Wide Walls

Elaine Chung is the Founder and Chief Play Officer of My Play Type, a company she launched in 2020 to educate and inspire organizations on how to integrate a Playful Practice as a foundational approach to work and life, leveraging play neuroscience to create cultures with strong cross-collaboration, innovative solutions, and even happier, more fulfilled employees.
I’ve known Elaine for a few years and I’ve always been fascinated by her passion and approach to play. When we first met, she was developing a framework to identify play types in children and provide experiences that best match their individual preferences in terms of play styles.
Elaine also participated recently in TEDx Asheville where she gave a wonderful talk on people’s struggle to navigate complex identities, something that I know everyone can relate to. I certainly did. And she’s also in the process of writing a book on this topic!
In this episode, we learn more about Elaine’s passion for play and her approach to play types. Then, we discuss the role of play in companies and organizations and understand what impact it can have in a work environment.
Find more about Elaine's work:
- https://www.myplaytype.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/elaine-chen-chung/
 

Danny Joe LaBrecque is a preschool teacher, early childhood specialist, and the creator and host of the amazing children's show Danny Joe's Tree House.
Danny Joe uses play-based therapies including puppetry to help children, teachers and parents process complex social issues. He created Danny Joe’s Tree House to invite families to slow down and engage with characters and stories that provide valuable opportunities for social-emotional learning.
The series features a diverse community of real-life caregivers, plus a lively cast of puppets, working together to explore strategies for self-regulation, communication, caring for oneself, and acceptance of others.
In this episode, we discuss his journey towards becoming a content creator, the risks and benefits of using different media for children’s content, the impact of social-emotional learning through play-based stories, and more.
Find more about Danny Joe's work:
- Danny Joe's website- Danny Joe's Tree House: Youtube and Sensical TV- Cookies for Breakfast (podcast)

Evren Yiğit is a renowned author and expert in children’s content and storytelling, with a background in child development studies, media creation, and creative writing, and over 15 years of experience in the industry.
She co-founded Mako Kids in 2017, a children-first media, production, and consultancy company that specializes in creating quality content for kids of all ages. She also recently co-founded KidsAI, a community hub and internet journal for safe, ethical, responsible, and beneficial AI practices and tools for children.
In this episode, we discuss Evren’s passion for leveraging research and industry insights to create content that is both enjoyable and beneficial to children, with a focus on cultural sensitivity, inclusion, social behavior change, and the opportunities brought by AI to advance children’s media.
Find more about Evren's work:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/evren-yi%C4%9Fit-25160450/
- https://makokids.io/
- https://kidsai.io/
 
 

Janella Watson is an educational and organizational strategist and champion of inclusion, equity, and authentic representation in Children’s Media. She is an executive leader, brand manager, experiential learning specialist, and researcher whose transformative approach to advising inspires and guides clients to create curriculum, experiences, and media content that spark family engagement, learning, and joy. Janella is an accomplished international speaker and leading voice in culturally responsive education. Her team’s recent and current clients and partners include Nickelodeon, Spin Master Entertainment, Brooklyn Public Library, Cartoon Network Studios, and Sesame Workshop.
In this episode, we first discuss her experience reframing family experiences at children’s museums and science centers, and then explore the topics of inclusion and equity when creating learning experiences and media content for children.
Find more about Janella's work:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/janella-watson-educational-consultant/
- https://www.watsoncreativeconsulting.com/

Mathilde Cerioli owns a PhD in Cognitive Neurosciences from the University of Montreal with a focus on cognitive training for adolescents. After a few years conducting research in neuroscience, she embraced the world of entrepreneurship by co-founding Fly Little Dragon to connect parents with experts in children’s development and learning. She is currently the Chief Scientist at Everyone.AI, a non-profit organization advocating for an ethical use of AI - and her second entrepreneurial endeavor.
In this episode, Mathilde shares insights on children’s developmental stages and how to take them into consideration when designing learning products. Then, we talk about ethics and AI for children and how to develop safe technology that is beneficial for them.
Find more about Mathilde's work:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathilde-neugnot-cerioli/
- https://www.instagram.com/theplayfulbrain/
- https://everyone.ai/

Dr. Sonia Tiwari is a fantastic Learning Experience Researcher and Designer whose current research explores the ethical design of virtual influencers for children. She is, in fact, the creator of the world’s first virtual influencer designed for children’s education!
Sonia started her career in the gaming industry as a character design artist before pursuing a PhD in Learning, Design, and Technology at Penn State University where she is now an adjunct professor of Learning Design. 
Sonia offers learning experience design consultations to EdTech startups, educator entrepreneurs, learning designers, and other education innovators. She volunteers as a Play Ambassador for the Genius of Play (American Toy Association) and she is also one of the judges for the Children and Family Emmys!
Find more about Sonia's work:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/soniastic/
- http://soniatiwari.com/
- https://creativeservices.psu.edu/microbe-game/ 
 
References from the episode:
- https://kidschemicalsolutions.com/
- https://dannyjoestreehouse.com/
- https://www.thecut.com/2018/05/lil-miquela-digital-avatar-instagram-influencer.html
- https://furwee.ai/
- https://www.playlab.ai/
 

This episode is the first part of my conversation with Josh Mason. Click here to listen to the second part on Josh’s podcast "Loops and Lifecycles".
Josh Mason is a former Air Force pilot who now provides strategic guidance and technical expertise in cybersecurity and risk management to startups and large companies worldwide. As a cyber instructor and courseware developer, we discussed how he leverages his experience in the military to build learning experiences for adults and talked about his approach to education as a whole. I also shared some of my perspectives and insights as a Learning Designer and a Product Manager in EdTech.
Find more about Josh's work:- https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuacmason/
- https://loops-and-lifecycles-podcast.simplecast.com/

Chris Bennett is an affiliate at the Stanford Graduate School of Education. He currently studies and practices ways to apply Game Design Thinking, an approach that combines game design, behavior design and neuroscience to help companies innovate, motivate and grow beyond simply using gamification.
In this episode, we explore the concept of Game Design Thinking and how to apply it when designing learning experiences. Chris also shares valuable insights about the impact of generative AI on education. 
Find more about Chris' work:
- Chris' blog - https://gdt.stanford.edu/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/cbennett01/
Reference from the episode:
- https://tinyhabits.com/ - "Tiny Habits" by BJ Fogg, PhD

Carly Ciarrocchi is a writer, host, and producer for some of the most exciting tv shows and podcasts for kids. You may have seen her in Sunny Side Up, Snug’s House, The Big Fun Crafty Show on Universal Kids and Weird But True on Disney+ for National Geographic for which she earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Daytime Program Host. She’s also the host of hilarious podcasts like Hey Story Go and Don’t Break the Rules on Pinna, and Who, When, Wow! with TinkerCast.
Carly is also deeply involved in educational initiatives, collaborating with organizations like Sesame Workshop and the LEGO Foundation for which she served as host/director of their online course called Coping with Change: Social Emotional Learning Thru Play. She also works directly with schools and educators to provide resources and facilitate creativity workshops.
In this episode, we dive into Carly’s personal journey, her thoughts on the intersection between education and entertainment, and the importance of learning through play.
Find more about Carly's work:
- https://www.carlyciarrocchi.com/ (where you can find all her podcasts, TV shows and other amazing projects)
- https://www.instagram.com/carlyciarrocchi/
- Who, When, Wow! - https://tinkercast.com/all-podcasts/who-when-wow/
- Weird But True - https://www.disneyplus.com/series/weird-but-true/5vfUqv8rLBHD

Polina Lulu is a fantastic designer and researcher who is dedicated to engaging children in playful and meaningful learning experiences, particularly through technology. She focuses on integrating children's rights and voices into creating products, experiences and environments that help children thrive.
In this episode, we first delve into Polina's personal journey, with a focus on how her experiences as a parent have reshaped her approach to learning design. Then, she shares her expertise on design principles and best practices when conducting research and crafting digital learning experiences for children.
Find more about Polina's work:
- https://www.childrenlx.com/about
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/polina-lulu-ba774292/
References from the episode:
- https://designingforchildrensrights.org/
- https://playtestwithkids.org/
- https://www.amazon.com/Brain-Mind-Learning-Principles-Action/dp/1483382729