO of Animax, a digital agency that creates entertainment content for all platforms. Animax produces video, animation, games, mobile and social apps and other creative technology solutions for clients including Disney, Paramount, Nickelodeon, Sesame Workshop, Discovery Channel, MTV, Fox, NBC and Spin Master. Animax also has an originals division that has developed successful mobile and console games and original digital series for YouTube. Michael has an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BS in Engineering from The University of Michigan. He is the Chairman of the New Media Council of the Producers Guild of America and has spoken at SXSW, NATPE, Digital Hollywood, CES, AdTech, Digital Kids, KidScreen, CTIA and the Economist Media Convergence Forum.
Kelly Deen, Director, Consumer Marketing, Cartoon Network at Turner Broadcasting
Kelly Deen is director, consumer marketing for Cartoon Network, a global kids and family entertainment network within Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s portfolio of cable/satellite television networks, digital properties and entertainment businesses targeted for kids and young adults. In this capacity, Deen oversees the development of show positioning, media strategy, marketing execution and brand positioning for Cartoon Network’s animated and live-action original, action-adventure series and movies. Continue reading.
Ian Douthwaite, CEO, Dubit Limited
Ian Douthwaite is the CEO of Dubit, a specialist kid’s digital entertainment agency. Through its research, game development and marketing divisions, Dubit helps clients including the BBC, Disney and Turner Broadcasting extend their IPs across multiple platforms.Dubit was a founder member of the internet taskforce on child protection and consults on ethical marketing for numerous companies. Ian is a member of the Advertising Association’s Children’s Panel, set up in response to the Bailey Review to provide leadership around the way in which advertising and marketing engages with young people.
Stacy Leistner, Vice President, Strategic Communications, Toy Industry Association
In his role as Vice President, Strategic Communications, Stacy Leistner serves as the Toy Industry Association’s spokesperson on a broad range of Association and industry issues. He interacts on a daily basis with TIA members, media, government and other stakeholders on topics ranging from products and toy trends to the value of play; consumer product safety; legislative and regulatory issues such as marketing to children and online data privacy; and additional topics related to the toy industry and the youth-entertainment marketplace. Continue reading.
Rebecca Levey, Co-Founder, KidzVuz.com
Rebecca Levey is the Co-Founder of KidzVuz.com, the only video review site of user-generated videos, by and for tweens, where they create and share videos about the products and media they love. She has been featured on CBS, NBC, PBS Frontline, ABC News, and HuffPost Live. On her nationally recognized blog, Beccarama.com, she writes about parenting, technology, education, and all things NYC. Rebecca was the 2011 New York State delegate to the Mom Congress on Education and Learning and was named a White House Champion of Change for Education. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and twin girls.
Jason Morrell, Director of Sales, Virtual Piggy
Jason is the Director of Sales, Games for Virtual Piggy and oversees the acquisition of new gaming merchants as well as new partners in the payments vertical. Working with current partners such as Live Gamer, Playspan, Habbo, Gaia Online, Changyou, Marvelous USA, and Jumpstart, Jason helps companies deal with the issues surrounding youth monetization and COPPA. Continue reading.
Molly Passanisi, Head of Industry, Online Gaming, Google
Molly Passanisi, Head of Industry for Google, leads Google’s online gaming advertising business nationally. As a 13 year veteran in the video game space, she is responsible for helping clients address their challenges with branding, consumer insights; marketing plan development; lead generation; measurement, data analysis and optimization. Continue reading.
Scott Traylor, CEO, Chief KID, 360KID
Scott Traylor is the Chief KID, CEO, and founder of 360KID, a kid-focused content and technology company dedicated to creating a love for learning through products that educate as well as entertain. 360KID provides turnkey development services to the education, broadcast, and toy industries. Scott started his business over 19 years ago. Continue reading.
Denise Tayloe, Co-Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer, Privo
Denise Tayloe co-founded PRIVO in early 2001, inspired by the opportunities and challenges of implementing the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which became effective in 2000. Denise has become a subject matter expert, recognized leader and authority in permission and identity management, has been an invited speaker on the subject at conferences regarding identity and children’s privacy issues across the globe, and has been published in the official newsletter of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) and the Bureau of National Affairs (BNA), among others. Continue reading.
Kimberly Verbonitz, Senior Director, Digital Media & Content Acquisition, LeapFrog
Kim has nearly 20 years of diverse business experience, including a collective 10 years of strategic marketing management for a Fortune 100 corporation, at an entrepreneurial startup and as an independent consultant, and nine years of experience in media and entertainment. Kim is currently consulting on new product strategy with an emphasis on digital media for LeapFrog, the market leader in educational toys and games for kids. Continue reading.
Jake Witherell, Chief Operating Officer, Schell Games
Jake Witherell has over 15 years of experience in founding, managing, advising, and investing in companies within the high technology, telecommunications, retail, and business services industries. He is Chief Operating Officer of Schell Games, where he oversees the operations and business development efforts of the company. Jake was previously a co-founder and Managing Partner of M Park Capital, a private investment firm focused on acquiring and operating lower middle market companies. Continue reading.