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Welcome to Nukotoys.

We’re building a new kind of toy company, redefining toys for today’s digitally fascinated kids and engaged parents:  children, who by age 3 navigate an iPad with ease; parents, who want to their kids to benefit from this fascination.

As a company, we believe in giving kids fun, fantastical experiences that join online and real-world play.  (Play is the original social activity!)

As parents, we want peace of mind, the knowledge that our kids are thinking and learning as they’re having fun; as well as peace of wallet (the highest quality games and toys, which become more interesting over time).

As a team, we’re trying to create a toy company that kids, parents, grandparents, and teachers alike can love.

As people, we know that we can’t do any of this without you.  So, we’re going to use social media and community in exciting ways, to encourage your collaboration and feedback, your creativity and insight, your knowledge and experience.

Coming soon, we begin, with iPad & iPod Touch games that magically bring trading cards to life!   We hope you’ll stick around, become involved, and help us fashion a toy company for the 21st Century.

 

Rodger & Doug

San Francisco, CA

 



DOUG PENMAN


Co-CEO and Founder
doug@nukotoys.com


Doug has a long career innovating products and companies. As a Partner and Executive Creative Director of global ad agency Euro RSCG, he had creative oversight over some of the largest consumer and entertainment brands on the planet (including Intel, Microsoft, SanDisk, Orange, Volvo, Sega, and Coca-Cola). Doug also founded The Guild, a strategic marketing/product incubation company serving early-stage companies and venture capital/private equity portfolios. In addition, Penman founded Catapult Entertainment, a children's property finance company, which managed the sale of WETA's "The Wot Wots" to Hasbro.

RODGER RADERMAN


Co-CEO and Founder
rodger@nukotoys.com


Rodger has been innovating in technology and media since the inception of the Dot Com era. In 1998, as Founder/CEO of IFILM.com, he created the web's leading video portal prior to the emergence of YouTube (IFILM sold in 2005 to Viacom/MTV). Rodger also is the Co-Founder of Obscura Digital, an award-winning technology company deploying advanced video solutions and installations for clients ranging from Google to 3M. As Co-Founder/CMO of Veeker.com, Rodger helped create one of the first companies to marry mobile photos and video to the web. Rodger also co-founded and serves on the Board of miraclefeet, a non-profit foundation dedicated to using low-cost technology to eradicate untreated cases of clubfoot worldwide. Over the years, Rodger's work has been covered by journalistic outlets ranging from The Wall Street Journal to Variety to TechCrunch.

DR. MIKE NORTH


Chief Technology Officer
mike@nukotoys.com


Mike holds bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees in engineering with focuses on mechanical design, rapid prototyping, and nanotechnology. He's published in a half dozen major scientific journals, including the journal Nature; and continues to speak internationally on design and innovation. Prior to Nukotoys, Mike masterminded builds on the Discovery Channel show Prototype This!, where he led teams of crack inventors, scientists, builders, and engineers to create never before seen spectacles of engineering. Inventions ranged from an omni-directionally driving stilt lifting traffic busting truck to a 30-foot tall waterslide simulator to cutting-edge lifesaving fire fighting equipment. At Nukotoys he uses his creativity and technical background to help bring innovation and modern technology to the toy industry.

ELIZABETH GASPER


Chief Financial Officer
liz@nukotoys.com


Liz has over 20 years experience with public and pre-public companies in a number of diverse industries, including hardware, software and hi-tech consumer goods. She has been involved in a number of successful private equity financings, company mergers, initial public offerings and company privatizations. Her background includes a unique combination of financial, operational and entrepreneurial experience. As Chief Financial Officer of LeapFrog Enterprises, Liz was chartered with transitioning the company's infrastructure and financial management from a pre-public company to that of a well-developed, public company. Additionally, Liz has held executive and senior management positions at: Ugobe, RightWorks, Red Envelope, Portivity, Scopus Technology, Sybase and Tandem Computers. Liz also served on the advisory board of Big Bang Ideas, the parent company of Big Boing Toys, which was acquired by Cranium and is currently on the advisory board of Trueffect, an SAAS solution for on-line advertisers. Liz has an MBA in finance and marketing from UCLA, and a BA in economics from UC Irvine.

PETER
ADKISON

 

Named as one of The Millenniums Most Influential Persons in the realm of adventure gaming. Founded “Wizards of the Coast” taking “Pokemon” trading cards to global markets, and creating “Magic: The Gathering” (company sold to Hasbro for $500+ million). Acquired TSR, inc., (creators of Dungeons and Dragons) and Gen Con (the largest hobby-gaming convention in the U.S). Founded “Hidden City Games,” creator of game “Bella Sara” a card games seeking to be the first successful girls trading card game.

  

TOM
KALINSKE

 

As the former CEO of Mattel, Sega of America, Leapfrog, Knowledge Universe and Matchbox, Tom has built some of the world’s best known brands for kids and teens, including Barbie, Hot Wheels, See ‘N Say, Masters of the Universe, Matchbox, Sega Genesis, Sonic the Hedgehog, Leapfrog, etc.

  

GORDON
RADLEY

 

As President of Lucasfilm from 1992 until 2003, Gordon grew the Lucas organization into one of the most financially successful and pre-eminent entertainment companies in the world, known for its excellence, creativity and technological achievement. Prior to Lucasfilm, Radley held senior executive positions at both motion picture studios (Twentieth Century Fox) and independent production and distribution companies.

  

KAREN
GRUENBERG

 

A seasoned cross-platform media executive. Oversaw all aspects of Sesame Street (13 years), developed hit series Dragon Tales & Sagwa, as well as inception and launch of Noggin and Sprout.

  

BOB
CHRISTOPHER

 

Co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Ugobe, creator of the revolutionary dinosaur robot Pleo, one of the most popular toys of 2007-2008. At Ugobe, Bob secured over $24M in funding, built strategic partnerships worldwide. Prior to Ugobe, Bob created ISPTel (a VoIP clearing house) with over 65 partnerships in 40 countries.

  

MORTEN
GESCHWENDTNER

 

Chairman and Director of Business Development at Kidz Entertainment, the leading integrated toy branding agency in the Nordic region and Eastern Europe. Kidz’ client roster includes MGA Entertainment, Hasbro, Sony, Entertainment Rights, Lego, Dreamworks, Fox, Chapman Entertainment, BBC, 4Kids and HIT Entertainment.