Larry Schwarz

Larry Schwarz is the founder and CEO of Animation Collective, the New York City-based producer of children's programming for television, the Internet and home video. Prior to Animation Collective, Schwarz founded Rumpus in 1997, the multimedia children’s toy and entertainment company. Rumpus operated kids’ entertainment and community websites like Rumpus.com and Zeeks.com and produced interactive programming. Rumpus is best known for its line of award-winning toys all based on characters and ideas created by Schwarz. Its toys, including Monster in My Closet, Gus Gutz, Wake Me Willy and Harry Hairball, were the recipients of awards for best toy of the year from Parents Magazine, Family Fun, Child, Good Housekeeping, The Parent’s Choice Foundation, and many other children’s publications and parenting groups. In 2000, Schwarz became the youngest person ever elected to the Board of Directors of the Toy Manufacturers of America. Prior to founding Rumpus, Mr.Schwarz served as Chief Executive Officer of VIAM Communications, the publishers of the Vietnam Business Journal and Vietnam's first countrywide Yellow Pages. Prior to that, Mr. Schwarz published H Magazine, a seasonal entertainment and lifestyle magazine for the Hamptons resort area of New York. He has been a frequent guest on business new shows on CNN, CNBC, Fox News and NPR and has been profiled in leading business publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The LA Times, The Financial Times, The Sunday Times of London, Fortune, and Time for Kids magazines. He's the creator and executive producer of all of Animation Collective's original television series, including, Kappa Mikey (and its spin-off Dancing Sushi), Thumb Wrestling Federation, Leader Dog: The Series, Tortellini Western: The Series, Three Delivery and Speed Racer: The Next Generation for Nicktoons Network and Ellen's Acres, Htdt, and Princess Natasha for Cartoon Network. In addition, Schwarz served as producer of Wulin Warriors for Cartoon Network and the first season of The Incredible Crash Dummies for the Fox Box. Animation Collective was also the leading multi-platform content provider for kids and teens to America Online. Currently, Schwarz is the CEO of Larry Schwarz and His Band, which produces Alien Dawn for Nicktoons Network and Team Toon for Cartoon Network. Both series, produced in partnership with Fremantle Media Kids and Family Entertainment, were created by Schwarz. Schwarz has lectured on marketing, product development and entrepreneurship at New York University’s Stern School of Business, Oxford University, Eton and many other schools. A former child actor and stand-up comic, Schwarz is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.