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Mentorship Program

MentorshipProgram

In keeping with our mission of “Connecting the dots across kids and family media,” CMA is thrilled to offer the 2023 Mentorship Program dedicated to further helping our members lead, innovate, and shape the future of children’s media! Through this program, CMA fosters greater connections and opportunities within its membership community as well as across the greater childrens & family media industry.

 

 

The CMA Mentorship Program…

Aims to help mentees establish meaningful professional relationships with leading children’s media professionals, helping them to grow in their careers and achieve their long-term goals.

Encourages reciprocal mentorship where it is understood that both mentors and mentees have something invaluable to offer one another regardless if they are an established professional, just beginning their career in children’s media, or anywhere in between.

Seeks to help diversify the industry by formalizing the process of sharing our community’s wealth of experience with those who can benefit from it, especially those who have not historically been afforded such resources, and thereby bringing more diverse voices to children’s media. Mentoring programs boost promotion and retention rates among women and underrepresented groups from 15% to 38%, and increase minority representation at the management level from 9% to 24.

Our program wouldn’t be possible without the knowledge, expertise and experience of our inspiring Mentors. For the 2023 program we have consciously expanded our mentors to hail from all childrens and family media verticals, including several mentors that are multi-discipline experts.

If YOU would like to sign up to be a Mentor for the 2023 program please click on the link below. 

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

  • MENTOR APPLICATION PERIOD: Closed!
  • MENTEE APPLICATION PERIOD: Closed!
  • APPLICATION DEADLINE: 3/27/23
  • 2023 MENTORSHOP PROGRAM STARTS: April 17, 2023

2023 CMA Mentors

 

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


Rachel Abeshouse
Creative Producer, Nickelodeon
Lindz Amer
Founder & CEO at Queer Kid Creative
Liz Bartels
Content Strategist: Creative Development and Programming at The LEGO Group
Alissa Brodsky
Production Director, Free Range Games
Betsy Bozdech
Editorial Director, Head of Ratings and Reviews at Common Sense Media
Diondra Brown
Content & Curriculum Manager, Twin Cities PBS
Jessica Brown
Development & Production Executive, Nickelodeon
Marc Cantone
VP, Preschool Digital Content, Nickelodeon
Catie Carducci
Current Series Manager, Atomic Cartoons
Carly Ciarrocchi
Host/Writer, Pinna/Tinkercast/The LEGO Foundation
Joon Chung
Script Coordinator, 9 Story
Toby Cochran
Founder & CEO, Big Grin Productions
Polly Conway
Head of TV/Senior Editor, Common Sense Media
Monica Dennis
Senior Director Preschool Content, Mattel TV
Paige Desjardins
Associate Writer, Disney Television Animation
Jessica DiSalvo
Senior Content Manager, Sesame Workshop
Jordana Drell
Product Lead/Executive Producer
Rosie duPont
Kids Podcast Producer at American Public Media.
Josh Fisher
Creative Executive/Producer & Consultant
Stuart Friedel
Writer/Producer
Alan Foreman
Co-Executive Producer, Nickelodeon Animation
Stephen Gass
President – The Gass Company
Rachel Graham
Freelance Writer and Researcher
Stacey Greenberger
Writer, Spin Master
Sindy Boveda-Spackman
Writer/Producer, HappyNest Entertainment
Donna Friedman Meir
Founder & CEO, WOW Explorations
Katrina Hitz-Tough
SVP Franchise Strategy and Marketing, 9 Story Media Group
Marlene Hochman
Founder & President of The Toy Museum of NY
Haley Hoffman
Series Producer, Story Editor, & Writer of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
Sherri Hope Culver
Associate Professor, Director of the Center for Media and Information Literacy
Susette Hsiung
EVP, Production, The Walt Disney Company
Jennie Ito
Senior Product Policy Manager, Roblox
Anna Jordan-Douglass
Founder & Chief Creative Officer at Makefully
Robert Kalinowski
Head of Design Research & Consumer Insights, Age of Learning, Inc.
Mike Katzman
Director of Originals, Moonbug
David Kleeman
SVP, Global Trends, Dubit
Scott Kraft
Executive Producer, Cyber Group Studios
Jamie Krenn
Adjunct Associate Professor/Consultant
Edward Kulzer
Senior Editor, Sesame Workshop
Melinda LaRose
Freelance Writer
Jeffrey Lesser
Music and Audio Producer/Director, Jet Laser Productions
Samuel Levine
VP, Partnerships, Relish Studios
Shruthi Mathur
Television Writer, The Walt Disney Company
Sheryl McGloffin-Pinto
Senior Coordinator of Research and Curriculum, 9 Story
Kristen McGregor
Kids’ Media Showrunner
Ashley Moulton
Educational Consultant, Writer & Learning Designer
Jill Murphy
Editor in Chief, Common Sense Media
Ted Nitschke
Creative Executive, Brands, Moonbug
Lisa O’Brien
TV Executive/ Creative Consultant
Sandra Oyeneyin
Staff Writer, Nickelodeon
Michael Richard Plowman
Composer/Producer
Alex Post Miller
Vice President of Research and Content, Hatch Early Learning
Patrick Rieger
Head Writer/Story Editor, Nickelodeon
Nick Rodriguez
Staff Writer, DreamWorks
Steven Sandberg
Composer
Susan Scheiner
Director of Content, Sesame Workshop
Noelle Scindian
Independent Producer
Zachary Stuckelman
Lead Content Researcher at Lovevery
Vanessa Taylor Sands
VP, TV Development, DreamWorks Animation
Stephie Theodora
Screenwriter, ZDF
Charley Thomas
Senior Series Producer, Brown Bag Films/9 Story Media Group
Cathy Tran
UX Research & Product Strategy
Nadine van der Velde
Co-Founder/Owner/Executive Producer, PopSkull
Robert Vargas
Executive Producer/Writer, Netflix
Sarah Wallendjack
VP, Production and Development, 9 Story Media Group
Sandy Wax
Co-Founder WAXON Group, President Nevision Inc
Benjamin Weiner
Writer
Rossanna Wright
Music Director, Rosin and Bow
Evren Yigit
Chief Content Officer/Co-founder, Mako Media

 

Want to Be a CMA Mentor in 2023?

 

Apply to be a Mentor in our 2023 Mentorship Program HERE

 

 

The CMA Mentorship Committee

 

Claire Fleitz, Mentorship Manager
Karen Martin, VP Programming, Director of Mentorship

Kazmuir Long, Coordinator

Payal Arora, Coordinator

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