Hidden Pigeon Company Names New CEO

Hidden Pigeon Company (HPC) has announced Karen K. Miller has been named chief executive officer, bringing a wealth of development and distribution experience to the organization. Kathy Franklin, who joined HPC after 12 years as president, franchise development, Lightstorm Entertainment, will step into an advisory role. Hidden Pigeon Company, which launched in early 2023, is a multiplatform company created by children’s book author and Emmy winner, Mo Willems, Stampede Ventures and RedBird Capital Partners to expand the reach and impact of Willems’ catalog of children’s books and intellectual property across all entertainment platforms.  

Miller joins HPC from Cyber Group Studios, where she served as president and chief executive officer of its U.S. division and led all operations from the Paris-based company’s LA office. Previously, Miller was senior vice president, content, for NBCUniversal’s Universal Kids linear network, where she oversaw strategy, development, co-productions and acquisitions across all content, and was responsible for audience growth and global franchise development.  

“There is enormous potential to grow the impact of Mo Willems’ beloved characters and properties around the globe and introduce them to families everywhere,” says Miller. “I have long been a fan of Mo’s books and productions, and it is a privilege for me to step in at this time and build on HPC’s existing foundation as we help to scale this business to the next level.”  

“As we begin the next phase of building out our global strategy to deepen the awareness and impact of Mo’s work, I am confident that under Karen’s leadership, we will expand our development pipeline and bring Mo’s characters and stories to kids everywhere through a range of platforms and experiences,” says Greg Silverman, chief executive officer, founder Stampede Ventures and board chairman, HPC.