Mentorship Program

MentorshipProgram

Mentees 

Applications are now closed for our 2025 Mentorship Program. Please check back for information about our next cohort application period in March 2026.

Mentors 

We’re always looking to connect with talented professionals who want to lend their expertise to shape the future of children’s media. If you’re interested in volunteering, please submit your information here.

Guidance can make all the difference in your professional journey. In keeping with our mission of “Connecting the dots across kids and family media,” CMA offers a 7 month Mentorship Program dedicated to helping our members lead, innovate, and make their mark in children’s media!

Our program creates meaningful connections within our membership community and across the broader children’s and family media industry. We believe mentorship works both ways. Veterans and newcomers alike bring valuable perspectives. The best relationships happen when both people show up ready to learn, share honestly, and challenge each other.

We foster two dynamic styles of mentorship – Collaborative Groups and 1-on-1 Mentorship Pairings:

Collaborative Groups bring together 1 mentor with a group of mentees around a topic or professional area. These groups provide an opportunity to learn from your peers as well as your mentor in a collaborative setting.

1-on-1 Mentorship Pairings bring together 1 mentor and 1 mentee. The pairings aim to provide mentees with focused guidance in their careers and professional endeavors.

2024 CMA Mentors

 

 

Check out this year’s talented mentors with expertise across the spectrum of the children’s media industry:


Aaron Behl
VP, Originals, Atomic Cartoons
Adam Wade
Storytelling Instructor, Magnet Theater, NYC
Alex Breen
Executive Producer | Writer | Creative & Interactive Consultant, Breenscreen LLC
Alex Mitnick
Composer/Producer, TBM Productions (True Blue Media)
Alison Wallach
Senior Manager, Children’s Brand & Consumer Insights, Penguin Random House
Amanda Gummer
CEO, FUNdamentally Children
Amy Kraft
Children’s Media Strategist and Writer, Self Employed
Anna Jordan-Douglass
Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Makefully
Ariel Alexander
Music Director, Self employed
Ash Beecher
Sr Production Manager and Producer, Realm (formally Pinna)
Ashley Moulton
Educational Consultant, Freelance
Benjamin Weiner
Freelance Writer
Betsy Bozdech
Editorial Director, Head of Ratings and Reviews, Common Sense Media
Bob Mittenthal
Writer-Producer, Flying Mallet inc.
Brad Birch
Showrunner/E.P./Writer, Killer b Content, LLC.
Brian Newlin
Writer, Self, Pocket FM
Brittany Sommer Katzin
Chief of Programs and Partnerships, Sparkler Learning
Brett Sylvia
CEO, Self Employed
Caitlin Burns
Senior Director of Story, Candy Digital
Caitlin Tew
Marketing Consultant, Self-Employed
Carly Ciarrocchi
Freelance host/writer, Various
Catherine Campion
Union voice talent, director & coach
Cathryn Asip
Associate Director, Content, PBS KIDS
Cathy Tran
UX Research & Content Strategy
Charley Thomas
Senior Series Producer, Brown Bag Films/9 Story Media Group
Dan Bennett
Director, Los Angeles International Children’s Film Festival
Danny Friedman
Writer/Developer/Producer, MoonShoes Productions
Danny LaBrecque
Creator and Host of Danny Joe’s Tree House
Darnell Walker
Freelance Writer, Darnell Lamont Walker
Dave Peth
Founder/Series Creator/Showrunner, Mighty Picnic
David Colicchio
Senior Producer / YouTube Channel Lead, Paramount / Nick Jr.
Donna Friedman Meir
Founder & CEO, WOW Explorations
Deb Frank
Executive Producer, Radio Flyer Studios
Dayna Gonzalez
Creative Arts Professional, Self-Employed
Ed Kulzer
Senior Editor, Sesame Workshop
Emily Rukobo
AVP, Content Development, LearningMate
Erica Rabner
Songwriter
Evren Yigit
Co-founder/Chief Content Officer, Mako Kids
Garrett Beltis
Senior Producer, Nickelodeon
Greg Alkalay
CEO and Founder, batteryPOP
Heiko Martens
Freelancer, Author & Dramaturg, Production Companys, Public Funders, Authors
Idris Goodwin
Artistic Director / Playwright / Author, Seattle Children’s Theatre
Jackie Payton
Post Production Supervisor, Augenblick Studios
Jacquelyn Fishman
Consultant
Jamie Krenn
Guest Faculty, Adjunct Associate Professor, Consultant, Sarah Lawrence, Teachers College
Jason Spencer
Director of PBS KIDS Original Productions, PBS
Javier Navarro
Production Coordinator, Fred Rogers Productions
Jennifer Treuting
Supervising Producer, Nickelodeon
Jessica deMonsabert
Director of Research and Curriculum, 9 Story Media
Jill Cozza-Turner
Freelance Writer, Development
Jodie Morris
Independent consultant, Self employed
Joey Egger
Exec Director Games and Emerging Technology, DEPT® APAC
Jonathan Sunshine
Production Manager, OddBot Animation
Jordyn Curley
Producer/Owner, Tuttle Twins LLC/Elephant Season
Josh Fisher
Creator/producer/consultant
Justine Gunn
Screenwriter, Hershend Entertainment Studios
Kait Boss
Children’s Television Executive, The Jim Henson Company
Kayla Skipper
Freelance Writer, Moonbug – Vida The Vet
Kellian Pletcher
Director of GLAM innovation, FableVision Studios
Kerron Stark
CEO, Dreams V Reality
Kristen McGregor
Writer, Idea Farmer
Kyrsten Novak
Sr User Researcher, Amazon Kids
Laurie Rabin
Executive/Supervising Producer, Mighty Picnic
Livia Beasley
Creator/Owner, Pixel & Pebble | Development Exec/EP, Minno | Founder, CMA, Pixel and Pebble
Liza Wyles
Writer & Creative Consultant, AMC Networks (through Black Spot New York Production Company)
Lynn Kestin-Sessler
Senior Creative Director, Nickelodeon, Paramount Global
Lynne McVeigh
Associate Professor, New York University
Magda Liolis
Freelance writer/producer, Self Employed
Marc Hecht
Writer/Producer, Nickelodeon
Marc Cantone
VP, Preschool Digital Content, Nickelodeon
Mark Purdy
Creator/EP/Writer, WILDBRAIN
Mariana Diaz-Wionczek
EP, Rosie’s Rules; Principal, MDW Consulting, 9 Story Media; MDW Consulting
Marlene Hochman
President & Founder, The Toy Museum of NY
Melanie Harke
Interactive Producer, Fred Rogers Productions
Natalie Engel
Founder & Producer, Trees in the Breeze LLC
Noelle Scindian
Creative Talent Specialist
Noelle Wright
Writer/Story Editor/Developer/Producer
Noriko Louison
Research & Curriculum, Freelance
Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
Author
Pammy Salmon
Story Editor, Head Writer & Consultant, TV/Media/EdTech, Freelance
Peter Stidwill
Executive Producer, FableVision Studios
Phoebe Jiang
Early Learning Manager, PBS SoCal
Polly Conway
Head of TV, Common Sense Media
Priya Desai
Producer
Rachel Abeshouse
Producer, Nickelodeon
Rachel Graham
Freelance Writer
Rachel Reade Marcus
Vice President, Development, FableVision
Rossanna Wright
Music Director, Rosin and Bow
Rick Deutsch
VP/Creative Director, Paramount Global / Paramount Kids and Family Marketing
Sacha Kyle
Creative Director and Producer, BBC/CBeebies/Curious Dreamers
Sam Levine
CoFounder/Exec Prod/VP of Partnerships
Sara Karimipour
Staff Writer – Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, DreamWorks
Sarah Wallendjack
Senior Director, Content Development, PBS KIDS
Scott Kraft
Independent on a non-exclusive OAD at Netflix Animation (Preschool), Self and Netflix
Susan Scheiner
Director of Content, Sesame Workshop
Stuart Friedel
Writer/producer
Shane Lindley
VP, Product & Programming, Slumberkins
Sherri Hope Culver
Associate professor and Director of Center for Media & Information Literacy, Temple University
Sonia Tiwari
Adjunct Professor, Penn State University
Steve Altiere
Executive Producer, Nickelodeon
Steve Sandberg
Self-employed composer/performer
Tanya Roitman
Creative Lead, BrainPOP
Ted Nitschke
Creative Executive, Brands, Moonbug Entertainment
Tracy Liu
Associate Creative Producer, Noggin
Toby Cochran
Director / Founder, Big Grin Productions
Valerie Humbard
Talent & Brand Manager
Wendy Bronfin
Founder, Wen + Y
Yasmeen Alkooheji
Channel Operations Coordinator, Nickelodeon
Yesim Kunter
Play Expert and a Futurist, yesimkunter ltd.
Zachary Stuckelman
Head of Research and Curriculum Development, Tiny Souls Media

 

 

The CMA Mentorship Committee

Corey Nascenzi, Director of Mentorship

Danielle Tulchinsky, 2025 Mentorship Manager

Allison Boucher, Coordinator

Janet Liu, Coordinator

Noelle Scindian, Coordinator

We’re here to help, so if you have any questions, please e-mail us any time at mentorship@childrensmediaassociation.org.