Kay Wilson Stallings
Senior Vice President, Creative Development, Sesame Workshop
As Sesame Workshop’s Senior Vice President, Creative Development, Stallings oversees global creative development and pilot production of all original Sesame content for multiple platforms. She also explores new production models and partnerships to develop new programs, processes and talent for the creative group.
In 2017, Stallings created and directed the first annual Sesame Street Writers’ Room, an intensive eight-week competitive fellowship dedicated to discovering, nurturing, and increasing diverse voices in children’s media. Held at Sesame Workshop’s New York City office, the fellowship offers seven to ten emerging writers from underrepresented racial backgrounds the chance to hone original scripts while meeting with industry writers, producers, agents, and executives; one to two winning fellows per year have a chance at creative development deals from Sesame Workshop.
Prior to joining Sesame Workshop, Stallings was Senior Vice President of Production and Development at Nickelodeon. In her 16 years with the company, she oversaw development of all original series production for Nickelodeon Preschool and Nick Jr., Nickelodeon’s digital channel, including pre-buys, acquisitions, and the global shorts programs. Stallings developed more than 20 series while at Nickelodeon including Wonder Pets, Yo Gabba Gabba!, Fresh Beat Band, Shimmer and Shine, and Blaze and the Monster Machines.
Stallings holds a Master’s degree from the University of Illinois and a Bachelor’s degree from Mac Murray College.
Dustin Ferrer
Co-Creator & Co-Executive Producer, Esme & Roy
Ferrer is a two-time Emmy Award-winning writer for Peg + Cat; she has also been nominated three times for her work on Wonder Pets and 3rd and Bird! Ferrer worked as a story editor at Nickelodeon’s Shimmer and Shine and has written for many preschool programs including Muppet Babies, Team Umizoomi, Bubbleguppies, Miles from Tomorrowland, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and Wallykazam.
Amy Steinberg
Co-Creator & Co-Executive Producer, Esme & Roy
Steinberg got her start at Nickelodeon, where she was a producer on Blue’s Clues and Team Umizoomi. In addition to Esme & Roy, Steinberg co-created Chickiepoo and Fluff: Barnyard Detectives (Nickelodeon) and Words with Puffballs (Sesame Studios). She has also worked as a producer of preschool content at Scholastic and Sockeye Media.