SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nex, the motion technology company behind the award-winning active play system, Nex Playground, announced the expansion of its leadership team and advisory board today, appointing Tom Kang as President and Stephen Saiz as Vice President of Publishing. Tom joins Nex after leading Immersive Commerce at Walmart as Vice President, General Manager and Officer. Prior to that, Tom held senior leadership positions at Amazon Games, Amazon Web Services and Disney Interactive, as well as multiple startups as CEO. At Nex, Tom will oversee strategy, finance, corporate and business development, and international expansion. As the former Head of Publishing at Walmart and the Head of Growth and Partnerships at Amazon Games, Stephen will oversee all of Nex’s publishing and go-to-market (GTM) efforts.
The company’s growth follows the success of Nex Playground, which launched on Amazon this month and will be available across major retail stores nationwide later this year. Over 20 games are currently available, including titles based on original IP and brand collaborations, such as Hasbro. Nex will continue to release new games throughout this year, including titles in collaboration with Sesame Workshop and others, building a robust library of content for the 2024 holiday season.
“I am thrilled to join Nex to help bring active play to every living room,” said Kang. “Heading into the 2024 holiday season, I look forward to working with the team and our supplier, distribution, brand and development partners to bring great games and experiences to audiences globally, while also helping accelerate the company’s growth.”
In addition to the new hires, Nex has established a formal advisory board comprised of the following three global leaders:
- Bing Gordon: Bing has been a partner at Kleiner Perkins, a venture capital firm, since 2008. In 1982, he co-founded Electronic Arts Inc. and held various roles, including Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer. Bing serves on the boards of directors of Take Two Interactive, Duolingo, Truecaller, and multiple privately held companies. He was a member of its board of directors of Amazon.com, Inc. from 2003 until January 2018 and served as a special advisor to the board of directors until March 2024.
- Christoph Frehsee: As President and Managing Director for North America at Tonies, a screen-free audio content player company, Christoph shares a deep passion for kids products that spark cognitive development and invite a sense of play.
- Robert Matthews: The former Head of Consumer Marketing at Nintendo and Chief Brand Officer of Xbox, Robert played an instrumental role in the launch of multiple motion-based gaming devices such as the Wii and Kinect for Xbox 360.
“Motion games have a rich history of engaging families in active, communal play. Nex is the simpler, modern successor to motion consoles that once captured this massive audience,” said Matthews. “This is why I'm so excited to help Nex reignite the category with families around the world.”
“At Nex, we are committed to helping families reconnect with the joy of movement through fun, social and active motion experiences,” said David Lee, co-founder and CEO of Nex. “We are thrilled to bring together the top leaders in the industry to accomplish this mission. Each of these new appointments bring decades of valuable industry insights that will help us navigate the evolving landscape of interactive entertainment for all ages, while continuing to provide the best experiences possible for consumers.”
Nex Playground is planned to release in retail stores nationwide later this year, ahead of the holiday season. To learn more, visit nex.inc.
About Nex
Nex is helping families reconnect with the joy of movement through fun, social, and interactive content that’s accessible to all ages. Its award-winning Nex Playground console, launched in December 2023, uses cutting-edge AI, mobile and vision technologies to merge digital and physical worlds, immersing players in the experience using their natural body movement. Nex Playground games range from original sports and fitness titles, to music-rhythm games and titles in collaboration with Hasbro and Sesame Workshop. Since its founding, Nex has been recognized as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, TIME’s Best Inventions, Parents’ Best Entertainment System for Families, and has been awarded the prestigious Apple Design Award. Learn more about Nex at https://www.nex.inc.
