Community Celebration Host Spotlight: Kai J. Lee Brings {THE AND} to Christchurch, New Zealand
At The Skin Deep, we believe real connection is co-created — built with honesty, transparency, and community. That belief is coming to life for the first time ever this Community Celebration. This year, hosts around the world open their doors and gather people around {THE AND}, our conversation card game designed to spark deeper connection. As part of the Community Celebration experience, guests at each gathering will write their own questions — with the best of them coming together to form a brand-new {THE AND} deck, created entirely by the community.
We would like to introduce you to one of our amazing hosts, Kai J. Lee (李曉敦), a Christchurch-based storyteller whose documentary, short-form, and podcast work spans four continents. Here's Kai's story — and what makes his Community gathering so special.
Who Is Kai
Hong Kong-born, California-raised, and now rooted in Ōtautahi Christchurch, Kai has spent the last sixteen years telling stories for regeneration — a practice that began during university, documenting events and creating outreach graphics for an on-campus sustainability organization. That early spark grew into a career spanning documentary, social content, and podcast work across Nepal, Ecuador, Panama, and Aotearoa.
Conservation runs through Kai's work as much as storytelling does. Time spent in unspoiled, living places in nature is where Kai returns again and again for inspiration and grounding — a through line that shows up in both the causes Kai documents and the way Kai chooses to gather people.
How Kai Found The Skin Deep
Kai discovered The Skin Deep several months ago, after Anthony Cabraal posted about job openings on LinkedIn for the expanding global team. What drew Kai in wasn't the job listing itself, but what The Skin Deep does with online presence and community — creating emotional, deep human connection through visual storytelling and card games.
"It's playful, connective, and shows what's possible when people gather intentionally with good guidelines," Kai shared. "That's something I hold really close to my heart."
What This Gathering Looks Like
For Community Celebration, Kai is bringing together a group of 8–11 people at home — close friends, newer connections, and a few people meeting for the very first time — to play {THE AND} together and write their own questions on blank cards, we will use to build a brand new deck. The vibe - relaxed and intentional: good company, good questions, and enough room for everyone in the circle to be heard, whether they've known each other for years or just walked through the door. For Kai, gathering people this way is deeply gratifying — pulling together his favorite humans, old and new, and watching strangers become friends.
"One of the most powerful things we can change is the story of what we say about our lives and the lives of others." — Kai J. Lee
Why It Matters
Kai's hope for every guest who sits down at the table is simple: that they leave feeling valued, not alone, and like they belong. That they feel understood, heard, and nourished — both with food and with something deeper. That intention shows up in the values Kai brings to every gathering: connection, intimacy, honesty, vulnerability, humor, healing, understanding, and storytelling. For Kai, {THE AND} isn't just a game — it's a tool for building the kind of community that lasts well beyond the night itself.
What's Next for Kai
Alongside all of his great work, Kai is doing some of that same inner work — an ongoing edit of what no longer serves, and tending the soil so new things can grow. Kai is also deep into podcast work, with several conversations already recorded, refreshing a personal website, and quietly developing a few collaborations not quite ready to share yet. And every morning, before any of that begins, there's a small ritual: a turmeric latte, hot cacao, or matcha — a simple, grounding way to start the day.
How You Can Support Kai
Follow along with Kai's storytelling and regeneration work:
Want to Host Your Own Gathering?
Community Celebration is the perfect opportunity to bring people together — old friends, new faces, and everyone in between — around {THE AND}. If Kai's story resonates with you, we'd love to have you gather your community too.
Karissa Basalyga
The Skin Deep | Global Community Activator
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