Initiative now in its second year remains a global destination for women innovators, while Hasbro is extending the programme further in 2024 with a ‘Girl Innovators of Play’ collaboration with Girl Up. 

Hasbro has announced its Hasbro Women Innovators of Play 2024 line-up of events, networking moments and other opportunities to celebrate and connect female toy and game innovators across the globe.

Hasbro’s Women Innovators of Play launched in autumn 2023 to promote a more inclusive and equitable toys and games community, encourage more women’s participation in the space, inspire the next generation of young women and girls to unleash their creativity and increase awareness and exposure to creative career paths.

“We are on a mission to attract more women and girls to the toy and game industry, and I could not be more inspired by the response to our Women Innovators of Play event and Challenge,” said Kim Boyd, president, Global Brands and Franchise Management at Hasbro.

“As a true testament to the power of women inventors everywhere, Hasbro is thrilled to be investing in an incredible game by one of the Challenge’s winning inventors, Ellie Dix, and we will be partnering with Ellie to further develop her game concept. We are making the 2024 programme even bigger and better and can’t wait to share more details soon.”

Hasbro’s 2023 Challenge saw 130 total submissions from women innovators across the US and globally. Submissions were judged on innovation, mass marketability, fun factor and playability, design & aesthetics and manufacturability. Each of the three winners received a prize of $10,000 and a visit to Hasbro’s Pawtucket, RI headquarters for a full day with Hasbro’s leadership and Inventor Relations team and a mentorship session with a Hasbro woman leader.

2024 will advance Hasbro’s mission while expanding to a full schedule of programming that leverages Hasbro’s global community of women innovators and leadership. This includes ongoing networking and creative programmes for women innovators aged 18+ as well as educational and mentorship programmes under Hasbro’s recently announced Girl Innovators of Play. This year’s collaboration with Girl Up will engage aspiring and emerging women innovators aged 13-24.

Key 2024 events for Hasbro Women Innovators of Play will include:

Hasbro Women Innovators of Play

• 2nd Annual Virtual Event (October 10, 2024)
• 2nd Annual Challenge (Starting October 10, 2024)

Hasbro Girl Innovators of Play (with Girl Up)

• Girl Up Bootcamp (August 2024)
• Girl Up Project Awards Collaboration (Later 2024)
• Girl Up x Hasbro Project Awards Innovation Lab (Later 2024)

Hasbro recently hosted the three winners of the 2023 Hasbro Women Innovators of Play Challenge, including Ellie Dix (a family card game inventor from Hertfordshire, UK), Sandra Harewood (a family word game inventor from London, UK) and Mandy and 6-year-old Maggie Goddard (mother and daughter pre-school game co-inventors from Carmel, Indiana).

Ellie Dix’s winning game has been selected by Hasbro Games, and the company will work closely with Ellie to further develop the game with the goal of publishing it in the future.