At Nuremberg Toy Fair, Warren Jacobs, Jonny Henton, Mary Jo Reutter, Don Ullman and I couldn’t help but notice just how many couples are part of our industry, such as Warren Jacobs and Sally Bean, Richard Gill and Catherine McMillen and several others nearby. We thought—why not make a list? Maybe even a column in the Bloom Report. And so, here we are!

A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to this article! I know there are many more amazing couples in the industry, so let’s keep this list growing. If anyof the duo featured below send me your story, I will add it!  If you know of a duo we should feature, send me their names—bonus points for their love story and where they work! I'll be happy to share. 💕

Dennis and Crystal Callahan (Tree Toys) - Read their story - it is part of today's Bloom Report! 

Anna Lysova and Liza Levina (Scarlet Envelope) who just got married this week! Congratulations! 

Richard Gill and Catherine McMillen (McGill Associates) - We originally met in 2004/5 at NYTF. I was with Sababa Toys and Cat was at US playing cards. I was looking for Japanese distribution of our MLB UNO cards....Peter Rooke introduced us. It did not go well. She did not approve of the quality of our cards and that was that. The next time I saw Catherine was when i was in line for my flight to Australia for Aussy TF. A gorgeous lady tapped me on the shoulder (jumping the line!) and said i think we met at NYTF....it turned out we shared the same distributor in Australia. We then danced together at the Australian Toy Assoc dinner and became industry friends for the next 3 years! In late 2008, we both found ourselves in Barbados on vacation with a mutual friend (Mark Evelyn). Sparks flew and we married there in December 2009 - 15 years and counting. Now wherever I am, its a 'Hi' quickly followed by 'Where’s the lovely Catherine?"

Azhelle Wade  (The Toy Coach) and Christian Castro (Hasbro) both studied Toy Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology but at different times. Several years later they met at an FIT alumni networking event during New York Toy Fair. We started chatting and the rest is history. In 2022 we got married and had a toy-themed wedding as an homage to how we met! Who needs dating apps when you have Toy Fair! 

Sara Farber: "I met Bryan Wilson on 11/11/07, and... yada yada yada... Galactic Sneeze was born, along with 1 kid and 20ish products." 

Scott Goldberg (Carve Communications) and Jorie Goldberg (Learning Resources) -  Truth be told Jorie and I knew each other when we were kids. In fact, there’s a picture of her at my 5th birthday party believe it or not! But I believe we lost touch soon after that. We reconnected about 13 years later, the summer going into college. Jorie and her sister worked at the same summer camp as my brother, they reintroduced us as we were staying in the same dorm at the University of Illinois. We were true college sweethearts. The rest as they say, is history! 

Bob Wann and Amy Wann (Formerly PlayMnster, Sababa and Hasbro)

Ami Baio and Andy Baio - Amy: "My husband and I run Pink Tiger Games together! We met when we were teenagers and we've been married over 25 years."

Ginny Loveday and Alan Patrick - It's true! We met through gaming, and continue to professional (and questionably professional, haha) work together to this day. 

Nicole Amato My late husband and I ran Cardboard Fortress Games together - we met playing D&D and got married at the board game store where we met.

Mike Giles and Mel Giles - In 1990, while attending Purdue University, I interviewed for a waitressing job and met the bartender, Mike Giles. The moment we shook hands, I felt something—like he’d be “an issue.” We dated briefly, but life took us in different directions, each marrying someone else. Fast-forward to 2013, my then-husband ran into Mike. They reconnected as FB friends. Later, after both our divorces, Mike and I reconnected. Friendship turned to love, and in 2019, he proposed at a Mexican restaurant in Vegas. Our cab driver became our wedding planner, and that night, we made it official. It only took 29 years, but we finally got it right.

Alex Cutler and Nicole Cutler. Alex is a game designer and developer, working on games such as Critter Kitchen and A Place for All My Books. Nicole is Special Projects Manager for the publisher Cardboard Alchemy. They met on the board game convention circuit, got married, and have two wonderful kiddos.

Heath May (then Global Discovery - now Innovation First) and Nicole Champagne (previous Radio Flyer). They just celebrated their 15th Anniversary, where they met in Nuremberg, 15 years ago.

Michelle Rundbaken and Yacine Merzouk - My husband and I design together!  I'm lucky that I get to hang out with him all the time!  We co-own Society of Curiosities, a tabletop solve a mystery game company.

Ace and Anna Ellett. (Bluefish Games) - They create Solve a Mystery games. 

Dina Rifai (Creative Direcctor at The Loyal Subjects) and Brendan Brick  (Sr. Project Manager at Walmart) Dina: "Been together 16 years, met at the FIT toy program.

Nicole Brady and Scott Brady  Scott and Nicole Brady met in 1990 at a Cubs/Cardinals game in St. Louis. (Yes, the Cubs won.) We married in 1993 and have been cheering one another along ever since.

Gary Pyper and Stacey Pyper  Gary: "I got together with Mrs P. on a toy work trip karaoke session in Tokyo 20-ish years ago. I wooed her with my “Elton” & she showed me her “Kiki Dee” the rest is history."

Wayne and Kimberley Losey - Kimberley Losey and I met at Hasbro years ago working on Pokemon and Batman.

Derek and Lizzy Funkhouser have been content creators together for many years, building up the group Board Game Spotlight We also co-designed a card game together, and we both have a shared love of board games!

Catherine Thomson and Graeme Thomson  (The Bloom Report)

Randy Klimpert (Spin Master) and Ann Klimpert (Professional Inventor)

Ruth Elliott  (Big Ideas) and Simon Skelton (Big Ideas)

Alex Kimerling and Whitney Kimerling of Hootenanny Games!!!

Kyle Cosgrove (Ravensburger) and Cora McCarron

Brandi Pinsker (Project Genius) and Jeff Pinsker (University Games)

Andrea Barthello and Bill Ritchie - Founders of ThinkFun, now part of Ravensburger 

Keith Baker and Jennifer Ellis (Twogether Studios)

Amanda Hamon (Wizards of the Coast) and Alexander Stangroom (COO of Kobold Press).

Carmine and Susan Capone (Professional inventors)

Christine Roberts Blumberg (RGB Sales) and Alan Blumberg (RBG Sales)

Kerry and Andy Tarrant

Helen Genia and Andy Hajisthemistou

Edward and Liz Catchpole

Kana Claussen & Dennis Claussen

Brad Ketz and Lu Ketz

Sarah Lee and Casey Hirai

Natasha McGrath and Jack McGrath

Pat Chan and Manson Cheung

And of course there are the actual toy couples...

Miss Piggy and Kermit

Barbie and Ken

Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus