Kelsey Mann first came to Pixar Animation Studios in 2009, and was the story supervisor on the 2013 feature film “Monsters University.” In this capacity, he oversaw a team of 5-8 story artists through the process of storyboarding the film. Mann also contributed ancillary material during the production of the Academy Award®-winning feature “Toy Story 3.” Mann was soon tapped to direct the “Monsters University” short film “Party Central,” which was released theatrically in front of “Muppets Most Wanted.” Mann also worked as the story supervisor on “The Good Dinosaur” and “Onward.” Most recently, Mann directed Pixar’s feature film “Inside Out 2,” alongside producer Mark Nielsen, which released in theaters on June 14, 2024. 

Mann launched his animation career as an intern at Reelworks, a small Minneapolis-based commercial studio. From there, he moved to Los Angeles in 2000 and he went on to hold a variety of positions including animation, storyboarding, and directing for companies such as Cartoon Network, Warner Bros., and Lucasfilm Animation.

Raised in Burnsville, Minnesota, Mann attended Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan. Growing up, Mann was a fan of everything related to film, animation, and puppetry.

Mann currently resides in Petaluma, California.