PBS KIDS Veteran Linda Simensky Joins Duolingo

Duolingo has tapped veteran children’s television executive Linda Simensky, who joins from PBS KIDS, as head of animation and scripted content.

In the newly created position, Simensky will lead the company’s efforts to create scripted and character-driven stories featuring Duolingo’s original cast of characters, from original animation to the writing efforts for Duolingo’s Stories product and its childhood literacy app, Duolingo ABC.

Simensky will report to Timothy Shey, VP of Studios + Content.

At PBS KIDS, Simensky oversaw the development of a diverse lineup of shows such as Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Wild Kratts, Molly of Denali and Alma’s Way. Before this, she was senior VP of original animation for Cartoon Network, where she oversaw development and series production of The Powerpuff Girls, among others.

“There are few people, if any, who know more about animation than Linda, and who have spent their careers thinking about what makes stories funny, and how people learn through them,” said Shey. “We’re so excited to have Linda’s expertise and talent on board as we pursue our mission to develop the best education in the world and make it universally available.”

“Over the past few years, Duolingo has been busy adding a whole cast of characters and hundreds of stories to their app, and it’s astonishing how many millions of people in countries all over the world are engaging with them every day,” said Simensky. “I’m excited by the storytelling opportunities that are possible as Duolingo creates stories for learners of all ages around the world.”