Shirin Salemnia

CEO, PlayWerks, Inc.

Los Angeles

Shirin Laor-Raz Salemnia is the Founder and CEO of PlayWerks, an independent interactive media company that creates high quality innovative multi-platform immersive experiences that engage children and adults. Also, She is the Founder of WhizGirls Academy where students engage in exciting projects that help them acquire skills in the areas of coding, entrepreneurship, healthy balanced lifestyles (fitness and eating) and more, while building confidence and growing as members of the community. She previously worked at MGA Entertainment on Bratz and Mattel on Barbie, where she performed ongoing research and analysis of industry trends, consumer motivations and competitor activity. At MGA, she was responsible for designing the Play Lab, where children would gather for in-house research. While she was the Brand Manager for the billion dollar Bratz brand. She is actively involved in Women in Gaming, an Advisor to the LA Film School Video Game Dept, The Boys and Girls Clubs, Girls in Tech, Girl Scouts, and the White House Council of Women and Girls. She hosted the first Hackathon for Women and Girls in 2013 in collaboration with the White House Council of Women and Girls. And she recently hosted the Kids Hack for LA in collaboration with Mayor Garcetti, the White House, and will.i.am's i.am.angel Foundation. She is teaching Tech for Social Impact/Entrepreneurship at USC School of Engineering/Viterbi Spring 2015. And, she is an advisor to the Bixel Exchange.