Matthew Nagato
Deputy Communications Director
With so many challenges in the world, it’s easy to overlook that, as Carl Sagan said, we are capable of greatness. Every day the work of our community partners is a reminder to me of that sacred truth.
Matthew Nagato is a storyteller, strategist, and systems tinkerer whose work challenges the way we approach equity, power, and community transformation. As Deputy Communications Director at the Stupski Foundation, he develops strategies that move beyond rhetoric, ensuring that storytelling and engagement lead to meaningful change rather than the performative variety that sometimes accompanies philanthropy. His work is grounded in the belief that true transformation requires acknowledging the inconvenient truths about power and resources, and then having the courage to choose and act differently.
Growing up in Waimānalo, Hawai‘i, Matthew saw firsthand the ways communities are shaped not just by policies and programs, but by the relationships and structures that determine who has access to opportunity and who is left behind. His career has been dedicated to shifting that balance.
The Accidental Filmmaker
While working on behalf of communities to increase access to health care, Matthew was asked to write and direct a Hawai‘i version of the landmark PBS series Unnatural Causes, an examination of the social determinants of health. The resulting documentary, Ola – Health Is Everything, sparked a movement around public health that reached far beyond the healthcare sector.
The film, screened nearly 400 times nationwide, demonstrated that solutions to systemic inequities already exist within communities, but they are too often dismissed as impractical or naïve by those in power. Ola and its sequel, ‘Ike – Knowledge Is Everywhere, challenged those assumptions and demonstrated that genuine progress happens when individuals within community lead the way.
Advocating & Agitating for Change
Matthew’s experience extends across more than 30 years in communications, strategic planning, and public policy, including leadership roles at the Hawai‘i Primary Care Association and the Hawai‘i Medical Service Association. His work has redefined how public health and social service organizations communicate with the people they serve, infusing institutional messaging with narratives that engage and mobilize communities. He has worked on award-winning campaigns, redesigned public health engagement strategies, and exposed the structural fictions that keep communities in cycles of scarcity while resources remain concentrated in the hands of a few.
A sought-after speaker on systems change, collective action, and the intersection of policy and community, Matthew has challenged audiences to think beyond traditional frameworks for philanthropy and public service. His TEDx talk explored how people, not institutions, drive meaningful and replicable change. He continues to advocate for a shift away from incremental solutions toward a fundamental rethinking of how we invest in community well-being.
For Matthew, storytelling is about elevating voices and holding power accountable. His work continues to challenge outdated assumptions, amplify the leadership that already exists within communities, and favor solutions that replace charity with justice.
And somewhere in the moments between it all, he’s still working on the Great American Novel.
“Our systems aren’t designed to promote widespread cooperation, much less improve the things they purport to. They’re designed to move money around and fuel a perpetual, competitive race for resources.”
Matthew’s Insights
-
Health is in everything we do...: Matthew Nagato at TEDxHonolulu -
How Are Innovators Bringing New Opportunities to Hawaii’s Students? | Insights on PBS Hawai'i -
Ola and Ika, Nurturing Resilient Communities with Mathew Nagato -
Matthew Nagato Presentation @ Ceeds of Peace
‘Ike – Knowledge is Everywhere, the documentary sequel to Ola – Health is Everything.
Journalism and Philanthropy Learning Circle
