Kenya Barris Expands Khalabo Ink Society Exec Team With Jeremy Allen As COO & Cassandra Vargas As CMO

Denise Petski
·2-min read

EXCLUSIVE: Kenya Barris is bolstering his Khalabo Ink Society (black-ish, You People, Girls Trip) executive team, tapping Jeremy Allen as Chief Operating Officer and Cassandra Vargas as Chief Marketing Officer, as the company ramps up its film, television and podcast production.

Allen’s elevation to COO now solidifies his working relationship with Barris, having served as a strategic consultant to Barris for the last two years. As COO, Allen will oversee company operations including growth, strategic planning, and finance, and Vargas will oversee all marketing, publicity, and communications strategy for both Khalabo and Barris in her role as CMO.

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In addition to Khalabo Ink Society, Allen is a Partner at h.wood media, a multi-strategy investment fund and production company, born out of Los Angeles-based hospital and lifestyle marketing company h.wood Group.

Said Allen, “Just like Kenya, Khalabo has a clear creative direction that continues to leave an indelible impact across film, TV, music, podcasting and much more. At this pivotal time in the industry, we see immense opportunity for growth, new partnerships and expanding our business across the board. It’s an exciting time to be at Khalabo and I’m thrilled to help steer the company into its next chapter.”

Vargas previously served as outside marketing and publicity counsel for Barris, handling his personal publicity and corporate PR for Khalabo. Her appointment to CMO brings her in-house and full-time to the company, creating strategy for its initiatives.

Said Vargas, “As a publicist, I’ve had the pleasure of spending my career working alongside talented filmmakers, amplifying their voice and championing their creative vision. Having spent the past 6 years advising Kenya through all of the wins and successes that he and Khalabo Ink Society have achieved, I’ve witnessed first-hand the impact and power of the company’s work and I’m excited to be joining the team in this new role to continue building upon that.”

Said Barris, “With the exciting new projects and initiatives happening at Khalabo Ink Society, it was important to me to hand-pick the right team to help lead the company into this next chapter. Having worked with Jeremy and Cassandra for several years now, I know that both are exactly those people. Their instincts, strategic insights and the integrity with which they conduct business are unmatched and I am excited to have them officially join the Khalabo team.”

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