Caty Borum Chattoo

Caty Borum Chattoo is Executive Director of the Center for Media & Social Impact (CMSI), an innovation lab and research center at American University that creates, showcases and studies media for social change; and Assistant Professor at the American University School of Communication in Washington, D.C. She is an award-winning documentary producer, scholar, professor and strategist working at the intersection of social change communication, documentary and entertainment storytelling. Her book about the role of mediated comedy in social change, "A Comedian and An Activist Walk Into a Bar: The Serious Role of Comedy in Social Justice," with co-author Lauren Feldman, was published by University of California Press. Her second book, "Story Movements: How Documentaries Empower People and Inspire Social Change," is forthcoming from Oxford University Press (2020). In 2017, she launched The Laughter Effect, a research and creative initiative that examines the role of comedy in social change and produces co-created comedy with social justice organizations. In 2019, she co-created and launched, with cultural strategy group Moore + Associates, the Yes, And Laughter Lab, a creative incubator of comedy for social good, in partnership with Comedy Central. In 2016, she designed and premiered Story Movements, a biennial national convening and research initiative at the intersection of civic storytelling and social change. As a documentary producer, her films and TV programs have aired in the U.S. and India, and her creative and research initiatives have been funded by leading global and national philanthropies. In the U.S. and around the world, she is a featured speaker and workshop leader on the topic of storytelling, communication, and social justice. A former philanthropy director and producer with legendary TV producer and activist Norman Lear, program officer at the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Entertainment Media & Public Health program, and senior vice-president in social change communication at global communications agency FleishmanHillard, her peer-reviewed research on the intersection of storytelling, creativity and social change is featured in leading journals in communication and the humanities, including Journal of Communication; Journalism; Media, Culture & Society; Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media; Mass Communication and Society; HUMOR: International Journal of Humor Research, and more. She also serves on the Board of Directors of three leading media-serving organizations: The Peabody Awards, Kartemquin Films, and Working Films.