Kidscreen has announced that Nickelodeon staff will be taking part in a raft of sessions at the Kidscreen Summit 2024!
Being held San Diego for the first time between Sunday, February 4 - Wednesday, February 7, Kidscreen Summit is renowned as the kids entertainment industry’s most important annual event. Top executives attend Kidscreen Summit to take advantage of the year’s best business networking, and to engage in critical dialogue on issues that affect the industry.
The winners of the 2024 Kidscreen Awards, in which Nickelodeon has received a slew of nominations, will be announced and celebrated live at a special awards ceremony taking place on Monday, February 5 during Kidscreen Summit 2024.
For more information about Kidscreen Summit 2024 and to register to attend, please visit https://summit.kidscreen.com. #Kidscreen24
Kidscreen Summit 2024 Sessions Featuring Nickelodeon Staff:
Sunday, February 4
2:00pm - Ask an Expert
Pacific 17
This drop-in session is your opportunity to get free advice and guidance from experienced specialists in niche areas of the kids entertainment industry.
Featuring:
- Daniel Barnes, Executive Producer & TV Development Executive, Cloudco Entertainment
- Ben Cawood, SVP, TV Development, DreamWorks Animation
- Elizabeth Foster, Director, Content & Communications, Licensing International
- Cheryl Gotthelf, Founder & President, Cheryl Gotthelf Consulting
- Bob Higgins, President, Trustbridge Entertainment
- Lynn Kestin-Sessler, Senior Creative Director, Nickelodeon Podcasts, Nickelodeon
- Ian Lambur, EVP, Content Strategy, Co-Productions & Global Distribution, Cloudco Entertainment
- Ramsay McBean, Producer, Untitled TMNT Sequel, Paramount Animation
- Kate Sanagan, Head of Sales & Distribution, Sinking Ship Entertainment
- Brett Snelgrove, Social & Video Content Strategist, Independent
Tuesday, February 6
10:00am - Demo Dive: Preschool/Bridge
Pacific 18
This session series is designed to help you more deeply understand your audience and reflect their unique needs and desires in the content you make for them. For each age group, we’re bringing together a highly experienced broadcaster, producer, creative talent and researcher/childhood expert for a conversation about what makes these kids tick, and what they want and need to experience when they settle in to be entertained.
Featuring:
- Kim Berglund, VP, Development, Disney Junior
- Isaac Mogajane, Producer, Writer, Director & Co-Founder, Diprente Films
- Andrea Strauss, SVP, Nickelodeon Brand & Content Insights, Nickelodeon
- Kristofer Updike, Executive, Hickory House Entertainment
Moderating:
- Sandy Wax, Co-Founder, WAXON Group
11:00am - 30 Minutes with… Layla Lewis, Nickelodeon
Pacific 17
A returning favorite at the Summit, our 30 Minutes with… sessions give you a chance to hear about the future plans and priorities of the kids industry’s major content investors first-hand, as well as participate in some Q&A and meet-and-greets. You are welcome to attend as many of these popular buyer briefing sessions as you can fit into your schedule! Space will be filled on a first-come, first-seated basis until we hit room capacity.
Featuring:
- Layla Lewis, SVP, Global Acquisitions & Content Partnerships, Kids & Family Group, Nickelodeon
12:45pm - Lunch & Learn: Beyond TV
Pacific 23/24
Spend some quality time in small groups with experts who can give you advice about how to use an alternative launchpad or maximize your kids IP in other channels. This is designed as a networking opportunity, so please save your pitch for a private meeting. NOTE: Advance sign-up is required.
Featuring:
- Michael Connolly, Founder & CEO, Retail Monster
- Steve Couture, CEO & Executive Producer, Epic Storyworlds
- David Di Lorenzo, SVP, Kids & Family, Future Today
- Alli Guglielmino, SVP, Growth, Gamefam
- Hollie Holmes, VP, Global Licensing, Moose Toys
- Craig Hunter, Executive Producer & Consultant/Advisor, Independent
- Lynn Kestin-Sessler, Senior Creative Director, Nickelodeon Podcasts, Nickelodeon
- David Kleeman, SVP, Global Trends, Dubit
- Jasen Wright, VP, North America, WildBrain CPLG
- Andy Yeatman, Managing Director of Americas, Distribution, Moonbug Entertainment
2:00pm - Big Brand Power: PAW Patrol is on a roll
Pacific 21
Spin Master’s 10-year-old preschool powerhouse certainly has a lot of success to celebrate. The TV series has aired in 350 million homes, a robust consumer products program has generated US$14 billion in retail sales worldwide, and its first two movies have earned US$300 million (and counting) at the global box office. We’ve invited PAW Patrol’s creator and chief brand-builders to share the origin story and roadmap leading to one of the most lucrative franchises in kids entertainment history.
Featuring:
- Keith Chapman, Creator, PAW Patrol, Keith Chapman Productions
- Laura Clunie, SVP Development, Current Series & Feature Film, Spin Master
- Cat Demas, VP, Entertainment Design, Spin Master
- Jamie Drew, EVP, Consumer Products & Experiences, Paramount
Moderating:
- Angela C. Santomero, Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Santo Studios NYC
Wednesday, February 7
11:00am - Speed Pitching 5
Temecula
Sit down one-on-one with top broadcasters and investors who have the power to greenlight your project. This highly effective format will feature 10-minute meetings, and you should prepare to spend eight minutes delivering the perfect elevator pitch. NOTE: Advance sign-up is required.
Featuring:
- Natalie Falk, Manager, Global Acquisitions & Content Partnerships, Kids & Family Group, Nickelodeon
- Edward Galton, CEO, CAKE
- Claire Heinrich, Head of Acquisitions, Children's & Youth Department, France Télévisions
- Brenda Maffuchi, Chief of Co-Productions, Licensing and Sales Officer, DeAKids
- Gary Milne, Head of Content Development, Banijay Kids & Family
- Helena Nylander, Acquistions Executive, Children, SVT Swedish Television
- Irene Pothecary-Huse, Acquisitions & Commissioning Executive, NRK Super
- Anna Taganov, Head of Content & Programming Strategy, BBC Children's
- Kitty Walsh, Executive Director, Development, Atomic Cartoons
11:15am - KID INSIGHT - Wellness Matters: How kids TV can normalize mental health journeys
Pacific 21
Envision a society that proactively addresses the youth mental health crisis, rather than merely reacting to it. Where psychological wellbeing is just as prioritized and destigmatized as physical wellbeing. Nickelodeon Consumer Insights is presenting the results of an important new study at Kidscreen Summit that explores effective and practical mental wellness strategies for children, regardless of their current state of psychological health.
This unique research consults mental health professionals, children and their families to gain a comprehensive understanding of needs and best practices from those who are closest to the battle for stronger minds. The NCI team will share key insights on how to authentically show children caring for their mental health on screen in everyday moments in order to normalize these audience experiences and model useful tools and strategies for not just coping, but thriving.
Featuring:
- Makeda Mays Green, SVP, Digital & Cultural Consumer Insights, Nickelodeon
- Colleen Russo Johnson, PhD, VP, Digital & Cultural Consumer Insights, Nickelodeon
Biographies:
Lynn Kestin-Sessler
Senior Creative Director, Nickelodeon Podcasts, Nickelodeon
Lynn is a Peabody, Webby, and Parent’s Choice Award-winning Producer and Development Executive who is the Senior Creative Director and Multi-Platform Creative Executive at Nickelodeon and Paramount Global, overseeing the creative development and production of Nick’s audio and video podcasts- ranging from preschool ages to Young Adult.
Lynn has created podcast, digital, and TV programming for Nickelodeon, PBS, Netflix, Audible, Noggin, HBO, Sesame Workshop, Showtime, Pinna, and Common Sense Media. Lynn is honored to sit on the Producer’s Guild's National Board of Directors and is Co-Vice Chair of the PGA’s New Media Council; she also sits on the Children’s Media Association’s Board of Advisors.
Ramsay McBean
Producer, Untitled TMNT Sequel, Paramount Animation
Ramsay McBean is a film producer specializing in animated feature films. Ramsay’s most recent credits include Executive Producing one of the best-reviewed animated movies of 2023, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, for Nickelodeon/Paramount with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 96 percent and a box office grossing over $180 million globally.
Scheduled for release in 2024 is a project titled Ozi: Voice of the Forest, a collaboration between Ramsay, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mike Medavoy, and GCI Films.
As Executive Producer at Mikros Animation, Ramsay’s credits include Sherlock Gnomes (2018), SpongeBob: Sponge on the Run (2020), and The PAW Patrol Movie (2021).
Andrea Strauss
SVP, Nickelodeon Brand & Content Insights, Nickelodeon
Andrea Strauss, SVP, of Nickelodeon Brand and Content Insights, serves as an in-house expert on the lifestyles, attitudes and behaviors of kids, teens, young adults, and parents. She is responsible for the development of domestic and international consumer insights research in support of stakeholders across the company.
Andrea has spent more than two decades informing the work of Nickelodeon’s Production, Consumer Products, Public Affairs, Marketing and Location-Based Experience groups, and has been a chief architect of thought leadership studies such as Nickelodeon’s Shades of Us, a study of race, identity and the American family. Her content-focused research has played a key role in the development of some of Nick’s biggest franchises, including SpongeBob, Dora, and Blue’s Clues, and more recently, Andrea led work on “Bridging the Gap,” a deep examination of content that resonates with the four to seven-year-old audience.
Andrea joined Nickelodeon in the fall of 1994 after stints at both Grey Advertising and D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles, Inc. in strategic services and media planning, respectively. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where she earned both a BA in Psychology from the College of Arts and Sciences and a BS in Economics with a concentration in Marketing from the Wharton School.
Layla Lewis
SVP, Global Acquisitions & Content Partnerships, Kids & Family Group, Nickelodeon
Layla Lewis is Senior Vice President of Global Acquisitions and Content Partnerships for Nickelodeon, a part of the global Kids and Family group at Paramount. Layla leads and implements the global strategy for all acquisitions and content partnerships across the entire Nickelodeon portfolio of channels, across all linear and nonlinear platforms, both in the US and internationally. Responsible for sourcing, negotiating, and managing all strategic content partnerships for Nickelodeon platforms globally, Layla cultivates new and existing partnerships with content distributors, producers, and creators from around the world, while expanding the partnerships and aligning opportunities across the other lines of business within Paramount. In her current role, Layla has secured many long-term, successful content collaborations around both new and existing IPs across preschool, animation, and live-action.
Layla joined Paramount from Turner International’s Hong Kong office, where she was responsible for the development, planning, and execution of Turner International’s pan-regional Asia Pacific acquisitions and development strategies, with a particular focus on India, South Korea, and Southeast Asia. Prior to Turner, she was a part of Nickelodeon UK, where she was responsible for acquiring and editorially overseeing much of the award-winning content produced for the network out of the UK.
Natalie Falk
Manager, Global Acquisitions & Content Partnerships, Kids & Family Group, Nickelodeon
Natalie Falk is the Manager of Global Acquisitions and Content Partnerships for Nickelodeon, Paramount. Natalie manages all key aspects of new and established partner relationships for the Paramount Kids and Family group across all platforms, both in the US and internationally. Based in Paramount’s New York headquarters, Natalie serves as the day-to-day point person for managing all information regarding ongoing partnerships with Paramount’s partners around the world including content distributors and producers, as well as internally across all key stakeholders in other lines of business. Natalie also manages the pitch submission process for all new incoming content, identifying opportunities for strategic acquisitions across preschool, animation, and live-action content.
Natalie previously worked as a part of the Nickelodeon International Content Strategy team, contributing to the long-range content strategy planning for all international Nickelodeon channels and platforms.
Jamie Drew
EVP, Consumer Products & Experiences, Paramount
Jamie Drew is Executive Vice President, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and LatAm, Consumer Products and Experiences. Jamie’s approach to building market-specific and scalable strategies, coupled with her inclusive leadership style, creativity, and global mindset has translated to double-digit revenue growth across these key regions.
As a 20-year Nickelodeon and Paramount executive, Jamie has a proven track record of masterful collaboration across divisions and forging strategic partnerships that have translated to meaningful commercial opportunities for the company at large. She spearheaded the acquisition of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Garfield franchises, led our definitional partnership with Spin Master for PAW Patrol, oversaw Nickelodeon’s 360 deal for social media sensation JoJo Siwa, and played an integral role in bringing SpongeBob SquarePants to Broadway. Jamie has served as co-chair of our Consumer Products and Experiences People and Culture Diversity Pillar since its inception in 2020 and was a former board member of the Children’s Museum of Manhattan on behalf of Nickelodeon.
Makeda Mays Green
SVP, Digital & Cultural Consumer Insights, Nickelodeon
Makeda Mays Green is Senior Vice President of Digital and Cultural Consumer Insights at Nickelodeon. In her role, she evaluates the most effective ways to reach diverse target audiences through innovative research methodologies across Nickelodeon’s platforms.
Previously, she served as the Director of Education and Research, Digital Media at Sesame Workshop (the creators of Sesame Street), where she examined the potential of current and emerging digital media platforms to provide quality educational material to children and families.
She has delivered several keynote addresses, headlined at numerous national conferences, and guest lectured at Harvard University, New York University, and Temple University. She is the author of Makeda: Moving Up in Media and has appeared on The Learning Channel, CNN.com, MSNBC.com, and Good Morning America Now.
Green is also a proud advisory board member of Raising Good Gamers, an initiative developed to create positive change in the culture and climate of online video gaming for youth; Determined to Educate, a non-profit designed to support underserved youth through mentoring programs, and The Ferguson Public Library. She holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University and an M.A. and Ed.M in Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. Green resides in Stamford, CT with her husband and three children.
Colleen Russo Johnson, PhD
VP, Digital & Cultural Consumer Insights, Nickelodeon
Colleen Russo Johnson is a developmental psychologist with an expertise in children's tech & media. She is currently the VP of Digital and Cultural Consumer Insights at Nickelodeon where she researches children’s digital content and provides landscape and cultural insights for Noggin, Nickelodeon, and Paramount.
Colleen was previously the Co-Founder and Chief Scientist of the award-winning EdTech app, OK Play, a creative community built for kids to create, play and share content. At OK Play, which was acquired by a fast-growing web3 company, Colleen oversaw the Curriculum, UX Research, and Trust & Safety teams. She has also served as the Director of Research of Sinking Ship Entertainment, working on both Emmy-award-winning children’s TV shows and apps, and has consulted for various companies.
She is the co-author of bestselling children's books in the Dino Dana Field Guide trilogy. Passionate about bridging the academic-industry divide, Colleen is an adjunct professor at Toronto Metropolitan University where she co-founded the Children’s Media Lab, and was a founding co-director of the Center for Scholars and Storytellers at UCLA. She holds a PhD from Vanderbilt University where she was a National Science Foundation graduate fellow.
Most importantly, she is the proud mom to two young children who fuel her passion for both creating quality kids’ media and researching important topics that will help them create a better, more equitable world.
Keith Chapman
Creator, PAW Patrol, Keith Chapman Productions
Renowned creator of award-winning, globally famous kids’ IP; including smash hits Paw Patrol, the world’s biggest and most successful preschool show with a theatrical movie that launched August 2021, and Bob the Builder.
Currently developing or in production on several TV, movie, NFT, theatrical, and publishing projects, for toy and TV production companies, animation studios, publishers, and global brands worldwide. Chapman’s recent preschool shows are Mighty Express, produced by Spin Master Entertainment, and launched on Netflix in September 2020, and Jonny Jetboy, produced by Wildbrain and China’s iQiyi, due to launch in early 2024.
Chapman's environmentally themed family movie, Ozi, animated by Mikros Paris, has Hollywood legends Mike Medavoy and Leonardo DiCaprio onboard as producers. Voice talent includes Laura Dern, Donald Sutherland, Djimon Hounsou, RuPaul, and Amandla Stenberg. The movie will launch in cinemas in the summer of 2024.
Chapman’s creations have generated global sales of US$20 billion to date.
Chapman received an Honorary Doctorate from Norwich University of the Arts in 2009 and was presented with an Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award at the UK Licensing Awards in 2018.
Laura Clunie
SVP Development, Current Series & Feature Film, Spin Master
Laura Clunie is the Senior Vice President of Development and Feature Film at Spin Master Entertainment, a leading global children’s entertainment company. In her role, she oversees creative strategy which includes long-form, short-form, and feature film projects and the development of new intellectual property across the portfolio. Laura also acts as a Producer, leading the creative on greenlit theatrical and long-form content.
In her eight years at Spin Master, Laura has led the creative for the hit preschool series PAW Patrol, producing the franchise’s first feature film, PAW Patrol: The Movie and the second big screen release PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie. Currently, she is also directing creative for Spin Master’s newest production, Unicorn Academy, a fantasy-adventure series premiering on Netflix globally in November 2023, and Vida the Vet, an animated series debuting across premiere children’s broadcasters this fall.
Laura has a rich background in developing children’s programming. Before joining Spin Master, she served as Vice President of Creative Affairs at eOne Family, overseeing all creative initiatives for global hit properties Peppa Pig, PJ Masks and Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom. She also served as a Producer for Chorion LTD (now Silvergate Media) in London, England (Noddy, Olivia The Pig, Famous Five). Laura holds a Bachelor of Arts from Concordia University and a Masters of Film Studies from University College Dublin.
Cat Demas
VP, Entertainment Design, Spin Master
A design and innovation visionary, Cat Demas has successfully combined the exciting worlds of toys and entertainment for more than 25 years.
Ms. Demas joined Spin Master Corp. in 2011. In her role as Vice President and Global Business Unit Head of Preschool and Girls at Spin Master, she provides creative and strategic direction for a number of the award-winning toy and entertainment company’s brands. Among her many accomplishments, she is proud to have launched Paw Patrol, the number one preschool brand franchise for 2015.
From her first position at Hasbro, working on My Little Pony, she has long held a passion for the preschool and girls categories. She has also held roles with Matchbox in the Preschool and Girls division, and Tyco, as a key member of the Inventor Relations and Preliminary Design teams. Ms. Demas was later recruited by Mattel to work on the Disney Princess theatrical and core toy lines. During her 17 years at Mattel, she also led design on the Barbie Entertainment brands, served as Vice President of Design on Girls Inc. brands, and led the design launch team for Monster High.
Ms. Demas holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The University of the Arts. She is based in Los Angeles, California.
Angela C. Santomero
Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Santo Studios NYC
Angela Santomero is the Co-Creator and Executive Producer of the breakthrough and award-winning Blue’s Clues, Blue’s Room, and the new hit, Blue’s Clues & You (Nickelodeon) which boasts 1.5 billion views on YouTube alone. She also wrote the highly rated and New York Times-reviewed, Paramount + live-action family movie, Blue’s Big City Adventure. In The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell referred to Blue’s Clues as "One of the stickiest TV shows ever made.” Angela is also the Creator, Executive Producer, and Head Writer of the smash hit Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood (PBS), as well as Super Why! (PBS), Creative Galaxy (Amazon Studios), Wishenpoof! (Amazon Studios), Charlie’s Colorforms City (Netflix), Hello, Jack (Apple) and the upcoming Dee & Friends in Oz (Netflix) which is inspired by Frank Baum’s classic book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Angela is a Founding Partner at Out of the Blue Enterprises in NYC, which was sold to 9 Story Media Group in 2018, where she has been the Chief Creative Officer for the past five years.
Described by Joanne Rogers as “a modern-day Fred Rogers,” and by Fatherly.com as “the driving force behind the best educational programming for children,” Angela’s work has awarded her with an Emmy for Outstanding Preschool program, 25-plus Emmy nominations, a prestigious Peabody award, two TCA awards, and numerous Parents Choice Gold and Silver Awards. Angela's legacy has forever changed how kids and families watch television by presenting them with unique programs that break the mold in children’s media.
As an author and speaker, Angela has a new book coming out this February entitled Life Clues: Unlocking the Lessons to an Exceptional Life (Loyola Press); Preschool Clues: Raising Smart, Inspired and Engaged Kids in a Screen-Filled World (Touchstone/Simon and Schuster), and Radical Kindness (Harper Collins), which she did a PBS Pledge Special.
Angela has also written numerous children’s books for Blue’s Clues and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood (Simon and Schuster), which sold over 10 million copies worldwide. Her new original interactive children’s book series is currently in contract. Angela has a BA from The Catholic University of America, which awarded her The Young Alumni Merit Award. She acquired her Master's degree in Child Developmental Psychology and Instructional Media and Education from Columbia University, Teacher’s College, which awarded her with a 1999 Early Career Award. Angela’s background has successfully integrated education, entertainment, music, and active participation, enabling children to learn through play.
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