Marianne Szymanski is Founder and President of Toy Tips, Inc., an international consulting firm that conducts on-going scientific research on the toy industry. A national toy expert, Marianne has led her organization's tests of over 18,000 toys from more than 650 manufacturers.

A dynamic personality, she is the resident toy expert on ABC's "Good Morning America," and is a key source for a host of major national media outlets. In 1996, she launched Toy Tips Magazine to provide parents with unbiased information about toy safety, durability, learning value, age appropriateness and enjoyment. Last year, more than one million copies of the free magazine were distributed at Target stores across the nation.

Before founding Toy Tips, Inc., Marianne was a retail sales representative for an international toy manufacturer. This experience helped her realize that parents need information they can trust about how to select toys that enhance a child's development. Her realization inspired the formation of the Toy Tips Research Center, a not-for-profit, year-round, independent testing center of children's toys.

Marianne is the 1996 recipient of the Wisconsin Small Business Association Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and a delegate of the 1995 White House Conference on Small Business in Washington, D.C. She is currently an adjunct Associate Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies at USC's Marshall School of Business and guest lectures at a number of national colleges and universities. She holds a dual degree in psychology and marketing from Marquette University.

For more information about Toy Tips visit www.toytips.com.

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