Our Staff

Michael Shanklin
Executive Director

Michael Shanklin is a native of Southern California and has been an integral part of kidSTREAM even before joining us full-time, previously serving as an advisor and champion of kidSTREAM. Prior to taking the helm as kidSTREAM’s inaugural executive director, Michael served as the Explore! Children’s Museum Project Advisor in October of 2019. He was previously the CEO of Kidspace Children’s Museum in Pasadena, CA where he led his team on a $13M capital campaign to rejuvenate the museum, significantly increasing attendance, earned revenue, and access for low to moderate income families.

Michael held leadership positions with The Discovery Science Place and was on the senior leadership team for the $29M expansion of the Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum. He involves himself deeply in local and national causes, having served on the Association of Children’s Museum Board, the California Association of Museums, and many others. He is also a committed local volunteer and was previously the president of the Camarillo Rotary Club Sunrise as well as an alumni of the Ventura County Leadership Academy (VCLA), cohort XXVII.

Jacy Yu
Development Director

jacy.yu@kidstream.org

Jacy Yu has over 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector working with children, youth and families. She is passionate about building stronger communities and creating places for families to gather, learn, and support one another.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Washington and a Masters in Education from Seattle University. Jacy is excited to be on staff with kidSTREAM knowing our work today will inspire generations of children to become the great thinkers, innovators and inventors of tomorrow.

Dani Hildreth

Guest Experience Director

dani.hildreth@kidstream.org

Dani Hildreth has over a decade international education experience. She is passionate about creating innovative experiences that spark curiosity, joy, and connection. Before joining kidSTREAM, she supported the $16M museum expansion with the Children’s Museum of Denver, led the launch of two children’s museums in Dubai, and managed the school programs with Expo 2020.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sculpture and Art History from Colorado State University and a Masters in Arts and Culture Management from Rome Business School. Danielle is excited to join the kidSTREAM team to create experiences that inspire, support and connect the families of Camarillo.

Shahrzad Ehya

Operations Director

shahrzad.ehya@kidstream.org

Shahrzad Ehya has over two decades of experience in business management and leadership, and is dedicated to crafting educational experiences for children. She was the founder and director of Hideout Playground in Thousand Oaks, an innovative business concept for an indoor playground for children, successfully leading business development, community engagement, events management, and sales & marketing.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts from California State University Long Beach, and having lived and worked abroad, has connected with families from around the world. She is passionate about leveraging her skills to help kidSTREAM achieve its mission of providing interactive, educational, and memorable experiences.