Okalani Mariner was born and raised in Samoa and hails from the villages of Tulaele, Lalomanu, Sinamoga, Afega, Lano and Salelologa with ancestors from the islands of Niue and the kingdom of Tonga.
She is an artist, poet, environmental activist and social entrepreneur. As someone who identifies as Neurodiverse, she is passionate about creating more equitable and inclusive spaces for neurodiverse individuals in Pacific Communities.
She is the co-founder of Onelook Studio, a social enterprise that imagines a world In which young people have the means to make a living, wake up fulfilled by their work, and create meaningful social connections.
She is the youngest elected National Human Rights Advisor for Children and Young People in Samoa.
As a Pacific Climate Warrior and Human Rights Activist, she represented Samoa and the Pacific Islands at the Youth4Climate2022 Powering Action Summit in New York. Okalani uses spoken word and poetry to share pacific people’s frontline truths and stories to advocate for Climate Justice.
