Whitney Pollett (She/Her)

Friday 10/24, 12:30PM-1:30PM

Once Upon a Toy

Room 209-210 | Whitney Pollett | Lauren Barger

This talk explores how creators can develop original stories with built-in toyetic appeal, using market and industry insights to increase pitch viability across studios, networks, and licensees. Come learn how to make your ideas not just pitchable, but playable!

Whitney Pollett is a story-driven toy development expert, designer, and founder of Pixelle Studios, known for developing toy-integrated IP for top studios like Netflix, Disney, Nickelodeon and more. Moderated by the incredible, Lauren Barger!

Friday 10/24, 4:45PM-5:45PM

From Posts to Paychecks: Mastering Self-Promotion

Room 107 | Maya Lior | Lauren Barger | Whitney Pollett | No The Robot

Marketing yourself as an artist doesn’t mean compromising your creativity—it’s about making sure the right people see your work! In this panel, Lauren Barger, Maya Lior, Whitney Pollett, and Zach Mulligan (No The Robot) share how to authentically promote your art, build a loyal audience, and turn social media engagement into real opportunities.
Learn how to showcase your work effectively, attract clients, and create content that boosts visibility while staying true to your artistic vision. Whether you’re looking to land freelance gigs, grow your platform, or make your art more discoverable, this session will help you navigate the business side of creativity with confidence.

Saturday 10/25, 4:30PM-5:30PM

Beyond the Tide: Where Mermaids Go After May

Room 209-210 | Whitney Pollett | Lauren Barger | Tom Bancroft | Dell Technologies

Each May, artists around the world dive into the world of mermaids for #MerMay. But what happens when the tide goes out? Join MerMay creator Tom Bancroft, and hosts Lauren Barger, and Whitney Pollett as they share how MerMay jump-started their own tangible dream projects, and Dell workstations powered by Nvidia GPUs enabled them to push their art further.

Hear how others in the community turned MerMay creations into books, jobs, and even plush businesses!
If you’re in the audience and your MerMay journey continued past May, we’d love to hear your story! Let’s talk about the creative waves and opportunities that can come from just one month of making merms!