Entrepreneurs are made of different stuff—endless grit, ingenuity, and passion. Our Kaka‘ako and Kamehameha Schools embrace and encourage the entrepreneurial spirit across the islands, so whether you’re a current or aspiring entrepreneur, we welcome you to the second virtual workshop in our Kūlia series.
This workshop will spotlight ʻōiwi business leaders and Hawai‘i Investment Ready, an impact-investing nonprofit working at the nexus of business, purpose, and culture to restore regenerative abundance to Hawaiʻi’s economy. Our speakers will share business principles, their journeys to social entrepreneurship, what they’ve observed in this sector in the past decade, and how it can change the future for Hawaiʻi. The webinar will be livestreamed from Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi and include a virtual tour of the facilities.
Speakers

Keoni Lee brings a wealth of experience to Hawai‘i Investment Ready as a successful social entrepreneur and participant in HIR’s inaugural cohort. He co-founded ʻŌiwi TV, a media production company that is reshaping the narratives of the modern Hawaiian experience, as well as Waiwai Collective, a contemporary Hawaiian gathering space growing a movement to mobilize systemic change in Hawai‘i. He is the 2021 Hawaii Venture Capital Association Investor of the Year and a member of Toniic, the global action community for impact investing, and serves on numerous nonprofit boards with a focus on education and local food production. He has a MBA from the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Kanekoa Kukea-Shultz founded nonprofit Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi to restore Hawaiʻi’s agricultural and ecological productivity, improve food sustainability, and cultivate the next generation of leadership. Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi is situated on a nearly 405-acre parcel in the wetlands that connects Heʻeia to Kāneʻohe Bay, where he has generational ties. Through cultural, educational, and ecosystem restoration programs, Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi is promoting the social and economic advancement of the local community. Previously, Kanekoa served as a conservation scientist at The Nature Conservancy and resident phycologist member of the Maui Nui Network. He obtained a bachelor’s degree from Occidental College and a masters degree in Botany-Phycology from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.

Rick Barboza co-founded the landscaping company and nursery Hui Kū Maoli Ola, which has blossomed over 30 years into a thriving business supplying native plants to restoration projects, landscapers, and home gardeners all across Hawaiʻi. By integrating education, the propagation of native Hawaiian plants, and quality restoration and landscaping services, Hui Kū Maoli Ola is making improvements to and increasing public appreciation for the unique natural environment and cultural history of Hawaiʻi. Rick obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Zoology from the University of Hawai‘i with a primary focus on Hawai‘i’s natural history and the conservation of native biota.

Moderator: Kanoe Pu‘uohau
Planning and Development Manager II, Kamehameha Schools
KSK ’05
Kanoe Pu‘uohau ensures Kamehameha Schools’ strategic goals, sustainability framework, and ‘Āina Values are integrated and implemented across the Commercial Real Estate Division’s (CRED’s) market areas and master plans. Kanoe has a B.A. in Marine Science from UHH, Juris Doctorate with a focus in Native Hawaiian and Environmental Law from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM) William S. Richardson School of Law, and a M.B.A. from UHM’s Shidler College of Business. She is also a board member of Hui ʻOihana, the Hawaiʻi Island Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce, and former HIR cohort.
Prize Drawing
At the end of the workshop, we’ll hold a prize drawing. You must be present during the entire webinar for a chance to win.
Workshop Recording
A recording will be available on the Our Kaka‘ako website at ourkakaako.com and Facebook page following the session.
If you have any questions that you’d like to send to us ahead of time before the virtual workshop, please email them to us at info@ourkakaako.com.
Mahalo, and we look forward to seeing you online!

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