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BY MANSHA DASWANI
Breaking Some Rules
While it’s not advice parents would necessarily offer their kids, the consensus I’ve been hearing from folks in the kids’ media business is that it’s time to break some of the rules.
There are no easy solutions for where the business finds itself. Deflated from the sudden decrease in SVOD investment, kids’ media producers must find new ways to get their shows off the ground. Securing an audience has never been harder amid fragmented platforms and an untenable sea of content. And big-budget, beautifully animated shows often lose audiences to properties made on shoestring budgets in the creator economy. Curating the latest edition of the TV Kids Summer Festival, we set out to grapple with these game-changing developments to see if we could find some consensus on the way forward.
Not yet registered? There’s still time to do so here. Only those registered will receive access to our exclusive white paper at the end of the event, recapping everything you need to know in a handy PDF you can refer to whenever you need to.
Across the sessions, our goal was to deliver the intelligence you need to understand where the business is headed. No one has figured it all out yet (well, maybe Bluey has), but the conversations we’ve had amid the turmoil remain upbeat and hopeful. This community is no stranger to creative problem-solving.
Enjoy the show!
TUESDAY, JUNE 3
9 a.m. EDT Paramount’s Louise Bucknole
Kicking off a series of conversations with leading programmers, the TV Kids Summer Festival will open with Louise Bucknole, general manager and senior VP for kids and family at Paramount UK & Ireland, on evolving Milkshake! to meet the needs of British preschoolers across all platforms.
10 a.m. EDT CBC’s Marie McCann
Putting a spotlight on the crucial role played by pubcasters, we’ll hear from Marie McCann , senior director of children’s content at Canada’s CBC.
11 a.m. EDT Nickelodeon’s Ashley Kaplan
As executive VP of unscripted and digital franchise studio at Nickelodeon, Ashley Kaplan drove the rollout of the network’s first original series for YouTube: Kid Cowboy.
12 p.m. EDT pocket.watch’s Chris M. Williams
Amid booming interest in the creator economy, we’ll hear from Chris M. Williams , founder and CEO of pocket.watch, about bringing YouTube content to broadcast and streaming platforms and building multiplatform franchises.
Louise Bucknole
Marie McCann
Ashley Kaplan
Chris M. Williams
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4
9 a.m. EDT Live-Action Appeal
Spotlighting successful formulas for high-end liveaction shows, this panel will convene ZDF Studios’ Oliver Grundel, ZDF’s Nicole Keeb and Cottonwood Media and Federation Kids & Family’s David Michel to talk about the crucial role of collaboration in this space.
10 a.m. EDT Creative Spirit
With Martin Pope, joint CEO of Magic Light Pictures, and Grainne McNamara, VP of development, live action and animation at BBC Studios Kids & Family, we’ll take an in-depth look at how two purveyors of high-quality fare in the U.K. are meeting the needs of a business in transition.
11 a.m. EDT Sigma Girl Media’s Amy Takahara
Formerly at Netflix, Amy Takahara, with her consultancy Sigma Girl Media, is helping kids’ content creators navigate the new realities of the business.
12 p.m. EDT Disney Branded Television’s Gino Guzzardo
Gino Guzzardo , VP of multiplatform content, will share with TV Kids Summer Festival viewers how Disney Branded Television is serving its audiences across platforms with a wealth of shortform content.
Amy Takahara
Gino Guzzardo
Oliver Grundel Nicole Keeb David Michel
Martin Pope Grainne McNamara
THURSDAY, JUNE 5
9 a.m. EDT Indie Gains
Dandelooo ’s Emmanuèle Pétry, Serious Kids’ Genevieve Dexter, MIAM! animation’s Hanna Mouchez and Tulipop Studios’ Helga Árnadóttir will share their insights on managing boutique independent producers and distributors.
10 a.m. EDT Going Digital-First
Independent media consultant Emily Horgan will be back at the TV Kids Summer Festival to lead this conversation on diff erent approaches to digitalfirst content, enlisting the insights of family programming powerhouse 9 Story Media Group’s Elianne Friend and digital-native outfit TheSoul Publishing’s Francesco Miceli
11 a.m. EDT Trend-Watching with Dubit
Dubit will bring its market intelligence to the TV Kids Summer Festival with this closing session as CEO Ian Douthwaite and team members
Laura Dudley-Gough and Benjamin Sumner reveal new research on kids’ media habits and tips for how IP owners can explore opportunities in gaming.
Hanna Mouchez
Helga Árnadóttir
Emily Horgan Elianne Friend Francesco Miceli
Emmanuèle Pétry
Ian Douthwaite
Laura DudleyGough Benjamin Sumner
Genevieve Dexter
Helga Árnadóttir Co-Founder, CEO & Producer
Tulipop Studios
Tulipop Studios is the award-winning Ice landic entertainment company behind the globally expanding Tulipop brand. Alongside her co-founder, Signý Kolbeinsdóttir, Helga Árnadóttir has transformed Tulipop into a distinctive children’s IP, dedicated to delivering quality content and positive messages centered around friendship, teamwork, diversity and creativity. Through engaging storytelling and imaginative worlds, Tulipop aims to inspire and empower children, providing positive role models while fostering creativity and valuable life lessons.
Tulipop Studios has developed a 360-degree brand strategy spanning TV, licensing and merchandising. The preschool series Tulipop Tales has become a hit in multiple international markets, and the upcoming Tulipop Seasons is set to launch in 2026. With a strong background in business, media and brand development, Árnadóttir is passionate about storytelling and creativity, working alongside industry leaders to bring Icelandic culture and values to children worldwide through engaging and imaginative content.
SESSION
Thursday, June 5, 9 a.m. EDT Indie Gains
Louise Bucknole is a commissioner, kids’ content strategist and executive producer with 25 years of channel management, production and creative leadership experience.
At Paramount, Bucknole is responsible for all content, strategy, editorial, financial and operational aspects for Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, Nick Jr. and Nick Jr. Too on all platforms, including Paramount+ and Milkshake!, across commissions, acquisitions, programming, multiplatform, pro duction and development. She also sits on the Nick elodeon International Programming Council. Bucknole works with the commercial, consumer products and events teams to grow the brands and ensure best-inclass activations.
Prior to joining Paramount, Bucknole was director of programming at Disney Channels UK & Ireland. Bucknole previously worked as head of program scheduling at BBC Children’s, where she oversaw content strategy for CBBC, CBeebies, the children’s blocks on BBC One, BBC Two and iPlayer and on the commissioning team. Prior to that, she was senior manager of program planning for Disney Channels UK & Ireland and was channel editor and scheduler for CITV.
SESSION
Tuesday, June 3, 9 a.m. EDT Keynote
Louise Bucknole General Manager & Senior VP, Kids & Family Paramount UK & Ireland
Genevieve Dexter Founder & CEO
Serious Kids
Genevieve Dexter has worked in the kids’ IP sector for 30 years, launching many successful kids’ programs in the international market, including Operation Ouch! , The Ghastly Ghoul, Total Drama Island and Ronja, the Robber’s Daughter. She is the executive producer of Best & Bester, Tee and Mo, Messy Goes to OKIDO, Horrible Science, Angelo Rules and many more. She is a serial entrepreneur and was also the founder of CAKE.
Serious Kids, established in 2011, represents a portfolio of high-quality IP from Oscar-, BAFTAand Emmy Award-winning producers as well as upcoming studios.
SESSION
Thursday, June 5, 9 a.m. EDT Indie Gains
Ian Douthwaite has been in the kids’ and family space for over 25 years now, having helped a group of teenagers set up Dubit back in 2000. From being in the Guinness World Records for having the youngest company directors, Dubit now has nearly 100 employees based around the world, conducting research and developing apps and worlds for global brands. Specializing in kids’ digital products, Douthwaite talks on new and emerging trends, most recently Roblox, Meta Horizon Worlds and TikTok.
SESSION
Thursday, June 5, 11 a.m. EDT Trend-Watching with Dubit
Ian Douthwaite CEO
Dubit
Director
Laura Dudley-Gough is a qualitative researcher who is passionate about connecting with different audiences and people to gain valuable insights. She has worked in the market research industry for over ten years and previously specialized in consumer and behavioral research. Her current role at Dubit has introduced her to a specialism in children’s entertainment and educational research, which has included her con ducting research both remotely and face-to-face with young people and families on a global scale.
SESSION
Thursday, June 5, 11 a.m. EDT Trend-Watching with Dubit
Laura Dudley-Gough Associate
Dubit
Elianne Friend
VP, Digital & Distribution
9 Story Media Group
In her r ole at 9 Story Media Group, now part of the Scholastic portfolio, Elianne Friend established and continues to oversee the digital distribution department. This includes a robust YouTube business, spanning over 100 channels and IPs, digi tal-first content and Scholastic’s premiere library rollout. She is also responsible for spearheading and expanding 9 Story’s digital distribution across various VOD and FAST channel platforms, including Tubi, The Roku Channel, Peacock, Samsung TV Plus, Sling, Netflix and Hulu. Friend has been a part of the 9 Story family for ten years, holding integral sales and digital positions across multiple territories worldwide. With 20 years of experience in the media industry, Friend has also been a producer at Bloomberg Tel evision and CNN in New York City.
SESSION Thursday, June 5, 10 a.m. EDT Going Digital-First
Oliver Grundel Director Junior ZDF
Oliver Grundel began his career at ZDF Studios in November 2006. He was initially responsible for licensing and merchandising activities for ZDF’s high-quality program brands across all genres. From 2010 to 2012, he focused in particular on the management and worldwide exploitation of all children’s themes in the ZDF Studios portfolio.
From January 2013, Grundel was sales manager for German-speaking countries, responsible for the digital strategy of the ZDF Studios Junior division and oversaw exploitation activities as the official KiKA agency. In April 2018, Grundel took over activities in the GAS market as sales and acquisition director, in close cooperation with parent company ZDF, ZDF’s main editorial department for children and youth and KiKA. He was also responsible for key international accounts.
In November 2023, Grundel took over distribution in English-speaking territories and management of selected international co-productions. He plays a central role in the division’s global sales activities, is actively involved in the strategic direction of acquisitions and co-productions and contributes his experience in key account management and brandbuilding to ensure the best possible marketing of ZDF Studios’ IPs across all platforms.
SESSION
Wednesday, June 4, 9 a.m. EDT Live-Action Appeal
Disney Branded Television is the unit of Dis ney Entertainment Television that creates premium original content for kids and families on Disney+, Disney Channel, Disney Jr. and digital platforms.
As the leader of the multiplatform content team, Gino Guzzardo is charged with ensuring that kids and families can enjoy their favorite Disney characters and stories wherever they want to watch them and has created and executive produced several successful and critically acclaimed short-form series for YouTube and other digital platforms, including the Emmy-nominated How NOT to Draw, Chibiverse, Theme Song Takeover , Broken Karaoke and Ran dom Rings.
Guzzardo is a nearly 20-year veteran of The Walt Disney Company. He has a rich history in multiplatform digital content, having held several positions within the Disney Interactive group, where he served as editor-in-chief for Disney.com and oversaw the development of short-form series and social content spanning live action, animation, games and music. He began his career as the creative director at Kidz Online, where he led all creative aspects and production of educational videos.
SESSION
Wednesday, June 4, 12 p.m. EDT Keynote
Gino Guzzardo VP, Multiplatform Content
Disney Branded Television
Emily Horgan
Independent Media Consultant
Emily Horgan, a former Disney executive, works across several international clients, focusing on strategic development of kids’ IP, distribution landscape analysis, brand marketing, franchise management and digital antipiracy intelligence.
Horgan has undertaken extensive research and published analysis on the Netflix kids’ strategy, including launching the Netflix Kids Content Per formance Report. She also has significant firsthand experience in SVOD and YouTube from her time at Disney.
Alongside her consulting work, Horgan writes a Substack newsletter, The Kids StreamerSphere, and is a co-host on the Kids Media Club Podcast.
SESSION
Thursday, June 5, 10 a.m. EDT Going Digital-First
Ea rlier this year, Ashley Kaplan broke new ground when she helmed the first-ever alternate telecast of the Super Bowl in history, Super Bowl LVIII Live from Bikini Bottom. The Nickelodeon telecast featured enhanced graphics and advanced augmented reality and brought the historic Slime-filled telecast to SpongeBob SquarePants’ undersea home. On game day, Nickelodeon was the most mentioned brand on social media, over any other Super Bowl advertiser.
Kaplan oversaw production on the Kids’ Choice Awards 2024. The broadcast posted year-over-year gains for the franchise for the first time in seven years with kids 6 to 11. Kaplan also oversees Nick elodeon’s unscripted tentpole events and specials, including the network’s NFL Slimetime game tailored for kids and families.
Kaplan also leads Nickelodeon’s YouTube strategic vision and oversees the creative and editorial voice for digital content creation, as well as the development and production of original short-form content exclusively for Nickelodeon’s YouTube and social media platforms. With more than 2 billion video views per month, Nickelodeon is a leader in safe and engaging kids’ programming for YouTube and other major social platforms.
SESSION Tuesday, June 3, 11 a.m. EDT Keynote
Nicole Keeb Head, International Co-Productions, Development & Acquisitions, Children & Youth
Nicole Keeb worked for pubcaster WDR on The Show with the Mouse (Die Sendung mit der Maus) for two years and was an intern at SAT.1, the first private channel in Germany, in the news department. After two years, Keeb was hired by Premiere (Germany’s leading pay-TV channel at that time) to be responsible for TV, movies and entertainment. She also worked as an editor in the children’s department until she was promoted to head of the department. After five years, Keeb went to Mainz to work for ZDF as a commissioning editor for acquisitions and co-productions for nine years. She was promoted in 2006 to work as head of international co-productions, development and acquisitions in the same department.
SESSION
Wednesday, June 4, 9 a.m. EDT Live-Action Appeal
Marie McCann oversees the talented teams who entertain and inspire kids in Canada with an array of engaging media across broadcast, streaming, the web and third-party platforms. McCann has overseen the development, production and acquisition of over 700 hours of animated and live-action series for preschoolers and tweens for CBC Television, CBC Gem and YouTube. Since taking the lead at CBC Kids in 2017, she has championed the growth of in-house production, including CBC Kids Studios, CBC Kids News and Street Cents. A creator and broadcaster for over 30 years, McCann is passionate about kids’ media and the impact it can have on children’s lives and the world we all live in.
SESSION
Tuesday, June 3, 10 a.m. EDT Keynote
Marie McCann Senior Director, Children’s Content CBC Kids
Grainne McNamara VP, Development, Live Action & Animation
BBC Studios
Kids & Family
Grainne McNamara joined BBC Studios Kids & Family last year as executive producer for live action and development, tasked with creating new IP and nurturing fledgling ideas in the live-action space for young audiences, both globally and across the U.K. Her new role as VP of development sees an expanded remit overseeing one development unit that will work on both live action and animation as BBC Studios Kids & Family continues to shift its editorial focus to these two genres. With a wealth of industry experience, McNamara will help to shape the creative direction of Kids & Family, taking forward the strategy across the liveaction and animation pipelines and leading the team on the execution of development priorities.
McNamara held previous roles at 9 Story Media Group, King Bert Productions and Disney.
SESSION
Wednesday, June 4, 10 a.m. EDT Creative Spirit
Francesco Miceli is in charge of global distribution strategies and managing relationships with multiple social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Pin terest. At TheSoul Publishing, Miceli leads Toonzey, a one-stop destination for diverse, engaging video content designed specifically for children. Continuously at the forefront of digital content innovation, TheSoul generates tens of bil lions of social media views monthly across its entertainment brands.
Miceli joined TheSoul in 2021, after 15 years of experience at Google, first with Google Ads and then with YouTube partnerships in the last ten years, responsible for YouTube Kids in EMEA and the relationship with top EMEA publishers in the kids’ vertical.
SESSION Thursday, June 5, 10 a.m. EDT Going Digital-First
Francesco Miceli
David Michel President & Co-Founder Cottonwood Media
David Michel is co-founder of European media production powerhouse Federation Studios and president and co-founder of Cottonwood Media, a production subsidiary, in addition to his role at Federation Kids & Family. Headquartered in Paris with offices in Berlin, Los Angeles and Toronto, Cottonwood Media creates, produces and invests in premium kids’ and family content for the global market.
With a TV career that spans more than two decades, Michel launched Cottonwood Media alongside fellow co-founders Zoé Carrera Allaix and Cécile Laurenson in 2014. Prior to Cottonwood, Michel co-founded Marathon Media (now a Banijay company), one of France’s leading fiction producers at the time. During this period, he co-created and produced over 12 television programs, including the global hit series Totally Spies!, which is still in production and sold in over 120 territories.
SESSION
Wednesday, June 4, 9 a.m. EDT Live-Action Appeal
CEO & Executive Producer
In 2016, Hanna Mouchez founded MIAM! animation, a group active in the production and international distribution of high-quality animated and hybrid programs. In 2019, MIAM! opened MIAM! Studio, dedicated to the production of real-time CGI programs.
Mouchez has produced Edmond and Lucy for France Télévisions and KiKA; The Tinies (commissioned by CANAL+, VRT and RTBF in copro duction with Panique! and Lunanime) ; and Goat Girl for Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA, KiKA, RTÉ and VRT in co-production with Daily Madness Productions and Thuristar.
Mouchez is a board member of AnimFrance, the French union of independent producers, where she helps develop the Carbulator, the first Euro pean carbon calculator dedicated to the animation sector. In 2024, she joined the Climate Business Convention (CEC New Imaginaries), a French nonprofit organization dedicated to organizing awareness and business model transformation programs for business leaders.
SESSION
Thursday, June 5, 9 a.m. EDT Indie Gains
Hanna Mouchez
MIAM! animation
Emmanuèle Pétry
Partner & Producer
Dandelooo
Emmanuèle Pétry started her career in animation as the head of Nelvana’s European office in Paris, in charge of co-productions and international sales. She co-created the Parisbased production and distribution company Dan delooo with Jean-Baptiste (JB) Wéry to produce the Houdini TV special and the Stinky Dog series, based on the books illustrated by Marc Boutavant, for France Télévisions, co-produced with Folivari. Along with Wéry, she opened the 2D animation studio Ooolala in Valence to produce the original TV special Mum is Pouring Rain. Now available is the second season of Billy the Cowboy Hamster, based on the books by Catharina Valckx and published by L’é cole des loisirs. Recently delivered is the serialized series The Upside Down River, based on the novel by JeanClaude Mourlevat, winner of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.
SESSION
Thursday, June 5, 9 a.m. EDT Indie Gains
Magic Light Pictures is an award-winning independent company, founded by Mar tin Pope and Michael Rose, creating imaginative entertainment and products for families and children worldwide.
Magic Light Pictures is renowned for its captivating CG-animated half-hour specials and preschool series Pip and Posy. Its shows, adored by millions of viewers in the U.K. and worldwide, have won a multitude of awards, including five International Emmys and four BAFTAs, and been nominated for four Oscars. Magic Light consistently collaborates with the finest acting and creative talent, ensuring that its productions maintain the Magic Light unique vein of quality. Its in-house distribution team works with over 300 partners worldwide and is dedicated to expanding its global network. By carefully choosing partners in each territory, the distribution team ensures that Magic Light’s shows reach the widest audiences locally and globally through television, home-entertainment platforms, cinema and festivals.
SESSION Wednesday, June 4, 10 a.m. EDT Creative Spirit
Martin Pope
Joint CEO
Magic Light Pictures
Benjamin Sumner Senior Research Manager Dubit
Benjamin Sumner is a senior research manager at Dubit, having joined the team in 2023. He heads up the Dubit Trends tracker, which surveys 15,000 families per year on topics such as share of time on devices, games, TV, social media and retail. He has a bachelor’s in psychology and a master’s in cognitive neuroscience, driving an interest in determining the thought processes and motivations behind consumer product pur chasing and usage. Sumner is a mixed-methods market researcher with experience across multiple sectors, including FMCG, agriculture and media.
SESSION
Thursday, June 5, 11 a.m. EDT Trend-Watching with Dubit
Amy Takahara is a seasoned media executive with over 20 years of experience in content acquisition, distribution and creative development, specializing in kids’ and family entertainment.
At Netflix, Takahara served as director of global content acquisitions and co-productions for kids and family . She played a pivotal role in securing key titles such as CoComelon , Peppa Pig and PJ Masks, while also overseeing creative development and production for numerous international tween and teen co-productions.
Previously at Nickelodeon, Takahara was responsible for international content acquisitions and managing the end-to-end process for program acquisitions, working with a variety of internal teams and international partners.
Recently, Takahara has transitioned into consulting, focusing on kids’ and family content strategy and creative development through Sigma Girl Media. She leverages her extensive industry experience to help companies navigate content acquisitions, international distribution and creative development for children’s programming, while also offering strategic insights for production companies looking to scale and expand globally.
SESSION
Wednesday, June 4, 11 a.m. EDT Keynote
Amy Takahara
Founder
Sigma Girl Media
Chris M. Williams Founder & CEO pocket.watch
poc ket.watch is the first and largest kids’ and family creator media company that develops, distributes and monetizes content and IP for kids and families. Since its founding, pocket.watch has rapidly become a major player in the children’s entertainment space, leveraging the power of online video creators and YouTube to develop content that resonates with young audiences.
Before founding pocket.watch, Williams served as the chief audience officer of Maker Studios. Prior to that, he was the founder and CEO of venture-backed startup Take180. Both companies were acquired by The Walt Disney Company, where Williams launched Disney online originals, further cementing his reputation as a leader at the intersection of technology, media and entertainment.
Williams’ vision for pocket.watch is rooted in his commitment to reshaping kids’ entertainment in the digital age, offering creators a platform to thrive while providing children with engaging and safe content.
As a recognized thought leader, Williams is passionate about the future of digital media and empowering the next generation of content creators, having made a significant impact on the evolution of online entertainment.
SESSION
Tuesday, June 3, 12 p.m. EDT Keynote
