Valerie Walsh Valdes began her career as an intern at Nickelodeon and later went on to co-create (along with Chris Gifford and Eric Weiner) the global phenomenon Dora the Explorer, as well as the hits Go, Diego, Go! and Dora and Friends: Into the City! for the network. Now, Valerie is introducing Santiago of the Seas, Nickelodeon’s brand-new swashbuckling animated adventure series, to a new generation of preschoolers. Infused with a Spanish-language and Latino-Caribbean culture curriculum, the show follows 8-year-old Santiago “Santi” Montes, a brave and kind-hearted pirate, as he embarks on daring rescues, searches for treasures and keeps the high seas safe in a fantastical Caribbean world.

Santiago’s steadfast and loyal crew consists of: Tomás, his clumsy energetic cousin whose magical guitar can be used to harness the wind; and Lorelai, a knowledgeable mermaid who can speak to sea creatures and transform into a young human girl. Together, Santi and his best mates sail the seas on the majestic ship El Bravo, using their smarts, pirate skills and moral compasses to guard their home of Isla Encanto from villains like the nefarious pirate Bonnie Bones and her Palm Crow sidekick Sir Butterscotch.

Valerie Walsh Valdes -- the recipient of the prestigious Peabody Award for Outstanding Children’s Programming in addition to multiple NAACP Image Awards and Parents’ Choice Awards -- produced numerous animated television programs seen in more than 150 countries and translated into more than 30 languages. Hear from Valerie about how Santiago of the Seas was developed and what parents can expect from the highly anticipated new series!