Kickstart hires Cartoon Network alum Nicole Rivera

Rivera will develop a slate of animated and live-action projects for the prodco, and she's looking for concepts that work as tween comedies and family films.
October 4, 2023

Nicole Rivera has joined Kickstart Entertainment (My First Barbie) as VP of development.

In this newly created role, she is responsible for building a slate of animated and live-action projects targeting kids and families. She’s also interested in international co-production partnerships.

Based in LA, Rivera officially started this week, reporting to Kickstart president Heather Puttock and CEO Jason Netter. The company was established in 1999 and has produced more than 600 episodes spanning multiple series and 20 feature films. Some of Kickstart’s IP-driven projects include Angry Birds: Summer Madness for Netflix and YouTube series Hot Wheels Monster Trucks.

Puttock says recruiting Rivera is the latest step in Kickstart’s ongoing growth strategy to develop more of its own projects. “Most importantly, the hire reflects our studio’s objective to grow original content,” she notes. 

Rivera is actively seeking four types of projects for development—preschool series with clear play patterns, character-driven comedies for six to 11s, four-quadrant films/specials and adult-skewing series. 

A seasoned series developer, Rivera is well-versed in the kids and animation biz. Earlier in her career, she spent eight years in various creative roles at Cartoon Network, overseeing key content titles like Steven Universe and the animated Powerpuff Girls reboot. And she later served as a development exec at Universal Kids and Family Productions and DreamWorks Animation. 

Rivera most recently oversaw original series development at Cartoon Network Studios, working on shows such as Battu and Jessica’s Big Little World. Her five-year tenure there ended this January, when she departed amid a wider reorganization stemming from the Warner Bros. Discovery merger last year.

In a release, Netter highlighted Rivera’s impressive resumé and expertise. “[Her] keen eye for thoughtful storytelling fits wonderfully with our mission to produce high-quality and engaging television shows for worldwide audiences.”

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