CMA Jamz is a fresh series that spotlights visionary artists shaping the landscape of children’s music.  This month we welcome Charity & Josh!

Charity Daw and Josh Edmondson are a powerhouse husband-and-wife duo, known for creating irresistible tunes across TV, movies, brands, and more. They’ve made a huge splash in kids’ and family entertainment, with over a billion streams to their credit! Their musical talents have shaped hit properties like Disney’s Descendants, Nickelodeon’s Blue’s Clues & You, and they even played a key role in launching L.O.L. Surprise!’s first album and tour.

Their songs have been performed by stars such as Dove Cameron, Zendaya, and even Beach Boys legend Mike Love! Currently, they’re working on bilingual tracks for the new Dora reboot and collaborating on fun Dora podcasts, like Dora’s Recipe for Adventure. With their signature “hooks with heart,” Charity and Josh are definitely making waves in the music world!

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with CMA and talented Latin creatives. We’ll discuss how to create with the Hispanic audiences in mind- from writing great shows, creating engaging digital content, and even founding companies.

Panelists include Marel Alemany (Creative Producer, Nick Jr. YouTube), Jorge Aguirre (Writer & Co-EP for “Alma’s Way”) and Susie Jaramillo (Emmy-nominated Director & CEO of Encantos).

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MAREL ALEMANY

Marel is a multi-skilled filmmaker, writer, and children’s media producer.

A graduate from the Children’s Media Program at Toronto’s Centennial College, he worked making advertising commercials, before deciding to mix his musical talent, his love for storytelling and all things kids. He’s been a producer and a writer for the Story Planet’s Podcast, the Spanish children’s music YouTube channel Tope Tope, and he currently works as a Creative Producer for Nick Jr’s YouTube team.

JORGE AGUIRRE

Jorge Aguirre is an animation writer, story editor, and producer. He is currently the Head Writer and a Co-Executive Producer of Alma’s Way for Fred Rogers Productions and PBS KIDS. Jorge created, co-developed, and co-produced Disney Junior’s Goldie & Bear. He was the Story Editor of Season 2 of Blue’s Clues and was a Co-Executive Story Editor for Sprout’s Nina’s World. Jorge has written for a variety of shows, including Hero Elementary, Santiago of the Seas, Dora the Explorer, Go, Diego Go!, and Martha Speaks. 

His television producing credits include History Detectives and non-fiction work for Discovery and TLC. He is also an accomplished children’s book author. He co-created and wrote the graphic novel series The Chronicles of Claudette, which includes Giants Beware, and its sequels, Dragons Beware and Monsters Beware. 

A Colombian-American born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Jorge lives in the New York City area.

SUSIE JARAMILLO

Susie Jaramillo is an Emmy-nominated director, artist, storyteller, and entrepreneur. She currently serves as Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Encantos. She has won multiple awards from Kidscreen, Cynopsis Media, Publishers Weekly, and more. She serves on the Board of The Moth and Planet Media Task Force. 

The Venezuelan-American mother of two is also the creative heart of Encantos, creating the vision and setting the bar for brilliant stories with captivating, diverse characters that will endure the test of time. 

Encantos produces world-class entertainment brands for children inspired by a world of cultures and was listed as one of Fast Companies World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2021. The company’s family brands include the Emmy-nominated and 2x Kidscreen award-winning preschool brand Canticos; Tiny Travelers, designed to introduce children to the countries and cultures of the world; and Skeletina, a book series about a little girl who lives in the In-Between world and helps children deal with their nightmares; and most recently, THIS IS COOLER, a comedy and music reality series designed to make climate consciousness cool for kids. 

Susie is the creator of Canticos, the #1 bilingual preschool brand with over 40 million watch time hours and 350 million streams. Canticos uses digital and physical all-day play to help children become kindergarten-ready in two languages. It features sing-along videos, books, puzzles, games, and a subscription learning app, all inspired by Latino nursery rhymes. Canticos has received widespread industry accolades and awards, including Common Sense Media, Kidscreen, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal. Canticos was featured in YouTube’s 2023 Impact Report for its cultural impact. 

Susie is also the author/illustrator of over 35 children’s books, including the recent Skeletina and the Greedy Tooth Fairy. Susie is a sought-after speaker at conferences and festivals nationwide for her leadership and expertise around entrepreneurship, leveraging tech in entertainment, and developing story-based brand franchises in the children’s space. 

She has been featured in Deadline, Hollywood Reporter, NPR, NBC, CBS, The New York Times, Pop Sugar, She Knows, AdWeek, People en Español, and Univision. She is listed on NBCU + Telemundo’s Inspiring America list and was recently named one of AD Club of NY’s People of the Year.

Join our member-only networking event on Thursday, September 19th!

Please remember to register and the Zoom link will be sent the day of the event.

Join us for a special meetup on Tuesday, 9/24 at 6pm with Brent Stanton, Head of Membership from The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences! Learn more about NATAS, the Children and Family Emmy Awards, and how you can get involved. Light bites will be provided – must RSVP on the website for entry! Members are FREE!

American Whiskey

6p-7:30p

247 W 30th St (loft)

New York, NY 10001

Join us for a viewing of Prix Jeunesse submissions, oldest children and youth television festival worldwide, in NYC! Viewings will be divided into two sections: preschool/elementary in the morning and primary/tween/teen in the afternoon. Between showings, we will have discussions and a lunch break. 

You are welcome to select tickets for one or the other, or both! 

CMA members get early access to ticket reservations. Tickets will become available to non-members closer to the event date.

The event will be hosted by David Kleeman at Sesame Workshop in Manhattan. The event is free to all, and CMA members get early access to ticket reservations! 

8:30am – Breakfast and Check-In 

9:00am – First Viewing Begins 

12:00pm – Lunch 

1:00pm – Second Viewing Begins

4:15pm – End of Day

Children’s Media Heard Around the World – A Discussion on the Impact of International Media. This Fall, YouTube Youth is continuing their support of the Children’s Media Association to present a Back to School series for content creators. This exciting program will feature three virtual panels covering essential topics for content creators and educators.

Panelists: Yasmin Wenna (Brazil), Karina Szmulewicz (SPLA), Plar Sanchez (EMEA) Delve into the world of children’s content and uncover successful strategies and trends from across the globe.

Yasmin Wenna is a São Paulo-based partnerships expert, currently driving growth for the Youtube Youth vertical in Brazil, after working on the Enterprise and Shopping teams. She is passionate about building partnerships and products from the ground up. With a background of 8 years in tech, Yasmin started at Meta where she worked in sales and partnerships and her previous experiences include strategic consulting, e-commerce, and finance. She earned an MBA from Insead after studying Economics at PUC-Rio. When not working, Yasmin can be found on the tennis court, traveling, or with family. 

Karina Szmulewicz was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she is a digital professional with over 15 years of experience in the industry. Her educational background includes a degree in Business Administration and a Masters in Communication. Karina’s extensive experience at Google spans over a decade, encompassing ad sales, publisher partnerships and the dynamic world of online video. Currently, she is Responsible for YouTube Learning and Youth partnerships across Spanish Speaking Latin America, empowering the next generation of edutubers and kids and family content creators. 

Outside of her professional life, Karina is a proud mom of two young children. When she’s not at work, you can find her on a tennis court, practicing yoga, visiting a new restaurant or just spending time with her friends and family. 

Pilar Sanchez is a seasoned digital professional with over 15 years of experience driving innovation and growth. With a strong foundation in business administration and finance, honed through her studies in Spain and London, Pilar has spent the last decade excelling at Google. Her journey has spanned finance, strategy, sales, and most recently, leading YouTube Kids and Family partnerships with top creators in Spain. 

Beyond her professional achievements, Pilar is a dedicated mother of two young girls and a passionate advocate for empowering young women. She actively participates in organizations promoting STEM education and opportunities for girls. In her free time, Pilar enjoys spending quality moments with family and friends, and exploring new destinations through travel.

In this “Introduction to Voiceover Animation” series we’ve learned how to use our voice, gained inside knowledge on talent representation and in the finale of the series, we’ll chat through the audition process, how to prepare and what to expect when you’re booked on your first role and all that comes after.

ALLIE STRAWBRIDGE graduated with an Economics degree (whoops!) and ended up an Emmy Award-winning Co-Executive Producer and Voice Director. In 2003 she entered the Children’s Media industry by working on Nickelodeon’s The Backyardigans. There, she gained invaluable experience and formed lasting relationships with some of the best in the business. After twenty years of producing animated shows including Bubble Guppies, Butterbean’s Cafe, Dora The Explorer & The Tiny Chef Show, she is a champion of collaboration, dedication, and the ingenuity it takes to create authentic stories with heart for our most important audience – kids. 

Most recently, it has been Allie’s honor and pleasure to shift her focus to exclusively Voice Directing. To her, there is nothing more rewarding – or fun – than bringing characters from the page to life. Whether directing a novice youth or Academy Award-winning veteran, the thrill is the same, and she never takes it for granted.

BRENNA LARSEN is a voice director, actor, and casting director who brings nearly 10+ years of experience in the VO space. She has cast and directed projects on a global scale, including series such as Rainbow High, LOL, Bratz, and more! Some of her most recent performance credits include Care Bears: Unlock the Magic, Genshin Impact, American Girl, and Cookie Run. 

With her teaching, casting, and acting backgrounds combined, Brenna brings a well-rounded understanding of acting technique and how to effectively contribute to the success of a project.

This Fall, YouTube Youth is continuing their support of the Children’s Media Association to present a Back to School series for content creators. This exciting program will feature three virtual panels covering essential topics for content creators and educators.

Learn more about the YouTube Youth team and hear about their ongoing projects and goals for crafting kids culture on YouTube.

Panelists: Alexis Rice, Global Youth Partnerships Lead and Mac Malik, Global Head of Programming, YouTube Kids 

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ALEXIS RICE

Alexis Rice oversees the Global Partnerships team for YouTube Youth, where she leads management of partners and strategic initiatives focused on kid, teen and family content. She joined Google in 2016 as a Business Development manager for Google Play Movies & TV. Before joining Google, she served as Vice President of Media Research & Business Analysis for Warner Bros Television. Alexis started her career in entertainment at Lucasfilm Ltd, traveling the country with Darth Vader and Chewbacca for film, tv and live appearances. She earned her MBA from UCLA Anderson and B.A. in economics from Harvard University.

MAC MALIK

With degrees in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley and an MBA from UCLA Anderson, Mac has extensive experience in strategy consulting (Deloitte) and media entertainment (Disney and Warner Bros.). Over the past five years, Mac has led the global content efforts for both the YouTube Kids app and Learning on YouTube Main, helping deliver high-quality content experiences through data driven analysis and programming partnerships. Efforts include the launch of Kids & Family quality principles (WSJ), a guide for parents on Teen Content Creation, launching Courses homepage, and several DEIA+ intiatives including AAPI History Month with the Conscious Kid.