If you could only take one toy, one game and one of your own inventions to a desert island, what would you take and why? That’s the question that Word Whizz Deej Johnson is posing to Rich Mazel, Senior Director of Global Product Acquisition at Hasbro, in this Desert Island Picks interview.

Tanya Thompson, Hasbro’s Director of Global Product Acquisition for Games, tells inventors how to give her a winning pitch…

As the co-founder of Open 2 Design, Matt Burtonwood is the brains behind a number of popular products. Recently, he and his business partner began pitching their own ideas, including the much-celebrated Rubik’s Cage.

Since starting with the embryonic Seven Towns, Chrisi Trussell has worked at the heart of toys and games for 42 years. As she retires, we ask the Rubik’s Brand Vice President about Tom Kremer discovering The Rubik’s Cube… And why it’s enjoying such a massive revival today.

We speak with Tony Serebriany about virtual pitches, loving London – and three things all inventors should keep in mind…

Kickstarter designer Ross Atkin on where crowdfunders go wrong, the skills you don’t learn at university… And robots. Lots of robots!

Elif Atmaca, co-founder of Toyi, discusses a nomadic childhood, free-play kits and why creating unique toys is vital to kids.

Tim Walsh, co-founder of Roo Games, on breaking rules, changing directions… And the no-no’s of pitching.

David Winter is Director of Inventor Relations at Spin Master. We caught up with David to understand what a billion-dollar idea looks like on paper… And how to pitch him your ideas.

With nearly 15 years of toy design under his belt, James Austin-Smith is Head of R&D and Product Design at Moose Toys. Here we discover his pet peeve – and the one thing that stops his creative process…