Kristen Namba Reed is yonsei (4th generation Japanese in Hawaiʻi) born and raised on Oʻahu, now raising her gosei (5th generation) keiki in her hometown after studying and living in various places on the continent and beyond. She is passionate about inclusive, situated storytelling approaches, diverse representation in narrative, and using multimedia stories as a way to foster empathy, engagement, and resilience. Currently, she serves as the Assistant Director of Publishing at Bess Press, a local print publisher in Kaimukī, and is working towards her MA in Communications at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.