Kumu Hula Leato S. Savini was born and raised in Waiʻanae, Oʻahu. He is the eldest child of Nofo and Moki Savini and the older brother of Oha and Jaz. From a very young age, Kumu Leato displayed a natural connection to music and dance, often joking that he was already singing, chanting, and dancing while still in his mother’s womb. By the age of two, he was able to carry a tune to Hawaiian songs, and by the age of three he was actively participating in family entertainment events.

Kumu Leato credits much of his early knowledge of hula and Polynesian dance to his late grandmother, Tulipa, for whom his hālau is named. He also attributes much of his cultural foundation to his mother and Aunty Pualani Gaspar, who shared their knowledge of hula, and to his father, who helped cultivate his love and understanding of music.

At the age of ten, Kumu Leato met his current kumu, Kuahiwi Moniz-Tran, with whom he continues to maintain a close mentorship and working relationship today. Throughout his journey, he has also learned from respected cultural practitioners including the late Kaulana Kasparovich and Noenoelani Zuttermeister. He is also the cousin of the late renowned kumu hula and musician OʻBrien Eselu.

In 2004, Kumu Leato founded Hālau Nā Mamo O Tulipa in Hawaiʻi, honoring the legacy of his grandmother and the cultural traditions passed down through his ʻohana. The hālau has since grown into an international cultural organization dedicated to the perpetuation of Native Hawaiian and Polynesian culture.

In 2006, alongside Alakaʻi Kawahine Sekiya, Kumu Leato established the Japan branch of the hālau in Yoyogi, Shibuya. Today the Japan program serves students throughout the country, with additional satellite locations in Iwaki and Hachinohe.

In 2008, Kumu Leato and Alakaʻi Mailani expanded the hālau to the continental United States with the opening of the Virginia branch in Chesapeake. In 2022, the Virginia program merged with ʻOhana Hālau, formerly known as Hālau Kāhealani, continuing under the Nā Mamo O Tulipa name for Hula and Hawaiian cultural instruction.

In addition, the Tahitian and entertainment division in Virginia operates as Te ʻOri O Keone Tiʻa Mai, directed by Tricia Orpilla, who leads the Virginia Beach location and oversees performance and cultural programming.

Through his work as a kumu hula, educator, and cultural practitioner, Kumu Leato continues to dedicate his life to preserving, teaching, and sharing Native Hawaiian and Polynesian traditions with students and communities around the world.