Author: Ilana Ben-Ari

Failure ‘abstinence’ is ineffective & irresponsible In this latest article for Yahoo Finance, author Gail Johnson implores readers to consider failure a core skill for the 21st century. Despite failure – specifically developing resilience in the face of failure – being integral to learning and growing, most often failure is regarded as something to be … Continued

The Financial Post describes how SheEO’s Radical Generosity initiative supported 5 women-led businesses (Twenty One Toys included!) this year through its revolutionary financing model.

Tune in at 33:00 to hear the interview with our founder, Ilana Ben-Ari. Preparing for the future of innovation This week on The Feed with Amber Mac and Michael B, your aforementioned hosts showcase the latest in the world of technology, and sit down with Ilana to introduce the Empathy Toy to their SiriusXM audience … Continued

Yonge Street Media describes how the Empathy Toy has found a home in more than 30 post-secondary institutions, being used by students and staff alike in North America and internationally.

Empathy in action at St. John’s High School The latest news on the Empathy Toy comes from a piece published in the Winnipeg Sun this week! Hailing from our founder Ilana Ben-Ari’s hometown, the print edition shows an extra-large photo of Grade 8 student, Kohl Clarke, holding half of an assembled empathy toy, his blindfold … Continued

Developing EQ to get you through tough times What do The Empathy Toy and Lady Gaga have in common? They’re both noted in this “2015 Gift Guide for Raising Your Family’s EQ” published in Forbes by Jenn Choi, founder and editor at . And as a former youth counselor, Jenn is uniquely qualified to speak … Continued

CBC News broadcasts footage of Winnipeg students playing the Empathy Toy in this segment taped at the kick off to Everybody Has the Right Week, an anti-bullying initiative spurred by Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman.

The Toronto Public Library recaps their top 5 highlights of this year’s Maker Festival – including The Empathy Toy’s appearance in the brand new “Makers and Games” section.

The Financial Post profiles Twenty One Toys in this article about our founder Ilana’s story: detailing the origin of the Empathy Toy, and the impetus for launching a startup on a mission to reboot the education system.

Fast Company runs down their top picks for holiday gifts this year, and nods to empathy as one of the most important traits to teach a child with the inclusion of the Empathy Toy.

Toys for future global leaders In the latest holiday gift guide from Quartz, Jenn Choi looks at “Toys that help kids become global leaders” and names the Empathy Toy as one of “six favorites that make solid work out of play for your future global leader.” Right off the bat, Jenn hits us point-blank with … Continued

Design Indaba introduces its readers to the Empathy Toy in this article that notes how the toys are being used in MIT Media Lab’s Global Minimum project in Sierra Leone.

Our founder, Ilana, argues that school is a poorly designed game in this video of her Toronto presentation – part of a global series of Creative Mornings talks on the topic of Play.

Toys are the new textbooks, according to the Huffington Post Ever-adept at posing a question, Matt Murrie of “What If…?” raises three relevant queries in this latest news article for the Huffington Post entitled “What if Toys are the New Textbooks?” What if the “three Rs” are wrong? If the point of schooling is to … Continued

The Montreal Gazette spins an origin story and highlights some initial successes of the Empathy Toy in the early days of Twenty One Toys.

  Toys as Tools for Communication Back in 2011, before Twenty One Toys existed, our founder Ilana Ben-Ari braved the stage at TEDxConcordia in Montreal to share the tale of the Empathy Toy – then known as the Connexions Toy for Empathy & Creative Dialogue. In this presentation titled “Toys as Tools for Communication,” Ilana details … Continued