Presented to: Disney · Netflix · YouTube · PBS · Investors
🎬 Live Action
✏️ Animation
🌍 Culture
🔬 STEM
We Up Collective8M+ YouTube ViewsYouTube Kids FeaturedNatGeo KidsStuntboy on YouTube KidsJason ReynoldsPBS KidsWe Up CollectiveLive Action · AnimationInvestment Opportunity70M+ Subscribers Reached30+ Global Production PartnersWe Up Collective8M+ YouTube ViewsYouTube Kids FeaturedNatGeo KidsStuntboy on YouTube KidsJason ReynoldsPBS KidsWe Up CollectiveLive Action · AnimationInvestment Opportunity70M+ Subscribers Reached30+ Global Production PartnersWe Up Collective8M+ YouTube ViewsYouTube Kids FeaturedNatGeo KidsStuntboy on YouTube KidsJason ReynoldsPBS KidsWe Up CollectiveLive Action · AnimationInvestment Opportunity70M+ Subscribers Reached30+ Global Production Partners
THE PROBLEM · 45 YEARS OF DATA
The 1% Problem.
Of the thousands of children's shows created over the last 45 years, only 1% have featured a Black lead character. That is not a gap. That is an emergency.
1%
of 45 years of children's shows feature a Black lead
53
shows with at least one Black character since 1980
20
shows with a Black star or predominantly Black cast
PBS Funding Crisis
PBS is losing funding. The traditional public media pipeline for experimental, community-rooted storytelling is narrowing fast. We Up Collective was built for this moment.
A Wide-Open Gap
As the ecosystem thins, the need for thoughtful, culturally grounded children's media is greater than ever. We Up Collective is designed to fill that gap — permanently.
"What shows did the children in your life watch where the characters looked like them or their community? What shows made you proud to share?"
THE OPPORTUNITY · NOW IS THE MOMENT
A wide-open lane. We built for this.
📺
Thinning Pipeline
PBS is losing funding. The traditional public media pipeline for culturally rooted, experimental storytelling is narrowing — creating a critical gap We Up Collective fills.
⚡
Urgency is Real
The streaming era has created infinite shelf space — but culturally grounded Black children's content remains chronically underrepresented in that space.
🚀
Proof in Motion
Our shows are already in market — on YouTube Kids, PBS, NatGeo Kids. We have traction, audience, and industry relationships. The infrastructure is built. Investment accelerates it.
70M+
YouTube Kids Subscribers Reached
8M+
MayNERD Views in 11 Months
30+
Global Production Partners
20+
Years Combined Experience
WHO WE ARE · WE UP COLLECTIVE
We are not a traditional studio.
"We Up" — an affirmation rooted in Black community culture. We are up next. We have always been up. We are claiming that space now.
"Motown didn't wait for permission. Motown built a sound, a pipeline, and an economy rooted in Black creativity. That is the lineage We Up Collective draws from." — Kevin Clark
🎬
Storyworlds
Content rooted in Black communities — built to get shows greenlit globally
🎓
Talent Pipelines
Pathways for writers, animators, producers from communities excluded from this industry
🧪
Research Labs
Community and research labs that develop, protect, and elevate IP grounded in culture
We Up Collective builds sideways — connecting community labs, research labs, families, schools, creators, and communities into a living, distributed network.
⚡
Work That Needs No Permission
We create shows, shorts, podcasts, games, and learning experiences that live on multiple platforms and in community spaces. They travel because they are grounded in culture.
🔑
Ownership as Cultural Memory
We protect the rights of our creators, youth collaborators, and communities. IP is not just business — it is history, identity, and legacy.
"We are not building a studio. We are building an economy — one where Black children see themselves on screen, and the creators who put them there own what they made."
FLAGSHIP SHOWS · IN MARKET NOW
Two Shows. Both Lanes.
Live Action. Animation. Already in market. Audience built. Industry doors open. These are the proof points.
Where hip-hop meets science. Where a Black child is the scientist. Where the kitchen table is the lab.
8M+
VIEWS IN 11 MONTHS
NatGeo
KIDS HOST
YouTube
KIDS PLATFORM
MAYNERD'S WILD WORLD OF SCIENCE · LIVE-ACTION
Science is everywhere. Every kid is a scientist.
Maynard Okereke — the "Hip Hop Scientist" — built one of the most beloved independent children's science platforms on YouTube Kids. In 11 months, 8 million views. Now he's the host of a NatGeo Kids show and bringing MayNERD to the Disney ecosystem. This is trajectory.
🔬
The Representation Gap
Children of color not seeing scientists who look like the people at their kitchen table are told through absence that discovery is not for them. Maynard closes that gap.
🏡
The Kitchen Table Lab
Every episode: a question at the kitchen table → community field trip → build something together. STEM as play. Curiosity as identity. Ages 2–7.
🎙️
Hip Hop Science
Maynard's signature "Hip Hop Scientist" persona makes science feel like culture — warm, funny, and genuinely curious. Children respond to him like a favorite teacher who believes in them.
8M+
Views · 11 months
NatGeo
Kids · Current Host
YouTube
Kids · Curated Platform
Disney
Ecosystem · Trajectory
MAYNERD · HOST CREDENTIALS · WHY MAYNARD
Maynard Okereke. Ready for the national stage.
The Credentials
Civil engineer turned children's science communicator · Creator of MayNERD's Wild World of Science · National Geographic Kids host · Featured on Netflix, Science Channel, Shark Tank · Published in Scientific American · Ebony Power 100 · NSBE Entrepreneur of the Year
He is not a character. He is a father, an educator, and an innovator ready for a national stage.
The MayNERD Brand
His platform attracted direct outreach from Miss Rachel — one of the most trusted voices in children's early learning — after a Jennifer Hudson Show appearance. That level of peer recognition reflects what the audience already knows.
YouTube Kids → Disney Ecosystem
MayNERD on YouTube Kids is the proof of concept. NatGeo Kids is the bridge. Disney Jr. is the destination. Each platform step demonstrates readiness — and builds the audience that follows him there.
"Trust that is real cannot be manufactured — and children know the difference. Maynard's relationship with his audience is the greatest asset We Up Collective has."
MAYNERD · PRODUCTION STILLS · ADD YOUR IMAGES
MayNERD in Action
Paste production stills, show moments, and behind-the-scenes images below
id="maynerd-4" style="background:#001840">
MAYNERD · PLATFORM TRAJECTORY · THE PATH
YouTube Kids → NatGeo Kids → Disney Ecosystem
YouTube Kids is not YouTube. It is a curated, gated platform for children's content — meaning placement there reflects editorial trust. MayNERD earned that placement. NatGeo Kids confirmed it. Disney is the logical next step.
Current host · MayNERD persona Disney-adjacent · Industry signal
✨
Disney Jr. / Disney+
The destination · Audience ready Content ready · Deal ready
"MayNERD has the audience. NatGeo has the co-sign. Disney is the natural next home. We Up Collective is the vehicle that gets him there."
💥⚡🦸🏾💫
FLAGSHIP SHOW 02 · ANIMATION · YOUTUBE KIDS · JASON REYNOLDS
Stuntboy in Between
Based on Jason Reynolds's award-winning book. The animated series is live on YouTube Kids now.
Multi-Award
WINNING BOOK
Live Now
YOUTUBE KIDS
Animation
SERIES FORMAT
STUNTBOY IN BETWEEN · ANIMATION · JASON REYNOLDS
A superhero born from real anxiety.
Portico Reeves creates superhero alter-ego Stuntboy to cope with anxiety and family change — with humor, heart, and Gran Gran by his side. Based on Jason Reynolds's multi-award-winning book, the animated series is live on YouTube Kids right now.
Jason Reynolds — The Author
One of the most celebrated voices in contemporary children's and young adult literature. Multi-award-winning. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. His books are taught in classrooms across the country.
Stuntboy is his first animated series adaptation. We Up Collective brought it to screen.
Social-Emotional Learning
At its core, Stuntboy is about how a Black child processes anxiety, change, and uncertainty — through imagination, creativity, and community. The SEL framework is woven into every episode naturally.
Middle Grade · Ages 6–10
Stuntboy targets the Middle Grade audience — the most underserved demo for culturally grounded animated series. Already live on YouTube Kids, the curated platform that reaches families directly.
STUNTBOY · THE SERIES · IN MARKET
From award-winning book to animated series. Live now.
📚
Source Material
Jason Reynolds's Stuntboy in Between — a #1 New York Times bestseller, Newbery Honor book, with multiple state award wins. The IP enters the screen already beloved.
✏️
The Animation
The animated series brings Portico Reeves to life — his inner superhero world rendered in bold, vibrant animation that mirrors the imagination and emotional landscape of the book.
▶
YouTube Kids · Live
Both Stuntboy and MayNERD are on the YouTube Kids platform — the curated, editorially approved space separate from YouTube. This is industry validation. Not just a channel. A co-sign.
#1 NYT
Bestseller · Source Book
Newbery
Honor · Jason Reynolds
Live
YouTube Kids · Now
SEL
Anxiety · Imagination · Community
STUNTBOY · PRODUCTION STILLS · ADD YOUR IMAGES
Stuntboy in Action
Paste animation stills, character art, and series moments below
id="stuntboy-4" style="background:#1a0850">
STUNTBOY · WHY THIS MATTERS · THE BIGGER PICTURE
Two shows. Both lanes. Proof we can do both.
"MayNERD is live action. Stuntboy is animation. Both are on YouTube Kids. Both center Black children. Both have industry-level IP behind them. We Up Collective can execute in both lanes — and that is the investment thesis."
#1 NYT Bestseller source · Newbery Honor · Jason Reynolds · YouTube Kids · SEL framework · Middle Grade · Multi-award IP
2
Flagship Shows · In Market
Both
On YouTube Kids · Curated
Both
Lanes Proven · L.A. + Animation
🐨📺🎨
CURRENTLY ON AIR · PBS KIDS · ANIMATION
Work It Out Wombats!
Currently on air on PBS Kids. Our proof of point in the broadcast space — showing the industry we belong there.
PBS Kids
CURRENTLY ON AIR
Animation
SERIES FORMAT
WORK IT OUT WOMBATS · PBS KIDS · CURRENTLY AIRING
On PBS. Right now.
Work It Out Wombats is currently airing on PBS Kids — the most trusted broadcast home for children's educational content. This is We Up Collective's proof of point in the broadcast space. We are not pitching our way in. We are already in.
id="brk-bfs" style="background:#0e0a00">
🔨🧱✏️
IN DEVELOPMENT · LIVE-ACTION · CULTURAL PRACTICES
Build From Scratch
A development pitch that explores how boys build identity, community, and culture through making with their hands.
Boys
CULTURAL PRACTICES
Making
HANDS-ON · EMBODIED
BUILD FROM SCRATCH · DEVELOPMENT PITCH · LIVE-ACTION
Two Black boys lead. The crew builds together.
Built with intention: two Black males as leads — surrounded by a diverse crew of boys in adventure, play, and making. Four development pillars drove the work.
🧠
SEL for Boys
Healthy social-emotional development frameworks specifically designed for boys
🌍
Cultural Rep
Culturally relevant framing reflecting the real lives of Black boys
🔬
STEM & Play
STEM engagement through building, designing, and problem-solving every episode
📱
Digital First
Framed for online and digital platforms from day one
BUILD FROM SCRATCH · THE CREW
Meet the builders.
Two Black male leads anchor a diverse crew — boys who build, explore, and discover together
THE CATALOGUE · ACTIVE & IN DEVELOPMENT
The Full Pipeline.
Seven more shows ready to pitch, license, and get greenlit. Live action. Animation. Every age. Every platform.
Animation
Live Action
STEM & Innovation
SEL
Well-Being
THE CATALOGUE · ACTIVE & IN DEVELOPMENT
Seven shows. Every lane covered.
SHOW
FORMAT
PILLAR
STATUS
Debug Junction
Animation · Upper Elementary
STEM & Innovation
In Development
18Loves
Animation · Tween / Teen
SEL · Identity
In Development
Outdoor Afro Kids
Live-Action · Preschool
Well-Being & Nature
In Development
Dance Lab
Live-Action · Elementary
STEAM & Civics
In Development
Ghost Girls
Animation · Middle Grade
SEL · Science
In Development
Friction Point
Animation · Upper Elementary
STEM · Identity
In Development
Debug Junction
Data, future worlds, and empathy — how design thinking and ethical tech shape stronger communities. Oakland kids, big ideas, STEM at the center.
18Loves
A coming-of-age story centered on Black teen identity, first love, family, and the 18 moments that define who you become. Animation for the tween and teen audience.
Outdoor Afro Kids
Connects Black children to nature, adventure, and conservation. Well-being and lifestyle content rooted in joy, curiosity, and the outdoors.
We are not pitching potential. We are showing receipts.
8M+
MayNERD Views · 11 Months
70M+
YouTube Kids Subscribers Reached
30+
Global Production Partners · 8 Countries
20+
Years Combined Industry Experience
YouTube Kids Feature Deal
12-month feature deal secured with YouTube Kids — guaranteeing 20 days of monthly feature placement. This is not organic growth. This is editorial partnership. It drives high-velocity brand building at scale.
PBS Kids · Currently On Air
Work It Out Wombats is currently airing on PBS Kids — the most trusted broadcast platform in children's education. Our shows have already cleared the most rigorous editorial standard in the space.
NatGeo Kids · Host
Maynard Okereke is the current host of a NatGeo Kids show — a Disney-adjacent platform that signals industry trust and positions MayNERD directly in the Disney Jr. pipeline.
Global Production Network
30+ production partners across 8 countries — Carbon Creative (AU), Big Bad Boo (CA), ListenMi Animation (JM), King Street Films (BK), Misseri Animations (IT), and more. We can produce anywhere, at scale.
DISTRIBUTION · PLATFORMS · REACH
Strategic platforms for scale, trust, and cultural reach.
▶
YouTube Kids
12-MONTH FEATURE DEAL · 70M+ SUBSCRIBERS
Dominant global hub for children's content. 20 days/month guaranteed feature placement. High-velocity brand building at scale.
📺
PBS Kids
CURRENTLY ON AIR · WORK IT OUT WOMBATS
The gold standard for children's broadcast education. Our presence here signals quality to every other platform in the space.
🌍
Sensical + KweliTV
COMMON SENSE MEDIA · BLACK CINEMA
Sensical: parent trust, editorial prestige. KweliTV: the leading Black-created content streaming platform. Community and credibility, combined.
"Our distribution strategy is not about chasing platforms. It is about owning our audience relationships — and building the infrastructure that travels with us."
THE ASK · INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY
$15M
Investment unlocks a pipeline of culturally grounded content for the next generation of Black children.
55%
Content Production
20%
Talent Pipeline & Labs
15%
Distribution & Marketing
10%
Operations & Overhead
Licensing
AVOD Revenue
Merchandise
Live Events
Creator Services
Research Labs
SUSTAINABILITY · REINVESTMENT · GROWTH
Every show sold funds the next one.
We Up Collective is not a one-time production company. It is a living, self-sustaining ecosystem — where success compounds and every greenlit show creates the conditions for the next one.
🔄
Reinvest in We Up Collective
A percentage from each show sold or licensed returns directly to We Up Collective — funding the next wave of early-career creators, producers, sound engineers, and animators.
🎓
Recruit Through Labs
Actively develop early-career creators through community and research labs. Place their shows on YouTube Kids and other platforms to build audience, generate interest, and attract further industry investment.
🌐
Expand the Ecosystem
A living, distributed network that grows with every show greenlit, every deal closed, every creator elevated, and every child who sees themselves on screen for the first time.
∞
Reinvestment cycle
IP
Ownership retained
Global
Format licensing pipeline
THE TEAM · LEADERSHIP · WE UP COLLECTIVE
The people who built this.
Kevin Clark
Add bio here
Kareem Edouard
Add bio here
Christopher Bell
Add bio here
Plus: Artists · Educators · Technologists · Parents · Youth · 30+ Global Production Partners · Community Lab Network
WE UP COLLECTIVE · EVERY CHILD DESERVES TO SEE THEMSELVES
Let's build this together.
We Up Collective is building the infrastructure, the IP, and the industry relationships to get shows greenlit — at scale, with community, and for keeps. Every child deserves to see themselves on screen.
🎬 MayNERD · Live Action
✏️ Stuntboy · Animation
📺 PBS Kids · On Air
🔨 Build From Scratch
weupnext.com
Kevin Clark·Kareem Edouard·Christopher Bell
Confidential · For Development Purposes Only
We Up Collective8M+ YouTube ViewsYouTube Kids FeaturedNatGeo KidsStuntboy on YouTube KidsJason ReynoldsPBS KidsWe Up CollectiveLive Action · AnimationInvestment Opportunity70M+ Subscribers Reached30+ Global Production PartnersWe Up Collective8M+ YouTube ViewsYouTube Kids FeaturedNatGeo KidsStuntboy on YouTube KidsJason ReynoldsPBS KidsWe Up CollectiveLive Action · AnimationInvestment Opportunity70M+ Subscribers Reached30+ Global Production PartnersWe Up Collective8M+ YouTube ViewsYouTube Kids FeaturedNatGeo KidsStuntboy on YouTube KidsJason ReynoldsPBS KidsWe Up CollectiveLive Action · AnimationInvestment Opportunity70M+ Subscribers Reached30+ Global Production Partners
