Women Who Inspire Us
Education

Janese Swanson

Janese Swanson is a respected veteran of the toy and software industries. As a senior product manager at Broderbund Software, she managed the Sensei Educational Line and produced the popular Carmen Sandiego Macintosh series. Her Treehouse and Playroom series received numerous awards including the Parent's Choice award, Best Early Childhood Software and the SPA award; through her company Kid One For Fun, she developed and licensed electronic toys, including the Yak Bak series and TalkBoy FX.

Since forming Girl Tech in 1995, Swanson has produced the first of a series of books, "Tech Girl's Internet Adventures;" which won Dr. Toy's 100 Best Products for 1997 and the Parent Council Award; developed a popular Website (www.girltech.com) which has received over 35 awards including CNet's Best of the Web; and prototyped GirlZine: A Magazine for the Global Girl®. Swanson sold Girl Tech in 1998 to Radica Games Limited (NASDAQ - RADA), taking on the role of vice president of the Girl Tech division and helping Girl Tech's first line of six electronic toys reach the market.

Swanson founded Girl Tech after finding that so many wonderful technology products were developed for and marketed solely to boys.

Swanson's dedication to helping girls is reflected in the many awards she has won, including the "Annual Leading Change Award" from Women in Communications, Webgirls, "Top 25 Women on the Web," YWCA of the USA "Advancement of Girls and Technology", and "Women Entrepreneur of the Year Nominee" from National Association of Women Business Owners.

She was featured in Ms. magazine's "Women of the Year" issue, 1997. She was the keynote speaker at the National Inventors Hall of Fame Induction 1999 award's ceremony and served on the Advisory Committee of the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation in association with the National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian Institution. Currently, she is a board of trustee at Dominican University. Swanson holds several degrees in education, including a doctorate in organization and leadership.