Josh Selig, former CEO of Little Airplane Productions, has launched China Bridge Content to produce children’s content and help connect the kids TV industry to China. The move follows his departure from the company he founded late last year.

Based in New York, Selig’s new consulting firm and production house has already inked deals with a number of partners.

China Bridge and LA-based kids prodco Tom Lynch Co (Make it Pop, Morgana) are co-developing a tween-skewing adventure series called Being Tyler that’s set in San Francisco and Shanghai. In addition, the new company will work on an edtech project with web-based learning platform Yuanfudao, which offers live online classes for Chinese kids. It has also partnered with theme park and live event creator Thinkwell to create new IPs. And finally, China Bridge is teaming up with New York-based distributor GKIDS (which handles North American distribution of Studio Ghibli’s animated kids films) to advise on deals in the region.

Selig’s goal is to work with international producers to make deals with Chinese companies by providing insight on financing, development and co-production deals, as well as guidance on regulatory issues, IP protection, accounting, taxes and local public relations.

Selig has hired four experienced execs to support his strategy. First up, Chinese media industry vet Ye Chao has joined as a cultural advisor to offer insight into making content in China. Chao previously worked as deputy GM of Shanghai Toonmax Media and deputy director of the Haha Children’s Channel. He also oversaw the 1993 launch of the Chinese version of Sesame Street, which was made in cooperation with Sesame Workshop.

Former StudioCanal China CEO Emilie Blezat will oversee China Bridge Content’s EU and film divisions. Based in France, she previously served as the China cultural counsellor for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Tencent and Magic Mall alum Chen Chen (The Girl and the Sea) joins the company as project manager, charged with developing several original properties featuring Asian female leads.

And Ji Hongyong, executive director of Beijing Grandsoul Law Firm (which focuses on IP protection and how China’s laws affect foreign businesses) will serve as a senior legal advisor to China Bridge.

Selig, who founded Little Airplane Productions in 1997, was replaced by execs from its parentco Studio 100 late last year. It was an amicable split, he says. Studio 100 attributed the exec shuffle to a desire to take greater control of its international business in order to cope with COVID-19’s impact on the company. Little Airplane COO Sharon Gomes also departed Little Airplane, and has since begun consulting on kids media projects.