Equity in children’s television is no longer a future-facing aspiration—it’s an industry imperative. At this member salon hosted at CBS Radford, the Geena Davis Institute convened researchers and top children’s television creators to confront a pressing question: If we’ve reached gender parity in lead roles, why does inequity still shape the stories children see?
The timing mattered. As a new fall television season launched, the Institute debuted insights from its GD-IQ machine learning tool alongside findings from the See Jane 2019 report—offering data-driven clarity on who is centered in children’s programming and who remains sidelined.
This conversation was designed for the decision-makers shaping family media: executives, creators, showrunners, producers, and development leaders responsible for building the next generation of characters and worlds. What made the evening distinct was its fusion of rigorous research and frontline creative leadership—an honest look at both measurable progress and the work that remains.
The evening opened with gratitude—and urgency.
Hosted at CBS Radford’s Carla’s Café, the salon brought together members and industry leaders committed to measurable change. After welcoming remarks from CBS and Institute leadership, Founder and Chair Geena Davis set the tone: 2019 marked a historic milestone—gender parity in lead roles in children’s television. For the first time, girls were as likely as boys to carry the story.
But parity in lead roles, she noted, is not parity in power.
Supporting roles and background characters still skew male. Representation of people of color, LGBTQIA+ characters, and people with disabilities continues to lag. Visibility is improving—but equity is unfinished.
From there, Associate Research Director Soraya Giaccardi presented findings from the See Jane 2019 report, supported by the Institute’s GD-IQ machine learning tool. The data revealed both measurable gains and persistent gaps—especially in the ecosystem of characters that shape children’s sense of belonging. Who gets to be the hero may be changing. Who fills the world around them is changing more slowly.
The panel that followed translated research into real-world practice.
Moderated by Dr. Nicole Haggard, the discussion moved beyond aspiration into implementation. These were not abstract conversations about diversity—they were case studies in action.
Nicole Dubuc spoke to the responsibility of reimagining legacy heroes for a new generation through The Rocketeer, centering a young girl in a traditionally male superhero space. Her perspective underscored a key tension: how to honor beloved IP while expanding who gets to see themselves in positions of courage and competence.
Gina Heitkamp shared the entrepreneurial journey behind Middle School Moguls, a brand born from a desire to normalize girls’ leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurship. What began as books and dolls became a Nickelodeon miniseries—proof that representation can be both mission-driven and commercially viable.
Anna Wenger brought insight from Mission Unstoppable, a show built to spotlight women in STEM fields. Her experience underscored how nonfiction and hybrid formats can challenge stereotypes not through didactic messaging, but by making expertise visible and aspirational.
Stacey Kim, overseeing series development at Warner Bros. Animation, addressed representation from the development pipeline perspective. Her vantage point illuminated how decisions made early—during concept development and greenlight conversations—shape what audiences eventually see.
The conversation was candid. Progress was acknowledged. So were blind spots.
By the close of the evening, one message was clear: data can illuminate inequity. But only creators and executives can translate that insight into lasting structural change.
Geena Davis – Founder & Chair, Geena Davis Institute
As a long-time advocate for gender equity in media, Geena grounded the evening in both progress and unfinished work. She highlighted the milestone of gender parity in lead roles in children’s television—while challenging the industry to address inequities in supporting and background characters, and among underrepresented communities.
Soraya Giaccardi – Associate Research Director, Geena Davis Institute
A developmental psychologist and media researcher, Soraya presented the See Jane 2019 findings and insights from the GD-IQ tool. Her work emphasized how representation patterns shape audience attitudes across the lifespan—and why incremental gains must translate into systemic shifts.
Dr. Nicole Haggard – Moderator; Director of Communications, Geena Davis Institute
A scholar of race, gender, and media, Dr. Haggard guided the conversation toward intersectionality and accountability. Her moderation connected research insights to industry responsibility, ensuring the discussion moved from data to action.
Nicole Dubuc – Executive Producer, The Rocketeer (Disney Junior)
A veteran of children’s animation, Dubuc discussed redefining heroism by centering a young girl in a traditionally male superhero narrative—demonstrating how legacy properties can evolve without losing heart.
Gina Heitkamp – Executive Producer, Middle School Moguls (Nickelodeon)
An entrepreneur turned media creator, Heitkamp highlighted how stories about girls in business and tech can resonate commercially while expanding cultural narratives about leadership and ambition.
Anna Wenger – Showrunner, Mission Unstoppable
Known for innovative, talent-driven formats, Wenger shared how showcasing women in STEM reframes expertise for young audiences—making representation both educational and aspirational.
Stacey Kim – Vice President, Series, Warner Bros. Animation
With experience spanning preschool to broader animated series, Kim offered insight into how development and greenlight processes influence on-screen diversity long before audiences ever press play.
This salon was hosted at CBS Radford with the support of CBS and its Entertainment Diversity and Inclusion team, including Tiffany Smith-Anoa’i and Raiza McDuffie. Their partnership reflects a shared commitment to advancing equity not just as conversation, but as practice within mainstream entertainment institutions.
By convening creators, executives, and researchers under one roof, CBS and the Geena Davis Institute reinforced that industry-wide progress requires collaboration across networks, studios, and advocacy organizations.
Children’s television is not niche content. It is formative culture.
The characters children see shape their understanding of leadership, intelligence, bravery, and belonging. When representation expands, possibility expands. When it narrows, so does imagination.
The milestone of gender parity in lead roles proves that change is possible—and measurable. But equity in children’s television demands sustained commitment across intersections of race, sexuality, disability, and background presence. Without that commitment, gains risk becoming cosmetic rather than structural.
The Geena Davis Institute’s authority lies in pairing research with access. Data alone does not transform an industry. Data in the hands of those who greenlight, write, produce, and fund stories—that is where transformation begins.
Conversations like this are intentional. They convene the people shaping culture—not just analyzing it.
Geena Davis Institute membership provides access to exclusive salons, early research insights, and a values-driven community of executives, creators, and advocates committed to measurable change. It is not simply entry to an event—it is entry to influence.
Members gain proximity to research before it becomes headline data. They engage directly with peers navigating similar challenges. And they participate in shaping the standards that define equitable media.
If you are building the next generation of stories, this is where the conversation—and the evidence—lives.
