Collaborations & Community

Nearly every name on this page arrived through kaupapa, through shared purpose, rarely through a cold pitch or a contract. Some found me first. Others I walked toward because their work felt worth documenting. What grew, in most cases, was something that outlasted the project: ongoing kōrero, trust, and genuine community.

Sixteen years of work across 30+ countries on five continents has confirmed one thing clearly: the world is full of people doing beautiful, necessary mahi. Growing food where there wasn't any. Rebuilding what disaster took. Holding space for the stories that rarely get told. Teaching young people they belong to something larger than themselves and are more capable than they yet know.

This page is a record of that community: publications and co-productions, exhibitions, podcast conversations, and collaborative projects spanning Aotearoa, Nepal, Ecuador, Panamá, the United States, and beyond. A cover photo on CNN. A film shown in a museum in Tel Aviv. A men's gathering in Ōtautahi Christchurch. An album cover for a local artist. The scale changes. The kaupapa does not.

If your organisation, project, or offering to the world belongs in this space, let's talk.

A man with glasses and headphones operating a professional video camera on a tripod at a conference or event. Multiple audience members are seated, facing forward, in a well-lit room with large windows and wooden accents. A television screen above displays information and headshots of speakers.
A woman with dark hair smiling and sitting on a yellow chair in front of a bookshelf, with a large green potted plant nearby, while someone in the foreground films her with a smartphone.
A group of people sitting outdoors on wooden pallets during sunset, listening to a man standing and speaking. The setting appears to be a community or educational event with fruits and vegetables on tables in the foreground and a wooden structure with a sign in the background.
A large diverse group of people posing for a photo indoors, smiling and raising their hands.
People gathered in a cozy room watching a movie or presentation on a large screen, with neon lights visible through the windows, and some individuals seated on cushions or benches.
A man being interviewed outdoors in a greenhouse or plant nursery setting, with various potted plants and seedlings around, a camera on a tripod, and another woman operating a camera.
Three people standing together indoors: a woman wearing a beige sweater and a patterned headscarf, a man in a gray zip-up jacket smiling and holding a gift, and a woman in a black T-shirt with a colorful graphic design and a brown scarf.
“I LOVE these photos taken by Kai J. Lee at a Stories for Impact workshop in New Zealand, delivered by Erica Austin & Kai. I keep scrolling back through them and smiling to myself!

They capture so much of what I hoped for when I first started sharing Digital Storytellers’ Stories for Impact workshops in Aotearoa back in 2018.

That vision was to see the Stories for Impact workshops take on a life of their own, delivered to incredible community leaders who I might never meet, infused with the wisdom of local facilitators and adapted to fit the needs of the community in the room.

In this case, the workshop was for a community of Systems Change Practitioners who are tapping into story to listen to community, surface shared narratives and use video share what impact looks like in action.”
— Natasha Akib, AU
“It has been a pleasure meeting you, and through Nicole’s work to come in touch with your world of ideas and relationships.... so good to see your contributions to a catalogue of hope and renewal.”
— Ute P., Aotearoa NZ
A group of people performing a human pyramid on a wet street at night, with streetlights and a police car with flashing lights in the background.
Group of people sitting on the floor of a church or chapel, engaging in a prayer or meditation session, with a floral altar, candles, and stained glass windows in the background.

Publications & Co-Productions (2012-Present)

Reflecting on my journey from documentarian to facilitator within Leadership Lab's Te Whāriki internship, this piece explores the vulnerability of holding space at the Unconference. It captures the powerful shift of entering equity through ecology and discovering a collective thirst for depth and genuine connection.

Proudly backed and funded by the Tāne Whai Ora Canterbury Men’s Centre, International Men’s Day Ōtautahi Christchurch returns for 2026 with a deepened sense of purpose and momentum. This gathering is a conscious invitation to step away from performance and expectations, creating a mindful space for men to connect through honest kōrero (talk), share food and humanity. Come as you are, ready to listen and find your stride alongside a supportive room of peers.

Forest Gardening in Practice, a book by Tomas Remiarz featuring food forests and permaculture-inspired gardens worldwide. The Beacon Food Forest is featured in this wonderful book along with my photos taken there.

Forest Gardening in Practice, a book by Tomas Remiarz featuring food forests & permaculture-inspired gardens worldwide. The Beacon Food Forest is featured in this book along with my photos in 2017.

CNN article published on 25 April 2017 on the 2nd anniversery of the 2015 earthquakes featuring Conscious Impact, a grassroots organization collaborating with locals to rebuild in rural Nepal.

Celebrating a proud milestone from my years with Conscious Impact when CNN featured our post-earthquake rebuilding and land regeneration work in Takure, Nepal. This global spotlight amplified our grassroots efforts across continents, welcoming an incredible new wave of international supporters, fans, and advocates to the mission. It stands as a beautiful reminder of how purposeful storytelling can catalyze deep, long-term community impact.

Screenshot of Cherish website homepage featuring a close-up of purple lilac flowers with a water droplet, and a section with images of people gathering indoors and outside.

In 2024, I collaborated with Cherish Christchurch to document their community events and holistic well-being offerings across website, newsletter, and social media. This one holds a special place: Cherish is where Jen and I first crossed paths, brought together by a mutual friend in the founder. Some projects leave a mark well beyond the deliverables! 🙃

The Rites of Passage Foundation's Tracks programme does some of the most quietly transformative work I've witnessed in Aotearoa: five days in nature where teenagers and their fathers cross a genuine threshold together. I've shown up as a volunteer, cooked in the kitchen, held space alongside the elders, and photographed their story for the world. More of this, always.

A person holding a bundle of wheat with a background of people sitting outdoors, engaging in a craft workshop.

Rekindle’s Resourceful Craft programme teaches hands-on skills with natural materials across Aotearoa: the kind of knowledge worth passing down. They found me in 2024 for a rebrand shoot, and the collaboration felt as grounded as the mahi (work) itself. Their 2026 programme is full of my photographs.

A group of teenagers and young adults smiling and posing together on a sunny beach, some shirtless, with a rocky shoreline and ocean in the background.
Travel magazine cover featuring a colorful onion-domed church in Moscow, Russia on the left side, and a lush green landscape with a reflective lake in Costa Rica on the right side.

In 2014, an editor at National Geographic España Viajes reached out to feature one of my images from Poás Volcano in Costa Rica. That message arrived out of nowhere and landed like quiet confirmation: that what I see through a lens is worth sharing with the world. One of those moments I return to with a full heart.

A woman wearing a pink jacket and glasses looking at a compost bin filled with yard waste, with people working in a community garden in the background.

Grist.org - Beacon Food Forest Between late 2014 to early 2016 I was actively involved with the Beacon Food Forest project in Seattle, Washington state. Beyond the sheer nature beauty of the surrounding region with its year-round flowing streams, glaciated mountain peaks, and thick evergreen forests, this urban garden with a grand vision kept me happily in the city.

United Indians of All Tribes Foundation: Indigenous Peoples' Day - Oct 2014

United Indians of All Tribes Foundation During the first couple months of my relocation to Seattle, Columbus Day was renamed Indigenous Peoples' Day to recognize Native American culture and to commemorate the history of natives and indigenous peoples worldwide. A gathering of well over 200 people representing dozens of tribes from as far north as Alaska and as far south as Central America at the Daybreak Star Cultural Center will remain one of the most powerful moments I have witnessed. The showcase of camaraderie, unity, support, and the music, drumming, and chanting on top of the amazing salmon dinner were absolutely incredible. The photos that I captured that evening are shown on their website. 

Web page from National Geographic promoting travel to San Cristobal, Panama, featuring images of stilted wooden houses and a dock over water with a thatched roof hut in the background.

National Geographic Go Blue In 2011 I had the opportunity to work with La Red de Mentoras Panamá, and was invited out to the Bocas del Toro region to document the work that the indigenous Ngöbe (Ngäbe) people are doing - setting up an eco-tourism business along with the mentorship of a Peace Corps. The photos promoted conscious tourism that conserve local culture and ecosystems.

Exhibitions, Presentations, Interviews, Podcasts (2012-Present)

“Storyteller, Systems Thinker, Bridge-Builder”
The Human CV

In this "Human CV" profile by Jen Stevie, I share how my background as a filmmaker and storyteller is rooted in a blend of environmental science, cultural bridge-building, and a commitment to shifting systems through conscious media that honors both people and the planet.

“Episode 12“ - Ako Ōtautahi In Practice

“Episode #12 Kai Jonathan Lee”
Ōtautahi In Practice by Ako Learning City

In this episode, I reflect on my personal evolution from a nomadic lifestyle to intentionally deepening my roots in Ōtautahi, exploring how the power of people and place has shaped my understanding of belonging and the unique opportunities found in community-led work.

“A Story of Sustainability in Rural Nepal” Karma Coffee; Kathmandu, Nepal

“A Story of Sustainability in Rural Nepal”
Karma Coffee x Conscious Impact

In this documentary and its associated screening, I share the story of Conscious Impact's work in Takure, Nepal, capturing our community's long-term journey toward sustainable reconstruction and ecological resilience following the 2015 earthquake.

“How Visual Storytelling Creates Connection and Community”
The Altruistic Traveler with Bianca Caruana

In this conversation, I discuss how I use visual storytelling to evoke emotion and foster community, drawing on my experiences with organisations like Conscious Impact to show how photography can inspire collective action and social change.

A website page for The Sprocket Podcast titled 'E486 — Jonathan’s Lens.' It features a header with a background image of trees and a navigation bar. Below, there are four photos: the first shows a shiny silver trailer at night, and the remaining three are inside a van with people recording a podcast.

“E486 - Jonathan’s Lens” - Sprocket Podcast

In this podcast with Aaron and Guthrie, I head to their cool airstream “studio to talk about (my) bicycle touring adventures, charitable work overseas, and visual art!”

Screenshot of a webpage featuring a podcast episode titled "Jonathan Lee on Photography as Art," published by Seeds on January 15, 2018. The webpage includes navigation links, listen button, episode title, and a description of Jonathan Lee's work and background.

“Photography as Art” - Seeds with Steven Moe

In this conversation with Steven Moe, I share my journey from Hong Kong to the United States to New Zealand and explain how I use photography as an art form to tell impactful stories and support social and environmental causes.

Major gratitude to Alex & Fraser of Upstream Daily for doing what they do - recording and spreading inspiration for me and so many others who tune in all around Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond.

This was a memorable moment for me as it was just my 4th day in the country in 2017 but yet I had already felt so welcome and supported by a thriving community of do-good-ers at the Social Enterprise World Forum. In this short interview, I talk about Conscious Impact - its founding, what our global and local team has accomplished together in the past 2 and a half years in Nepal, and also some personal inspiration and advice in being a creative professional.

“Finding Purpose Through Travel, Service, and Photography” - PechaKecha Christchurch

I share my personal journey of self-discovery, illustrating how traveling the world and serving others - particularly in Nepal - helped me find a deeper sense of purpose through the art of photography.

Other features & exhibitions between 2016-2018:

  • "8th International Forum on Food and Nutrition" Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition; Milano, Italy (for Beacon Food Forest)

  • "3.5 Square Meters: Constructive Responses to Natural Disasters" Museum of Art Tel Aviv, Israel (for Conscious Impact)

  • "Reflections 25.4.15" Patan Museum, Nepal (for Conscious Impact)

Edible City exhibit featuring my work at the Beacon Food Forest at the MOHAI in Seattle, Washington.

"Edible City Seattle"

Museum of History and Aviation, Seattle, Washington (for Beacon Food Forest) in 2019.

A person in a green t-shirt with a backpack standing next to a large map of California on a museum wall. There are informational panels and a screen displaying imagery related to California's agriculture.

“Free Your Inner Farmer”

My film from my 2013 travels and farm work was featured in the Museum of Agrarian Art at the O.C. Fair in 2018.

A woman in outdoor hiking gear sitting on a rocky mountain peak with a scenic mountainous landscape in the background, smiling and pointing at the camera.
Three people smiling and holding framed photographs of sunset scenes, standing in a well-lit indoor setting with other people and artwork in the background.

In 2012, I hosted an exhibit featuring my photographs from all around Panama in the historic part of Panama City, which the local newspaper La Prensa Panama covered.

The Common Threads

These are the shared heartbeats of every project on this page. Over seventeen years and four continents, I’ve realized that while the names and faces change, the why usually leads back to one of these core truths.

This is my tūrangawaewae - the ground I stand on, populated by people who refuse to look away from the beauty and necessity of the work. If you see your own mission reflected in these threads, then you’re already part of the community.

People and Projects

A colorful graphic with various themes related to land regeneration, arts, community, and inner work, including phrases like 'Stories that move people to act,' 'Rejuvenating land and living systems,' 'Arts as a doorway to belonging,' and 'Healing arts, body and place.'
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A group of people at a celebration or party, smiling and clapping, with a man in the center wearing a traditional Nepali cap and holding a glass of wine, surrounded by others in formal attire, in a warmly lit indoor setting.