Obama Leader uses storytelling as a tool for inclusion and representation

Kamala Avila-Salmon, a 2024-2025 Obama Foundation USA Leader, believes that the stories we tell shape how we see ourselves, each other, and the world. That's why she continues to push boundaries, ensuring that those stories are rich in diversity—and the boundless potential—of our world.

When Kamala Avila-Salmon immigrated from Jamaica to the U.S. as a child, she quickly realized that race played a far more complex—and often fraught—role in American life than it did back home. At the dinner table, her parents, a college professor and an accountant, spoke openly about how racial dynamics shaped their experiences in ways they hadn't anticipated.

Those conversations stayed with her. They sparked a deep curiosity about how people form perceptions of one another—and how much those perceptions are shaped by the media we consume.

“I became fascinated with the idea of how powerful stories are in culture,” she says. “And I wondered why we had so few of those representations that made us feel that way.”

With a passion for creating inspiring stories, Kamala set her sights on the entertainment industry, first working in music and later transitioning to film and television. Her goal was clear:  use media to shift culture in a positive and inclusive way.

“Popular stories, popular culture have such an impact on not only how you see yourself, but also how you see other communities and how other communities see you, and I wanted to be a part of the industry that is shaping culture,” she reflected.

One of her most impactful contributions to inclusive storytelling is the creation of Story Spark, a tool Kamala developed during her time at Lionsgate as the Head of Inclusive Content. Designed to help filmmakers and studios evaluate inclusion throughout the creative process, Story Spark ensures that representation is not a checkbox—but a core element of the narrative.

Today, Kamala is the founder of Kas Kas Productions, a company dedicated to telling stories at the intersection of culture, commerce, and representation. Her production company focuses on centering underrepresented voices while ensuring that these stories resonate with broad, diverse audiences.

Kamala says she believes storytelling should both entertain and challenge stereotypes, while uplifting marginalized communities and sparking meaningful conversations. That vision was sharpened through her participation in the Obama Foundation’s Leaders USA Program.

“The Obama Leaders USA Program helped me think about creating a narrative I could use publicly for my business and storytelling vision,” Kamala expressed. “I wanted to think critically about the challenges facing our democracy, pluralism, and inclusion, and how my storytelling could contribute to moving our democracy forward.”

For Kamala, storytelling is more than entertainment—it’s a vehicle for hope, inclusion, and pluralism. She believes stories can inspire people to imagine and work toward a more just and inclusive society.

Recently, Kamala and her cohort organized grassroots meetups in over 15 cities, culminating in a gathering of 70 participants at The Obama Foundation office in Chicago. These in-person connections, which she described as transformative, created a lasting network of support and collaboration.

Especially now, Kamala sees storytelling as a way to bridge divides. Her work centers the lived experiences of underrepresented communities while inviting all audiences to engage and connect.

What excites her most about the future is The Obama Presidential Center’s role as a space for action, dialogue, and cultural change. 

“The Presidential Center can be a place for convening Hollywood change-makers to use entertainment as a way to shift culture.”

Kamala envisions the Center as a hub for storytelling, where diverse voices can be amplified and where the power of narrative can be harnessed to move society forward.