Video production and editing. Story development. Project management.

We live in an over-saturated media world, in a world of rising temperatures and rising seas filled by more plastic than fish, and of gross injustices perpetrated on our most vulnerable members of society. Just when we need collaboration more than ever, polarization and divisiveness have spread as fast as misinformation on Facebook. 

Yet there are plenty of people, organizations, and communities doing incredible work to fight discrimination, to form common bonds, to clean up our environment, and seek justice for crimes against humanity. Honest, authentic storytelling is essential to organizations who desire to cut through the noise of our modern media landscape to build trust, grow a following, and leave a lasting impact. This is where I can help.

I grew up in Miami, FL, and began my career running environmental programs in Miami, such as the “Our Green Miami” urban reforestation program for the City of Miami. Eventually I moved to Seattle and managed the Green Seattle Partnership for the restoration organization EarthCorps. These programs were part education and service, community-building oriented toward action.

Over time I’ve seen the power of story to motivate, and also the influence persistent narratives have on our ability to move forward collectively on numerous issues: environmental, social, public health and human rights. While technology has increased our ability to produce and access alternative points of view, it’s also allowed the proliferation of misinformation and algorithm-driven content “bubbles” that have narrowed exposure to perspectives and truth.

Today I draw upon my past experiences in grassroots communication and formal training as a graduate of the University of Washington’s Communication Leadership program to offer communications solutions that are custom to your needs and help achieve your org’s mission for change. While video has become my speciality, I approach every project with an open mind, asking for example: What are you trying to achieve? What behavior are you trying to influence? (And how will these be measured?)

My principal focus is in storytelling and character-driven narratives. This is not only my personal interest, but research indicates viewers retain information and develop empathy better through strong stories, and empathy often leads to behavior change. I also approach the story development process as a community-building one, led by the people who form the base of your mission. Media has a history of being exploitative or misrepresentative, and with any project I seek to empower the people most impacted by an issue.

On a practical level, I’ve worked remotely with clients since I began freelancing in 2016, developing numerous systems to increase collaboration, reduce costs, and enable clients to achieve their communications goals with greater ease: the bulk of my experience has been in the non-profit “startup-type” of environment, so I approach my work as part of your organization’s capacity building process.

If this all sounds interesting to you, and you’d like to continue the conversation, feel free to reach out via the contact below, or via an Instagram DM.  I’m always interested in hearing about what people and orgs are up to. <3 

-Alex Montalvo