We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Olivia Leigh Nowak a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Olivia Leigh, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

My mission is rooted in a lifetime of experience, a deep sense of purpose, and a desire to create meaningful change. I’ve worked in the film industry since childhood, starting as an actor, but over 20 years, I witnessed and experienced the toxicity that often permeates this world. In my mid-20s, I decided to leave acting behind. With a camera in hand, I shifted my focus to telling stories that matter, beginning with documenting the lives of houseless and addicted individuals in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside—a misunderstood and vibrant, loving community grappling with profound social and economic challenges.

From there, my work expanded to collaborating with Indigenous land defenders, and creating content to push back against destructive fossil fuel projects. These experiences solidified my commitment to social and environmental justice and the power of storytelling to inspire change. My projects focus on community resilience, Indigenous cultural resurgence, and creative solutions to the problems we face, always with the goal of fostering hope, wellbeing, and capacity for transformation.

One of the most profound lessons I’ve learned from the Indigenous communities I’ve worked with is that stories are sacred. These collaborations have been deeply transformative, requiring me to unlearn much of what traditional education and production studios taught me. Stories require intentional stewardship—something we rarely see in much of the content produced today. Too often, filmmakers prioritize their bottom line over the integrity of the subject’s story.

I also believe that our society has lost its way with stories, and this disconnection is a significant reason we struggle to find unity. Stories have always been central to the human experience, a means of connecting us to one another and to the places we inhabit. When told with care, they foster empathy, understanding, and hope. But when we lose sight of their sacredness, we lose an essential tool for healing and togetherness.

What makes my approach unique is my role as a story-facilitator, not a storyteller. I center the voices of those whose stories I amplify, giving them creative control over their narratives. My job is to provide tools, guidance, and safer, intentional spaces for authentic storytelling. Amplifying underrepresented voices requires trust and co-creation—qualities that are too often overlooked in the film industry.

In 2022, I founded le colibri STUDIO, born out of a need for a new way of sharing and holding stories—one that honors storytellers and their visions. Storytelling is fundamental to the human experience, a means of discovering who we are in relation to the places we inhabit. Since time immemorial, stories have connected us, shaped our imaginations, and inspired transformation.

At le colibri STUDIO, we are dedicated to stewarding stories with care, relational depth, and cultural sensitivity, amplifying the voices of those who are imagining and building a more just and sustainable future.

This work is deeply meaningful to me. After experiencing every corner of the film industry, I feel a responsibility to bridge the way stories are shared and heard. Stories are more than entertainment—they are sacred tools for connection and transformation.

I am committed to honoring this responsibility by creating spaces where voices are amplified with care and authenticity. By shifting how we steward stories, we can foster understanding, heal divides, and imagine a better future together.

Olivia Leigh, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

From a childhood in acting to founding a purpose-driven story studio, I’ve transformed my approach to storytelling. le colibri STUDIO isn’t just another production company—we’re storytelling stewards committed to amplifying authentic narratives with deep respect and intentionality. Our clients include nonprofits, small businesses, large public benefit corporations, Indigenous communities, universities, conservation-focused conferences and events, and bioregional initiative organizations.

Bioregionalism is the practice of deeply exploring, understanding, and caring for the natural and human communities within a region defined by ecological boundaries—our bioregion. This approach is gaining momentum as more people recognize it as a path toward a more just, equitable, and sustainable way of living in harmony with the places we call home.

With five years of experience in bioregionalism, le colibri STUDIO brings a wealth of expertise to this transformative field. We specialize in creating story programs and providing consultation for existing initiatives, helping them share their stories respectfully and effectively to inspire and empower communities.

Our Services:
– Full film production
– Photography
– Story facilitation consulting (for stand alone stories and for story programs)
– Impact production
– Brand and identity development
– Livestream and event production

Our Core Values:
1. Reciprocity: We prioritize balanced relationships where mutual respect and shared benefits drive our work together.
2. Continuous Learning: We honor history, culture, and protocol, recognizing their impact on successful collaboration and growth. The more we learn, the more we are able to add value.
3. Joy: Bringing joy and play into our work keeps us energized and builds resilience, creating a welcoming, connected environment.
4. Whole-Person Presence: We believe in showing up fully and authentically, valuing vulnerability and open-hearted partnerships.
5. Connection: We build lasting community ties by supporting authentic storytelling and nurturing deep relationships.
6. Honoring Voices: We create braver spaces for storytellers to share their narratives fully and truthfully.

What Sets Us Apart:
We don’t just capture missions or create content—we craft compelling narratives that prioritize cultural sensitivity and deep relational connection. We design communication strategies that inspire public engagement and generate meaningful buy-in. We transform important missions from abstract concepts into powerful, emotionally compelling stories that move people to action. We’re story-facilitators who create meaningful connections that amplify authentic voices.

Our Distinctive Value:
-Building trust with clients and communities
-Venturing where traditional production companies won’t
-Maintaining unwavering integrity in storytelling
-Creating transformative media experiences
-Translating complex missions into engaging, actionable narratives

Proud Achievements:
A standout project exemplifies our mission: our collaboration with Nuxalk Nation. The Nuxalk Nation approached le colibri STUDIO seeking media tools to help the community preserve and embrace their ancestral heritage, resist the forces of industry and colonialism, and instill a sense of pride and belonging among their youth.

Ongoing challenges facing the community include efforts to defend their homelands from extractive mining and logging and the intergenerational impacts of colonization, limiting the resources and capacity available within the community to lead communications and media campaigns.

The solution we proposed was a custom social strategy with video content, photos and a visual language utilizing Nuxalk art to represent their culture while upholding their laws and way of life. Beyond our initial media strategy, we trained youth in the community using tools like Canva and video editing software, empowering them to continue creating media independently and putting creative power directly into their hands.

Core Philosophy:
At le colibri STUDIO, we believe stories are sacred. We tread lightly, build lasting relationships, and commit to holding each narrative with the utmost care and respect—ensuring that every story not only gets told but truly heard and felt.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

My work with the Wet’suwet’en Nation plunged me into the raw, unfiltered reality of Indigenous land defense. What began as a project to unify the nation against a destructive pipeline became a profound lesson in resilience, trauma, and the power of storytelling.

I arrived at their wellness center to find a deeply disturbing scene: police arresting Indigenous youth simply for living on their traditional territory. In that moment, I knew I had to document the unjust violence being imposed on these young people. The next day, we organized the Peace and Unity Summit—a two-day live-streamed event that brought together elders, chiefs, allies, scientists, lawyers, and Indigenous leaders to share their deep connection to the land and the ongoing damage caused by the British Columbian government.

The event was powerful, but not without its challenges. When we replayed the previous day’s police interactions, it became clear that we were unintentionally re-traumatizing participants. The police presence was suffocating—they surrounded the building, surveilling every moment.

Directly targeting me for my documentation, the police pulled me over in a remote area. Their intention was clear: to gather my personal information after witnessing me film the violence they were inflicting on Indigenous youth. In an isolated location with no cell service, they used intimidation tactics to instill fear, a stark reminder of the systemic harassment faced by those who bear witness to injustice.

Yet, amidst the tension, something beautiful emerged. The summit was a true rebuilding of alliances, filled with stories of hope, resistance, and community strength.

This experience taught me a crucial lesson for activists and storytellers: our well-being matters. We cannot fight effectively if we’re not caring for ourselves. More importantly, I learned that impact comes not from rehashing trauma, but from focusing on solutions. Our stories should bridge gaps, not deepen wounds.

Now, before sharing any narrative, I ask myself: What is the intention? What movement can this create? In a world saturated with sad stories, what if we shift our focus to the solutions, to the hope that exists alongside struggle?

The Wet’suwet’en Nation showed me that resilience isn’t about enduring violence—it’s about creating spaces of healing, unity, and possibility.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My mission is to create media that doesn’t just inform, but transforms. Whether I’m working with Indigenous land defenders, community organizations, or social impact brands, I aim to craft narratives that inspire empathy, provoke thought, and ultimately, catalyze positive change.

I fundamentally believe in a world where we can learn to listen better with our hearts. This isn’t just a professional approach—it’s a deep philosophical commitment. Listening with the heart means moving beyond surface-level understanding, transcending political and cultural barriers, and truly connecting with the lived experiences of others.

At its essence, my creative journey is about healing—healing historical wounds, healing community divisions, and creating spaces where all voices can be heard with dignity and respect.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lecolibri.studio/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lecolibri.studio/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-leigh-nowak-239480262/
• Other: Personal IG as it’s in essence my value systems around le colibri STUDIO

  https://www.instagram.com/mokanrate/

  Vimeo
  https://vimeo.com/user136587758

Image Credits

Headshot photo credit goes to Andy Maser

Social Media post photo credit is: Artwork inspired by the Nuxalk Nation, designer Michael McCrary

All other photos credit Olivia Leigh Nowak