Oscar-winner Kristina Reed, known for animated hits, now uses her storytelling skills to fight climate change, shifting from entertainment to sustainability.
Kristina Reed

Kristina Reed: Storytelling, Innovation, and the Power of Purpose

As part of a robust lineup of thought leaders, the SIMBA cohort of 2025 recently hosted Kristina Reed for an Innovators in Residence workshop.With two decades in the storyrooms of DreamWorks and Disney Animation, Kristina Reed has built a career on bringing stories to life—one carefully crafted frame at a time. Beyond Oscar-winning productions and groundbreaking animation techniques, her journey is one of evolution, curiosity, and ultimately, a pivot toward purpose-driven production. 

The Art of Storytelling: Learning from Animation

Reed’s career began at Brown University, where she studied creative writing and explored early computer graphics. Animation felt like the right bridge between CG artistry and story-telling, and Reed thrived in this space, managing some of the industry’s most valuable resources: the artists themselves.

At DreamWorks, she helped shape the production approach to staffing films like Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda, emphasizing a core philosophy: put people where they want to be, and they will do great work. This belief carried into her tenure at Disney, where she and leadership team reshaped the studio culture and ushered in another creative renaissance. In roles overseeing production and development, she helped pioneer new approaches, including the hybrid animation styles of Paperman and Feast, each of which would win an Academy Award.

Reed's storytelling approach is rooted in structure. Every successful animated story, she explained, stands on three interwoven pillars: World, Protagonist, and Theme. These elements create tension, drive character decisions, and ultimately give the story meaning. Whether crafting a hero’s journey in Star Wars or shaping a defying-the-odds tale in Kung Fu Panda, the foundation must be strong for the story to grow and evolve.

SI-MBA Students

A Shift in Focus: Purpose-Driven Storytelling

Despite her success in corporate entertainment, Reed felt a new calling: using storytelling to address the climate crisis. After leading creative development at Madison Square Garden’s Sphere — an immersive storytelling venue — she reflected on her industry’s environmental impact. While she had spent her career crafting compelling narratives, the stories that mattered most were those that could drive real change.

Reed made the bold decision to leave the corporate world and focus on sustainability storytelling. She’s currently working with the Refugee Artisans Initiative, an NGO in Seattle that employs refugee women to design and upcycle fashion products using reclaimed textile materials. This shift wasn’t just about sustainability—it was about keeping creativity at the heart of problem solving, empowering artists, and ensuring that every product has a meaningful story..

The Power of Storytelling in Sustainability

In her Innovators in Residence Workshop, Reed posed a critical question: How do we make sustainability stories compelling? Environmental narratives often feel overwhelming or repetitive, failing to inspire action. To break through, she argues, stories need hope, momentum, and individual agency—people must believe their actions matter.

Her advice to aspiring storytellers and sustainability advocates:

  • Find a unique angle that hasn’t been overused.
  • Focus on specific communities or local narratives that create connection.
  • Ensure the story gives the audience a place to participate.
SI-MBA Class of 2025

Enabling Artists, Empowering Change

Reed’s career has always centered on enabling others—whether animation artists at Disney or refugee women finding economic stability through upcycling. Her greatest takeaway? If people love their job, they will give you their best work.

Now, as she dedicates her efforts to climate storytelling, she applies the same philosophy. It’s not just about telling stories—it’s about making space for those who want to tell them, equipping them with the tools and support they need to create impactful narratives.

Kristina Reed’s journey—from animation to sustainability storytelling—is a testament to the power of reinvention. Her work reminds us that stories shape industries, inspire change, and redefine our world. Her advice is simple: Pick a world you want to change, and get to work.

---

About the Author:

Emily Listowich is a current SI-MBA student with a background in outdoor recreation advocacy, nonprofit development, and creative storytelling. A proud Vermont transplant, Emily earned her Bachelor’s degree from UVM’s Rubenstein School in 2018, where she focused on Natural Resources and Community Development. Her professional experience includes managing multimillion-dollar fundraising efforts, directing national film tours, and co-founding UVM’s Chicks on Sticks VT, a club dedicated to inclusivity in snowsports. Passionate about mission-driven work and cross-sector collaboration, Emily aspires to build bridges between the for-profit and nonprofit worlds to strengthen Vermont's communities and economy.