Steve Youngwood is Chief Operating Officer of Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street. In this capacity, Youngwood oversees the Media and Education unit of the Workshop, which consists of all U.S and international businesses, including distribution, product licensing and formal education, as well as marketing and digital production.

Prior to joining the Workshop, he served as Executive Vice President & General Manager of Digital Media & Entertainment Products at Nickelodeon. He directed all digital efforts, including websites, mobile, social, connected TVs and other emerging platforms targeting preschoolers, kids, teens and parents. Youngwood also led Nickelodeon’s video, gaming and book publishing businesses across all digital and traditional retail channels.

Previously, he held various senior management positions in consumer products focused on Nickelodeon, Paramount and Comedy Central properties. He ran the Nick and Nick Jr. Magazines, launched the initial Nickelodeon record label and worked in television business development. Youngwood oversaw the development and launch of the first Nick app in 2013 that went on to receive an Emmy Award. He also led the development of My Nick Jr.; the first US interactive and personalized TV channel. He led Viacom to the forefront of video and digital distribution and secured Viacom’s initial partnerships with iTunes and Netflix, leading the company’s transition of all content to digital platforms.

Prior to Viacom, Youngwood worked for McKinsey & Company in the US and Germany and at Disney in their multimedia education start-up division.

He has spoken at several industry conferences including TEDxHongKong, 2nd Screen Summit and DICE Summit. He has won numerous Webby Awards and other industry honors. Youngwood was named in Licensing Magazine’s Top Young Executive Hot List, Hollywood Reporter’s Digital Power 50 and Cablefax’s Digital Hot List.

Youngwood serves on the Board of Directors of Leapfrog Enterprises (NYSE), is a Fellow at L2inc, a global digital business intelligence company and is a Board Advisor to Hanson Robotics, a manufacturer and developer of humanlike robots.

Youngwood graduated Cum Laude with a BA from Yale University and received an MBA from Stanford University. Youngwood lives in New York City with his wife and 3 children.

Boards of Directors, Communication, Children's Movies/TV, Children, Technology,