Ann Buckingham and Maria Ancieta-Risher to Lead Licensing for OAK9 Entertainment
OAK9 Entertainment, an innovative producer of children’s media, has announced a strategic expansion into licensing, led by distinguished executives Ann Buckingham and Maria Ancieta-Risher. The focus on consumer products builds on the company’s recent milestone of securing a worldwide distribution deal for its flagship animated franchise, Stomp! Stomp! Rhinos!
Buckingham and Ancieta-Risher bring decades of expertise in licensing, each with a track record of success in scaling consumer product lines, forging key brand partnerships, and driving revenue. They will harness the growing enthusiasm for Stomp! Stomp! Rhinos! across all licensing categories including publishing, toys & games, food & beverage, stationery, apparel, and location based entertainment.
Ann Buckingham has enjoyed a celebrated licensing career with leading entertainment companies, most recently serving as Global SVP of Consumer Products at The Walt Disney Company. During her time at Disney, she oversaw expansive global initiatives and successfully launched major product lines. Additionally, Buckingham has held senior leadership roles at 20th Century Fox, where she was Global SVP of Creative and Product Development, and at DreamWorks Animation, where she served as Global SVP of Consumer Products & Publishing.
Maria Ancieta-Risher’s distinguished career includes roles at both NBCUniversal and The Walt Disney Company. At NBC Universal, Ancieta-Risher served as VP of Consumer Products overseeing fashion, home, and infant categories across the Americas spearheading the growth of Gabby’s Dollhouse, Jurassic World and Minions Franchises. Previously at the company, she built the Latin America licensing division as VP & GM of Latin America Consumer Products. At Disney, Ancieta-Risher relaunched Disney Baby, establishing it as a world class baby brand and led the infant home & hardlines division. Her 12 years at Disney included multiple roles as Director leading fashion categories in infant and toddler, and leading Wal-mart first fashion/apparel direct-to-retail licensed business.
Buckingham and Ancieta-Risher are also inaugural partners at The Licensing Insiders, a collective of consumer product and senior brand-building experts advising all consumer segments, from entertainment studios, gaming, fashion and lifestyle brands to publishing, sports, collegiate and corporate.
“Ann and Maria’s expertise in the licensing space is truly unrivaled. Their strategic foresight, combined with a proven track record of growing licensing divisions and securing global brand partnerships, will be invaluable as we continue to grow Stomp! Stomp! Rhinos! into a leading franchise in children’s media.” said Mindaugas Jokubaitis, Producer, OAK9 Entertainment.
Stomp! Stomp! Rhinos! is a narratively rich and visually vibrant edutainment pre-school franchise designed to resonate with Gen Alpha children and their families. The series follows the charming Rhino siblings – Noah, Ela, and Ron – as they tackle emotional outbursts and learn practical tools to manage their feelings. This unique approach blends entertaining stories with psychologically informed lessons, empowering families to embrace emotional growth together.
Buckingham and Ancieta-Risher jointly added: “By combining entertainment and emotional wellness, OAK9 Entertainment is truly taking an unique approach to children’s entertainment. With excitement already building for the global launch of Stomp! Stomp! Rhinos! we are looking forward to advising, leading, and delivering a well-rounded consumer licensing experience around this special property.”
