Strong Museum of Play featured an interview with Jacob R. Miles III and several other people instrumental in leading and fostering diversity in the toy, play, and entertainment industries. Jacob was one of the first African American engineers to be employed by a major company in the toy industry. Since those early days, he has worked on some of the most recognized and iconic brands in the history of the toy business and American pop culture. He has been central in impacting the diversity of toys and games.
Jacob Miles, a veteran media, entertainment, and toy industry executive, has held executive positions at Kenner Products, General Mills Entertainment Group, Tonka Toys, Sega America, Hasbro, Cultural Toys, Urban America Television, Urban Cool Network, and Grapevine Star Entertainment, over the last forty-plus years, has worked with fourteen Toy Industry Hall of Fame inductees. An original member of Kenner’s Star Wars toy team and an avid Star Wars toy collector, Miles has been involved in developing and manufacturing such American toy and children’s entertainment brands as Six Million Dollar Man, Stretch Armstrong, Play-Doh, Sega Game Systems, the Baby Alive doll, Tonka Trucks, Pound Puppies, Hollywood Hounds, Ghostbusters, Alien, Tex DunRight, SunnyLuv, Strawberry Shortcake, Dinkytown Kids, MeMe and My World, Starting Lineup, GoBots, Miss America, Hip Hop Hounds, Hip Hop Bobbleheads, Mighty Moors, London Manga, Cultural Toys infant and Preschool, Tuskegee Airmen, Care Bears, Batman, and Superman. Further, as an entrepreneur, he has developed and brought to market over 12 toy and entertainment properties of his own.
Miles has also helped develop television and film products based on content from Lucasfilm, The Jim Henson Company, DIC Entertainment, Warner Bros., Film Roman, NBA, MLB, NFL, American Greetings, Motown, and Hallmark Entertainment among others. Today, Jacob serves as founder and CEO of MAP Esports Network, Inc. a multimedia platform network that provides esports, gaming and robotics focused, media content and play and learn centers, offering services for disadvantaged, at-risk youth as well as mainstream communities. His current plans include integrating blockchain and the metaverse with toys, games, and entertainment content. He will begin with his portfolio of toy and entertainment properties, followed by offering metaverse and blockchain, services to others.
As an award-winning entrepreneur and now analyst of global media and entertainment trends, strategies, and diversity, Miles has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Business Week, Black Enterprise, PBS, and numerous books, magazines, and newspapers. He is finishing his autobiography “My American Toy Story” which chronicles his path from being on welfare in the Millvale Housing Projects of Cincinnati, Ohio to the top of the toy and game industry, celebrities, and industry giants he’s met and traveling the world.
About MAP Esports Network, Inc.
MAP Esports Network, Inc. is a media, entertainment and metaverse focused content development and distribution company with community touchpoints that reach mainstream and grassroot audiences. Physical and digital touchpoints include publications, events, podcasts, video, esports league, teams, blockchain games, collectibles, mentor-based, municipal, and retail gaming centers that support disadvantaged children via STEM and STEAM initiatives, esports, videogame, robotics, and coding competitions. MAP Esports Network is the founder and creator of Project Family - Bridging the Digital Divide through esports, gaming, and robotics, events.
Madison Korta
MAP Esports Network Inc.
PROVIDED BY
MAP Digital Network
February 08, 2022
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