Breakthrough Builders Art of Inclusion: Kamala Avila-Salmon
How do you turn a genuine desire for improving Diversity, Equity and Inclusion into actions that actually change systems, processes, and cultures for the better? In our episode with Kamala Avila-Salmon, the first Head of Inclusive Content at Lionsgate Motion Picture Group—you’ll find practical guidance from a luminary who’s helped to orchestrate change at scale and across industries.
In her talk with Jesse, Kamala describes the influence of black characters on TV early in her life; how she got curious, creative and scrappy to find jobs and create meaningful roles early in her career at spots like RCA and Bad Boy Entertainment; her practical and brave perspective on professional networking; how she pushed the music and television industries to adopt a more inclusive posture as the era of digital transformation took hold; the impact she had on both customer and employee experiences by widening representation in marketing at Google and Facebook; what she sees as the tenants of inclusive marketing; and where the entertainment industry needs to go from here on representation, inclusion, and equity.
(3:00) Kamala’s early years: drawing inspiration from representation
(06:45) Breaking through without direct connections in a ‘who you know’ industry
(11:47) Reflections from a disruptive time in the music business
(15:48) Back to business school & back to her first love: television
(17:16) Experiencing the intrapreneurial, energizing culture of Google
(21:17) Discovering her tenets of inclusive marketing
(25:38) Accepting the role of a lifetime with Lionsgate
(28:41) How transforming the workforce makes inclusion possible across systems, processes, and policies
Guest Bio
Kamala Avila-Salmon is the first-ever Head of Inclusive Content for the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, where she develops and implements diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies to reflect a globally diverse audience in the studio’s film slate. After pursuing her BA and MBA from Harvard, she has worked across music, movies, TV, tech, and streaming entertainment, leading marketing campaigns for Janelle Monae, The Voice, and Red Table Talk, to name a few.
She is an outspoken voice on issues of race, racism, and anti-Blackness, working to diversify the powerful images and messages disseminated by Hollywood. She has penned several Medium articles on DEI in the workplace, and in the entertainment industry specifically; and she hosts the podcast, “From Woke to Work: The Anti-Racist Journey”, geared at helping people go from "woke" feelings to clear, effective action to advance racial justice.
Helpful Links
From Woke to Work podcast
Referenced in episode: Work Rules by Laszlo Bock
Listen to Janelle Monae
Kamala on LinkedIn