ChiTAG
Mary Couzin is the Founder of the Chicago Toy and Game Group, Toy&Game Innovation Conferences, TAGIE Awards, PlayCHIC, and the Young Inventor Challenge.
Mary grew up in Indiana, where she enjoyed playing with her Lite-Brite and baking in her Easy-Bake Oven and still loves to bake today. She believes the toys and games we played as kids influence our lives later on. Mary loved school, had a lot of friends, and genuinely enjoyed her time. She considered herself “one of those really good kids”, was the class president of her high school for 2 years, Homecoming Queen, and maintained a high grade point average.
Mary chose to attend the University of Notre Dame because her father didn’t believe girls should be allowed there. She earned her MBA from Loyola because she was living in Chicago at the time and they gave Mary credit for some classes she had taken from Notre Dame. This allowed her to earn her Masters degree a year sooner.
Chicago Toy & Game Group
The Chicago Toy & Game Group promotes play and innovation through events, monthly e-newsletters reaching over 245,000 people in the industry, inventors, consumers, educators, bloggers, scouts, traditional and social media.
ChiTAG (Chicago Toy And Game) Events:
Chicago Toy & Game Fair
Chicago Toy & Game Fair is the largest non-hobby public toy/game fair in North America. Meet and learn from your consumers! This is the biggest and most cost effective focus group anywhere. Traditional ,social media, and bloggers love this event! They attend to report what’s hot for the holidays. Early open to media/trade. Emphasis on interactive/hands-on and meeting inventors at Navy Pier the weekend before Black Friday. www.chitag.com
The Inventor & Innovation Conferences with top industry executives. Learn, network, pitch your ideas to dozens of companies. www.chitag.com/conferences
The Toy & Game Innovation Awards Dinner, the TAGIEs, celebrating inventors www.chitag.com/tagies
PlayCHIC pairs haute couture fashion designers with game and toy brands to create media worthy playful runway looks. www.chitag.com/playchic
Educator Conference is for teachers to incorporate play in the classroom. www.g4ed.com
Star Wars Character Breakfast
Young Inventor Challenge www.chitag.com/yic
Young TECH Challenge www.chitag.com/ytc
ChiTAG year round activities include:
DiscoverToysandGames.com – World’s largest co-op of Independent Toy and Game Inventors.
Hosting Get-Togethers around the world.
Specialties: Connecting people, helping toy and game inventors, promoting inventors and play to the public anywhere and everywhere we can, bringing play and games into the classroom and libraries, quality fundraising (www.gamesforfundraising.com)
Work Experience
Chicago Toy and Game Group, Inc.
President & Founder
Jan 2002 – Present
The Chicago Toy & Game Group produces ChiTAG Week with events promoting and celebrating innovation and play through consumer events and fairs, inventor and innovation conferences, toy inspired fashion shows, innovation awards, inventors of all ages, inventor challenges and get-togethers around the world.
Mary created the Chicago Toy & Game Fair was in 2003. It was the first and is now the largest non-hobby toy and game fair targeting families in North America. The Chicago Toy & Game Fair continues to grow each year and has added events over the years including Innovation Conferences serving professional and new inventors in addition to company licensors (2006), Toy & Game Innovation Awards (TAGIEs) (2008), Young Inventor Challenge (2006), Blogger and Media Breakfast Event (2009), PlayCHIC Fashion Show (2012) and the Young Tech Challenge (2016).
The ChiTAG Group is a family of initiatives designed to encourage and promote the power of play and joy of invention in social, educational, and professional environments.
Chicago Toy & Game Foundation
President
Jun 2011 – Present
The Chicago Toy and Game Foundation is a philanthropic one that promoting play and supporting children’s organizations including the Young Inventor Challenge and the Young TECH Challenge.
The Strong
Selection Committee Member National Toy Hall of Fame
Aug 2010 – Present
Established in 1998, the National Toy Hall of Fame, housed at Strong National Museum of Play, recognizes the toys that have inspired creative play and enjoyed popularity over a sustained period. The National Toy Hall of Fame annually inducts and showcases new and historic versions of classic toys beloved by generations.
DiscoverToysandGames.com
President
1998 – Present Employment
DiscoverToysandGames.com is a co-op or incubator of toy and game inventors. They show their products at NY Toy Fair, ASTRA and ChiTAG and help them get their start. Their members also receive a 20% discount on the events on ChiTAG events.
The Invention Stories Podcast
on YouTube and More…
Click here to learn more about Invention Stories
and here for Women Inventors and the 7 Percent.
To watch more Invention Stories on YouTube, please click here.
If you are new to inventing, we invite you to visit Episode 1 with Forbes Riley.
Click here to visit (and Like) the Invention Stories Facebook Page.
Finally, we invite you to sign our Guest Book.
Thank you for reading this and please…tell a friend.
5 Mary Couzin Links
First of all…Mary Couzin – President & Founder – Chicago Toy and Game Group …
Also…Mary Couzin – Founder of Chicago Toy & Game Fair – IdeaMensch
In addition…Global Toy News: Posts by Mary Couzin
Furthermore…Mary Couzin | Facebook
Finally…Mary Couzin – FamilyTech
5 ChiTAG Links
First of all…ChiTAG (Chicago Toy and Game) Week
Also…Chicago Toy & Game Week – Home | Facebook
In addition…ChiTAG Week (@ChiTAGWeek) | Twitter
Furthermore…What is ChiTAG (Chicago Toy and Game Fair) and Why You Should …
Finally…Our Top 5 Favorite Games and Toys at ChiTag (Chicago Toy and …
