"Full time I work as a Chemist, and the toy industry is out of my realm of experience and network.  So, I needed some way to get inside..."

Toy Creator Academy is a great program that teaches how the toy business works and how to become part of it.

Azhelle Wade is great 💪 I learned slot from her. She is very professional. And gave my an excellent tips how to continue to develop my toy. I recommend TCA. ❤️

I learned so so much from my time in the class and continue to in the Toy Creators Club! I have direction for my children’s book/toy brand that I was seriously lacking before! It is a truly wonderful experience!

TCA gave me solid toy connections, manufacturing info, multiple sizzle videos, knowledge on how to pitch, and membership to ASTRA. My biggest win was receiving validation as a creative person of color. I feel very blessed to be an alum of TCA. This program has supported me and guided me to reach new heights.

I'm a toy inventor and founder of Learning the Mind. TCA helped me push my toy business forward by giving me a road map, helping me figure out how to explain idea to a toy designer, and the process of finding and vetting factories. My biggest win is that I have a sense of what is needed and the process to follow.

Azhelle Wade is your go to person when it comes to toys. Being a part of the TCA was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I learned so much and had a lot of fun while going so. Also, bonus point, you get to meet incredible people that will stand by your side while you grow your business. Best investment I ever made.

Azhelle Wade is the best mentor in the toy industry and signing up for the Toy Creators Academy was one of the smartest decisions I’ve made in further developing my brand. Not only that, but I’m now part of an amazing community of toy creators that are always willing to support one another- something I find to be extremely beneficial ✨

TCA is the best place to bring your toy and game ideas to life!! I still can't believe that I have been able to pitch my game ideas to multiple toy companies because what I have learned in this class. Azhelle Wade has helped me start to achieve my dream of being in the toy business, as well as connecting me with other toy people. Don't miss out!!

One of the best things I did to figure out my strategy for Catoms was to join Toy Creators Academy. The weekly meetings, networking with other students, and Azhelle's knowledge and contacts were very unique offerings that I don't think I could have gotten anywhere else. Her course material and expertise in the toy industry really helped me find the right direction for my IP. Azhelle connected me to the right people and showed me opportunities to pitch that I did not know were possible. I cannot recommend her course enough.

TCA helped in many ways! The templates we received, the examples that Azhelle shared, and the specific advice Azhelle gave to me was particularly helpful. Also, the community on Facebook was also very supportive, informative and friendly. The most useful part of the TCA experience was having the opportunity to be face-to-face with toy company decision makers. My biggest WIN was being introduced to specific people at different toy and game companies. And knowing other companies who were part of the pitch event and who are actively looking for ideas takes a lot of the stress out of the whole process.

TCA and working with Azhelle helped us take our idea to the next level to fill out a BOM, find a factory and receive our first prototype to market test our toy idea. Getting our first prototype and figuring out our next steps. Our experience with the TCA has been excellent! The amount of information and resources is a bit overwhelming at first but also so EXCITING and MOTIVATING! Definitely happy that we joined because we now have a vision, goals and to-do lists started! How to even get started! From taking an idea to reality and determining if it was even a good idea! Our creation has not been sold yet, but we do have a prototype that we introduced to our ITM parents and kids which seemed to be well-received.

AHHMAAZINGG!! Having only an idea and zero experience in the toy industry, I was hesitant to join Toy Creators Academy at first, but I am so pleased that I did. Azhelle is incredible at what she does - anyone can be experienced in their field, but Azhelle is experienced but also knows how to communicate her knowledge in simple and concise ways. She makes the content so achievable and I was so impressed each week with the resources Azhelle had created - they were such high quality, so thorough and were so helpful for each step I was at. I learnt things in this course that I will use even in different areas of my life - like how to do SWOT analyses and how to vett factories. With this course, I feel that I have the steps to create a successful product, even if I don't have the perfect idea just yet.

I started selling online a few years ago, but my toy wasn't ready for retail. TCA helped me figure out the whole path to break into retail. Today I'm delivering my first wholesale order to a retail partner. I landed a wholesale order from a bookstore chain and I have signed sales terms with a toy store chain. It has been fantastic! Azhelle is very knowledgeable of everything that is required to bring a toy idea to market. I'm very happy I joined TCA. Packaging my toy for retail success I started selling on my own website a few years ago www.angelitosmagicos.com/. Now I sell at Amazon Mexico and other marketplaces, I also started selling wholesale to Librerías Porrúa. And Im about to get my first order from a toy store chain.

zhelle is one of the most positive, generous and helpful people I have ever met. I participated in her Toy Creators Academy. She had insightful videos and lessons every week with tons of resources. I went from a vague understanding of the toy industry to gaining great clarity of knowing what path I wanted to take and what I would need to do to be successful. Azhelle is always so patient, making sure to answer everyone's questions and give all of her clients individualized attention and guidance. I also hired Azhelle for one on one coaching that was absolutely essential for me to determine the most cost effective strategies for me to continue moving forward with ideas and games. I highly recommend Azhelle to anyone already in and or thinking about getting in the toy development, inventors, and entrepreneurs. As a result of TCA I grew my toy industry contact list by 1000 new contacts!

Before going through the Toy Creators Academy, I needed guidance about developing a toy for the marketplace and getting in front of toy companies and retailers. I also needed to learn how to pitch my toy ideas! My toy was in its first store within 7 months of starting the Toy Creators Academy! The Toy Creators Academy provided all the information I needed to pitch my toy idea confidently. From developing a pitch deck to making a sizzle video, it’s all there. Going through the Toy Creators Academy has been the cheat code that has helped me level up my toy inventor career. Azhelle, The Toy Coach, has been a muse. She unlocked all the doors that kept me from moving forward with my toy ideas. From idea conception to prototyping and working with manufacturers overseas while ensuring the toy conforms with the children’s product safety rules and creating retail packaging, the Toy Creators Academy covered it!

TCA gave me confidence and confirmation that my ideas are valuable and opened me to the world of toys, making me feel comfortable and happy to be showing my ideas. At this moment I have two concepts quite developed and I hope that some of the companies for which I presented are interested in developing them. In the event that I did not receive feedback on this, I now feel able to face new companies on my own. I feel that I am no longer a beginner and that gives me strength and confidence to enter the toy business as if I were already part of it. I feel grateful and lucky. It was really a dream for me to participate in the TCA but I did not have the resources nor did I feel that I was not inventive enough to participate. Richard Derr gave me an opportunity that I will possibly be grateful to him for the rest of my life. I know this is just the beginning and I know I definitely started off on the right foot. I didn't know how to put together a toy pitch and I didn't know how to approach the big international companies either.

I was relying on what I had read in books and I was always questioning myself. TCA gave a clear path. I have much more knowledge and insight into the toy industry. Now after finishing TCA, I have completed my elevator pitch, sizzle video and I'm prepared for the next step of licensing it. My biggest win is being able to understand what toy companies expect when presenting new toys and ideas. Although, I have read many books, I really had no clue how structured it is. I really would have wasted a lot of time and would have been unprepared had I not taken this class. I was fortunate to have met Azhelle at the Long Beach ASTRA. I was apprehensive before joining because I didn't know anything about the toy industry and wasn't sure if I would gain anything from enrolling in TCA. As I went through the different modules I began to learn everything from A to Z. The step by step formats are easy to understand and follow. Azhelle listens and has so much knowledge to share. My only regret is I wish I had found her when I was in the earliest stage of creating my card game. I created a card game and I didn't know how to proceed with the next step.

As a career Executive Assistant working full time and trying to get my toy ideas off the ground was a real struggle before TCA. With limited time and resources, I was going in too many directions at once, worried about missing something important and pitching my ideas as an obvious amateur. I didn't want to fail in first impression or do something wrong, so I did nothing. I had analysis paralysis. Since taking TCA, I am pitching like a pro! Not only am I ready to pitch my new retail product, but I was inspired to pull out all my older, dusty ideas pitch those as well. After dusting them off, I am now working on four different concepts and have the confidence I need to create sizzle videos, showcase my products and create prototypes. I know where all the annual toys events take place and which ones to attend. I am excited to see where this new year will take me. My biggest win from TCA is my CONFIDENCE! I now have confidence to move forward. I know that every success comes from an attempt and I want to know either way whether my ideas are licensable. So, my biggest win was Azhelle's help in building my confidence with the specialized knowledge I now have.

TCA helped me figure out what to do with each of my ideas. With TCA’s clear instructions and assistance, Azhelle gave me the step-by-step process I needed to implement each idea. Some I am working on as an inventor, creating content, finding factories, and publishing it on my own. For others, I am creating presentations and pitching to toy companies. I have also discovered a love for freelance design that I didn't even know I had! I am no longer lost and have a clear and concise path to follow. N one of which I ever would have been able to do without the TCA! Learning how to pitch, then using that knowledge in a real world professional manor. I loved it! I enjoy learning new things in general, and every lesson was valuable. I printed out all the handouts so I could keep a binder of knowledge for when I need to reference anything in the future. Having the knowledge to make the best decisions for any situation is invaluable. I enjoyed my classmates and even joined the Toy Creators Club to keep the party going! I was struggling hard with where to take my own childrens book and toy brand, along with a few other ideas that were just waiting in the wings with no where to go.

When I came to TCA, I needed help finding sources for different parts of my toy development, packaging, manufacturing and business planning for launch. Her program was comprehensive and covered all aspects of the toy development journey, including these key pain points for me. The biggest win for me at TCA was that through the contacts I made and the advice I received from Azhelle, I was able to unblock my "stuck" project and keep it moving forward. I am so grateful for this program which is geared towards entrepreneurs and inventors, like me! I am so grateful for Azhelle and the Toy Creators Academy. This program helped me put together many pieces of my strategic plan and development plan for my toy project that I would have struggled with on my own. TCA covers all aspects of toy development for each phase of the process. It's very holistic with tools, templates, contacts available, and it helps you work through the course in an accessible, engaging and interactive way for adult learners with each session. It was invaluable to me in my business development path. In addition, through the TCA, we have established a great network of contacts with others on the same journey and with important toy industry professionals.   Azhelle is a fabulous teacher, coach and mentor for her students! She brings tremendous knowledge, experience, insights and connections across the toy industry. Her style is positive and inspirational. Her energy and passion are contagious! She directly engages with her students and provides real-time, critical feedback to help guide them in her Q&A and coaching sessions. You feel the focus and interest she has in your success, as she gets into important details to help you with your specific needs.   I would highly recommend TCA and working with Azhelle! She is a dynamic, empowering leader who is changing the toy industry by enabling fresh, new ideas and encouraging new inventors to be successful in this space.

Toy Creator Academy is a great program that teaches how the toy business works and how to become part of it.

Azhelle Wade is great 💪 I learned slot from her. She is very professional. And gave my an excellent tips how to continue to develop my toy. I recommend TCA. ❤️

I learned so so much from my time in the class and continue to in the Toy Creators Club! I have direction for my children’s book/toy brand that I was seriously lacking before! It is a truly wonderful experience!

TCA gave me solid toy connections, manufacturing info, multiple sizzle videos, knowledge on how to pitch, and membership to ASTRA. My biggest win was receiving validation as a creative person of color. I feel very blessed to be an alum of TCA. This program has supported me and guided me to reach new heights.

I'm a toy inventor and founder of Learning the Mind. TCA helped me push my toy business forward by giving me a road map, helping me figure out how to explain idea to a toy designer, and the process of finding and vetting factories. My biggest win is that I have a sense of what is needed and the process to follow.

Azhelle Wade is your go to person when it comes to toys. Being a part of the TCA was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I learned so much and had a lot of fun while going so. Also, bonus point, you get to meet incredible people that will stand by your side while you grow your business. Best investment I ever made.

Azhelle Wade is the best mentor in the toy industry and signing up for the Toy Creators Academy was one of the smartest decisions I’ve made in further developing my brand. Not only that, but I’m now part of an amazing community of toy creators that are always willing to support one another- something I find to be extremely beneficial ✨

TCA is the best place to bring your toy and game ideas to life!! I still can't believe that I have been able to pitch my game ideas to multiple toy companies because what I have learned in this class. Azhelle Wade has helped me start to achieve my dream of being in the toy business, as well as connecting me with other toy people. Don't miss out!!

One of the best things I did to figure out my strategy for Catoms was to join Toy Creators Academy. The weekly meetings, networking with other students, and Azhelle's knowledge and contacts were very unique offerings that I don't think I could have gotten anywhere else. Her course material and expertise in the toy industry really helped me find the right direction for my IP. Azhelle connected me to the right people and showed me opportunities to pitch that I did not know were possible. I cannot recommend her course enough.

TCA helped in many ways! The templates we received, the examples that Azhelle shared, and the specific advice Azhelle gave to me was particularly helpful. Also, the community on Facebook was also very supportive, informative and friendly. The most useful part of the TCA experience was having the opportunity to be face-to-face with toy company decision makers. My biggest WIN was being introduced to specific people at different toy and game companies. And knowing other companies who were part of the pitch event and who are actively looking for ideas takes a lot of the stress out of the whole process.

TCA and working with Azhelle helped us take our idea to the next level to fill out a BOM, find a factory and receive our first prototype to market test our toy idea. Getting our first prototype and figuring out our next steps. Our experience with the TCA has been excellent! The amount of information and resources is a bit overwhelming at first but also so EXCITING and MOTIVATING! Definitely happy that we joined because we now have a vision, goals and to-do lists started! How to even get started! From taking an idea to reality and determining if it was even a good idea! Our creation has not been sold yet, but we do have a prototype that we introduced to our ITM parents and kids which seemed to be well-received.

AHHMAAZINGG!! Having only an idea and zero experience in the toy industry, I was hesitant to join Toy Creators Academy at first, but I am so pleased that I did. Azhelle is incredible at what she does - anyone can be experienced in their field, but Azhelle is experienced but also knows how to communicate her knowledge in simple and concise ways. She makes the content so achievable and I was so impressed each week with the resources Azhelle had created - they were such high quality, so thorough and were so helpful for each step I was at. I learnt things in this course that I will use even in different areas of my life - like how to do SWOT analyses and how to vett factories. With this course, I feel that I have the steps to create a successful product, even if I don't have the perfect idea just yet.

I started selling online a few years ago, but my toy wasn't ready for retail. TCA helped me figure out the whole path to break into retail. Today I'm delivering my first wholesale order to a retail partner. I landed a wholesale order from a bookstore chain and I have signed sales terms with a toy store chain. It has been fantastic! Azhelle is very knowledgeable of everything that is required to bring a toy idea to market. I'm very happy I joined TCA. Packaging my toy for retail success I started selling on my own website a few years ago www.angelitosmagicos.com/. Now I sell at Amazon Mexico and other marketplaces, I also started selling wholesale to Librerías Porrúa. And Im about to get my first order from a toy store chain.

zhelle is one of the most positive, generous and helpful people I have ever met. I participated in her Toy Creators Academy. She had insightful videos and lessons every week with tons of resources. I went from a vague understanding of the toy industry to gaining great clarity of knowing what path I wanted to take and what I would need to do to be successful. Azhelle is always so patient, making sure to answer everyone's questions and give all of her clients individualized attention and guidance. I also hired Azhelle for one on one coaching that was absolutely essential for me to determine the most cost effective strategies for me to continue moving forward with ideas and games. I highly recommend Azhelle to anyone already in and or thinking about getting in the toy development, inventors, and entrepreneurs. As a result of TCA I grew my toy industry contact list by 1000 new contacts!

Before going through the Toy Creators Academy, I needed guidance about developing a toy for the marketplace and getting in front of toy companies and retailers. I also needed to learn how to pitch my toy ideas! My toy was in its first store within 7 months of starting the Toy Creators Academy! The Toy Creators Academy provided all the information I needed to pitch my toy idea confidently. From developing a pitch deck to making a sizzle video, it’s all there. Going through the Toy Creators Academy has been the cheat code that has helped me level up my toy inventor career. Azhelle, The Toy Coach, has been a muse. She unlocked all the doors that kept me from moving forward with my toy ideas. From idea conception to prototyping and working with manufacturers overseas while ensuring the toy conforms with the children’s product safety rules and creating retail packaging, the Toy Creators Academy covered it!

TCA gave me confidence and confirmation that my ideas are valuable and opened me to the world of toys, making me feel comfortable and happy to be showing my ideas. At this moment I have two concepts quite developed and I hope that some of the companies for which I presented are interested in developing them. In the event that I did not receive feedback on this, I now feel able to face new companies on my own. I feel that I am no longer a beginner and that gives me strength and confidence to enter the toy business as if I were already part of it. I feel grateful and lucky. It was really a dream for me to participate in the TCA but I did not have the resources nor did I feel that I was not inventive enough to participate. Richard Derr gave me an opportunity that I will possibly be grateful to him for the rest of my life. I know this is just the beginning and I know I definitely started off on the right foot. I didn't know how to put together a toy pitch and I didn't know how to approach the big international companies either.

I was relying on what I had read in books and I was always questioning myself. TCA gave a clear path. I have much more knowledge and insight into the toy industry. Now after finishing TCA, I have completed my elevator pitch, sizzle video and I'm prepared for the next step of licensing it. My biggest win is being able to understand what toy companies expect when presenting new toys and ideas. Although, I have read many books, I really had no clue how structured it is. I really would have wasted a lot of time and would have been unprepared had I not taken this class. I was fortunate to have met Azhelle at the Long Beach ASTRA. I was apprehensive before joining because I didn't know anything about the toy industry and wasn't sure if I would gain anything from enrolling in TCA. As I went through the different modules I began to learn everything from A to Z. The step by step formats are easy to understand and follow. Azhelle listens and has so much knowledge to share. My only regret is I wish I had found her when I was in the earliest stage of creating my card game. I created a card game and I didn't know how to proceed with the next step.

As a career Executive Assistant working full time and trying to get my toy ideas off the ground was a real struggle before TCA. With limited time and resources, I was going in too many directions at once, worried about missing something important and pitching my ideas as an obvious amateur. I didn't want to fail in first impression or do something wrong, so I did nothing. I had analysis paralysis. Since taking TCA, I am pitching like a pro! Not only am I ready to pitch my new retail product, but I was inspired to pull out all my older, dusty ideas pitch those as well. After dusting them off, I am now working on four different concepts and have the confidence I need to create sizzle videos, showcase my products and create prototypes. I know where all the annual toys events take place and which ones to attend. I am excited to see where this new year will take me. My biggest win from TCA is my CONFIDENCE! I now have confidence to move forward. I know that every success comes from an attempt and I want to know either way whether my ideas are licensable. So, my biggest win was Azhelle's help in building my confidence with the specialized knowledge I now have.

TCA helped me figure out what to do with each of my ideas. With TCA’s clear instructions and assistance, Azhelle gave me the step-by-step process I needed to implement each idea. Some I am working on as an inventor, creating content, finding factories, and publishing it on my own. For others, I am creating presentations and pitching to toy companies. I have also discovered a love for freelance design that I didn't even know I had! I am no longer lost and have a clear and concise path to follow. N one of which I ever would have been able to do without the TCA! Learning how to pitch, then using that knowledge in a real world professional manor. I loved it! I enjoy learning new things in general, and every lesson was valuable. I printed out all the handouts so I could keep a binder of knowledge for when I need to reference anything in the future. Having the knowledge to make the best decisions for any situation is invaluable. I enjoyed my classmates and even joined the Toy Creators Club to keep the party going! I was struggling hard with where to take my own childrens book and toy brand, along with a few other ideas that were just waiting in the wings with no where to go.

When I came to TCA, I needed help finding sources for different parts of my toy development, packaging, manufacturing and business planning for launch. Her program was comprehensive and covered all aspects of the toy development journey, including these key pain points for me. The biggest win for me at TCA was that through the contacts I made and the advice I received from Azhelle, I was able to unblock my "stuck" project and keep it moving forward. I am so grateful for this program which is geared towards entrepreneurs and inventors, like me! I am so grateful for Azhelle and the Toy Creators Academy. This program helped me put together many pieces of my strategic plan and development plan for my toy project that I would have struggled with on my own. TCA covers all aspects of toy development for each phase of the process. It's very holistic with tools, templates, contacts available, and it helps you work through the course in an accessible, engaging and interactive way for adult learners with each session. It was invaluable to me in my business development path. In addition, through the TCA, we have established a great network of contacts with others on the same journey and with important toy industry professionals.   Azhelle is a fabulous teacher, coach and mentor for her students! She brings tremendous knowledge, experience, insights and connections across the toy industry. Her style is positive and inspirational. Her energy and passion are contagious! She directly engages with her students and provides real-time, critical feedback to help guide them in her Q&A and coaching sessions. You feel the focus and interest she has in your success, as she gets into important details to help you with your specific needs.   I would highly recommend TCA and working with Azhelle! She is a dynamic, empowering leader who is changing the toy industry by enabling fresh, new ideas and encouraging new inventors to be successful in this space.