EP 75: Sesame Workshop CEO Sherrie Westin: Leading The Drive To Keep Elmo & Friends Entertaining & Educating Kids

For Sesame Workshop CEO Sherrie Westin, there’s one question that rises above the rest.  “Is Sesame going to be here for the next generation of children?” Making sure favorites like Elmo, Big Bird, Abby Cadabby, and Grover continue their work educating kids is a responsibility she takes very seriously.  Over the past year, Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind the 56-year-old global phenomenon, faced what Westin called a “perfect storm.” There were federal funding cuts, the end of a distribution deal with Discovery / HBO Max, and the need to downsize the organization.  

Westin has guided Sesame Workshop through this moment with a determination to keep Sesame’s core mission of making kids “smarter, stronger and kinder” front and center. This season of Sesame Street kicked off a new distribution deal with Netflix and PBS, along with a greater focus on its philanthropic efforts. In our conversation, Westin shared her thoughts on Sesame's past and future, how her experience at ABC News and The White House influenced her leadership style, and how becoming a mother through the adoption of her daughter, Lily, profoundly changed her life.  

 💬 In this episode, we explore:

• Sherrie Westin’s path to CEO of Sesame Workshop, and what made her finally decide to throw her hat into the ring
• The global reach of Sesame Workshop and its work to support young children 
• The impact of that famous 2024 tweet from Elmo asking, “How is everybody doing?"
• What it’s like being “co-workers” with Oscar, Grover, Bert, Ernie, and more 
• Westin’s favorite memories of celebrities who have visited Sesame Street 
• Her advice for college graduates 
• How she and her husband, David Westin, manage a busy, two-career household 

Resources:

🔗 Visit Sesme Workshop 

📸  Follow Sherrie Westin on LinkedIn

📸  Follow Sesame Workshop On Instagram

📸  Follow Sesame Street On TikTok

🎧 New episodes of How She Does It drop every Tuesday. Be sure to follow us so you never miss an episode

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices