Somebody's Gotta Do the Work: Allyson West on Building Cindependent

What happens when you see something missing in your community and decide to build it yourself?For Allyson West, it started with a question: Why didn't Cincinnati have a film festival where independent filmmakers could bring their work, connect with audiences, and learn from one another? In 2018, she took the risk and launched the Cindependent Film Festival.In this episode of On The Fly!, Joey Scarillo talks with Allyson about the journey from filmmaker to founder and executive director of one of Cincinnati's independent film institutions. She shares what she learned from taking an idea that wasn't fully polished and putting it into the world, why being willing to make mistakes is part of leadership, and how community has sustained Cindependent through the years.Allyson also talks about her experience in Flywheel's 2025 cohort, where she focused on strengthening Cindependent's financial model and turning years of volunteer effort into something sustainable. And she shares the story behind Cindependent's next big project: helping bring the Marymount Theatre back to life as a nonprofit community cinema.Along the way, we talk about mascots, grassroots marketing, working boards, fundraising, popcorn, and why sometimes the most important leadership lesson is simple: somebody's gotta do the work.Connect with Allyson & Cindependent🎬 Cindependent Film Festival: cindependentfilmfest.org🎭 Marymount Theatre by Cindependent: Learn more and support the effort to bring this historic community cinema back to life through Cindependent.Get Involved with FlywheelAt Flywheel Social Enterprise Hub, we pair experienced professionals with purpose-driven founders to make a real difference in our communities. Interested in coaching, mentoring, or starting your own social venture? Visit flywheelcincinnati.org to learn how you can get involved.About On The Fly!On The Fly! puts a spotlight on social enterprises with the double bottom line—making a positive impact in the world while building sustainable businesses and organizations.Produced by Joan Kaup and Joey Scarillo, with support from Gianna DiMona. Music by Ben Hammer. Recorded at 1819 Innovation Hub, courtesy of the University of Cincinnati.