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 Kammerer is an entrepreneur, filmmaker, and brand strategist with over fifteen years of experience using storytelling as a tool to improve the wellbeing of people and planet. Her work lives at the intersection of creative leadership, social impact, and digital innovation - and she has deep experience partnering with education institutions, nonprofits, and foundations to bring that vision to life.
She built Firestarter Interactive into a multi-7-figure creative agency serving high-caliber institutions - think Ivy League universities, global foundations, and luxury travel brands - leading a powerhouse team of storytellers, designers, and producers who blend strategic clarity with emotional resonance to move hearts, shift perception, and scale impact.
Willa began her career as an intern at New Hampshire Public Radio and studied documentary radio storytelling at the Salt Institute. She holds a B.A. in Italian from Middlebury College (Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa), professional certificates from Georgetown University in Social Impact Storytelling and Social Impact Partnership Design, and is a graduate of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses.
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.
Beyond production, Willa leads Firestarter Brand Accelerator, where she partners with ambitious entrepreneurs, experts, and coaches to build magnetic, authority-driven personal brands - and Firestarter Funnels, an all-in-one tech platform designed to help clients scale without the overwhelm.
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. That season solidified her conviction that brand-building is more than strategy - it's self-actualization. She is a champion for charting one's own pathway in life and a passionate supporter of fellow entrepreneurs.
She is currently working on her first book, Caliber - part memoir, part manifesto - and building a new online educational platform reflecting the next evolution of everything she has learned.
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 & strategy lead
Daniela Acosta
brand experience & design lead
Alex Li
CinematographER
Olivia Spinale
EDITOR
Fly Quinamot
Production Assistant
We’re standing by and would love to help you achieve your goals through storytelling.
