Today we’d like to introduce you to Katy Lea Cannon.
Hi Katy Lea, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Houston surrounded by stories. My father, Hunter Todd, founded WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, and my mother, Kathleen Haney, was a flight attendant with Continental before dedicating decades of her life to WorldFest as Artistic and Program Director. Some of my earliest memories are candle-lit family dinners discussing the stories of our days, followed by films from around the world as part of the festival’s jury process. Long before streaming made international cinema widely accessible, our home was filled with stories, cultures, languages, and perspectives from every corner of the globe. My dad’s philosophy at the film festival was true around the dinner table as well: always on the hunt for a “good story, well told.”
That experience shaped how I see the world. I became fascinated by the questions that connect us all: How do we find meaning? How do we build community? What can we learn from people whose experiences are different from our own? Those questions led me to study Philosophy and Asian Studies at Mary Baldwin University. One thing I found fascinating was that what we often call “philosophy” in the West is largely the study of Western thought. To gain a broader understanding of humanity’s search for meaning, I found myself drawn to Asian Studies and Eastern philosophical traditions as well. That curiosity eventually led me into nonprofit development, yoga instruction, and community-building.
Another lifelong influence has been sailing. Some of my earliest memories are on the water with my father, who was an avid sailor. He introduced me to a world of adventure, self-reliance, and respect for nature. As a child, I attended sailing camp on Galveston Bay, where I eventually met my husband, and over the years the water has remained one of the places where I feel most grounded, present and alive.
Sailing teaches many of the same lessons I find in film and yoga: humility, presence, adaptability, and a deep appreciation for forces larger than ourselves. Today, I am the captain of the sailboat that once belonged to my father. In many ways, taking the helm feels symbolic of this chapter of my life. I am honoring the legacy he left behind while charting my own course forward.
My parents came from very different backgrounds. My father grew up on the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia and was a filmmaker, adventurer, and storyteller who traveled the world producing everything from rocket documentaries and underwater industrial films to a full-length country western musical before settling in Houston in the 1970s. My mother immigrated from Mexico as a child and brought her own perspective, creativity, and resilience. Together they created a life centered around curiosity, culture, and conversation, and those values continue to shape everything I do today.
I currently serve as Executive Director of WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, where I am helping guide one of the world’s longest-running independent film festivals into its next chapter. Following the loss of my father in 2025, preserving and strengthening the festival has become both a professional responsibility and a deeply personal mission. Alongside my mother and a dedicated community of filmmakers, volunteers, and supporters, I am working to build a sustainable, filmmaker-first organization that reflects Houston’s incredible diversity and international character. My goal is to help WorldFest evolve into the world-class international film festival that Houston deserves.
Alongside the festival, I teach yoga and wellness programs throughout Houston and online. While film and yoga may seem unrelated, both are ultimately about connection. Stories help us understand each other, while yoga helps us understand ourselves. Through both, I hope to create spaces where people feel inspired, supported, and more connected to their own humanity.
I feel like I am still in the middle of my story. Right now, I am focused on honoring a remarkable legacy while building something new. Whether through film, yoga, sailing, or community-building, my work is ultimately about creating spaces where people can connect to themselves, to each other, and to stories anchoring us in our shared human experience.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has definitely not been a smooth road, although I think the most meaningful journeys rarely are.
One of the greatest challenges of my life has been stepping into leadership during a period of profound personal and organizational transition. In 2025, my dad died. Grieving that loss while stabilizing the family business and assuming many of his responsibilities forced me to grow in ways I never expected. Suddenly, I was preserving a legacy and helping shape its future.
Like many arts organizations, WorldFest-Houston has faced the challenge of balancing mission and sustainability. Independent film festivals play an important cultural role, especially in celebrating emerging voices and connecting communities through storytelling, but they often operate with limited resources and complex organizational needs.
One of the steepest learning curves for me has been stepping into the world of nonprofit leadership. In addition to producing a film festival, I found myself learning about governance, fundraising, board development, strategic planning, and organizational sustainability. Along the way, Leadership Houston and Rice University’s Leadership Institute for Nonprofit Executives provided invaluable education, perspective, and relationships that continue to help me navigate a period of significant change.
One milestone I am particularly proud of was helping guide WorldFest through the reinstatement of its 501(c)(3) status. It was an insanely challenging process, but it reinforced my belief that preserving an organization’s legacy requires stewardship, strong systems, and persistence, not just passion.
And all of this happened while getting married, buying a house, and recently adding a new puppy, Foot Foot, to our family. My husband Sean, Smudge the cat, and I are still adjusting to the vibrating bundle of joy also known as a five-month-old English Cocker Spaniel!
I have also had to learn that leadership is not about doing everything yourself. For a long time, I wore our festival’s motto, “Fiercely Independent,” almost like a personal philosophy. I measured success by how much I could carry and how many problems I could solve on my own.
Yoga has challenged that mindset. The practice constantly reminds me that strength is not the same thing as tension and that resilience requires rest. Learning to pause, breathe, ask for help, and trust others has been just as important to my growth as any professional accomplishment. Through yoga and community, I have come to believe that we are stronger together than we could ever be alone.
And… I’m still learning how to put down what isn’t mine to carry.
The bumps in the road have ultimately reminded me that life is not about carrying everything perfectly or carrying it all by yourself. It’s about staying connected to the people, places, and stories that matter most. The older I get, the more I realize that we’re all helping each other find our way home. These bumps have deepened my appreciation for community and strengthened my commitment to helping people feel seen, supported, and celebrated.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a storyteller, community-builder, and cultural steward. Most of my work revolves around creating spaces where people can connect with each other, with themselves, and with ideas that expand their understanding of the world.
As Executive Director of WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, I oversee one of the world’s longest-running independent film festivals. WorldFest was founded in 1961 and has a rich history of discovering and championing emerging filmmakers. Early in their careers, filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ang Lee, David Lynch, and the Coen Brothers were recognized by the festival. Today, our mission remains the same: finding and celebrating great stories from around the world.
What excites me most is helping WorldFest evolve while staying true to its roots. We are working to build a sustainable, filmmaker-first festival that reflects Houston’s incredible diversity and international character. I want WorldFest to be a place where filmmakers feel genuinely welcomed, supported, and celebrated, and where audiences can experience perspectives they might never encounter otherwise.
Alongside my work with the festival, I teach yoga and wellness programs throughout Houston and online with Ashe Yoga Collective. While film and yoga may seem like very different worlds, I see them as complementary. Stories help us understand each other, while yoga helps us understand ourselves. Both create opportunities for reflection, growth, and connection.
What sets me apart is that I approach leadership through the lens of community. Whether I am organizing a film festival, teaching a yoga class, leading a nonprofit, or taking people sailing, I am always thinking about how to create meaningful experiences that bring people together.
What I am most proud of is helping carry forward a cultural institution that has connected Houston to the world for six decades while also helping shape what its next chapter can become. Houston is one of the most diverse cities on the planet, and I believe it deserves a world-class international film festival that reflects that spirit. Being part of that journey is both an honor and a responsibility.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
There are so many people who deserve credit for helping shape both my life and my work.
First and foremost, my parents. My father, Hunter Todd, taught me the value of curiosity, storytelling, adventure, and believing in big ideas. My mother, Kathleen Haney, taught me creativity, resilience, whimsy, a love of nature, and the importance of finding beauty and joy in everyday life. Together, they showed me how a life can be built around stories, community, and meaningful experiences.
I am also incredibly grateful to my husband, Sean. He has the best taste in music, curates incredible vibes, and is perhaps my favorite storyteller. He makes space for my big dreams, supports me through the hard days, and constantly reminds me that there is more to life than work.
Professionally, Leadership Houston (XXXIX, Best Class Ever) and Rice University’s Leadership Institute for Nonprofit Executives have had a tremendous impact on my growth as a leader. Both programs connected me with thoughtful, generous people who challenged me to think bigger, lead more effectively, and become more engaged in the Houston community that I love.
There are also a handful of extraordinary women who have shaped my journey in different ways. Linda Toyota is an incredible connector of people and opportunities. I met her in the jungles of Costa Rica on a yoga retreat, and she has consistently encouraged me to be braver, more community-minded, and more willing to step into leadership.
Maya Houston has been a mentor in both fundraising and sailing and a joyful example of what thoughtful leadership can look like. Through crewing on her sailboat and countless conversations, she has taught me to ask better questions, embrace curiosity, and approach challenges with grace.
Friends like sculpture artist adn veteran Lenie Caston-Miller, Heart Ball Babes Angela Garza and Lauren Turner, and professional powerhouses Christina Payne and Anna Gryska continually inspire me through their kindness, creativity, intelligence, and commitment to serving their communities.
I am deeply grateful to my friend and teacher Tamika Caston-Miller. Tamika has created a remarkable space through Ashe Yoga Collective where people are encouraged to show up authentically, care for one another, and build meaningful relationships while practicing inclusive and deeply skillful yoga.
The WorldFest community itself deserves enormous credit. Our advisory board, volunteers, supporters, jurors, sponsors, partners, and especially filmmakers all contribute to the festival’s success. Independent film is a collaborative art form, and film festivals are collaborative organizations. No one creates something meaningful alone.
The older I get, the more I realize that success is rarely an individual achievement. It is the result of countless people who believe in you, teach you, challenge you, encourage you, and sometimes carry you when you’ve fallen on your face. I am fortunate to have many of those people in my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: KatyLeaCannon.com, worldfest.org, and asheyoga.com
- Instagram: @KatyLeaCannon
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katy-lea-cannon/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KatyLeaCannon
