Meet the Team
Cherrelle Williams – Founder & CEO
Cherrelle Williams is the visionary founder and CEO of Melanin Babies, an educational platform dedicated to empowering young minds through inclusive, multilingual content. With a Master’s in Digital Marketing from Full Sail University and an undergraduate degree in Information Technology, Cherrelle combines her technical expertise with her passion for education and community service.
Inspired by her three children—Kylie, Omari, and Nylah—Cherrelle recognized the need for more diverse and representative educational resources. This realization sparked the creation of Melanin Babies, where she channels her love for her community into developing engaging, culturally rich materials for children aged 0-7.
Cherrelle’s commitment to giving back and her dedication to creating impactful resources for youth drive the mission of Melanin Babies. Through her leadership, the organization continues to grow, fostering a world where every child sees themselves reflected in their early learning journey.
Project Manager
Kimberley Marowa- Project Manager
As a dedicated Project Manager with a passion for early childhood development I specialize in creating a strong understanding of developmental and educational projects, I collaborate with educators, animation, and community stakeholders to develop engaging resources that promote effective learning experiences.
Content Department
Lisa Fremder – Content Manager
Lisa is a dedicated professional in children’s media creation with a rich background in live entertainment and media production. She began her career performing in stage shows across Australia and working in the marketing departments of top media networks in the country.
Her passion for bringing joy to children and their families extended to Walt Disney World in Florida, where she created magical experiences for visitors from around the world. Lisa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Media Communications, where she focused on creating content that is welcoming and inclusive for everyone—reflecting her commitment to producing media that resonates with and supports families from all backgrounds.
Laine Gutierrez – Writer
Hi, this is Laine, I’m part of the Writing department, focused a bit more on the monthly newsletter! I’m fluent in Spanish and have a degree in Creative Writing and I’m very glad I’m able to express myself creatively in Melanin Babies, it has been such a fun challenge. Thank you Melanin Babies community for allowing us into your home!
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Art Department
Coyanne Grandersom – illustrator
Hello! I’m Coyanne Grandersom, an illustrator based in Southern California. I’m part of the art department at Melanin Babies, where I design props, character designs, and backgrounds.
Alex Wong – illustrator
As a dedicated illustrator and storyboard artist with a passion for 2D art, he excels in crafting visually compelling narratives. He enjoys creating stories that are both engaging and educational, using his artistic skills to bring meaningful content to life.
Modeling Department
Brooke Floyd – Lead modeler and rigger
I am the lead modeler and rigger for Melanin Babies. I graduated from Texas A&M University with a major in Visualization in 2022, and along with volunteering I currently work remotely as a data imagery editor. I am passionate about working within 3D space, and I love being able to express 2D concepts with 3D visuals.
Environment Department
Reem Shamma – Lead Environment Artist and Animator at Melanin Babies
I am Reem Shamma, a dedicated 3D Generalist Artist with over 3+ years of experience in animation, 3D modeling, and game design. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Animation from CSUN. From the beginning of Melanin Babies, I have been a part of the team, starting as an animator and advancing to my current role as the lead environment artist.
My passion for creativity drives me to collaborate with the creative team to develop engaging cartoon video series that are dedicated to early childhood education.
Ezra Essendelft – Co-lead animator & Co-environment leader at Melanin Babies.
With my creative eye and technical expertise honed at Full Sail University, where I earned my Bachelor’s in Animation, I bring characters and worlds to life. My role involves creating fluid, expressive animations and rich, vibrant backgrounds that reflect the diversity of our audience. I am deeply committed to representation and cultural accuracy in Animation, which aligns perfectly with Melanin Babies’ mission.
My innovative approach, grounded in my academic background, continually pushes the boundaries of children’s educational content. I am deeply committed to creating inclusive, multicultural children’s media, a passion that I bring to my work at Melanin Babies. I am proud to be an invaluable member of our creative team, where I can contribute to our mission of diversity and cultural accuracy.
Editing Department
RAY MEDVED – Video editor
Ray has been involved in video editing for over 20 years. He is a former stage, film and television actor with many IMDb credits, including those for film editing and visual effects. Ray is also a music composer and a Part 107 certified drone pilot/videographer.
Animation Department
Vannessa Borrero – 3D Animator
Just to provide a little bio about myself, my creative thinking began when I watched my dad play video games at a young age. What peaked my interest was the artwork that went into creating the games. The curiosity turned into exploring the arts in all forms such as drawing, creative writing, singing, dancing, etc.
As I grew older, my creativity geared more towards animation. I’ve become obsessed with animation, down to the bones and muscles that move a character. Although my passion is driven by animation, I’ve developed skills on other things such as compositing, modeling, texturing, video editing, etc.
I love reading books and watching videos that’ll help enhance my skills. I love exploring new ways of thinking and learning. I just love what I do and can’t wait to see what I do at Melanin Babies!
Tyrell Bush – Animation lead
I’m the animation lead here at Melanin Babies. I work closely with my team to make sure everyone is making great animations by creating walkthrough and feedback for everyone. It is a pleasure to help this all come together.
Jinyoung Choi – 3D Animator
I am a 3D animator at Melanin Babies and I have worked on project ABC song and Baby Shark. During this journey, I enjoyed to get feedback and improve my works. I studied 3D animation at my master’s course and took rigging classes as well. I am always eager to learn new skills.
Hee Chung – 3D Animator
I graduated School of Visual Arts this year’s May and majored in computer arts. I’ve been doing 3d animations for 2 years! My fav thing to animate is full body movement.