Jason Namakaeha Momoa is a father, actor, social entrepreneur, filmmaker and advocate for environmental issues and social justice.
Born Polynesian of Hawaiian descent, Mr. Momoa has long advocated for the rights of the people of Island Nations, to recover their past and protect their futures. In 2019 Jason addressed the delegation of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) organized by DESA as a show of solidarity with their priorities for a sustainable and healthy future for all island states.
Most recently he has been a vocal advocate for the indigenous peoples of Hawaii to ensure their sacred lands are not desecrated with the installation of a high-powered telescope on Mauna Kea. Mr. Momoa continues to lend his voice and his platform for the cause of the rights of indigenous peoples to transcend corporate and government interests, which will be a feature of his new Apple TV series, Chief of War, on the unification and colonization of Hawaii from an indigenous point of view.
Mr. Momoa's entrepreneurial pursuits include advancing practices, materials and products that enable the sustainable enjoyment of the outdoors, a necessary precondition to protecting nature. In all cases, Mr. Momoa's collaborations have resulted in additional storytelling on plastic waste, demonstration of design through the principles of nature, promotion of earth positive alternative technologies and materials, and inspiring an expanded audience to follow suit. Collaborations have included climbing apparel, shoes and bags with Soi LL, electrified motorcycles with Harley-Davidson, and development of ManaNalu - a fast growing new vertical of packaged water presented in infinitely recyclable aluminum packaging that can be refilled due to the resealable screw top design, a key design criterion to disrupt single-use plastic bottled water.
ManaNalu is inspired by the spirit of the islands and the ocean and has quickly become a platform upon which Mr. Momoa speaks on the issue of recycling systems change and protection of water resources. Notably, during the COVID-19 pandemic that significantly affected the people of the Navajo nation, ManaNalu delivered thousands of cans of water for free, a model that they are keen to continue deploying.
Mr. Momoa is a gifted storyteller through his film company, On the Roam. The core of the stories that he tells is adventure, family, love, and compassion. Through his unique approach to cinematography, his stories captivate the viewer, create a desire to learn, and leave the audience eagerly awaiting the next installment. His storytelling is valued by the top nature-based storytellers of our time including Jimmy Chin, Renan Ozturk, Paul Nicklen, and others.
From his early studies in environmental science and marine biology, Mr. Momoa has been a long-time advocate and a strong supporter of ocean health issues aligned with SDG 14. Through his work with notable NGOs such as Ocean Unite, Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii and Lonely Whale, Mr. Momoa advocates for Marine Protected Areas, protection for coral reefs and the global agreement on plastic pollution and waste. Leveraging his very engaged audience on social media, Mr. Momoa has successfully raised awareness on plastics, biodiversity loss, Antarctica marine protected areas, illegal fishing and climate change.
Further, Mr. Momoa has brought significant awareness to the issue of intersectional environmentalism and social justice through his platform for original content – Pride of Gypsies - produced by others including, Lonely Whale's #Hydrate campaign and Museum of Plastic, the Emmy award-winning Story of Plastic, and Ode to the Ocean an original poem created by Nobel Youth Laureate, Amanda Gorman and released on World Oceans Day 2019.
