CrunchLabs Chief Product Officer and MESH Helps Founder recognized for championing resilience through play
SILICON VALLEY, Calif., Sept. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Rachele Harmuth, Founder of MESH Helps and Chief Product Officer at CrunchLabs, has been named a winner of the Women in Toys (WiT) 2025 Wonder Women Awards in the "Catalyst for Change" category. This prestigious honor recognizes her more than 30 years of leadership in the toy industry and her groundbreaking work to strengthen children's resilience through play.
"Receiving the Catalyst for Change award is deeply meaningful," said Harmuth. "I've always believed that play is the most powerful tool we have – for learning, for connection, and for building a stronger future. To be recognized alongside such extraordinary women is both humbling and energizing as we continue to reimagine what's possible."
Recognizing the youth mental health crisis as one of the most pressing challenges of our time, Harmuth mobilized the toy industry to be part of the solution. In 2021, she started laying the groundwork for what would become MESH Helps, a nonprofit dedicated to building children's resilience through play by strengthening their mental, emotional, and social health (MESH). Under her leadership, the organization co-authored a pivotal white paper and launched the MESH Accreditation Program in partnership with FUNdamentally Children—an industry-first initiative that evaluates and certifies toys and games for their ability to intentionally develop resilience-building skills.
Beyond her nonprofit work, Harmuth has been a driving force behind some of the industry's most beloved and innovative products. She has held leadership roles at Scholastic and Ravensburger, and today, as Chief Product Officer at CrunchLabs, she is spearheading the company's expansion from subscription-based STEM kits into new toy and education categories, bringing curiosity-driven learning experiences to children worldwide.
The WiT 2025 Wonder Women Awards gala, held in Beverly Hills, honored trailblazing leaders across the global toy, licensing, and entertainment industries. See the full list of 2025 Wonder Women Award winners here: https://www.womenintoys.com/wwa-past-winners
About CrunchLabs
CrunchLabs is a science and engineering company founded by Mark Rober to inspire kids and learners of all ages to think like engineers. Through monthly STEM toys, viral YouTube videos, curriculum content, and now an expanding lineup of media projects, CrunchLabs is creating the most exciting and impactful STEM brand in the world.
For more information, please visit: https://www.crunchlabs.com/
About MESH Helps
MESHhelps.org launched in October 2022 to address the growing concern of kids' mental health in an increasingly challenging world. ThinkFun, a division of Ravensburger, inaugurated MESH Helps in partnership with resilience expert, Dr. Deborah Gilboa to support the mental health of children today. In December 2023, MESH Helps became an independent nonprofit with a mission to help kids build resilience through play by strengthening the critical skills of mental, emotional, and social health.
For more information, please visit www.MESHhelps.org.
Media Contact
Nicole Daley, CrunchLabs, 1 4154088664, [email protected], https://www.crunchlabs.com
SOURCE CrunchLabs
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