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Celebrating What’s Possible Through Play

WHEN

11.30

Monday / Nov 30 / 6:00PM

WHAT

The Playmakers Gala is the Cayton’s signature annual fundraiser, bringing together friends, partners and supporters for an unforgettable adults-only evening celebrating play and its power to enrich children’s lives.

 

Guests can enjoy inspired food pairings, creative cocktails and lively music while exploring the Museum after hours and rediscovering the joy of play. The evening also brings together special guests and honorees who champion the Cayton’s mission and impact.

Join us for the 2026 Playmakers Gala, Cayton Children’s Museum’s most important annual fundraiser.

An unforgettable evening of play, connection, and celebration.

WHY

Since opening, Cayton Children’s Museum has welcomed nearly one million visitors and become an essential resource for Los Angeles children and families. This year’s gala supports The Cayton’s bold vision for the future: deepening the experiences offered within the Museum and expanding access to the power of play for more children and families beyond its walls.

 

That vision comes to life across the Cayton’s work, from museum programs and PLAY4ALL, which helps make visits more accessible, to Community Connections, our mobile museum program bringing play-based experiences to parks, schools, libraries, festivals and neighborhood gathering spaces. Your support helps sustain this work and create new opportunities for children and caregivers to explore, learn and play together throughout Southern California.

 

This year’s Playmakers Gala honors three special friends and champions of Cayton Children’s Museum whose leadership, partnership and generosity help make meaningful play possible for children and families across Los Angeles: John Derderian, Vice President of Animation Series, Kids & Family TV at Netflix; Spencer Kallick, Partner at Allen Matkins and a member of The Cayton’s Board of Directors; and Dan Timmons, PNC Regional President, on behalf of PNC Foundation’s Grow Up Great initiative. 

 

Their commitment reflects the spirit of Playmakers: a community coming together around the belief that play can enrich children’s lives, strengthen families and build more connected communities.

WHERE

Cayton Children’s Museum
395 Santa Monica Place
Suite 374 / Level 3
Santa Monica, CA 90401

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Scroll below to purchase ticket
and table packages.

Can’t make it this year? You can still help shape the future of play by a making a donation.

For questions, contact us at 
playmakers@caytonmuseum.org.

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HONOREES

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VICE PRESIDENT, 
ANIMATION SERIES, 
KIDS & FAMILY TV NETFLIX

John Derderian is VP, Animated Series + Kids & Family TV for Netflix overseeing a variety of animated series spanning preschool (Gabby’s Dollhouse, CoComelon Lane), kids genre (Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, Sonic Prime), kids comedy (The Boss Baby: Back in Business), adult genre (Arcane, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners), and adult comedy (Big Mouth, Bojack Horseman). He also oversees all Kids + Family licensing (Danny Go!, Ms Rachel) and live-action co-productions (Finding Her Edge, Geek Girl) as well as a new slate of non-fiction series (Mark Rober’s SCHOOLED!, Salish and Jordan Matter Competition Series).

Before returning to Los Angeles, Derderian spent 3 years in Tokyo as VP for Japan, Anime, and Chinese content, leading titles including Alice in Borderland, Devilman Crybaby and The Victims’ Game. He was an early member of Netflix’s Local Language Originals team, helping launch key markets including Korea, Turkey, Italy, and the Philippines. 

Prior to Netflix, he worked at AMC Networks and practiced corporate law at Skadden, Arps and Hogan Lovells.

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PARTNER, ALLEN MATKINS  

+ CAYTON BOARD  
OF DIRECTORS

Spencer Kallick is a Partner at Allen Matkins and serves as the firm’s Century City Office Operating Partner, where he advises leading real estate investors, developers, institutions, and family offices on complex land use and real estate matters. With decades of public and private sector experience, Spencer is known as a dealmaker who navigates complex challenges and moves transformative projects forward.
 
A recognized voice in commercial real estate, Spencer leads the Allen Matkins/UCLA Anderson Forecast Commercial Real Estate Survey, a widely followed measure of industry sentiment across California. He also hosts Real Smart, a podcast featuring conversations with industry leaders about the strategies and leadership philosophies shaping commercial real estate.
 
Spencer’s commitment to building stronger communities extends beyond his legal practice. As a member of the Cayton Children’s Museum Board of Directors, and dad to two curious, play-seeking kids, he proudly supports the Museum’s work creating opportunities for children and families to learn, connect, and grow through play.

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PNC REGIONAL PRESIDENT, ON BEHALF OF PNC FOUNDATION’S

PNC GROW UP GREAT INITIATIVE

Dan M. Timmons is regional president and head of Corporate Banking of Greater Los Angeles for PNC Bank. In this role, he oversees oversee the market's business development, client relationships and community engagement efforts while continuing to lead Corporate Banking for the region.

 

As executive vice president and head of Corporate Banking for the Greater Los Angeles region he leads a team of bankers serving middle market and large corporate clients, including both public and privately held companies across a broad range of industries. In this capacity, he oversees the delivery of comprehensive banking solutions, risk management, and strategic guidance on capital structure, capital raising and capital markets execution.

 

Timmons was named regional president in July 2026 and bring nearly 25 years of banking experience to this role. Before joining PNC, Timmons held a series of leadership positions at Bank of America, most recently serving as head of the Los Angeles Global Commercial Banking Group with additional responsibility for the national Entertainment Industries Group practice. Earlier, he spent time in New York within the Global Corporate and Investment Bank, where he covered clients in the media and entertainment sector. He began his career with Accenture in San Francisco, advising a diverse portfolio of technology clients.

 

Active in the community, Timmons serves on the board of trustees for Ronald McDonald House Pasadena and is a member of the board for Mayfield Senior School. He recently fulfilled a seven-year term as a member of the executive committee and chair of the finance committee for the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation.

 

He holds a B.B.A. in Business Administration with dual majors in finance and German from California State University, Chico. He earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, currently inactive, and holds Series 7, 24 and 63 licenses.

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TICKETS
& PACKAGES

Package descriptions illustrate the work your support makes possible. All gala proceeds are received as unrestricted contributions supporting PLAY4ALL, the Museum’s financial accessibility programs, and general museum operations. 

Visionary

$50,000 

Supports a School-Year Series of Monthly Mobile Museum Experiences in Five

Los Angeles Neighborhoods

Reserved seating - 30 guests 


Verbal acknowledgment during
live program


Acknowledgment on invitation

 
Acknowledgment on-screen during program and on event signage


Acknowledgment in printed program and post-event email

Builder

$10,000 

Supports a Full Year of Training for Cayton’s “Play Guides” Educational Staff

Reserved seating - 10 guests


Acknowledgment on-screen during program and on event signage


Acknowledgment in printed program and post-event email

Leader

$25,000 

Supports a Full Year of PLAY4ALL Access for 100 Families

Reserved seating - 20 guests


Verbal acknowledgment during

live program


Acknowledgment on invitation

 
Acknowledgment on-screen during program and on event signage


Acknowledgment in printed program and post-event email

Innovator

$5,000 

Supports One Week of Field Trips
for Students from Title I Schools 

Reserved seating - 6 guests


Acknowledgment on-screen during program and on event signage


Acknowledgment in printed program and post-event email

Thinker

$2,500 

Supports One Week of Daily

Drop-In Programs

- 4 guests


Acknowledgment in printed program and post-event email

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Individual Ticket

$500 

Supports Play-Based Learning and Community Access at the Cayton

Descriptions are illustrative; all proceeds are unrestricted and support financial accessibility

and museum operations.

Discover the Impact 
of Your Support 

Learn how each Playmakers Gala sponsorship level advances the Cayton’s work with children and families.

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CAN’T ATTEND?
MAKE A DONATION

Your tax-deductible gift will help bring our vision for the future of play to life—expanding access, sparking imagination, and creating spaces where every child can thrive. 

Together, we can build a world where play has no limits.

HIGHLIGHTS 2025

EVENTS COMMITTEE*

CARL FREED
TIFFANY FONG
COURTENY MIZEL

KEVIN BEGGS

CRAIG ERWICH
LIZ POLK
ESTHER NETTER

*In Formation

BOARD
OF DIRECTORS

CARL FREED CHAIRPERSON

JASMINE ARAI SECRETARY

BRIANNE TURTLETAUB TREASURER

KEVIN BEGGS

RICHARD ELLIS

CRAIG ERWICH

TIFFANY FONG

SUSAN GOLDSMITH*

JIMMY HAUSBERG
SPENCER KALLICK
ANDY KLEINMAN
ANDY MEYERS
COURTNEY MIZEL
AASHIKA PATEL
LIZ POLK

 

*PAST BOARD CHAIR

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PAST HONOREES

(2025) BEATRICE SPRINGBORN  /  TIFFANY & TEDDY FONG  (2024) SHAWN GEHLE  /  CHRISTIAN ROBERT  /  STACEY & LARRY KOHL  /  AMY ISRAEL  (2023) CARL FREED  /  ESTHER NETTER  (2022)  MARY KITCHEN & JON ORZAG  /  FERNANDO & NADINA SZEW  (2021) TARA DUNCAN  /  CHARLOTTE & GARY GILBERT  /  ARYEH GOLDBERG   (2020) SUSAN & ROBERT ROVNER  /  CHELSEA & KEVIN WASHINGTON  (2019) NICOLE CLEMENS  /  ART COPPOLA  (2018) ANDREA & BARRY CAYTON  /  CRAIG ERWICH  /  SANDRA STERN  (2017) CAROLYN BERNSTEIN & NICK GRAD  /  RAYNI & BRANDEN WILLIAMS  (2016) DARRYL & VANESSA FRANK  /  AARON ROSENBERG  /  DANNY ROSE  (2015) KAREY BURKE  /  JAMES MANDLEBAUM  (2014) DICK LIPPIN  /  ALLISON SHEARMUR  (2013) DAVID MADDEN  /  MARGARET LOESCH  /  SANFORD MICHELMAN  (2012) SHARON SACKS  /  DEBORAH KLEIN & MORT MARCUS  /  CARRIE LIEBERMAN  (2011) ANDY KAPLAN  /  COURTNEY MIZEL  /  RICHARD SMITH  (2010) STEPHEN J. DAVIS  /  BARBARA PROBER  (2009) KEVIN BEGGS  /  DANA PACHULSKI  /  JENNIFER WOOSTER  (2008) JEFF WACHTEL  /  DR. CHARLES SOPHY  (2007) MISSY BIRNS-HALPERIN  /  LINDA SIMENSKY (2006) RODNEY FREEMAN  /  WENDY MOSS KLEIN  (2005) JENNA ADLER  /  DAN ADLER  /  JENNIFER E. COHEN  (2004) MARK ITKIN  /  GLORIA & JERRY LUSHING  (2003) BARBARA FISHER  /  CYNTHIA SIKES YORKIN (2002) ANDY HEYWARD  /  ARTHUR HILLER (2001) JEAN FRIEDMAN  /  GARY E. KNELL

Baby crawling in Cayton exhibit

Become a Member

Being an annual member means discounts, exclusive events, and supporting our nonprofit organization.

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Host an Event with Us!

The Cayton is the perfect event space to host any celebration big or small, for babies to adults.

STAY updated

Cayton Email List

395 Santa Monica Place, #374

Santa Monica, CA 90401

LOCATED ON LEVEL 3

 

Phone: 424-416-8320

Email: info@caytonmuseum.org

EIN: 20-1470992

Museum Hours

Wednesday–Monday

9AM–5PM

© 2026 Cayton Children’s Museum. All rights reserved.

Cayton Children’s Museum acknowledges that we are located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded land of the Tongva (Gabrieleño) people, who have stewarded this land for generations. We honor their enduring connection to this place and recognize their past, present, and future presence in the Santa Monica region.

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