Contact: ginamanola@gmail.com

Gina Manola is a screenwriter living in Austin, Texas. She writes psychological character studies about risk-takers and passionate dreamers who go to extremes—often using art—to reinvent themselves and cope with profound feelings of loss. She is currently working on two feature length dramas as well as developing her award-winning/best-selling IP, the cooperative children’s game, Feed The Woozle, as an episodic animated pre-school series.

A designer, marketing exec, and best-selling game inventor with over 15 years of experience, she also leads the practical and creative process of bringing new ideas to market, blending an entrepreneurial mindset with creativity and emotional intelligence to produce meaningful experiences.

Career Summary

  • Award-winning creative director, designer, and children’s game inventor

  • Broad agency and in-house experience with product development, design, digital marketing, and campaigns

  • Experienced with consumer, corporate, and policy communications

  • Conceptual and strategic thinker able to synthesize and simplify messaging for target audiences

Highlights

  • Invented the evergreen best-selling cooperative games, Feed the Woozle and Race to the Treasure both sold worldwide

  • Created the private-label game How Does Your Garden Grow? for Target

  • Invented the collaborative playPlay line sold nationwide in Toys R Us

  • Consulted on cooperative AR game Kody Kapow to coincide with launch of the Kody Kapow children’s series for Universal Kids

  • Created a new visual identity for Peaceable Kingdom (acquired by MindWare in 2017) in advance of their product category launch establishing them as the leading cooperative game brand in the U.S.

  • Published author of poetry and flash fiction

Honors & Awards

  • Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award for How Does Your Garden Grow?, a private label preschool game developed for Target

  • Branding Leadership Award, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  • Rising Star Inventor of the Year Nominee: TAGIE Award

  • ASTRA Best Toys for Kids Award for the cooperative game, Feed the Woozle

  • Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award for the cooperative games, Race To The Treasure and Feed the Woozle

Volunteer Work

  • Judge: Get Lit - Words Ignite, a poetry slam competition for high school students, Los Angeles, CA

  • Designer: Hyperreal Film Club, Austin, Texas

  • Organizer: West Adams Block Party, community-based art and music festival, Los Angeles, CA