People of Play (POP) is bringing new professionals from the toy industry to join the Chicago Toys and Games (ChiTAG) Advisory Board.
POP is a community created by the toy community for the toy community. As a division of the Toy Association, the organization organizes industry events such as POP Week, POP Platform and The Bloom Report. To continue promoting creativity and connected networks, successful innovators Tara McGrath, Mike Bisogno and Amy Friedland have joined the POP Advisory Board. With the addition of these talented industry professionals, POP can continue to produce events that impact and represent the entire toy community.
Tara, Mike, and Amy bring inventor relations, marketing, PR, and more visionary and creative expertise to our extraordinary board of directors. We’re lucky to have their talent on board as we continue to grow POP Week events, support innovators, and promote the power of community, connection, and play!
—Mary Couzin, senior vice president of the Toy Association and founder and leader of People of Play
Tara McGrath began her career in the toy industry in FIT’s Toy Design program. After graduating from the program, McGrath worked at Pace Development Group in New York City. At Pace, McGrath specializes in toy inventions, dolls, games and preschool toys. She pitched products into impressive companies like Mattel, where she later became Creative Director of Inventor Relations and Innovation. During his more than 20-year tenure at Mattel, McGrath was involved in the development of product lines such as Barbie, Polly Pocket, Disney Princess, Uno Games and Disney Cars. Tara also won the 2023 TAGIE Game Changer Award.
Mike Bisogno is another graduate of FIT’s toy design program. One month before graduation, Bisogno was hired by Cardinal Industries as its first full-time game designer. He designs licensed games and puzzles for Disney, Marvel, Warner Bros., Sony and other giants. After Spin Master acquired Cardinal, Bisogno was promoted to Design Director and held various roles in design and licensing for each game category. Today, Bisogno serves as the Director of Design and Inventor Relations for the Spin Master gaming team.
Amy Friedland has worked as a public relations strategist in the toy, licensing and consumer products 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 such as Jeep and Sara Lee. She specializes in brand building, influencer and media relations, new product launches and special events. Today, Friedland is executive vice president of Freeman PR, which was recently acquired by Carve Communications. This isn’t the first time she’s worked closely with POP—Friedland also handles PR for events like People of Play and its ChiTAG.
To learn more about People of Play and its mission of innovative and imaginative toy communities, visit the website here.
