People, Art, Conservation | A Conversation with Naiʻa Lewis

As founder of Salted Logic, an indigenous, women-owned multi-media collective, Naiʻa leverages twenty-five years of experience in the public and private sectors to help clients reach their goals. She uses innovative media, high-impact communication products, culturally-driven design, coaching, and resilient partnerships to achieve project objectives parallel to building resilient communities and durable intergenerational learning systems.

Naiʻa splits her time as Director of Big Ocean, a network of the world's large-scale marine managed areas. Having spent more than a decade working with and for the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries at Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, she leverages her relationships and partnerships to enhance ocean governance and management at scale globally.

As an artist, she excels at culturally-centered design, reimagining outdated narratives, and amplifying the voices of marginalized groups, particularly those of women and indigenous peoples. In cooperation with the Salted Logic team, she merges her communications background with her lived experience to effectively translate heritage, history, and culture for diverse audiences. When coaching or facilitating, she creates an environment of trust, a safe space that allows individuals to increase creative capacity, interconnection, and performance on their terms.

Born and raised on the southeastern shore of the island of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, Naiʻa graduated from Punahou School and then earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. Naiʻa has also been a certified Optimize Coach (Heroic) since 2020. Naiʻa is a daughter, sister, and mother of four who loves cooking (eating), multimedia art, audiobooks, going to the beach, and international travel.

Listen to the episode above or wherever you get your podcasts.

Jonah Pasion