About Us

We fund the research, frameworks, and creative development the market won't, so children's media and technology can be guided by science rather than assumptions.

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Meet Our Team

Our Story

Children are growing up in a world shaped by screens, algorithms, and increasingly by AI. Most of what they encounter was designed to maximize engagement, not to support their development. The Mindful Media Foundation was founded to change that, not by building another product, but by funding the research and frameworks that should come first.

We started with a simple conviction: design is the intervention. The way media and technology are designed determines whether a child's time with screens supports their wellbeing or undermines it. That conviction has grown into a broader commitment. As AI accelerates what children encounter, the need for evidence-based guidelines, ethical frameworks, and independent research has become urgent.

Today, the Foundation funds four areas of work: research on how media, technology, and AI affect children's development, evidence-based frameworks for ethical AI in children's digital environments, pilot creative projects that prove media designed around developmental science can be built, and community access programs that ensure the benefits reach the families who need them most.

We are in our founding phase, building the research partnerships and programs that will define this work for a generation.

How The Foundation Works

How philanthropic capital becomes the independent evidence the whole ecosystem can build on.

The Mindful Media Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, independent from but aligned with its commercial counterpart, Mindful Media.

The Foundation funds research, frameworks, and access. The company builds the commercial products that put that research into practice. These are separate organizations with distinct purposes.

We operate a venture philanthropy and catalytic capital model, directing charitable contributions across the four areas shown here: research, ethical AI frameworks, creative development, and community access.

Our institutional research partners include Boston Children's Hospital, CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, and Evolution Health, with priorities in pediatric sleep and screen use, early childhood development, and media-based preventative interventions.

Explore Our Approach

How We Drive Impact

  • We fund research partnerships with children's hospitals and academic institutions that study how media, technology, and AI affect children's development and family wellbeing. This is the foundation of everything else we do.

  • We support the development of evidence-based guidelines and ethical frameworks for AI and digital technology in children's environments. As AI outpaces existing safeguards, this work fills a gap that no single institution or company is positioned to close alone.

  • We fund pilot creative projects that demonstrate evidence-based children's media can be built. These projects, prove the model before commercial revenue can sustain it, so a new generation of research-informed children's media actually gets made.

  • We fund programs that bring evidence-based media and technology to Head Start centers, under-resourced school districts, and community health settings, so that research translates into real-world benefit for the families who need it most.

The Whole Child Standard

The Mindful Media Foundation's research contributes to the development of the Whole-Child Standard, an evidence-based framework for evaluating how children's digital products affect development, safety, and wellbeing. The Standard is defined and established by the Whole-Child Expert Committee, an independent body of researchers, clinicians, and child development specialists.

The Standard looks at the whole child, not just data privacy or screen time, but developmental impact, emotional safety, family dynamics, and the ethical use of AI in children's environments. The Foundation's role is to fund the research that informs the Standard and to keep that evidence base independent, rigorous, and grounded in developmental science.

Meet The Team

The Mindful Media Foundation's team and advisors bring experience across children's media, behavioral health research, sleep science, child development, and creative production. Our research collaborations extend this expertise through partnerships with leading children's hospitals and academic institutions. Our team members have come from institutions such as UCLA, YouTube, Nickelodeon, Disney, AppleTV, US Department of Education, The American Academy of Pediatrics, and others.

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Learn About Some of Our Team Members

  • A smiling man with a bald head and light skin, wearing a pink button-up shirt, against a blue background.

    Bobby Alexis | Executive Director

    A digital wellness entrepreneur with 15+ years of experience across immersive media, AI, and children’s entertainment. He has led initiatives at The VOID, Digital Domain, and The Walt Disney Company, earning Fast Company’s World Changing Idea recognition for strengthening family bonds through emotionally intelligent digital experiences.

    A dyslexic thinker and creative leader, Bobby brings a unique lens to problem-solving—merging storytelling with technology to build scalable, mission-driven solutions. At the Mindful Media Foundation, he’s focused on creating a healthier, more mindful digital future for families everywhere.

  • Dr. Wizdom Powell Headshot

    Dr. Wizdom Powell | Advisor

    Dr. Wizdom Powell is a nationally recognized clinical psychologist, equity strategist, and public health leader advancing mental wellness for youth—particularly boys and men of color. As CEO of Unified Youth and former Chief Purpose Officer at Headspace, she has led public-private partnerships that scale mindfulness and belonging in cities across the U.S. With deep expertise in population health, culturally responsive care, and digital mental health, Dr. Powell brings a systems-change lens to the Mindful Media Foundation’s mission of transforming children’s well-being through media, research, and technology.

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    Dr. Lisa Medalie, Psy.D., RPSGT, DBSM | Advisor

    A Harvard-trained sleep researcher and founder of DrLullaby, Lisa is a leading expert in behavioral sleep medicine with over a decade directing pediatric and adult insomnia programs. She brings her clinical expertise into digital formats, making sleep science accessible to families. At the Mindful Media Foundation, Lisa helps embed sleep-friendly habits into entertainment to improve rest, reduce conflict, and strengthen family well-being.

  • Close-up of a man with brown hair and a beard, looking directly at the camera with sunlight on his face, outdoors with a beach and buildings in the background.

    Michael Sammaciccia | Advisor

    With over 25 years in kids and family entertainment, Michael was a founding member of Walden Media, shaping iconic films like Holes and The Chronicles of Narnia. He’s a former SVP at Nickelodeon and now leads Afterglow Pictures, producing innovative content across film, animation, and unscripted series. At the Mindful Media Foundation, Michael provides creative leadership to ensure our initiatives inspire and engage families worldwide

  • A woman with long black hair and makeup resting her chin on her hand, outdoors with blurred natural background.

    Cam Kashani | Advisor

    Cam Kashani, known as “The Spiritual Surgeon,” is an expert in empowering women and children through spiritual development and authentic self-discovery. With a Doctorate in Spirituality and extensive experience coaching and inspiring women and youth, she brings a passion for fostering authentic self-discovery. At the Mindful Media Foundation, Cam advises on programming that nurtures spiritual growth and empowerment in children, helping us create transformative content for families.

  • Grace Lovret | Advisor

    Grace Lovret, Managing Director and CIO of Franger LLC, champions impact-focused ventures and youth empowerment. Her work spans finance, entertainment, and educational reform, emphasizing philanthropy as a cornerstone for meaningful change. At the Mindful Media Foundation, Grace helps shape our mission-driven strategy, bridging impactful investments with transformative solutions for families.

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