Speaker Richard Goldsmith
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Richard Goldsmith is a prolific executive in family entertainment who has led media distribution, consumer products, production financing and business development for major entertainment brands at The Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros., The Jim Henson Company and Univision Communications.
In his role as Executive Vice President of the Global Distribution department at The Jim Henson Company, Richard oversaw the company's sale of content to all platforms, including television, home entertainment, digital media and consumer products worldwide. Major brands included “Dinosaur Train,” “Splash & Bubbles” and “Fraggle Rock.” His role also implied raising production financing and securing co-production partners for new Henson productions globally. In addition, Richard acquired and distributed third party content under the company's HIP banner (Henson Independent Properties) and led all aspects of the company's multi-platform channel, Jim Henson Family TV.
Prior to joining The Jim Henson Company, Richard was Executive Advisor for Strategic Distribution Initiatives for both the Digital Distribution and Consumer Products divisions at Warner Bros. Entertainment. In that capacity, he developed and acquired programming for transactional digital platforms for Warner Bros. Digital. He was also in charge of overseeing the distribution of Warner Bros. Animation's current television series, including "Batman," "Looney Tunes" and "Scooby-Doo!" in major international markets for the Consumer Products and Television Distribution divisions. Prior to that, Richard served as Senior Vice President, New Initiatives and ACME Lab, where he led global business development initiatives and the redevelopment of classic animation brands from the Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera and MGM libraries.
Previously, Richard also was Vice President of Programming for the investment company Chartwell Partners, leading program acquisitions, scripted productions and business development for the company-controlled Spanish media group Univision Communications. He was also President and Co-Owner of Hollywood Ventures Corporation, ex-leading distributor of preschool television series worldwide such as “The Big Comfy Couch,” where Richard also produced the feature film "Jack Frost" for Warner Bros. and owned and operated two record labels with Warner Bros. Records. Richard began his career as VP Programming & Production for TV syndicator LBS Communications where he distributed series such as “Care Bears” and founded the second kids’ video company in the U.S., Kideo Video, and then as Director of Network TV Specials for Walt Disney Television where he supervised the development of prime time animated and music-variety specials for “The Disney Sunday Movie” on NBC.
Richard is a member of the Adjunct Faculty at the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California and of the Advisory Board of Exceptional Minds, an animation and VFX school and studio for young people with autism. He has a BA from the University of Pennsylvania, Annenberg School for Communication, and he attended the University of Southern California’s Cinema-Television School.
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