In this episode of the Make Water Work Catalyst Collab, Isaac Pellerin and Chelsea Boozer (Executive Director, Rogue Water Lab) sit down with Shannon Kring, Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker, director, and president of Red Queen Media. Shannon's work spans more than 70 countries and includes the feature documentary Nine Little Indians (executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and Tony Robbins) and End of the Line: The Women of Standing Rock, which follows Indigenous water protectors. She guided a session at Catalyst 2024 and joins us to go deeper into what she's learned filming water stories across rural, tribal, and urban communities nationwide.
In this episode, we cover:
• Shannon's own water story, from iron-stained well water in rural Wisconsin to unsafe tap water in Honduras to some of the best water in the world in Helsinki
• How Indigenous communities across Turtle Island relate to water not as a resource, but as a living relative deserving of care
• A hard lesson in cultural intelligence from the San Carlos Apache Reservation, and why "showing up" the right way changes everything
• The story behind Lowndes County, Alabama, and how a well-intentioned government visit nearly shut a community's doors before a single conversation happened
• Why underneath most customer anger over a water bill is shame, not hostility, and what that means for how utilities should respond
• Why accepting a cup of coffee, a cookie, or a small kindness can matter more to trust than any talking point
• Shannon's one piece of advice for the water sector: slow down, and just listen
If you work in water communications, public engagement, or utility leadership, this conversation will change how you think about who you're serving and how you show up for them.
Connect with Shannon Kring: https://www.redqueenmedia.com Connect with Chelsea Boozer / Rogue Water Lab: https://www.roguewaterlab.com
Learn more about Catalyst 2026: catalysth2o.org
Like, subscribe, and drop a comment: what's your water story?
#MakeWaterWork #Catalyst2026 #WaterCommunications #PublicTrust #WaterIndustry #IndigenousWater #WaterIsLife
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