Sesame Workshop Hires Research & Impact Officer

Sesame Workshop has appointed Dr. Alison Bryant to the new position of chief research, data and impact officer.

In her new role, Bryant will oversee research, data strategy, analytics and impact measurement. She will also oversee the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, Sesame Workshop’s independent research and innovation lab.

Bryant and her team will develop a holistic framework to inform strategic planning, provide impact metrics and further thought leadership on the most pressing issues for kids and families and the power of media to support them.

Bryant joins from AARP, where she led the Research Center and the Technology & Digital Equity social impact area. Prior to that, she was the founder and CEO of PlayScience, a research and design firm that partnered with family brands such as Sesame Workshop, Girl Scouts and Disney.

“The work we do—from inception to impact—has always been driven by rigorous research,” said Sesame Workshop CEO Steve Youngwood, to whom Bryant will report. “As the world of educational media continues to expand and fragment, Dr. Bryant’s deep experience will allow us to broaden engagement and learning outcomes for kids and plan strategically in new and important ways.”

“Sesame Workshop has been a transformational force in children’s lives for over 50 years, so the opportunity to come on board to shape and tell that impact story is an incredible honor,” commented Bryant. “Research and thought leadership about how children and families around the world can learn from media has always been a core part of the Workshop’s DNA.”