About

Stories shape how we feel, what we believe, who we think we are, what we focus on, what we do, what we think is possible, and more.

You know that storytelling matters, but embedding it in your project strategically from the get-go requires bandwidth, budget and specialized expertise. All too often, narrative gets tacked on at the end, and the vast potential of storytelling to accelerate your project goes untapped.

Studio Kākāpo helps you use story from the outset to meet and exceed your impact objectives, so our grandkids have a livable tomorrow.

Team Kākāpo

The Studio’s initial “think-feel-do” team features seasoned, great-to-work-with pros who’ve delivered at an exceptional level in prior collaborations with founder Tory Read.

Team members advise and deploy in various combinations depending on the needs of your project. We access additional talent as relevant through Tory’s extensive cross-issue, cross-functional networks.

  • Founder & Chief Story Wizard

    Tory is your partner in defining the scope of your engagement and is responsible for delivering it. Tory is an impact investor with decades of experience leading story-based projects around the world. An exceptionally strong generalist, Tory is fluent in diverse issues and brings an integrated, holistic perspective to your project. Tory earned an MA in Journalism from University of Missouri School of Journalism and a BA in Humanities from Stanford University.

  • Story, Science & Issue Expertise

    Rudy is a journalist and news producer with decades of experience working for major news organizations across Asia. His work frequently appears on CNN, Euro News, International Herald Tribune, Washington Post, Tempo and Kyodo News, among others. Based in Jakarta, Indonesia, Rudy brings on-the-ground insights from this strategically important region. He’s also a terrific field partner. Rudy earned his MS in Science Communication at University of Indonesia and his BS in Economics from Gadjah Mada University.

  • Digital & Print Communication Design

    Vera excels at transforming abstract ideas and data into compelling graphics, illustrations and visual narratives for print and digital. Vera has more than a decade of experience collaborating with biotech, environmental and climate solutions startups. Originally from Belarus, Vera lives in Toronto, Canada. She earned her BA in Visual Design & Media from European Humanities University in Lithuania.

Why Kākāpo?

Kākāpo is a special bird who’s hopeful story points the way to a future that works for all life on Earth.

An intelligent and companionable creature from New Zealand, Kākāpo has an owl’s face and a parrot’s body and stands as tall as your knee. Kākāpos blend in with their surroundings, but they can’t fly because for thousands of years, they didn’t need to. Then, we humans showed up with dogs and guns, and Kākāpo’s days were numbered.

Kākāpo can hike for miles and has a loud booming voice, and fortunately a few people finally tuned in. With human help, Kākāpo moved to several predator-free islands, and people have agreed to keep it that way.

Together, birds and humans are adapting, so both of their kids will have a livable future. People are part of nature, and learning to collaborate with diverse species and nature’s forces is the key to our own survival.