It’s a time of polarization & division. Of more shouting than listening.
But now, we need to listen more than ever.
Firestarter Interactive grew out of my belief in the power of collaboration and storytelling to make the world a better place.
- Willa Kammerer
The Backstory
But why storytelling? And how can it make a difference?
I majored in Italian in college, though I never had any intention to teach, translate, or otherwise professionally pursue the language after college.
I frankly didn’t know what I wanted to do upon graduation, but my small liberal arts college in Vermont had instilled in me an ethic of stewardship and giving back.
While majoring in Italian did not provide me with a clear, red-carpeted career path unfolding after graduation, it did offer me a great degree of flexibility: to study many things and get a true liberal arts education.
[Read more about how I stumbled into storytelling, and why I continue to find it so compelling.]
OUR History
Willa Kammerer launched Firestarter Interactive in 2015 in New York City after an early career freelancing in Portland, ME (2009-2013), during which she established a track record of successful video storytelling campaigns for local city institutions and education clients such as Bates and Williams Colleges.
We’ve continued to deepen our expertise in the education space and expand our partnerships with cause-driven foundations, nonprofits, and institutions, working together on projects to move the needle on pressing social and environmental issues.
Our projects have taken the team around the country and around the world, from Montana to Mississippi, Ethiopia to Australia. In 2017, Willa moved Firestarter back to her home state of Rhode Island, working from Providence with creative teams in the state and around the country.
In 2020 we were proud to premiere our first feature-length documentary, Starting at Zero: Reimagining Education in America, produced in partnership with the Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation.
[Learn more about Our Team and Our Approach.]
WHO WE WORK WITH
We partner with established education institutions, impact-driven nonprofits, foundations, & visionary brands.
Our storytelling educates and inspires our clients’ audiences, catalyzing action and investment in their communities and causes.
Learn more about our work with clients in Education, Social Impact, and Documentary.
How we work
Today, Willa has cultivated a trusted circle of top-notch story producers, cinematographers, editors, designers, and composers, as well as legal and strategic advisors.
Every project is different. Our flexible, collaborative model enables us to put together the right team for the right project. We align expertise and scale productions based on unique project needs, consistently achieving a high level of efficiency and polish.
[Learn more about Our Approach: The Firestarter Difference.]
Our Team
Willa Kammerer
President & Creative Director
Willa is committed to using film and storytelling as a tool to improve the wellbeing of people and planet, and has deep experience working with education institutions, nonprofits, and foundations to bring this vision to life. Willa began her career as an intern at New Hampshire Public Radio, studied radio storytelling at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies, and holds a B.A. in Italian from Middlebury College (Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude), as well as professional certificates from Georgetown University in Social Impact Storytelling and Social Impact Partnership Design. She is also a graduate of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses.
After over a decade of finding home in Vermont, Italy, Maine, Manhattan, and Rhode Island, Willa reinvented her life after divorce and moved to coastal Connecticut with her son, traveling frequently for projects, both around the country and internationally. She is a champion for charting one's own pathway in life and taking the road less traveled, and passionate about supporting fellow entrepreneurs.
Starting at Zero: Reimagining Education in America is Willa and the Firestarter team’s first feature documentary. They are now focused on their second feature, Kelp Movement: Regenerative Ocean Farming & the Power of Blue, and mentorship around mastering Instagram growth and reels, and entrepreneurship.
Learn more about Willa on her personal website Willa Kammerer.
Mobile: 802-318-1641
More on Willa’s backstory: How I Stumbled into Storytelling
Katherine van Hengel
Producer
Daniela Acosta
Production Assistant
Alex Li
CinematographER
Olivia Spinale
EDITOR
Lauren Gaffney
Consulting Producer
Annie Glidden
Story Producer & Copyeditor
Jake DeNicola
assistant camera & Editor
Alex Sutula
Assistant camera & Editor
Aaron Steinberg
Composer & Sound producer
David Miller
Designer
We’re standing by and would love to help you achieve your goals through storytelling.
