About Us

Kim Wilson teaches Children’s Programming in the Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University.  She is the Co-Founder and Director of OneFish TwoFish Consulting, a consulting collective that supports content creators in a range of services from education, strategy, focus testing, user testing and cultural consultation. She is Co-Founder of the Children’s Media Lab and a passionate Children’s Media industry veteran.

In her over 25-year career in public television, she focused on impactful and empowering children’s content. In senior leadership roles at TVOntario and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, she’s had an unwavering drive to develop high-quality original television and digital content that entertains and educates kids from preschool to teens.  She works with  the Center for Scholars and Storytellers as a collaborator and sits on the Board of Directors of Youth Empowering Parents.  In addition to garnering multiple awards in Canada and around the world, Kim is one of the inaugural inductees into the Radio and Television Hall of Fame at her alma mater Toronto Metropolitan University, where she also celebrates creative collaboration in the Global Campus Studio. Kim’s passion for research is driven by her desire to see stories that represent and celebrate all children in authentic and inspiring ways. Her most recent research looks at family representation in children’s media.  Kim has a BAA in Media and an MA in  Early Childhood Studies.

Dr. Kisha McPherson is an Assistant Professor in the School of Professional Communication (ProCom).  She is an educator and scholar with over 15 years of research and teaching experience in social justice education, critical race, and cultural studies. Dr. McPherson completed her Ph.D. in the Faculty of Education at York University (2019). Her dissertation focused on the intersectional identities and experiences of Black girls in the Greater Toronto Area. With a continued focus on media and Black communities, Dr. McPherson uses community-based approaches to develop interdisciplinary scholarship that examines the impact of media, popular culture, and contemporary representations of Blackness on the identity and education of Black youth. Dr. McPherson grounds her work within a variety of Black feminist approaches to center anti-oppressive pedagogies and research approaches, which support effective and sustainable teaching and learning practices in both formal and informal educative spaces. 

Dr. McPherson's current research projects include one focused on Black girls and new media participation. This study explores the experiences of Black girls who engage online and actively resist and respond to online representations of Blackness. It examines methods of activity ranging from creating and curating specific content, dreaming of worlds within Black imaginaries, to manipulating various social media platforms to control online environments. Dr. McPherson’s work aims to connect with contemporary media discourses including, social platforms, cultural appropriation, and Black cyberfeminism, with education.

Dr. Colleen Russo Johnson is the Chief Scientist and co-founder of The OK Company, makers of the OK Play app.

As a developmental psychologist with an expertise in children's media and technology, Colleen serves as an adjunct professor at Toronto Metropolitan University and co-founder of the Children’s Media Lab. She is also a senior scholar for UCLA’s Center for Scholars and Storytellers, research advisor to Sinking Ship Entertainment, and co-author of the bestselling children's book, Dino Dana: Dino Field Guide.

Colleen is passionate about applying best practices from science into tech and media products to enhance the lives of families everywhere. She holds a PhD from Vanderbilt University as a National Science Foundation graduate fellow.

Adrianna Ruggiero holds a doctoral degree in Psychology, and has worked as a researcher at the Early Childhood Cognition Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University. Her research broadly focused on children’s social and cognitive behaviours and children’s engagement with media and technology. Adrianna has been a part of several projects within the children’s media industry, including working as a Senior Research Manager and Media Consultant at OK Play, an educational consultant for OneFish TwoFish Consulting, a Junior Fellow at UCLA’s Center for Scholars and Storytellers, and as a contract educational/media consultant for Sinking Ship Entertainment and Corus Entertainment.

Adrianna currently works as a User Researcher at Sago MIni: an award-winning kids app & toy company devoted to educational play. 

Josanne Buchanan is a passionate youth technology, media, and digital wellness researcher; a cultural / educational / media consultant in the children’s media industry; a developmental psychology doctoral student at the University of Toronto’s Power in Youth Lab, and the founder of Screenspire: a digital wellness education platform that provides teens and young adults with research-informed digital wellness resources that help them to center their peace, purpose, and productivity while staying plugged in.

Josanne’s passion and purpose come from collaborating with leading children’s media companies and storytellers to create content that authentically represents, enriches, and inspires the next generation of viewers and users. She has done cultural consulting with: Disney Junior, Netflix Animation, Nickelodeon, Corus Entertainment, and other established and emerging children’s media companies. She has also conducted children's media research with the Children's Media Lab and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop. Through her work, Josanne disrupts the anxieties that come from digital media use for current and future generations, and helps all youth live fulfilling and purpose-driven lives online and offline.  

Sheridan Riggillo is a graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University's RTA Media Production program and the Administrative Assistant of The Children's Media Lab. Her favourite part of the lab is collaborating with fellow members and working on various projects that all contribute to creating better content for children.  

Natalie Neagu is an aspiring Producer / Creative Project Manager in family entertainment. She recently attained a Master of Digital Media from the Centre for Digital Media in Vancouver, BC, building on her 10+ years of leadership experience working with youth and families in culturally-diverse and digital environments.  

During her time as a Creative Industries student at Toronto Metropolitan University, Natalie joined the Children’s Media Lab in efforts to learn more about Canadian children’s content from knowledgeable (and fun) individuals, while also expanding her research horizons. She has since immensely enjoyed working with children and parents/guardians to aid the development of authentic content alongside other passionate lab members, while branching out into Research Assistant positions at OneFish TwoFish Consulting and OK Play. Now, Natalie is exploring family entertainment opportunities throughout Vancouver and Toronto, aiming to help bring youth and family-oriented media projects to life. 

Anne graduated from the Psychology department at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) in 2021. Now, as a PhD student at the University of Toronto, she is passionate about leveraging her expertise in child development within the children’s media industry. As a member of the Children’s Media Lab, she is excited to collaborate with academics and content creators to produce impactful, child-centered media. Anne’s goal is to both learn from and inspire others in creating meaningful content for kiddos, always keeping their interests and development at the forefront.

A proud graduate of the RTA Media Production program at Toronto Metropolitan University, Eliza Rocco is a passionate creator, producer, and coordinator in the media industry. With experience in film, television, social media, and more, Eliza is a multi-hyphenate freelancer with a strong devotion to telling untold stories through on-screen representation of marginalized communities. Eliza has been a proud member of the Children's Media Lab since some of its first projects, she has loved being a part of all the impacts the lab has made on the industry and she can’t wait to help the lab achieve even more change.

Emily is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Toronto Metropolitan University's Media Production program. Her research focuses on promoting skills for well-being through preschool television and she hopes to one day become a producer of children's content that entertains, empowers, and inspires kids to be their best selves. Emily loves being a part of the CML because it offers the chance to connect with an amazing group of people who truly care about making better content (and a better world!) for kids.

Ethan Dayton (he/him), is a writer, researcher, and coordinator who graduated from the Creative Industries program at Toronto Metropolitan University. As you'll hear from most Children's Media Lab members, he knew he had to join the CML when he met Kim Wilson while enrolled in her Children's Media Course. Ethan has always been an enthusiast for media designed for children and youth. However, it wasn't until he joined the CML that he truly understood the importance of preserving and creating children's entertainment that educates, resonates, and invigorates kids of all ages.

Leanne is a graduate from the Creative Industries program at Toronto Metropolitan University with interdisciplinary specializations in Storytelling and Media Business. She is pursuing a career as a producer for children’s programming, wanting to create content that is as meaningful and impactful to the younger generation as the content she grew up watching is to her life. ​Leanne considers herself a "Jack of All Trades," someone who is adaptable and always eager to learn various skills. In her free time she indulges in an abundance of artistic hobbies. In the Children’s Media Lab, Leanne loves to work collaboratively alongside peers who share a common passion for children’s media.