Turning ideas into products
people love.

20+ years building toys, active play, and outdoor products from

concept to shelf.

20+ years building toys, active play, and outdoor products from concept to shelf.

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ABOUT

Strategy and
creativity,
built to scale.

Strategy &
creativity,
built to scale.

I've spent two decades leading product development and creative strategy for some of the most recognized names in toys, active play, and outdoor categories. My work blends brand strategy, design execution, and commercial focus.

From ideating original play concepts to negotiating global licenses
and building cross-functional teams, I bring an operator's mindset with a designer's eye. I know how ideas move from first sketch to market, and why great ones often don’t.

Today I work with brands, investors, and leadership teams as a fractional executive and strategic advisor , bringing senior-level insight without the overhead.

From ideating original play concepts to negotiating global licenses and building cross-functional teams, I bring an operator's mindset with a designer's eye. I know how ideas move from first sketch to market, and why great ones often don’t.

Today I work with brands, investors, and leadership teams as a fractional executive and strategic advisor , bringing senior-level insight without the overhead.

Background Spans

Toy Design

Active Play

Outdoor Products

Licensed Brand Strategy

Retail Strategy

Global Sourcing

Brand Development

Team Leadership

20+

Years of Experience

20o+

Products Launched

40+

Licensed Properties

Countries Sourced

SERVICES

Where I can

add Value.

Engagements are scoped around your actual needs
whether that’s a defined project, a leadership gap

or an ongoing advisory relationship.

Engagements are scoped around your actual needs
whether that’s a defined project, a leadership gap

or an ongoing advisory relationship.

Fractional Creative Leadership

Senior-level creative and product direction without a full-time commitment. I embed with your team to set vision, build process, and drive execution from quarterly sprints to

multi-year engagements.

— VP/CCO-level thinking

— Team building & mentorship

— Process design

Product Innovation & Development

End-to-end product creation from opportunity identification through final spec. I combine category expertise with consumer insight to build products that win shelf space and earn repeat purchase.

— Concept to commercial

— Retail-ready specs

— Competitive positioning

Licensing Strategy & Brand Development

Forty-plus licensed properties developed across entertainment, sports, and lifestyle. I navigate deal structure, creative approvals, and product integration so licensed partnerships actually perform.

— Deal structure & negotiation

— IP integration

— Royalty optimization

Global Sourcing & Manufacturing

Deep factory relationships across Asia, with a track record of balancing quality, cost, and speed. I manage the full supply chain conversation so your team can focus on what they do best.

— Factory partnerships

— Cost engineering

— QC & compliance

SELECTED WORK

Products and ideas

that moved markets.

A selection of brand, product, licensing, and category-building work across active play, outdoor, action sports, and legacy IP.

Active Play

Modular Indoor Jungle Gym System

A scalable indoor play platform designed for playrooms and smaller living spaces, maximizing play value within a compact footprint. Launched as a Target exclusive and expanded into a multi-license program including Minnie Mouse, Paw Patrol, and Peppa Pig.

Design Management

Product Design

Active Play

Sensory & Interaction Play

Pre-School

Safety Compliance

Retail Launch

Heritage IP

Wham-O Brand Revitalization

Reestablished Wham-O’s brand foundation with a modern facelift rooted in its nostalgic, heritage appeal. Scaled the product line back to its core brand pillars, then rebuilt growth through new product innovation, inbound and outbound licensing, and category expansion through strategic acquisitions.

Design & Creative

General Management

Active Play

Outdoor Jr Sporting Goods

Heritage IP

Brand Relaunch

Licensing

Inventor Outreach

Outdoor

Immersive Pre-School First Trampoline

A scalable licensed immersive play platform designed to extend character storytelling into active play. The Bluey 4 ft trampoline delivers a fully branded, enclosed play experience within a compact footprint. Launched as a Sam’s Club exclusive, it established a strong retail foundation and expanded into a multi-license program including Disney Princess and Paw Patrol.

Industrial Design

Product Design

Active Play

Outdoor Sporting Goods

Global Sourcing & Compliance

Licensing

Retail Launch

Category Expansion

Sports & Lifestyle White Space Analysis

Identified a clear white space opportunity in the Action Sports & Outdoor Sporting Goods category and launched an owned IP skateboard brand to open the business. That momentum led to The Heart Supply, Element, Vision Streetwear, Quiksilver, Roxy, Juicy Couture, Disney, The Simpsons, TMNT, and other licenses, expanding JAKKS into skateboards, skates, balance boards, trampolines, protective gear, canopies, beach chairs, wagons, and outdoor lifestyle products. Within 3 years JAKKS Pacific became a major leader in the Action Sports, Outdoor, Beach, and Sporting Goods categories.

Identified a white space in Action Sports & Outdoor Sporting Goods and launched an owned IP skateboard brand to open the category. Built momentum through lifestyle and entertainment licenses including Element Skateboards, Vision Streetwear, Quiksilver, Roxy, The Simpsons and TMNT, expanding JAKKS into skateboards, skates, trampolines, beach, and outdoor lifestyle products. Within 3 years, JAKKS became a major player at mass retail.

Identified a clear white space opportunity in the Action Sports & Outdoor Sporting Goods category and launched an owned IP skateboard brand to open the business. That momentum led to The Heart Supply, Element, Vision Streetwear, Quiksilver, Roxy, Juicy Couture, Disney, Paramount and Hasbro licenses, expanding JAKKS into skateboards, skates, trampolines, protective gear, canopies, beach chairs and wagons. Within 3 years JAKKS Pacific became a major leader in the Action Sports category.

Design Management

Industrial Design

Product Design

Global Sourcing

Action Sports

Outdoor

Category Analysis

Licensing

Strategy

Retail Launch

APPROACH

How Strategy, Design,

and Commerce Connect.

How Strategy,
Design & Commerce

Connect.

My process is disciplined but not rigid,
adapted to your timeline, team, and
stage of development.

A disciplined but flexible process, shaped around your timeline, team, and stage of development.

Strategy First

Every product decision starts with a clear commercial question. Who is this for? Where
does it live at retail? What makes it defensible? Before sketching anything, I need to understand the market dynamics, the competitive set, and
the financial model.

Every product decision starts with a clear commercial question: Who is this for, where does it live at retail, and what makes it defensible? Before design begins, I look at the market, competition, and financial model.

Every product decision starts with a clear commercial question.
Who is this for? Where does it live at retail? What makes it defensible? Before sketching anything, I need to understand the market dynamics, the competitive set, and the financial model.

Design With Intent

Design isn't decoration. It's problem
solving with constraints. I work with teams
to translate strategic intent into product features, forms, and experiences that consumers actually respond to. Every aesthetic decision has a functional rationale.

Design isn’t decoration. It’s problem solving with constraints. I translate strategy into product choices consumers understand, want, and respond to. Every aesthetic choice has a purpose.

Design isn't decoration. It's problem solving with constraints. I work with teams to translate strategic intent into product features, forms,
and experiences that consumers actually respond to. Every aesthetic decision has a functional rationale.

Engineered to Ship

The gap between a great idea and a product on shelf is where most things fail. I manage that gap: Cost engineering, tooling decisions, packaging, compliance, and retail requirements, so the product that launches is the product we designed.

The gap between a great idea and a product on shelf is where most things fail. I connect design, costing, engineering, sourcing, and retail needs early so ideas can make it to market.

Built to Scale

A great product launch is a starting point, not an end state. I build product lines with range architecture in mind: Line extensions, licensing opportunities, and international variations that compound commercial value over time.

A great launch is a starting point, not an end state. I build product lines with room for extensions, licensing, retail exclusives, and international growth.

A great product launch is a starting point, not an end state. I build product lines with range architecture in mind: Line extensions,
licensing opportunities, and international variations that compound commercial value over time.

THE RESULT

Products that earn their place
on the shelf, and keep it.

Products that

earn their place
on the shelf,
and keep it.

Products that
earn their place

on the shelf,
and keep it.

Start a Conversation

CONTACT

Let’s build
something worth
launching.

I work with a small number of clients at a time. If you
have a product challenge, a licensing opportunity, or
a leadership gap, I’d like to hear about it.

I work with a small number of clients at a time. If you have a product challenge, a licensing opportunity, or a leadership gap, I’d like to hear about it.

dc@dennisclaussen.com

Linked In

linkedin.com/in/dennisgclaussen

DC LinkedIn Profile

Location

Thousand Oaks, CA : Available Globally

Thousand Oaks, CA

Available Globally

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