Sandbox West 2015

PLAY
DI FFE R E NT LY
The
The intersection
Intersection
of Real-World
of real-world
&
& Digital
Engagement
digital
engagement
OCTOBER 12 & 13, 2015
@
CALIFORNIA SCIENCE CENTER
LOS ANGELES, CA
JOIN THE CONVERSATION!
Embracing our theme of playing differently, we’re
inviting you to take part in the Sandbox West 2015
backchan.nl, an innovative, interactive mode of sharing
questions, feedback, and inspirations throughout the
event. The backchan.nl open source project came
out of the MIT Media Lab and feels a little
like a combination of Twitter and Reddit, tailored for
conference-type settings: You can submit questions,
comments, or links, and other users can reply
and/or vote content up or down. We’ll turn to the
backchan.nl feed at key moments during the Sandbox
using the top-rated entries to seed discussion,
especially for our Tuesday topic tables. Sandbox West
team members will help capture key insights from the
sessions and from #SandboxWest Twitter posts, but
this experiment is also dependent on you to jump in and
be part of the conversation. All you have to do is visit
http://bit.ly/SandboxWest on your computer or
mobile device, and start playing differently!
save
the date
2
Sandbox@MIT
April 18 and 19, 2016
Follow us on
PLAY DIFFERE NTLY
Welcome.
As the lines blur between digital and physical play, the
opportunities for collaboration and innovation between kid
and family-centric industries increase. Playful learning contexts
span homes, schools, and communities. Creating realistic
and sustainable solutions for engaging kids anywhere and
everywhere requires creativity, experimentation, and risk.
Over the next two days, we’ll explore the dynamic new landscape
of interconnected play. Beginning with eye-opening research
and directional insights, we’ll lead you through successes and
failures, pie-in-the-sky ideas, and innovations that cross both
real and imagined barriers. Just like the ideas themselves, we’ll
toggle between online and off; from small screens to large; from
malls to museums. The goal is not just to keep you in this new
game, but to inspire you to break the old rules.
Wendy | Alison | Paul | Erin | Francesca
Our Mission
Play is how kids learn. By creating a forum for conversation around play
and technology, Sandbox events strive to ensure that the next generation of
players becomes active innovators, rather than passive users, of technology.
The Intersection of Real-World & Digital Engagement
3
team
Wendy
Smolen
Wendy is the SVP of Sandbox Events and PlayPublisher at PlayScience. She has been
an astute player in the children’s toy and media industry for nearly 20 years. Prior to
co-founding Sandbox Summit in 2008, she held senior editorial positions at Nick Jr.
Family Magazine, Parents, and Doubleday. She is a member of the TOTY nomination
committee and Women in Toys Empowerment Committee. She has three grown children who keep
her up to speed on new technologies, texting more often than they call.
Dr. J.
Alison
Bryant
As Co-CEO and Chief Play Officer of PlayScience, Alison overseas insights efforts
and leads innovation around branding, content creation, and development for
global companies. Under her leadership, PlayScience has partnered with dozens
of marquee family brands, including Sesame Workshop, Disney, Girl Scouts,
and others. Prior to PlayScience, Alison was Senior Research Director at
Nickelodeon/MTV Networks and Assistant Professor at Indiana University. She received her
Ph.D. from USC’s Annenberg School of Communication. Alison is the mother of four children.
Paul J.
Levine
A media and technology veteran with 20+ years of experience, Paul is Co-CEO and
President of PlayScience, where he leads strategy, product development, and events
activities. Previously, Paul was an EVP at National Geographic where he led the
global Interactive Platforms Division, Corporate Strategy, and Product Development
groups, which launched more than 150 multi-platform products and services. Paul’s teams also
spearheaded Nat Geo’s Kids & Family strategy, which included the development and launch
of Animal Jam, NG Kids Mobile, and many of the organization’s for-profit K–12 initiatives. Paul
has also held executive roles at AOL and Ruckus Network (acquired by Sony), spanning digital
entertainment, mobile, messaging, technology, and strategic alliances.
Erin
Reilly
Erin is Managing Director and Research Fellow for Annenberg Innovation Lab at USC’s
Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism, and Executive Director of
Blackstone LaunchPad USC. In her role, she oversees all aspects of lab programming,
product design and mentoring students in developing applications and business
ideas using digital media and how it impacts society. Her research focuses on new media
literacies, transmedia play and learning, social entrepreneurialism, audience engagement
and the future of media and entertainment.
Francesa
Marie
Smith
Francesca is a Research Fellow at USC’s Annenberg Innovation Lab, where she
focuses on consulting and executive education, participatory learning experiences,
prototypes, and public intellectualism surrounding media and entertainment.
Since her start in Hollywood 25 years ago, she’s taken on a number of roles in
the children’s media and storytelling spaces, working with Nickelodeon, Disney,
FOX, Google, Havas, and more. Currently, she focuses on worldbuilding, rhetoric, and media
technologies such as VR and AR; she is ABD in the Ph.D. program at USC’s Annenberg School
for Communication and Journalism, with degrees from Stanford and Pepperdine as well.
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PLAY DIFFERE NTLY
advisory board
ALICE CAHN
Consultant, Social Responsibility and Media Relations
DREW DAVIDSON, PH.D.
Director, Entertainment Technology Center,
Carnegie Mellon University, and Editor of ETC Press
TERRY FITZPATRICK
Partner, Kiwassa Media LLC
ANDY KAPLAN
Chief Financial Officer, DonorsChoose.org
ERIC KLOPFER, PH.D.
Associate Professor and Director, MIT Scheller Teacher Education Program,
and Director, MIT Education Arcade
ROB LIPPINCOTT
Managing Director, i2 Education
SCOT OSTERWEIL
Creative Director, MIT Education Arcade
KYRA REPPEN
CEO, Kandu, and Founder, KReate Labs
MITCHEL RESNICK, PH.D.
Professor of Learning Research, MIT Media Lab
CARLA F. P. SEAL-WANNER, ED.D.
Director of Education and Curriculum, FlickerLab
NANCY SCHULMAN
Head, Early Learning Center, Avenues: The World School
MANUEL TORRES
Senior Vice President, Global Toys and Publishing, Nickelodeon
SCOTT TRAYLOR
CEO and Chief Kid, 360Kid
ALICE WILDER, ED.
Educational Advisor, Amazon Studios, and Chief Content Officer, Speakaboos
The Intersection of Real-World & Digital Engagement
5
monday
october 12
CALIFORNIA SCIENCE CENTER, WALLIS ANNENBERG BUILDING
8:00-9:00 AM | Registration and Breakfast
9:00-9:25 AM | Learn to Play/Play to Learn
Brent Bushnell, CEO, Two Bit Circus
Like a Piped Piper enticing children, Brent will set the mood for two days of nonstop engagement with an entertaining
taste of the STEAM-y Two Bit Circus.
•
9:25-9:30 AM | Welcome to the Sandbox
Wendy Smolen, SVP, Sandbox Events and PlayPublisher, PlayScience
Get the 411 on what’s to come.
•
9:30-10:00 AM
The New Rules of Engagement
Tara Sorensen, Head of Kids Programming, Amazon Studios
Amazon Studios is changing the way kids view TV. What does the current landscape look like? And what does it mean
for storytellers across all media?
•
10:05-10:30 AM | Profiles in Play! The Intersection of Digital and Real-World Play
Dr. J. Alison Bryant, Co-CEO and Chief Play Officer, PlayScience
This cutting-edge research, in partnership with the Toy Industry Association’s Genius of Play campaign, investigates
how play happens across platforms for kids today. Alison will delve into the interactions and intersections between
“real world” toy play and mediated play, defining distinct behavioral play profiles for today’s kids. Moreover, she’ll look
at how parents’ attitudes and behaviors relate to these profiles. The results may surprise you!
•
10:40-10:55 AM | Networking Break
11:00-11:40 AM | Education 3.0: Creating Sustainable Solutions
Moderated by Rob Lippincott, Managing Director, i2 Education, with Bill Goodwyn, President and CEO, Discovery
Education, Paul J. Levine, Co-CEO and President, PlayScience, Zoran Popovic´, Director of the Center for Game
Science at University of Washington and Founder & Chief Scientist at Enlearn, and William Zhou, Co-Founder and
CEO, Chalk.com
Educators are always looking for innovative ways to engage kids, both inside and outside the classroom. Digital
tools and project-based and experiential learning can provide meaningful, engaging, and educational opportunities.
Rob will probe the strategies that these educational companies use to turn learner engagement into organizational
sustainability. What works? What doesn’t? And how is the education industry evolving to support kids’ learning in all
environments?
•
11:45-12:10 PM | Roominations
Alice Brooks, Co-Founder and CEO, Roominate
In three short years, Roominate, a company that teaches STEM concepts through play, went from mission, to
idea, product iteration, crowd funding, appearance on Shark Tank, mass retail launch, and now an exciting new app
connecting digital and physical play. Along the way it amassed a highly engaged community of users and attracted
the attention of STEM advocates, girls, and educators. Alice will take you on the roller-coaster ride that got her where
she is today.
•
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PLAY DIFFERE NTLY
12:15-12:55 PM | 8 x 5: Eight minute presentations with long-lasting implications
Todd Bryant, Creative Technologist, The Return
What if we could talk and interact with animations in real time? What would we do if we could live as our own avatar?
Using state-of-the-art motion capture equipment and video game technology, we can finally get a glimpse of our favorite
characters’ worlds through digital puppetry. We’ll have a tête-à-tête with a character of note, ask them some questions,
and then reveal how this digital wizardry works.
•
Gwen Gordon, Writer and Creative Director, NOW Playing!
What do the Dalai Lama, the Milky Way Galaxy, and a Labrador Retriever all have in common? NOW Playing!, a
two-hour PBS special currently in development, answers this and other questions while turning the work ethic on its
head by revealing the vital importance of play in our lives. Gwen will show a clip from the show and share her field notes
from the play movement, which she has been tracking for over a decade. She’ll briefly describe the evolutionary context
for the movement and provide examples of forms of play that reinforce the dominant world view, those that attempt to
reform it, and still others that transform it. Then she'll explain how these forms have the potential of shifting the society
from a proving ground to a playground.
•
Margaret Honey, Ph.D., President and CEO, New York Hall of Science
Connected Worlds at the New York Hall of Science immerses visitors in a fantastical universe where they can affect
the health of six distinct biomes. The projected environments in Connected Worlds share a common resource: water.
Water flows across an interactive floor from a towering waterfall, the exhibition’s centerpiece. Through gestures and
manipulation of physical objects, visitors explore the interconnectedness of the different environments and experience
how individual and collective actions can have widespread impact. They plant seeds, direct water, and interact with
whimsical creatures. The effects of the interactions are based on core concepts of sustainability science including
feedback loops, equilibrium in a dynamic environment, and causal links.
•
Shara Karasic, Co-Founder, CoderDojo Los Angeles
At CoderDojo LA, kids are inspired to use digital tools to create the future. Shara will share what she’s learned
about teaching kids of all backgrounds to code, how to get kids to their own Aha! moments where they begin to see
themselves as coders, offer inspiring stories of CoderDojo kids mentoring other kids, and explain why and how she
stresses hands-on group activities and social skills.
•
Dr. Karen P. Kaun, Founder and President, Makeosity, Inc.
Young people today have the curiosity, imaginations, abilities, and drive to invent their own futures with advanced
technology tools. Karen will present “The Bronx Energy Scooter” and describe how two young students, ages 12 and 13,
took a great idea, created a product, and helped launch a for-profit inventors’ incubator for young makers like
themselves that has captured national attention for its potential to transform education.
•
1:00-2:15 PM | Networking Lunch
2:30-4:15 PM | Afternoon Workshops and Activities (see page 9)
5:00-7:30 PM
Innovation Cocktail Party
Sponsored by Intel
See, test, and talk about the latest and greatest
new products at a mix-and-mingle event.
•
The Intersection of Real-World & Digital Engagement
7
tuesday
october 13
CALIFORNIA SCIENCE CENTER, LOKER CONFERENCE CENTER
9:00-9:30 AM | Breakfast
9:30-9:40 AM | Welcome back!
Paul J. Levine, President and Co-CEO, PlayScience
9:45-10:15 AM | Exploding Story
Elan Lee, Co-Creator of Exploding Kittens
Hear why the story is only half the story from the man who co-created the #1 funded game on Kickstarter (think: $9
million) by engaging people in an adventure focused on “crowding,”rather than "funding."
•
10:20-10:40 AM | Dylan’s Candy Bar
Dylan Siegel, Awesome Kid and Author
“Chocolate Bar” means awesome to Dylan Siegel, who at six years old wrote a book of the same title to raise money
towards a cure for his friend’s rare liver disease. Independently published and distributed, Chocolate Bar has now
raised well over $1,000,000 and sold nearly 30,000 copies in all 50 states and more than 60 countries. All proceeds
have gone to the GSD 1B Research Fund at the University of Florida where Chocolate Bar has been credited with
putting a cure to the disease on the horizon. Nine year old Dylan is here to tell his story.
•
10:45-10:55 AM | DonorsChoose.org: A Win-Win Situation
Carolina Martín, Senior Vice President, DonorsChoose.org
Learn how giving pays back. In real time.
•
11:00-11:15 AM | Networking Break
11:20-12:00 PM | Playing with the Future
Moderated by Chris Denson, Director, Ignition Factory at Omnicom Media Group USA, with Aslan Appleman,
Sr. Director of Advanced Concepts, Mattel, Dan Judkins, VP, Design and Development, iPlay & Mobile, Hasbro,
Joby Otero, Chief Creative Officer, Anki, and Erin Reilly, Managing Director and Research Fellow, USC AIL
Today’s toys are increasingly becoming multiplatform. Is a plain old toy no longer “good enough”? What’s driving
creation? Licensing deals? New technology? Or is someone actually thinking about the play ramifications?
Chris will ask this panel of toy innovators these and other probing questions.
•
12:05-12:45 PM | From an Information Economy to an Imagination Economy
A chat with John Seely Brown, moderated by Francesca Marie Smith, Research Fellow, USC USC AIL
The media sphere was revolutionized by the information economy, in which data and knowledge became as
important as capital and goods—if not more so. Yet as a colleague lamented, in 2015, we’re drowning in data, but
starved for insights. It isn’t enough for producers to leverage information about their audiences. The expectation is
that they will capture our hearts with innovative, imaginative products. This isn’t just about a creative economy; it’s
about building relationships with audiences, and recognizing the power they have when they engage with any industry.
Enter the idea of “the imagination economy”: a richly illuminating perspective on the relationship between media,
technology, and the people who use it. The legendary John Seely Brown will offer his perspective on what’s changed
and what astute producers need to consider if they hope to carve out a place in the burgeoning imagination economy.
•
12:50-2:00 PM | Networking Lunch
2:00-3:30 PM | Exclusive Tour of USC Annenberg Innovation Lab
•Over the past few years, the USC Annenberg Innovation Lab has been guided by a multipronged research program
called the Edison Project, which is rooted in the premise that the media, entertainment, and technology spheres
are currently in a state of disruption that the world hasn’t seen since Edison introduced the Kinetoscope. While this
environment of turmoil poses many challenges, it also offers myriad opportunities for those who are agile (and
forward-thinking) enough to weather the storm. This specially tailored tour will take you to the USC campus to see
highlights of AIL research as it applies to youth, media, play, and learning, and to imagine what the future might hold.
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monday workshops LOKER CONFERENCE CENTER
Learning and Making
Putting Play in Its Place
Tara Tiger Brown, Founder, LA Makerspace and Co-founder,
KitHub, and Mya Stark, Director, LA Makerspace
Philosophies of learning have always encouraged a
hands-on approach, recognizing the relationship between
learning and making. Now we have the chance to take
our game to the next level with newly sophisticated tools
for creation that let kids design professional-quality
projects. What happens when the Maker Movement meets
Generation Z? Join leaders from the LA Makerspace
exploring curricula and products that invite kids (and
you) to get their hands dirty, while making the things
that light up imaginations.
Dr. Nis Bojin, Product Designer, Biba, and Alisa Katz,
Sr. Producer, Cortina Productions, Matt Toner, CEO, Biba
Play, learning, and fitness can all be augmented by new
technologies. So how can we combine the principles of
stealth learning and incidental fitness, along with current
mobile technology, to fashion engaging place-based
experiences? This workshop, focused on designing mobile
apps that facilitate contextual learning in physical spaces,
will invite participants to create technology-enhanced
place-based experiences for various audiences, and
explore new ways to facilitate rich contextual learning
experiences bridging real and digital worlds.
New Technologies for Play
Big Data, Ethics, and the Future of
Personalized Play
Jesyca Durchin, Creative Producer, Nena Media
True play doesn’t require much more than a healthy imagination — and sometimes the toy isn’t as much fun as the
box it came in. When the right toy comes along, however,
it can catapult the experience of play to stratospheric
heights. Has that perfect catalyst come along yet? How
will we know it when we see it? How can we help it get
here faster? Jesyca, who built her career around precisely
these sorts of questions, will explore ways in which new
technologies can be harnessed and linked to traditional
media for new (or simply better) kinds of play.
A conversation led by Sherri Hope Culver, Director, Center for Media & Information Literacy, Temple University
What do the rise of cloud-based computing, smart
objects in connected homes, and increasingly granular
consumer data have to do with the state of play and
learning? Simple: Now your Barbie can talk back—and,
more importantly, she can be talking directly to you. Even
as these new technologies help us build more personal
(and seemingly more magical) play experiences, they
also raise a series of questions about privacy and data
collection. How personal is too personal? How do privacy
policies need to change when the consumer is a child?
How can we balance the appeal of customization and
toys that learn against the worries of concerned parents?
In this fishbowl conversation, audience members are
encouraged to tag themselves in and become part of
the discussion.
more ways to play
Scavenger Hunt In the California Science
Center | Monday & Tuesday | 1:00-5:00 PM
VAN Beethoven: Let the Music Play
Laurel Felt, Ph.D., Lecturer, USC Annenberg School for
Communications and Journalism
Q: What looks like a minion and would rather be on
Saturn? A: Your first clue! Strap on your thinking cap and
take 30 minutes to hunt for more clues throughout the
California Science Center. Along the way, you'll explore this
institution’s phenomenal exhibits and resources, play with
pop culture, push buttons, turn cranks, lift an unreasonably heavy salamander, and engage with new ways to layer
real-world and digital engagement. Come play with us.
Hint: Take the half hour hunt between the workshops and
the cocktail party.
experience conducted by the Los Angeles Philharmonic
The LA Philharmonic’s VAN Beethoven virtual reality tour
will be parked at Sandbox West, outside the Wallis
Annenberg Building from lunch through our evening
program. Board the specially designed truck, put on the
Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, and be transported
to a 360° 3D performance featuring the opening of
Beethoven’s timeless Fifth Symphony performed by the
LA Phil, and conducted by Music and Artistic Director
Gustavo Dudamel.
Hint: The VAN will be open during the cocktail party.
•
Monday | 1:00-8:00 PM | A virtual reality The Intersection of Real-World & Digital Engagement
9
the
speakers
Aslan Appleman | Sr. Director of Advanced Concepts, Mattel
•Aslan is responsible for delivering innovative products that leverage emerging technologies, representing the future
of play for Mattel. He also identifies and evaluates opportunities via partnerships with top tier technology companies.
He is currently leading the re-launch of View-Master as a kid-targeted virtual reality viewer and content platform in
collaboration with Google, while also heading up the partnership with Autodesk to deliver disruptive digital and 3D
printing experiences to kids and families. Previously, he held leadership roles at Slalom Consulting and Accenture.
Dr. Nis Bojin | Product Designer, Biba
•Nis has been a designer, strategist and writer in games and new media for nearly 10 years. He has worked on every
aspect of digital and new media product development from UX to content strategy and brings a well-established
pedigree in designing and consulting for educational games and apps for kids K-12. With a body of published
research behind him in the fields of game studies, language and design, Nis remains an active member of numerous
international game research initiatives with previous collaborative partners ranging from the National Screen Institute
to the Stanford Research Institute.
Alice Brooks | Co-Founder and CEO, Roominate
•Alice grew up playing in her dad’s robotics lab and made her first toy when she was only eight years old. When she
asked her dad for a Barbie, he gave her a saw instead. So she made her own doll out of wood and nails. Fast forward:
Alice graduated from MIT in 2010 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. She received her Master’s in Mechanical
Engineering from Stanford in June 2012. That year, she and a classmate co-founded Roominate, addressing the lack
of STEM-focused toys, especially for girls. In 2014, they pitched on Shark Tank and landed a deal with Mark Cuban. In
2015 Alice was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
John Seely Brown | Visiting Scholar and Advisor to the Provost, USC, and Independent Co-Chairman, Deloitte’s Center
for the Edge
•A master integrator and instigator of productive friction, JSB explores the white space between disciplines and builds
bridges between disparate organizations and ideas. He spent more than two decades at the Xerox Palo Alto Research
Center (PARC), where he transformed the organization into a truly multidisciplinary research center at the creative edge
of applied technology and design, integrating social sciences and arts into the traditional physics and computer science
research. He is currently a visiting scholar and advisor to the Provost at USC, where he facilitates collaboration between
the schools for Communication and Media and the Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT). JSB is also currently the
Independent Co-Chairman for Deloitte’s Center for the Edge, where he pursues research on institutional innovation and
a reimagined work environment built on digital culture, ubiquitous computing, and the need for constant learning.
Tara Tiger Brown | Co-Founder, LA Makerspace and Co-Founder, KitHub
•Tara is the co-founder of KitHub and Connected Camps. She also founded the nonprofit organization, LA Makerspace,
the primary STEAM service provider for the Los Angeles Public Library. She has served as a Director of Technology and
Senior Product Manager at Topspin Media (acquired by Beats Music), and has worked at Microsoft, Shazam, MacArthur
Foundation-funded Connected Learning Alliance, the Digital Media Learning Research Hub at UC Irvine, Born This Way
Foundation, and USC’s Annenberg Innovation Lab.
10
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Dr. J. Alison Bryant | Co-CEO and Chief Play Officer, PlayScience
•Alison is a leading researcher and expert on children’s learning in the 21st century, and on how technology impacts
families. At PlayScience, she overseas insights efforts and leads innovation around branding, content, and development
for global companies. Under her leadership, PlayScience has partnered with dozens of marquee family brands,
including Sesame Workshop, Disney, Girl Scouts, and others. Prior to PlayScience, Alison was Senior Research
Director of Digital Research and Strategy for the Nickelodeon/MTV Networks Kids & Family Group. Previously, she
was an assistant professor of communication at Indiana University. She has three edited books—The Children’s
Television Community, Television and the American Family (2nd ed.), and Integrating Service-Learning in the University
Classroom—and over 30 research articles and chapters. Alison earned her Ph.D. from the Annenberg School of
Communication at USC.
Todd Bryant | Creative Technologist
•An award-winning screenwriter, director, and producer of narrative video work, Todd hails from the Blue Ridge
Mountains of North Carolina where he spent the majority of his youth exploring and trying to get lost in the woods.
A current resident of Brooklyn and a recent graduate of the Interactive Telecommunications Program at the
Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, he continues to employ those innate proclivities through creative coding and the
construction of tangible interfaces for video art. Todd’s work explores the intersection of empathy, knowledge, and
the sublime with a focus on energy conservation and reused/recycled parts.
Brent Bushnell | CEO, Two Bit Circus
•Brent is the heart and soul of Two Bit Circus, a Los Angeles–based experiential entertainment company. Most
recently, the team launched STEAM Carnival, high-tech entertainment combined with hands–on projects to inspire
kids about science, technology, engineering, art, and math. Previously he was the on-camera inventor for the ABC TV
show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. He was a founding member of Syyn Labs, a creative collective creating stunts
for such brands as Google and Disney, and responsible for the viral hit Rube Goldberg music video for OK Go that
garnered 45 million views. Brent enjoys mentoring teens in entrepreneurship. He publishes at brentbushnell.com, and
@brentbushnell.
Sherri Hope Culver | Director, Center for Media and Information Literacy, Temple University
•Sherri is an associate professor at Temple University, where she also serves as Director of the CMIL. She is on the
Board of Directors of the National Association for Media Literacy Education, serving as its president for three terms,
and she regularly presents internationally on media literacy and children’s media issues. She is the co-editor of the
UNESCO Yearbooks for 2015, 2014, and 2013 on Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue, and author
of the books The Television and Video Survival Guide and The Media Career Guide.
Chris Denson | Director, Ignition Factory, Omnicom Media Group, and Host, Innovation Crush
•Chris’ career has spanned marketing, media, technology integration, and product innovation. He is currently Director
of the Ignition Factory, one of the key groups responsible for innovation across media, technology, and “first-ever”
marketing for OMD clients. Prior to joining OMD, Chris worked both domestically and internationally, holding posts as
the Head of Marketing for American Film Institute’s Digital Content Lab, Founder of Genius Effect Media Group, Director
of Innovation at The Regan Group, Director of Marketing for the New York Film Academy, and consultant to organizations
from Africa to Italy. He is an advisory board member of the SXSW 2015 Accelerator, Mobile Excellence Awards, Custom
College Recruiting, Pluto TV, and a regular guest speaker at industry trade events and educational institutions.
Additionally, Chris hosts a #1 ranked podcast series called Innovation Crush with over 700,000 global listeners.
Jesyca Durchin | Creative Producer, Nena Media
Jesyca is a dreamer—and a successful producer—known for innovative transmedia products for global brands such as
Barbie, Disney Princess, and Harry Potter plus her own IP products, including All-Star Cheer Squad (THQ) and Digital
Dollhouse. A pioneer in gaming and digital entertainment who happens to be female, Jesyca revolutionized online play
for girls as well as women. With the recent sale of her company, Digital Playspace, to 3D Systems, Jesyca is now tapping
into her experience as a ride creator, toy designer, and film producer to create next-generation entertainment. She is an
inspirational team-builder and mentor with valuable insights into play patterns, brainstorming, and dreaming.
The Intersection of Real-World & Digital Engagement
11
the
speakers
Laurel Felt, Ph.D., | Lecturer, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
•Laurel has worked in the youth media and education space for over 15 years, learning through play as a preschool
teacher, children’s television production assistant, improviser, and on-site curriculum developer for youth media
workshops in Senegal and India. She currently teaches at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and
Journalism, consults for Common Sense Media, and directs the Student Voice Project, a non-profit committed to
supporting journalism education and student media for at-risk youth. Dr. Felt’s research interests include media literacy,
social and emotional learning, service-learning, and the pedagogical potentials of play and improvisation.
Bill Goodwyn | President and CEO, Discovery Education
•Bill is an acknowledged thought leader on digital learning and innovation in the education industry. Since joining
Discovery Education in 2007, he has transformed the division into the nation’s leading provider of digital content for
K–12 classrooms. Bill successfully launched the development and implementation of interactive digital textbooks,
or “Techbooks,” and the company’s work in public-private partnerships to provide needed resources to schools and
communities at no cost. Acknowledged for his passion and commitment to excellence and innovation in education,
EdTech Digest recognized Bill with their prestigious Leadership Award. Bill is is currently a trustee for the Committee
for Economic Development and the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy. Additionally, he serves on the
Board for the Central Piedmont Community College Foundation, Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing
Education Foundation, T Howard Foundation, and the UNC School of Media and Journalism Board of Advisors.
Gwen Gordon | Director, NOW Playing!
•Gwen is an Emmy Award-winning writer and creative director who began a life of play building Muppets for Sesame
Street. She left the “Street” to join an Apple research group at the MIT Media Lab where she built playstations for
children. Gwen has been an artist-in-residence in settings ranging from Xerox PARC to San Quentin State Prison. She
earned her master's degree in philosophy and is a pioneer in the field of adult transformative play, publishing and
teaching widely on the subject. Gwen has applied her insights to the design of programs for companies including IDEO
and PepsiCo, groups ranging from life coaches to TSA security officers, and for popular films including What the Bleep
Do We Know?!, The Story of Stuff, THRIVE, and SPLIT. Gwen currently blogs for Huffington Post and is producing a
two-hour PBS documentary about the importance of play called NOW Playing!
Margaret Honey | President and CEO, New York Hall of Science
•Margaret is recognized for her work using digital technologies to support STEM learning. Under her leadership, NYSCI
has adopted Design-Make-Play as its signature strategy to promote STEM engagement. Prior to joining NYSCI in 2008,
she was Vice President of Wireless Generation, an education technology company. Earlier, she spent 15 years as vice
president of the Education Development Center and director of EDC’s Center for Children and Technology. Margaret has
directed numerous research projects including efforts to identify teaching practices and assessments for 21st-century
skills, collaborations with PBS, CPB, and other public television stations, and with colleagues at Bank Street College of
Education, she created one of the first internet-based professional development programs. She is a board member of
the National Academies of Science's Board on Science Education and the National Science Foundation’s Education and
Human Resources Advisory Committee.
Dan Judkins | Vice President, Integrated Play and Mobile Gaming, Hasbro
•Dan is a creative and strategic product, experience and brand creator with 16 years in the interactive play industry. He
cut his teeth at Tiger Electronics where he focused on creating trend-based, insight-driven and technology-forward toys
and brands like iDog; the world’s first iPod-connected toy. He expanded his experience in leading development on the
re-launch of Playskool Alphie and creation of Transformers Rescue Bots. He has since led the physical/digital revolution
within Hasbro with the reinvention of the Furby franchise. Dan now heads up the Integrated Play (iPLAY) group at
Hasbro. He leads the team with a vision and cultivation of creative collaboration as they develop interactive experiences
that fuse physical toys with mobile software across Hasbro’s brand portfolio including Transformers, Monopoly and My
Little Pony.
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Shara Karasic | Co-Founder, CoderDojo Los Angeles
•Shara is a co-founder of CoderDojo Los Angeles, a free coding club that teaches kids algorithms through such
concepts as a step-by-step creation of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She is currently focused on developing
mobile app and basic computer science curricula that resonate with youth from diverse LA communities. Shara was
the editor of Cyberteens, one of the first ever teen sites, and then led the online community for Classroom Connect’s
Quest, where K–12 students followed adventurers online to explore scientific and historical mysteries such as Did Marco
Polo really go to China? Inspired by the Quest to travel, Shara became a Geekcorps volunteer in Ghana in 2001 and
mentored Ghanaians in technology skills. She is a contributor to O’Reilly Media’s Designing Social Interfaces.
Alisa Katz | Sr. Producer, Cortina Productions
•Alisa, a native New Yorker and graduate of University of California, San Diego, attended the Film Academy of Prague
(FAMU). Her film-producing experience includes Edward Zwick’s Defiance, Michael Mann’s Miami Vice, and Pieter Jan
Brugge’s The Clearing. She produced a 22-episode web series for Michael Eisner’s web distribution outlet, Vuguru.
Additionally, she was the Director of Production for Unity Productions, and served on Fox Searchlight’s creative
advertising team for film campaigns, including Napoleon Dynamite, I Heart Huckabees, Sideways, and Kinsey. Alisa
has held positions with the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Israel Film Festival, Lake Placid Film Forum,
and the Cannes Market, and has served on the documentary jury and several panels for the Edinburgh International
Film Festival. Alisa recently completed her master’s in Art+Design with an eye towards new media and interactive
storytelling. At Cortina Productions, she creates innovative film and interactive content for the museum space.
Dr. Karen Kaun | Founder and President, Makeosity, Inc.
•Karen is an e-learning innovator whose work in the public and private sectors, domestically and internationally,
has received acclaim in such media as The New York Times Education Life and Technology and Learning magazine.
The book Recapturing Technology for Education, describes her pioneering social networks as “a shadow revolution,”
anticipating how education will be shaped in the future by technology. Karen’s Maker Kids program has been integrated
in New York City schools’ curriculum, has reached hundreds of teachers and thousands of students, and has been
featured on the NY 1 News Connect a Million Minds report and in the book Design, Make, Play: Growing the Next
Generation of STEM Innovators. Her newest initiative is Makeosity, Inc., a hybrid on/off-school site and online e-learning
community that engages teachers and students in STEAM through making, invention, product incubation, and
entrepreneurialism.
Elan Lee | Co-Creator of Exploding Kittens
•Elan is a professional technologist and storyteller. He founded several companies including 42 Entertainment and
Fourth Wall Studios. He was the Chief Design Officer at Xbox Entertainment Studios, and most recently co-created
Exploding Kittens, the most funded game on Kickstarter, and the most backed crowd funded project in history. Elan has
won awards for Best Web Game of the Year, Best Advertising Campaign of the Year, Best Idea of the Year, the Indiecade
Trailblazer award, and an Emmy for Original Interactive Programming.
Paul J. Levine | Co-CEO and President, PlayScience
•A media and technology veteran with 20+ years of experience, Paul is Co-CEO and President of PlayScience, where he
leads strategy, product development, and events activities. Previously, Paul was an EVP at National Geographic where
he led the global Interactive Platforms Division, Corporate Strategy, and Product Development groups, which launched
more than 150 multi-platform products and services. Paul’s teams also spearheaded Nat Geo’s Kids & Family strategy,
which included the development and launch of Animal Jam, NG Kids Mobile, and many of the organization’s for-profit
K–12 initiatives. Paul has also held executive roles at AOL and Ruckus Network (acquired by Sony), spanning digital
entertainment, mobile, messaging, technology, and strategic alliances.
The Intersection of Real-World & Digital Engagement
13
the
speakers
Rob Lippincott | Managing Director, i2 Education
•Rob has a 30-year track record leading learning innovation while achieving financial success for public and private
enterprise. Prior to working with the impact investing firm i2 Capital Group, he served as PBS SVP for Education, SVP
for Discovery Education, GM of the Family Education Network at Pearson, CEO of TEACH-NOW, and as an executive at
Ziff-Davis, AT&T, and WGBH. In addition to serving on the board of NAMLE, Enlearn and the Kendal Corp, he has served
on Learning Games Publishing Council and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and helped found the Interactive
Multimedia Association. Rob was a K–12 teacher, on the faculty at Harvard Graduate School of Education and Assistant
Headmaster at Stowe School.
Carolina Martín | Senior Vice President, DonorsChoose.org
•Carolina manages DonorsChoose.org in the West region. She is responsible for all on-the-ground activities, including
developing partnerships in schools, raising funds, recruiting volunteers, and most importantly, building a strong
community of donors for students in the West region. Carolina started her career as an elementary school teacher in
Los Angeles and San Diego, served as the Executive Director for Summerbridge in the Bay Area, then worked at the
Hispanic Scholarship Fund, where she served as the Director of Community and Scholar Relations. Most recently,
Carolina served as Vice President for Hispanic Initiatives for Sallie Mae in California and the Northwest. Carolina holds
a Bachelor of Arts in Education and a Master's in Educational Leadership from the University of San Diego.
Joby Otero | Chief Creative Officer, Anki
•Joby is a 25-year veteran of the games industry, having worked on nearly every genre and aspect of development.
He has held a wide variety of positions including studio head, publishing executive, advisor, and consultant. Prior to
joining Anki, he was Vice President of Art and Technology and a Creative Director at Activision, where he was a key
leader in driving the creation of the multi-billion dollar Skylanders franchise—the first product to successfully combine
toys and video games. At Anki, Joby oversees creative development and is heavily focused on the upcoming launch of
Anki OVERDRIVE, a battle-racing game that features real-life robotic supercars. He leads a gaming studio within the
company to create uniquely advanced entertainment experiences via the best of toys, video games, robotics, and AI.
Zoran Popovic´ | Professor of Computer Science, University of Washington, and Director of the Center for Game Science
•Zoran’s research focuses on scientific discovery through game play, learning games, high-fidelity human
modeling, and animation. He is the lead of the Foldit game project, a scientific-discovery game where more than
500,000 non-expert PC users around the world solve 3D structural puzzles and subsequently take an active part
in the scientific discovery in biochemistry. The results of Foldit have been published in Nature.
Erin Reilly | Managing Director and Research Fellow, Annenberg Innovation Lab
•Erin, known for bridging industry and academia, oversees all aspects of programming, product design, and mentoring
at USC’s Annenberg Innovation Lab. Her research focuses on new media literacies, transmedia play and learning,
audience engagement, and the future of media and entertainment. Before coming to USC, Erin was Research Director
for Project New Media Literacies at MIT. Some of her publications include T is for Transmedia: Learning through
Transmedia Play, Shall We PLAY?, PLAY! (Participatory Learning and YOU!), and Designing with Teachers: Participatory
Approaches to Professional Development in Education. She is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences,
Vice President of NAMLE, and serves on several educational advisory boards, including Disney Junior's.
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Dylan Siegel | Awesome Kid and Author
•“Chocolate Bar” means awesome to Dylan, who at six years old wrote a book of the same title to raise money towards
a cure for his friend’s rare liver disease. Independently published and distributed, Chocolate Bar has raised over
$1,000,000 and sold nearly 30,000 copies. All proceeds have gone to the GSD 1B Research Fund at the University of
Florida, where Chocolate Bar has been credited with putting a cure on the horizon. Dylan has appeared on numerous
media programs, including ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir, CBS’ The Doctors; Headline News’ Raising
America, Fox News’ Fox & Friends; Today in Australia, RTL in Germany, Nippon TV in Japan, as well as in newspapers,
magazines, and websites. He is the recipient of Global Genes’ Champions of Hope award, University of Florida’s
Academy of Golden Gators Young Philanthropist Award, Charlotte Bacon Act of Kindness Award, and the Zimmer
Museum’s Random Acts of Kid-ness Award. Now nine, Dylan’s next goal is to share his story to help all kids discover how
they too can positively impact their world. Dylan lives in Los Angeles with his mom, dad, two brothers, and six fish.
Francesca Marie Smith | Research Fellow, USC Annenberg Innovation Lab
•Drawing on over 25 years of experience in split between the entertainment industry and academia, and more than a
decade of scholarship, Francesca explores the past, present, and future of storytelling, including the ways technology
interfaces with imagination. Currently, she designs and consults with major studios and media companies, including
Niantic Labs (formerly a Google startup), while also working as a research fellow at USC’s Annenberg Innovation
Lab. Her academic background ranges from linguistics, rhetoric, and (dis)ability to drama, dance, and transmedia
storytelling, inspiring a perspective that is equal parts analysis, artistry, and something like what Henry Jenkins calls
critical utopianism: Imagining the best possible worlds and then investigating what it would take to get there.
Mya Stark | Director, LA Makerspace
•After graduating from UCLA’ s film school, Mya began her career as a screenwriter for studios including Disney
Touchstone, Warner Bros., and Paramount. In 2009 she founded the development department at Cinefamily, a nonprofit
cinematheque, while at the same time curated an art gallery focused on presenting relational art in the public sphere.
In February of 2014, she joined the Advisory Board of LA Makerspace, and transitioned to serving as Director of the
organization, which is the primary provider of STEAM education for the Los Angeles Public Library system. Mya likes
art, science, artists, and scientists. And bugs, rocks, plants, and animals And light. And robots.
Tara Sorensen | Head of Kids Programmng, Amazon Studios
•Tara oversees development and production of original kids programming at Amazon Studios.. She joined Amazon
from National Geographic, where she was VP, Kids Programming for the Emmy Award-winning Toot & Puddle for
Nick Jr. and Mama Mirabelle’s Home Movies for PBS. Prior to that, Sorensen was VP, Kids Programming for Sony and
headed the development of Dragon Tales for PBS; Jackie Chan Adventures and Men in Black for Kids’ WB!; Stuart Little
and the Emmy Award-winning Harold and the Purple Crayon for HBO Family. Previously, Tara worked at Nelvana and
spearheaded development for Rolie Polie Olie and Franklin.
Matt Toner | CEO, Biba
•Throughout his career, Matt has concentrated on the creative direction of projects ranging from bleeding-edge mobile
games to multi-platform television series to nationwide comic creation campaigns. Matt was drawn to digital media
during the dot-com boom of the 1990s and has seen it become an unrelenting transformative force that has redefined
not just how organizations see themselves, but how they operate in the world. Biba is Matt’s latest venture: He and his
team are designing “smart” playground systems that can provide innovative play experiences to meet a range of needs
for children, their families, and the communities in which they live.
William Zhou | Co-Founder and CEO, Chalk.com
•William has been passionate about entrepreneurship from a young age, founding his first company in high school. He
launched his first Internet business in 2010, which he sold at the age of 18, during his first year of computer science at
the University of Waterloo. To pursue the bigger challenge of changing education,Willliam founded Chalk.com to create
a productivity suite for K-12 teachers. Forbes recently named him top 30 under 30. Today, Chalk.com is used in over
20,000 schools and Chalk.com is empowering teachers to focus on what matters most—their students.
The Intersection of Real-World & Digital Engagement
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