Join us for some great networking and light bites at our first meet up of 2026! RSVP for entry. Members FREE!
American Whiskey
247 W 30th St
New York, NY 10001
The Children’s Media Association is launching CMA Creator Lab, a new series spotlighting the minds shaping today’s creative landscape — and we’re starting strong with Kristen McGregor.
Kristen is a creator, showrunner, and producer whose work brings heart, curiosity, and brilliance to young audiences everywhere. In this intimate conversation, she’ll take us behind the ideas, the process, and the real work of building stories that matter. We’ll dive into inspiration, breakthroughs, team dynamics, and the challenges and joys of creating meaningful media for kids and families.Whether you’re a writer, producer, artist, student, or simply curious about what it takes to make unforgettable content, this is your lab — a space to learn, be inspired, and connect with others who create.
Expect: ✨ honest conversation about creative process ✨ industry insights you can take back to your own work ✨ inspiration for the next generation of storytellers ✨ a look at Kristen’s journey, career pivots, and lessons learned
Join us for the very first session of CMA Creator Lab and be part of building something new — where creativity meets community.
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ABOUT KRISTEN:
Kristen McGregor is an Emmy Award-winning writer, director, and showrunner specializing in kids and family content. Most recently, she produced and directed The Potty Training Special for Ms. Rachel and directed for Sesame Street. Previously, she served as a staff writer on Disney Jr.’s RoboGobo and as the story producer and head writer for Nick Jr.’s PAW Patrol: Eye-Spy a Rescue! Podcast. She is currently freelancing across several series as both a writer and director while actively developing original children’s media properties.
Kristen has showrun Blippi’s Treehouse (Moonbug Entertainment/Amazon Kids+) and the Emmy Award-winning playground-building series Giver (TVO/Ion). A true multi-hyphenate, she has produced, written, and directed Sunny Side Up, Sprout’s live daily preschool show; Noggin Knows, Noggin’s educational anchor series; and My Stay-at-Home Diary, a pandemic docuseries for kids that aired on TVO and PBS.
As a writer, Kristen has contributed to Netflix’s Ada Twist, Scientist, Mattel’s Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go, Apple TV+’s Sago Mini Friends, Cartoon Network’s Lucas the Spider, Nickelodeon’s Abby Hatcher, and PBS’s Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. She has created segments for Sesame Street, developed properties with authors including Mo Willems and Eunice & Sabrina Moyle, and directed for Sinking Ship Entertainment, Noggin, Pinkfong, and The Jim Henson Company. Kristen also served as a creative development executive at Apple TV+, helping to launch the service in 2019.
Kristen holds a master’s degree from Teachers College, Columbia University, where she focused on how children’s cognitive development is shaped by screen-based technology. Raised in a family of farmers, she brings a grounded work ethic and a commitment to creating children’s media with impact beyond the screen.
Monday, January 26, 2025 – 8pm ET/5pm PTWild Things: The Joy of Reading Children’s Literature as an Adult by Bruce Handy
Let the wild rumpus start! CMA Book Club is kicking off the new year with Bruce Handy’s “Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children’s Literature as an Adult.” In this playful survey of kids’ lit, Handy shares anecdotes behind some of our most beloved children’s stories, the biographies of the authors who created them, and a deeper analysis into why and how they’ve stood the test of time. Moderated by CMA Book Club Coordinator Cathryn Asip.
Join the CMA Bay Area for a celebration as we look back at 2025 and forward to 2026. Help us as we kick off a full program of events and meetups for the year! Whether you’re a longtime member or curious to learn more about our community, this is the perfect chance to connect, network, and discover what makes CMA so special. Food and refreshments will be served.
We’ll meet at:
6pm to 8:30pm
Infinity San Francisco
Club Lounge
333 Main Street
San Francisco
Transportation:
The venue is easily accessible via BART, Muni, and the SF Bay Ferry. Street parking is also available. There are also multiple parking lots in the area, if needed. Please allow extra time for potential traffic and parking if you are driving.
Interested in pursuing a career in children’s media? Join us for the CMA Early Career Panel: Breaking Into Children’s Media, a conversation created specifically for students and emerging professionals ready to begin their careers in the industry.
This is your chance to hear from early-career professionals who were in your shoes not too long ago. The panel will focus on the topics that matter most when you’re getting started, including:
Understanding the different areas of the industry
Building a professional network
Tips for finding internships and early opportunities
Skills that help emerging talent stand out
Free for CMA Student Members. Register today and take your next step toward a career in children’s media.
In today’s job market, your online presence is your first impression. Before your resume is opened, recruiters are Googling you—and what they find matters.
Join former Netflix recruiter Sam Goff for Part 1 of this 4-part career series as she breaks down how to build a compelling personal brand and use social media strategically to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers.
In this session, you’ll learn:
Whether you’re actively job hunting, exploring a career pivot, or preparing for future opportunities, this workshop will give you insider insights straight from the recruiter’s side of the hiring table.
SAM GOFF BIO–
Sam Goff is an independent Talent Manager working across animation, guiding writers, directors, story artists, and visual development artists as they build sustainable, creatively fulfilling careers.
Sam earned a B.A. in Animation from Loyola Marymount University’s top-ranked School of Film and Television before beginning her career in animation production at DreamWorks Animation. While there, she contributed to major feature and television projects including Spirit: Riding Free, Fast & Furious: Spy Racers, and The Bad Guys. She later joined Netflix’s then-new animation studio, moving into Outreach & Engagement. At Netflix, Sam launched the Foundations mentorship program supporting emerging BIPOC talent, helped lead the Early Career Trainee Program for storyboard and visual development artists, and created the Unlearning Series, an internal DEI initiative celebrating inclusive education and dialogue.
Sam eventually shifted from recruiting to artist management, joining Fourth Wall Management to learn the craft of guiding creative careers. After three years, she launched her own practice. Today, Sam combines the skills of a manager, reverse recruiter, career coach, producer, and sometimes therapist. Beyond her management work, Sam is an active mentor and educator in the animation community. She volunteers with organizations such as BRIC and Women in Animation, frequently speaks on making applications “recruiter friendly,” and teaches her DEI-focused animation course, Animated Perspectives, at Loyola Marymount University.
She lives in Los Angeles with her wife and their six beloved pets.
Join us for Animating Identity: Black Hair & Cultural Accuracy with Nneka Bolden, a dynamic conversation exploring the art, responsibility, and impact of authentically representing Black hair in animation.
Nneka Bolden will share creative insights, industry practices, and lived experiences that push animation beyond aesthetics and into culture, identity, and truth.
Whether you’re an animator, storyteller, student, or simply passionate about representation, this discussion offers a deeper look at how texture, history, and design shape the characters we create and the worlds we build.
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Nneka Bolden BIO
Nneka Bolden is the award-winning Director of Digital Production and Community Engagement at Mighty Picnic, bringing over a decade of experience in crafting impactful and delightful digital experiences for children.
A seasoned leader in the kids’ media space, Nneka’s portfolio includes notable work on the PBS KIDS series Lyla in the Loop, as well as key roles at Tinybop as a Product Manager for acclaimed apps like Mammals and Coral Reef, and her early career work as an Associate Digital Producer at Sesame Workshop and PBS KIDS Digital.
Nneka is dedicated to driving authenticity in media and her projects have earned recognition from the Webby Awards, the Emmys, and the iOS App Store. She has spoken on panels for the Geena Davis Institute, the Department of Education, and the PBS Annual Meeting. She is a proud graduate of Howard University.
Join the Children’s Media Association, Bay Area Chapter for an evening with Chris Bennett, who will introduce the core ideas behind Engagement Architecture and explore how they apply to children’s media.
Chris will share a systems-level perspective on engagement, drawing from learning science, game design, and educational technology, with a particular focus on the role of friction. He’ll unpack the difference between bad friction that creates confusion or avoidance, and productive friction that supports curiosity, sense-making, and healthy motivation.
Rather than focusing on specific formats or content types, this talk offers a conceptual lens for thinking about how media experiences shape behavior and learning over time. Following the presentation, Chris will lead an interactive discussion where participants can explore how these ideas might translate into their own work.
Refreshments and snacks will be provided.
About Chris Bennett
Chris Bennett is an Engagement Architect who crafts learning and media experiences that help people, especially young learners, stay curious, motivated, and engaged over time. His work bridges games, education, and technology, drawing on experience with EA/Maxis, Quizlet, and Google Research.
Chris is also an Invited Lecturer at Stanford’s Graduate School of Education and focuses on translating learning science into practical design frameworks for consumer products. He is particularly interested in how children’s media can inspire agency, exploration, and healthy engagement.
You can learn more about his work here: https://www.bennettengagement.com
Parking information: Available parking options include street parking near the Stanford Oval (marked in red in the screenshot), Tressider Parking Lot (free after 5pm) and the Wilbur Field Garage. Please allow extra time for navigation and parking. It can take 10-15 minutes to walk from the parking areas to the venue.
The old saying goes ‘never work with children or animals’ — but what about directing with kids and puppets? Or an animated dog? Join CMA NY as we break down directing scenes of Emmy-winning television series with the directors themselves! Learn the backstories of working with iconic properties and all the work and thought that goes into creating award-winning series.Panelists Benjamin Lehmann (Sesame Street, Helpsters, Blippi’s Job Show), Brittany Scott Smith (Hello Jack, Sesame Street, Tiny Time Travel), and Steve Wright (Blue’s Clues & You!, I Am Frankie, Star Falls) will each talk through a scene that they directed and walk us through the challenges and highlights of directing kids, grown ups, celebrities, puppets, Rocco the rock, animated salt shakers, and so much more!Listen as they discuss the differences between directing multicam versus single camera, how they work with actors, puppeteers and celebrities to create engaging performances, and what challenges they encounter while working on set, green screen and on location. The panel will be moderated by CMA NY Chapter President Ana Voci and NYU – Tisch Professor & Producer Rick Siggelkow.
Benjamin Lehmann
Benjamin Lehmann is a Writer, Producer and Director specializing in children’s and family entertainment. He was the Executive Producer of Sesame Street from Seasons 49 to 53 while overseeing all live action production for Sesame Workshop. His many credits include Helpsters for Apple TV, where he was Series Director and The Not Too Late Show with Elmo which he developed for HBO & MAX. He directed the pilot that led to a series greenlight for The Not Too Late Show and served as Showrunner for the series across 2 seasons and 29 episodes. As a director, Ben has won 3 EMMY Awards for his work on Sesame Street and was nominated by the Director’s Guild for his direction of The Magical Wand Chase (HBO). Ben is known for working with children, comedians, animals and puppets—lots of puppets. He has directed some of the biggest stars in Hollywood (Bradley Cooper, Hailee Steinfeld, Elmo), world class musicians (Brandi Carlile,Quest Love, Grover) and public figures (Dr. Jill Biden, Oprah, Big Bird). He’s equally adept at staging large musical numbers as he is at capturing the emotion in small intimate moments. But first and foremost, Ben aims to entertain. Recent directorial projects include: Blippi’s Job Show (Netflix), Tiny Time Travel (PBS KIDS) and he is currently in pre-production on a co-production between the series Nature (WNET) and Sesame Street.
Brittany Scott Smith
Brittany Scott Smith is an Emmy® Award–winning television director, producer, and writer. She has served as Supervising Producer on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore (Comedy Central) and Co-Executive Producer on The Rundown with Robin Thede (BET). Her directing credits include A Black Lady Sketch Show (HBO), the election special Wilmore (Peacock), Helpsters and Hello Jack: The Kindness Show (Apple TV+), as well as the iconic children’s program Sesame Street. In 2022, Smith made her feature directorial debut with All I Didn’t Want for Christmas for VH1, starring Gabourey Sidibe, Loretta Devine, Kel Mitchell, and Andrew Bushell. Her work has earned multiple award nominations, including a Children’s Emmy® Award for Best Directing for a Multiple-Camera Program. Known for her versatility across comedy, scripted, unscripted, and children’s programming, Smith has contributed to successful series across platforms, including HBO, Peacock, BET, Comedy Central, and Apple TV+. In addition to her creative work, Smith consults with media companies on development and production, helping shape original IP, refine creative strategy, and guide projects from concept through execution across film, television, and digital platforms. She is currently developing a slate of feature films, including Becoming Spice and the dark comedy Barstow, and is producing a documentary on comedy legend Garrett Morris. Smith was a member of the inaugural DGA Atlanta Coordinating Committee and has served as a guest speaker for WGA, SVA, SCAD, and CBS programs. She and her husband, actor Arjay Smith (The Rookie), co-authored the children’s book Wes and Morris Meet Mr. Buck, with a follow-up title, Wes and Morris Meet Passport Pat, slated for release in February 2026.
Steve Wright
Television director Steve Wright has helmed 6 pilots that have gone to series and over 350 episodes of primetime and youth programming.A diverse director, comfortable in many genres, Steve has the ability to move with ease between drama, comedy and youth programming and is uniquely adept working in both single-camera and multi-camera formats.Evidenced by his multiple contributions to his varied body of work, Steve has a collaborative creative vision and forms dynamic relationships with both seasoned and first time actors.His work is shown around the world on such networks as Disney, Nickelodeon, CBC, Global, BBC and PBS.Steve has long been a supporter of mentoring up and coming directors, and is a past Mentor of the National Screen Institute.Steve is a multiple DGC and CSA Award nominee as well as a Daytime Emmy Award nominee. He currently resides in Toronto.
Your resume and cover letter are more than just paperwork—they’re your ticket to the interview. But with hundreds of applications flooding recruiters’ inboxes, knowing how to stand out is essential.
In Part 2 of this 4-part series, former Netflix recruiter Sam Goff pulls back the curtain on what actually gets applications noticed—and what sends them straight to the rejection pile.
In this session, you’ll learn:
Whether you’re applying for your first role, re-entering the workforce, or aiming for your next big career move, this session will give you practical tools to elevate your application and increase your chances of landing interviews.
SAM GOFF BIO–
Sam Goff is an independent Talent Manager working across animation, guiding writers, directors, story artists, and visual development artists as they build sustainable, creatively fulfilling careers.
Sam earned a B.A. in Animation from Loyola Marymount University’s top-ranked School of Film and Television before beginning her career in animation production at DreamWorks Animation. While there, she contributed to major feature and television projects including Spirit: Riding Free, Fast & Furious: Spy Racers, and The Bad Guys. She later joined Netflix’s then-new animation studio, moving into Outreach & Engagement. At Netflix, Sam launched the Foundations mentorship program supporting emerging BIPOC talent, helped lead the Early Career Trainee Program for storyboard and visual development artists, and created the Unlearning Series, an internal DEI initiative celebrating inclusive education and dialogue.
Sam eventually shifted from recruiting to artist management, joining Fourth Wall Management to learn the craft of guiding creative careers. After three years, she launched her own practice. Today, Sam combines the skills of a manager, reverse recruiter, career coach, producer, and sometimes therapist. Beyond her management work, Sam is an active mentor and educator in the animation community. She volunteers with organizations such as BRIC and Women in Animation, frequently speaks on making applications “recruiter friendly,” and teaches her DEI-focused animation course, Animated Perspectives, at Loyola Marymount University.
She lives in Los Angeles with her wife and their six beloved pets.
You’ve heard of speed dating—now meet speed networking. Take a break from February’s Valentines haze and join us for coffee, bagels, and focused creative connections. Join us at The Bean in Astor Place as we host a series of curated 5-minute, one-on-one conversations—pairing producers with writers, directors with storyboard artists, and more, all based on what we hear from you. After you register, you’ll receive a short form so we can learn more about your background and interests and create the best possible matches. It’s a low-pressure, high-energy way to quickly meet new collaborators, expand your network, and exchange ideas. We’ll wrap the afternoon with a casual mixer so everyone can continue conversations and connect more broadly. Attendees will purchase their own food and beverages.
Skipping San Diego this year? Join us on the East Coast for a super casual get-together. Catch up with old friends and colleagues. Meet new people. Chat about the industry and what might come next! All Kids Media people welcome.
Part 3 of 4: Show, Don’t Tell — Crafting the Perfect PortfolioA portfolio is more than a collection of work—it’s your chance to tell a story about your skills, impact, and creativity. In this session, former Netflix recruiter Sam Goff will guide you through building a portfolio that captures attention and demonstrates your value to hiring teams. You’ll learn how to showcase your work effectively, tailor it to different roles, and make every piece count.
In this workshop, you’ll learn how to:
SAM GOFF BIO–
Sam Goff is an independent Talent Manager working across animation, guiding writers, directors, story artists, and visual development artists as they build sustainable, creatively fulfilling careers.
Sam earned a B.A. in Animation from Loyola Marymount University’s top-ranked School of Film and Television before beginning her career in animation production at DreamWorks Animation. While there, she contributed to major feature and television projects including Spirit: Riding Free, Fast & Furious: Spy Racers, and The Bad Guys. She later joined Netflix’s then-new animation studio, moving into Outreach & Engagement. At Netflix, Sam launched the Foundations mentorship program supporting emerging BIPOC talent, helped lead the Early Career Trainee Program for storyboard and visual development artists, and created the Unlearning Series, an internal DEI initiative celebrating inclusive education and dialogue.
Sam eventually shifted from recruiting to artist management, joining Fourth Wall Management to learn the craft of guiding creative careers. After three years, she launched her own practice. Today, Sam combines the skills of a manager, reverse recruiter, career coach, producer, and sometimes therapist. Beyond her management work, Sam is an active mentor and educator in the animation community. She volunteers with organizations such as BRIC and Women in Animation, frequently speaks on making applications “recruiter friendly,” and teaches her DEI-focused animation course, Animated Perspectives, at Loyola Marymount University.
She lives in Los Angeles with her wife and their six beloved pets.
Part 4 of 4: From Application to Offer — Demystifying the Hiring Process and Industry Interview SkillsThe interview process can feel overwhelming, but knowing what to expect—and how to prepare—makes all the difference. In this final session of the series, former Netflix recruiter Sam Goff guides you through each step of the hiring journey, from application to offer, while sharing insider strategies to excel in interviews across industries.
In this workshop, you’ll learn how to:
By the end of this session, you’ll walk away with a clear roadmap, actionable strategies, and the confidence to tackle any interview—turning opportunities into real job offers.
SAM GOFF BIO–
Sam Goff is an independent Talent Manager working across animation, guiding writers, directors, story artists, and visual development artists as they build sustainable, creatively fulfilling careers.
Sam earned a B.A. in Animation from Loyola Marymount University’s top-ranked School of Film and Television before beginning her career in animation production at DreamWorks Animation. While there, she contributed to major feature and television projects including Spirit: Riding Free, Fast & Furious: Spy Racers, and The Bad Guys. She later joined Netflix’s then-new animation studio, moving into Outreach & Engagement. At Netflix, Sam launched the Foundations mentorship program supporting emerging BIPOC talent, helped lead the Early Career Trainee Program for storyboard and visual development artists, and created the Unlearning Series, an internal DEI initiative celebrating inclusive education and dialogue.
Sam eventually shifted from recruiting to artist management, joining Fourth Wall Management to learn the craft of guiding creative careers. After three years, she launched her own practice. Today, Sam combines the skills of a manager, reverse recruiter, career coach, producer, and sometimes therapist. Beyond her management work, Sam is an active mentor and educator in the animation community. She volunteers with organizations such as BRIC and Women in Animation, frequently speaks on making applications “recruiter friendly,” and teaches her DEI-focused animation course, Animated Perspectives, at Loyola Marymount University.
She lives in Los Angeles with her wife and their six beloved pets.
