The Chief Storyteller

Maki Somosot (she/her)

Woman smiling, wearing sunglasses and casual denim outfit, holding ice cream cone with sprinkles.
Stylized orange and black fan pattern with a curved, symmetrical design.
A black-and-white halftone illustration of a person sitting and hunched over, with purple lightning bolts pointing to their head, illustrating a headache or migraine.
Three pieces of adhesive bandage with patterned surfaces, laid out on a black background.

PUNTO helps mission-driven people, campaigns, and organizations lift up their unique stories.

Kamusta! I’m Maki.

I’ve been telling powerful stories about people and communities for more than 15 years – across nonprofit, political, media, and corporate sectors all over the world.

I’ve served as communications director for the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, a powerhouse grassroots organization building collective power with impacted people in the Buckeye State. There, I built narrative power with formerly incarcerated people, child care providers, students, parents, and people of faith — communities fighting everyday for justice.

Earlier in my career, I also led media for Bryan Stevenson at the Equal Justice Initiative, where I helped launch the National Memorial for Peace and Justice and the Legacy Museum into the world — two undeniable landmarks that forever changed how America remembers its history.

My writing has appeared in top-tier outlets like The Guardian, Fast Company, Rappler (Philippines), and Capital & Main, exploring themes of colonialism, race, and economic justice.

These days, I lead a bicontinental life, with PUNTO at the forefront and community organizing in the Philippines through Faith in Action International. I’m channeling my love of storytelling, community, and political power into creating change at the local level.

I’m a third-culture Filipina who splits my time between Colorado and the Philippines. I’ve been lucky enough to live on three continents and speak four languages — crucial experiences that have shaped how I see the world and the power of stories to bring people together.

I’m also a graduate of Swarthmore College and the University of Colorado Boulder. Go Buffs!

Portrait of a woman with shoulder-length dark hair smiling, wearing a black and white houndstooth blazer, a black top with a white leaf pattern, and a gold necklace, against a purple background with abstract white geometric lines.

Traveling

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Cooking

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Music

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Building & Shaping Narratives

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Traveling * Cooking * Music * Building & Shaping Narratives *

Traveling. Cooking. Live Music. Building & Transforming Narratives.

What I Love <3

Six women standing outdoors on a grassy area, each with one hand over their heart and holding a wooden stick in the other hand. They are smiling and appear to be participating in a group activity or ceremony, with trees and a pathway in the background.
A woman hugging a large mascot statue of a cartoon character dressed as a chef in front of a Jollibee fast-food restaurant.
Two women smiling and holding a plate of pasta in a kitchen. They are wearing aprons. The kitchen has white tiled walls, wooden cabinets, and decorative plates above the stove. There are kitchen appliances and a window in the background.
A woman with sunglasses and a denim shirt smiling while holding ice cream cone, standing against a brick building on a city street.
A woman wearing sunglasses and a turquoise necklace posing outdoors near red rock formations with a clear blue sky in the background.
A woman wearing sunglasses and a blue shirt sitting by the harbor, smiling, with colorful boats floating on the water and houses on a hillside in the background.
A group of five people are on top of a red off-road vehicle with the words "Green Devil 4x4" on the side, enjoying a scenic outdoor view with hills and a blue sky with clouds.