Spark Box Toys

Alice is our practical visionary with a passion for helping kids.

We think its because Alice grew up in a communist country without toys, she is now passionate about bringing the world’s best toys to every kid in America. Alice left the world of finance in 2009 to build an education technology company focused on personalized learning in America's inner city school districts before starting Spark Box Toys. She began her career at the United Nations and has been an investment banker and private equity investor before turning her focus to venture capital investing in the education space. Today she leads Spark Box Toys to become a socially responsible education company that works towards igniting imagination and curiosity in every child. The toy industry is overdue for large-scale innovation that puts kids at the center. Alice believes there is a new way to Play!

Pegah is our brilliant problem solver and product director.

With a keen interest in play & fun, Pegah is an expert at solving cross functional problems while providing the most inventive and practical solution. Pegah is deeply passionate about child development and believes toys have a formative role to play in helping kids grow and develop. Pegah started her career in Morgan Stanley's banking division then moved on to become a venture investor before joining the firm’s management team focused on implementing innovative technology platforms and integrated operational strategies.

Jonathan is the resident technology ninja who turns ideas into reality.

Jonathan knows customers. Jonathan joins Spark Box after 6 years leading technology development at a performance based marketing firm with extensive experience in online marketing through social media, affiliate network, search and various web properties. Jonathan is also passionate about data and data systems. Mixing in 12 years of software development and project management background, Jonathan brings unique insight and experience to the Spark Box consumer experience.

Inna is our air traffic control system. She brings order to chaos and thoughtfulness to our customers.

A graduate of Montclair State University, Inna came to Spark Box Toys with consulting and management experience. Her meticulous sense of detail is what keeps Spark Box ticking like clockwork. Inna's sense of curiosity and adventure has taken her throughout North America and Europe. As she explored and integrated, Inna has also become deeply passionate about the widening achievement gap between children in different communities. She is proud to be a part of the balancing force promoting equal access for all children to the world's best toys!

Matthew is an international education consultant and toy developer. His consulting work focuses on education’s role in sustainable development and social transformation. Matthew is also the founder of Aroundsquare, a social enterprise that designs and distributes open-ended toys to promote creative and comprehensive child development. AroundSquare has won the prestigious Parents' Choice Gold Award, Creative Child Magazine's Toy of the Year, and Dr. Toy's Best Green Product Award. In addition to serving as Spark Box Toys’ resident toy expert, Matthew is currently completing a doctoral degree in education. His federally-funded research project is exploring the concept of tacit teaching, and the ways in which schools can become more intentional about how they are socializing children and youth.
www.aroundsquare.com

Our Expert Educator Ani has experience using learning toys to stimulate child development during her work as a pre-kindergarten teacher at a leading charter school in Texas. She implemented pioneering "learning through play" instruction techniques using customized learning plan for her students, and she has helped us to select the right toys for Spark Box kids. Ani earned a masters degree in education policy and is currently pursuing her doctoral studies in education policy with a specialization in early childhood education, where she studies how to kindle the curiosity of children in and out of the classroom. Ani is passionate about educating our youngest learners and is confident that while every child has a different learning style, the common denominator for learning is fun.

Our Expert Educator Jonas is an experienced elementary school teacher as well as a dedicated uncle to a very energetic 4 year old nephew. Jonas studied pedagogy and early childhood education in Germany, where he spent time observing some of Europe's best teachers practice their mastery in the classroom. After graduating with 2 masters in education, he taught in several elementary schools in Europe and honed his expertise in using toys and other learning tools to accelerate child development. Currently pursuing yet another masters degree, he brings an international educational perspective to Spark Box Toys.