meet our viggi team

Sandra Turner

Chief Executive Officer
blue sky explorer & inventor

Sandra is naturally curious about the sense of wonder and awe in life.  Using her gifts in understanding deep user needs and designing solutions that make a meaningful difference is what ignites a fire in her belly.  She loves to swing in the park with her kids and believes that it's important to keep the child within us, especially when designing for children.

Sandra holds an MFA in Industrial Design from Rochester Institute of Technology.  Her thesis research focused on innovation in classroom design and she is the inventor of the Vidget ™ .  Sandra holds a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing and double major in art from SUNY Brockport.

Jeannette Lodice

Office Manager
viggi ringmaster

On the ball and always willing to lend a hand, Jeannette helps keep Viggi running smoothly. With her years of expertise in bookkeeping and customer service, she does her part to make sure that all the details are taken care of and everything is in its proper place.
 
Her favorite thing at Viggi is being a part of a wonderful team that creates products to help people learn and have fun at the same time.
 
Jeannette has an Information Technology Diploma from Bryant & Stratton College and a Human Services degree from Monroe Community College.

Chrystal Schlenker

Business Development Manager
​viggi adventurer

As a Mom, Chrystal appreciates the need for innovative ideas and tools that improve learning and well-being.  She has an entrepreneurial spirit and is known for accomplishing great things with limited resources. Trained in deaf studies and American Sign Language, Chrystal is naturally able to explore and understand deep user needs among different communities.  With more than 10 years in sales and customer service, Chrystal is able to build trusting and meaningful relationships.

Chrystal holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Applied Arts and Science from Rochester Institute of Technology at the School of Individualized Study with professional concentrations in Business and Deaf Culture. She Co-founded Hz Innovations Inc., a venture start-up stemming from RIT that focused on serving deaf community needs.  
  

Hannah Morgan

Social Media Consultant 
viggi storyteller

As the Viggi Storyteller, Hannah reaches out to people all across the globe to share the Viggi story. She helps inspire and inform teachers, parents and professionals on innovation, learning and other topics key to Viggi’s mission. 

Hannah has a knack for helping people showcase their assets and strengths online. She applies the same logic and strategies to help Viggi Kids build relationships through social media and increase awareness of Viggi’s innovative educational products. The Viggi Kids story continues to unfold and Hannah is the force who helps convey their message. As wonderful as social media is for building relationships, nothing replaces in-person interaction! In fact, it was because of their work together many years ago that Sandra Turner and Hannah reunited to collaborate on Viggi Kids.

---

meet our board 

Richard Kaplan

Chairman of the Board
Chief Champion & Trailblazer

Chief Executive Officer
​CurAegis Technologies

Dick is the driving force behind the success of Viggi Kids. He specializes in startups and corporate turnarounds and after hearing our story, decided to invest not only funding, but also time and strategic direction. He was President and CEO of Pictometery International Corp. from 2000 to 2010 and currently serves as CEO for CurAgeis Technologies in Rochester, NY.

As a member of the Board of Trustees of Rochester Institute of Technology and Nazareth College, Dick has been actively engaging Viggi Kids with academic support. He is also Chairman of the Board of Advisors at RIT’s Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science and a member of the University of Rochester’s Economic Development Board and University of Rochester Medical Center Board.

His broad entrepreneurial and management experience allows him to lead the strategic direction of Viggi Kids with extreme skill, as we grow our business, refine our product designs, and forge new and expand existing markets.

Dr. James Watters

Viggi Director
​​
​Senior VP for Finance & Administration
Rochester Institute of Technology
​RIT Venture Fund

James Watters joined the RIT team in 1994 as budget director. He is now the senior vice president of finance and administration and treasurer. At RIT, he oversees the activity of more than 740 full-time employees and 1,500 student workers. He is responsible for administering the university’s annual $661 million operating budget; capital budget totaling $156 million; $850 million endowment and working capital portfolios; and $275 million public debt portfolio. Dr. Watters is responsible for housing; dining services; bookstore operations; human resources; accounting/payroll; insurance; public safety; audit; legal; information technology and security; institutional research; and facilities operations, design and construction.

​

Theresa Mazzullo

Viggi Director
​
​Chief Executive Officer
Excell Partners, Inc.
Excell Technology Ventures

Theresa Mazzullo is the CEO of Excell Partners, a seed stage venture fund with $14 Million under management. She has a 30 year track record in business, finance and entrepreneurship. Prior to joining Excell, Theresa was President & Principal of EPIC Advisors, Inc., a 401(k) recordkeeping company with $1.5 Billion in plan assets. She managed a successful sale of that company in 2005. In her role as Excell’s CEO, her duties include company solicitation, deal screening, governance, compliance, community integration, finance and fundraising. Theresa received her BA Degree from Spring Hill College and a Graduate Banking Degree from the ABA’s Stonier Graduate School.

​
​

Ronald J. Papa, SPPA

Viggi Director

​President
NFA - National Fire Adjustment Co., Inc.

Ron has been instrumental in NFA's growth for more than 30 years. He has successfully adjusted more than 2,000 insurance losses working for a wide range of clients. Ron earned the prestigious designation of Senior Professional Public Adjuster and is accredited by the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (NAPIA), of which he is past president. He was named Person of the Year by NAPIA for "outstanding leadership" and recently addressed the National Symposium of Insurance Commissioners at their conference in Florida. Ron is approved as an instructor by numberous State Insurance Departments, the New York State Bar Association, and the Society of CPAs. He graduated from Niagara University.

​

Dr. Whitney Rapp

Viggi Advisor
​Chief of Inclusive Education

 Dr. Rapp is an Associate Professor of Inclusive Education in the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY. She earned her Ph.D. in Special Education from Michigan State University in 1997. Dr. Rapp also holds a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and Psychology from SUNY Potsdam and a Master's degree in Special Education from Michigan State. Dr. Rapp has teaching experience in several grade levels, in both inclusive and specialized settings. Her teaching and research focus on the areas of disability awareness, inclusive education, classroom management through community building, and support strategies for learners with neurologically-based differences.

Dr. Rapp is the author of two books focused on universal design in the inclusive classroom:
Teaching Everyone: An Introduction to Inclusive Education
Universal Design for Learning in Action:  100 Ways To Teach All Learners

Stan Rickel

Viggi Advisor
​Chief of Play & Inspiration

Stan is the Graduate Coordinator of the Industrial Design MFA Program at Rochester Institute of Technology.  He advised both Sandra and Christalyn through the design process of the Vidget and Digit Widgit products.  

As an educator for the last 15 years, Stan has taught at Pratt Institute and Syracuse University prior to joining Rochester Institute of Technology’s Industrial Design Program in 2001, where he served as the Department Chair and the Graduate Coordinator, leading the department to one the highest ranked industrial design programs nationally and internationally. 

Stan's areas of current research and interest include, sensible design, Dr. Seuss, whole/brain thinking, abstractions and perception, emergent properties of artifacts and environments and most importantly, education of the next generation of brilliant designers. Stan also holds a MID from Syracuse University.

Jackie Bartell, M.Ed.

Viggi Advisor
​Chief of Movement

Jackie Bartell M.Ed. has been working in the field of special education of over 30 years.  Jackie received both her B.A. in Psychology and her master’s degree in Developmental Disabilities from the University of Rochester.  Jackie has worked with special needs children in a variety of settings including, private and public schools and as a consultant teacher with families.  Currently, Jackie provides mentorship to agencies, using the DIR model as well as integrating the DIR approach into her work within her own classroom.  Additionally Jackie is a trainer for ICDL, providing online instruction globally in the DIR model.

For the last 20 years Jackie has focused on Autism and the application of the DIR model to education both in and outside the classroom, as well as training hundreds of professionals and families on the DIR model of intervention.  She has been a certified DIR facilitator since 2001.

Lisa Murphy

Viggi Advistor
​Ooey Gooey Lady

Lisa is the founder and CEO of Ooey Gooey, Inc. where her mission is to assist in the transformation of the industry of early childhood education by offering three specific things: one) the best workshops and trainings; two) the most up to date materials and resources; and 3) insightful conversations and connections through the power of social media.  Lisa presents hundreds of workshops each year to both domestic and international audiences on various topics related to early childhood education.

Lisa has become known for her ability to link hands-on activities to educational standards, her outspoken advocacy, and her commitment to creating child-centered, play-based early childhood environments. Her understanding of the importance of play is obvious in both her professional and personal life.