Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with CMA and talented Latin creatives. We'll discuss how to create with the Hispanic audiences in mind- from writing great shows, creating engaging digital content, and even founding companies.

Panelists include Marel Alemany (Creative Producer, Nick Jr. YouTube), Jorge Aguirre (Writer & Co-EP for "Alma's Way") and Susie Jaramillo (Emmy-nominated Director & CEO of Encantos).

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MAREL ALEMANY

Marel is a multi-skilled filmmaker, writer, and children’s media producer.

A graduate from the Children’s Media Program at Toronto’s Centennial College, he worked making advertising commercials, before deciding to mix his musical talent, his love for storytelling and all things kids. He’s been a producer and a writer for the Story Planet’s Podcast, the Spanish children’s music YouTube channel Tope Tope, and he currently works as a Creative Producer for Nick Jr’s YouTube team.

JORGE AGUIRRE

Jorge Aguirre is an animation writer, story editor, and producer. He is currently the Head Writer and a Co-Executive Producer of Alma’s Way for Fred Rogers Productions and PBS KIDS. Jorge created, co-developed, and co-produced Disney Junior’s Goldie & Bear. He was the Story Editor of Season 2 of Blue's Clues and was a Co-Executive Story Editor for Sprout’s Nina’s World. Jorge has written for a variety of shows, including Hero Elementary, Santiago of the Seas, Dora the Explorer, Go, Diego Go!, and Martha Speaks. 

His television producing credits include History Detectives and non-fiction work for Discovery and TLC. He is also an accomplished children’s book author. He co-created and wrote the graphic novel series The Chronicles of Claudette, which includes Giants Beware, and its sequels, Dragons Beware and Monsters Beware. 

A Colombian-American born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Jorge lives in the New York City area.

SUSIE JARAMILLO

Susie Jaramillo is an Emmy-nominated director, artist, storyteller, and entrepreneur. She currently serves as Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Encantos. She has won multiple awards from Kidscreen, Cynopsis Media, Publishers Weekly, and more. She serves on the Board of The Moth and Planet Media Task Force. 

The Venezuelan-American mother of two is also the creative heart of Encantos, creating the vision and setting the bar for brilliant stories with captivating, diverse characters that will endure the test of time. 

Encantos produces world-class entertainment brands for children inspired by a world of cultures and was listed as one of Fast Companies World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2021. The company’s family brands include the Emmy-nominated and 2x Kidscreen award-winning preschool brand Canticos; Tiny Travelers, designed to introduce children to the countries and cultures of the world; and Skeletina, a book series about a little girl who lives in the In-Between world and helps children deal with their nightmares; and most recently, THIS IS COOLER, a comedy and music reality series designed to make climate consciousness cool for kids. 

Susie is the creator of Canticos, the #1 bilingual preschool brand with over 40 million watch time hours and 350 million streams. Canticos uses digital and physical all-day play to help children become kindergarten-ready in two languages. It features sing-along videos, books, puzzles, games, and a subscription learning app, all inspired by Latino nursery rhymes. Canticos has received widespread industry accolades and awards, including Common Sense Media, Kidscreen, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal. Canticos was featured in YouTube’s 2023 Impact Report for its cultural impact. 

Susie is also the author/illustrator of over 35 children’s books, including the recent Skeletina and the Greedy Tooth Fairy. Susie is a sought-after speaker at conferences and festivals nationwide for her leadership and expertise around entrepreneurship, leveraging tech in entertainment, and developing story-based brand franchises in the children's space. 

She has been featured in Deadline, Hollywood Reporter, NPR, NBC, CBS, The New York Times, Pop Sugar, She Knows, AdWeek, People en Español, and Univision. She is listed on NBCU + Telemundo's Inspiring America list and was recently named one of AD Club of NY's People of the Year.