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Exec Edge hosted a fireside chat ICR 2025 Conference with Steve Dunnfounder and CEO of WHY Brands and Diana Barnesbrand director and creative director. Tit was the in-person interview united by Editor at large Jarrett Banks and discussed the company’s growth and expansion, Munchkin’s award-winning podcast “Stroller Coaster” and more.
Watch the full recording:
About Steve Dunn
Steve is the CEO, founder and president of WHY Brands Inc., a portfolio of consumer lifestyle brands that invent and develop creative products across a variety of categories, with its own R&D center, RD8 , where you can innovate and launch purposeful, smart products. WHY is the parent company of Munchkin, a leading baby lifestyle company, and Curio, a premium brand of homewares designed for display.
In 1990, Steve founded the beloved lifestyle brand, Munchkin, in Los Angeles. Then, as a young parent, I aspired to bring smart design to the nursery. Steve continues to spend his days brainstorming with the product development and marketing teams, and is the lead inventor on most of the more than 350 patents.
Steve received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the Retail and Consumer Products category for the greater Los Angeles area. Prior to starting Munchkin, Steve was a partner at Idanta Partners, a leading venture capital firm. His previous experience includes a corporate finance associate position at Bear Stearns. Steve received his Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of California Berkeley and his MBA from Harvard Business School.
About Diana Barnes
Diana Barnes (“DB”) serves as Chief Brand Officer and Creative Director of WHY Brands, overseeing global brand partnerships and managing the PR, social media and brand design teams worldwide, point of operation for all the creative content. DB’s work with the company recently earned her the honor of being named one of the top 20 CMOs in the world by Fast Company.
Before joining Munchkin, DB worked at leading brand agencies such as PIMCO, Cadillac, PBS and others. Prior to that, she was the Global Director of Brand Design at Dell, Inc., where she led international teams. DB’s career began in music and entertainment, where he held creative executive positions at Sony and EMI.
DB holds a BA in English Literature from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a BFA in Graphics/Packaging from ArtCenter College of Design. She has also completed several Executive MBA programs at Harvard Business School and is a founding member of the Los Angeles chapter of CHIEF, a private network created to propel more women into positions of power and keep them there.
