Stories That Move: Data, Media & Strategies for Impact

Join Ariana Nguyen from the Cost & Coverage Collaborative, a communications effort to reanimate the electorate on healthcare reform, and Dr. Jake Sumibcay, Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, for a dynamic session on the power of story collection and dissemination. We’ll share best practices for finding storytellers and stories, explore creative ways to deploy them in advocacy, and examine how data strengthens narratives across multiple platforms. Ariana will spotlight strategies for building and activating story banks, while Dr. Sumibcay will highlight the evolution of media to show why storytelling works, when it doesn’t, and how to maximize its reach. Come with your ideas and questions, and leave with tools to make your stories matter.

Ariana Nguyen

Director

alignco

At alignco, Ariana has made it her mission to advance progressive causes and uplift the voices of communities often sidelined in policymaking discussions. A multifaceted writer, she’s spearheaded several successful communications campaigns aimed at addressing the skyrocketing healthcare costs, promoting early childhood mental health, and equipping state advocates with the materials they need to protect and expand Medicaid. Her strategic insights, coupled with her deep empathy for impacted communities, have enabled her to build inclusive coalitions with advocates on the ground, resulting in meaningful campaigns that spark policy change.

Dr. Jake Ryann Sumibcay, DrPH, MPH, CHES

Assistant Professor

University of Hawai’i at Manoa

Jake Ryann Sumibcay, DrPH, MPH, CHES (he/him/his) is an Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management, and Native Hawaiian and Indigenous Health at the Thompson School of Social Work and Public Health at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. With over two decades of experience in teaching, public health, and community engagement, Jake specializes in culturally responsive approaches to health equity with a focus on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. His work blends ethnographic research, evaluation, and health communication with creative practices, including digital storytelling, media, and design, to amplify community voices and advance public health policy and practice. Prior to joining the University of Hawai‘i, Jake was a Yerby Postdoctoral Fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a Health and Human Rights Fellow at Harvard’s FXB Center for Health and Human Rights. He has also earned a Graduate Certificate in Digital Storytelling from Harvard University, deepening his expertise in harnessing narrative and media for advocacy and education. As an educator, researcher and community collaborator, Jake is committed to fostering inclusive learning environments and equipping students and community leaders with tools to share their narratives as a way to challenge stigma, build trust, and drive change.