The US play legend was honoured with the Association for Games and Puzzles International’s 2026 Outstanding Achievement Award
Mary Couzin, founder and SVP of the US Toy Association’s People of Play, has been honoured with the Association for Games and Puzzles International’s (AGPI) 2026 Outstanding Achievement Award.
Mary was recognised at the organisation’s AGPI Convention in Minneapolis earlier this month. The award celebrates individuals who have made major contributions to the history, preservation, and advancement of traditional games, jigsaw puzzles, and mechanical puzzles.
Mary leads People of Play (POP), a division of The Toy Association dedicated to fostering innovation and connecting the global toy and game community through year-round events, educational programming, and networking opportunities. In her role, she oversees POP’s portfolio of industry-leading platforms and experiences, which strengthen the association’s engagement with inventors, designers, manufacturers, retailers, and consumers.
Mary founded the Chicago Toy & Game Group in 2003, which was rebranded as People of Play in 2020. Today, POP’s initiatives include the Chicago Toy & Game (CHITAG) Fair, The Toy & Game Innovation Excellence Awards (TAGIEs), the Young Inventor Challenge, the Toy & Game Inventor Pitch & Innovation Conference, and more. Before establishing POP, she created, self-produced, and licensed her own toys and games while also launching discovertoysandgames.com, a resource for toy and game inventors.
A Toy Industry Hall of Fame inductee, Mary has dedicated her career to advancing the toy and game industry through leadership, mentorship, and advocacy. She previously served on The Toy Association’s Toy of the Year Awards Selection Committee and PlayCon/ToyCon Committee. She serves on The Strong’s National Toy Hall of Fame committee and the International Toy Research Association, organising committee, and has been recognized with numerous industry honours throughout her career.
