Kids media execs launch Brainchild with $100m investment from IMC

Michael Carroll (left) and Fletcher Williams

Children’s media execs Michael Carroll, Fletcher Williams, Adina Pitt and Tara Day are teaming to launch a new Los Angeles-based company, Brainchild Entertainment, with US$100m in committed financing from investment outfit Integrated Media Company (IMC).

The company said its goal is to “develop and amplify beloved, enduring, trusted IP grounded in a research-led learning framework” and then “build those franchises across video, consumer products, gaming, publishing, and live experiences.”

Brainchild Entertainment is co-founded by Carroll and Williams, who will serve as CEO and chief operating officer, respectively.

Adina Pitt

Carroll previously helped to build Moonbug Entertainment’s brand partnerships business and has worked across franchises including Paw Patrol, Thomas & Friends and Lego Duplo, in addition to doing a stint at WildBrain Spark from 2015 to 2018.

Williams’ prior roles include serving as head of acquisitions and strategy at user-generated-content game development Voldex and VP of sales strategy for Paramount’s global distribution group.

Pitt will serve as managing director of content, responsible for identifying and growing franchises. For the well-known kids media exec, the announcement about the launch of Brainchild comes two years after she left her role as VP of content acquisitions, partnerships and coproductions at Warner Bros Discovery’s kids and family division.

During her 16-year tenure at Warner Bros, she worked on shows including Lego Ninjago, Barney, Care Bears, Garfield and Total Drama Island, and also previously served as VP of acquisitions at Nickelodeon.

Day, who was previously the VP of global consumer engagement at Hasbro and VP of digital, family and brands at Entertainment One, is managing director of platforms at Brainchild Entertainment, charged with leading platform strategy and distribution.

Tara Day

New York-based IMC is part of American private equity firm TPG. Founded in 2018, it invests in companies across the digital space and has a goal to “acquire fundamentally attractive companies and partner with existing management teams to drive sustainable value creation.”

“Children’s media has undergone a profound shift since the days when networks like Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network determined which stories reached a global audience,” said IMC principal Ben Loffredo.

“Today there is no single tastemaker; the market has fragmented into countless communities, formats, and viewing habits, with successful characters and IPs traveling rapidly across languages and geographies. We believe that the next generation of major global kids’ franchises will be born online and we are thrilled to partner with the Brainchild team to bring them to life.”

Carroll said: “We believe there’s enormous demand for new high-quality children’s franchises that isn’t being met. Brainchild is built to close that gap.”

Williams added: “We’ve assembled a team that has helped shape some of the world’s biggest children’s brands, with each person bringing a unique perspective from across both traditional and digital media. Together, that gives us the experience to build franchises that can thrive regardless of how the media landscape evolves.”