‘Everything I've Learnt, I Learnt on the Street’: Ten Years Learning from Sesame

Last week in New York I attended what was my final in-person board meeting as a Trustee and Board Director of Sesame Workshop, the creators of Sesame Street.

When my term concludes later this year, I will have served the maximum ten years on the Board and, as I sat around the board table for the last time, I found myself reflecting less on the meetings, papers and governance responsibilities, and more on what an extraordinary privilege it has been to witness close-up the work of an organisation whose mission is simple, profound and urgently needed: to help kids grow smarter, stronger and kinder. And what a difference it makes to millions of children's lives.

In a world that often seems to reward division, cynicism and short-term thinking, Sesame Workshop remains stubbornly focused on children.

And what a decade it has been.

During these ten years I have seen Sesame Workshop help pioneer one of the most ambitious humanitarian interventions in early childhood development ever undertaken. The Workshop won the inaugural MacArthur Foundation 100&Change Award of $100 million. Shortly afterwards, a further $100 million commitment from the LEGO Foundation enabled Sesame and its partners to support young children affected by the Syrian and Rohingya refugee crises through play-based learning and social-emotional development.

The scale was remarkable.

More importantly, the impact was profound.

At a time when millions of displaced children faced uncertainty, trauma and disruption, Sesame helped ensure that learning, play, joy and hope were not forgotten.

I have also seen Sesame continue its long tradition of helping children understand and embrace difference.

The introduction of Julia, Sesame Street's first autistic Muppet, was far more than a television storyline. It was a thoughtful, evidence-based effort to build understanding, acceptance and inclusion among millions of children and families around the world.

Throughout my time on the Board, Sesame has consistently demonstrated that children's media can tackle complex issues with sensitivity, humanity and optimism. Whether supporting children whose parents are incarcerated, struggling with addiction, serving in the military or coping with grief and family separation, Sesame has shown a unique ability to meet children where they are and help them navigate difficult experiences.

Its work has extended far beyond television.

In communities across the United States and around the world, Sesame has helped families facing adversity. It has supported learning, health, wellbeing, water and sanitation programmes, early childhood development and humanitarian responses following conflict and natural disasters.

At the same time, Sesame Street itself has continued to evolve, finding new audiences and new platforms while remaining true to the values that have made it one of the most trusted brands in the world.  I am especially delighted that Sesame Street has returned to the UK, where from this Spring all new shows are available on Netflix!

None of this happens by accident.

I have learned a huge amount from my fellow Trustees over the last decade, an exceptional group of people, united by a belief that childhood matters and that organisations should use their influence for good.

I have been particularly fortunate to work alongside, support and learn from two outstanding leaders.

Jeff Dunn, Sesame Workshop's former CEO, was already someone I admired long before I joined the Board. Years earlier, he led the board I reported into at Nickelodeon and became a mentor whose advice I have valued ever since. His leadership combined commercial rigour with deep purpose. He understood that mission and sustainability are not competing priorities; they are inseparable.

And Sherrie Westin has been one of the most impressive social impact leaders I have encountered anywhere. Her relentless focus on children's wellbeing, especially those facing the greatest challenges, has helped shape Sesame's influence far beyond the television screen. Her vision, determination and humanity have inspired me throughout my time as a Trustee, especially during this last year of difficult and successful commercial negotiations.

As I prepare to leave the Board, I do so with enormous gratitude.

Gratitude for the opportunity to serve, for the friendships, for everything I have learned, but above all gratitude for the millions of children and families whose lives have been touched by this extraordinary organisation.

People sometimes joke that I serve on the board of a company made up of a bunch of Muppets.

The truth is that Sesame Workshop may be one of the most serious and effective organisations I have ever had the privilege to work with.

For more than fifty years it has shown that kindness matters, inclusion matters, learning matters and childhood matters. It is a shining example of how to use business as a force for good, how to live your mission and how to create systemic impact that has improved lives for more than half a century.

The world needs that message now as much as ever.

Thank you Elmo, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Oscar, Abby, Grover, Sherrie, Jeff and the whole team, on screen and off!