Kat O'Brien is a writer, producer, story consultant, educator, and activist operating in Hollywood and throughout the international film industry for nearly 20 years. ​​

 

Kat O'Brien is a storyteller and changemaker, specializing in elevating historically excluded voices and perspectives in mainstream, indie, and niche storytelling spaces through building community and connecting creatives to collaborative opportunities. In this role, Kat seeks to create pathways to platforms for diverse voices, inclusive content, and grassroots movements to connect with the support needed to build their following, and audience, through the development, production, and distribution of innovative content for film, television, and digital media.

 

Over the past two decades, Kat has honed her expertise in story development as a writer, producer, director, and consultant of comedic, dramatic, and documentary content, operating in Hollywood and throughout the international film industry. Currently, Kat's writing and producing slate includes features, children's television, and content for the metaverse/Web3.

 

Sought-after for her keen storytelling instincts and unique comedic voice, Kat has most notably been hired to rewrite a prestige-drama adaptation, reboot a beloved comedy franchise, and was entrusted to pen the sequel to China's first-ever romantic comedy, cult-favorite Waiting Alone. Whether writing original content or adapting the works of others, Kat gravitates towards purpose-driven content, and is passionate about helping those stories find their audiences.

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She continually cultivates her expertise in story development as both a screenwriter, story consultant, and producer, developing projects with some of Hollywood’s most respected companies and internationally acclaimed filmmakers. In her consultancy, Kat provides expert story analysis, and script consultation for studios, production companies, and independent filmmakers. Every year for the past 15 years, Kat's clients have won or been nominated for Oscars, Golden Globes, and Emmys.​

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Leveraging her film industry experience to elevate others, Kat is a teaching artist and community activist with a passion for mentoring up-and-coming content creators. She currently writes and edits ChiTown Screenwriting,​ a publication devoted to building community through connecting creatives to collaborative opportunities. Kat was also recently selected to join the inaugural cohort of the Constellation Incubator, and is currently part of a design team exploring how to build a more equitable, sustainable, and healthy film industry for financiers, filmmakers, and audience goers alike. In Fall 2021, Kat joined the inaugural Video Team and Company for the (globally based) Social Justice Improv Project.

 

During the COVID-19 Pandemic public school closures, Kat joined PBS' At-Home Learning in support of parents and educators to write articles about distance learning nationwide, and fiercely advocated for equitable access to remote learning in Chicago. As the Executive Producer of We Still Teach, a partnership between the Chicago Teachers Union and Fox32/My50 that put teachers on television, Kat helped Chicago bridge the digital divide and raise awareness for the imbalance of equity and access to opportunity during remote learning for families in a 100+ mile radius of the city. She continues to develop content and inclusion and belonging initiatives in the education and activism space.

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From 2008-2010, Kat served as the Communications Co-Director of Generation Obama: Los Angeles and its transition organization, Generation for Change. In 2009, she organized and co-founded a non-profit dedicated to supporting the arts to raise awareness for Marriage Equality. For the past decade, Kat has focused her community organizing efforts in support of local politics, prioritizing her advocacy around equitable access and inclusion in public education, healthcare, and public safety. Kat remains steadfast in her commitment to serving her community and currently serves as parent rep and Chair of the Local School Council at LaSalle Language Academy.

 

Kat lives in Chicago with her husband and two young sons.