I was born, raised, and still live on Oʻahu. Growing up, my ʻohana and early mentors helped me develop a deep love for Hawaiʻi, a sense of kuleana to care for our ʻāina and people, and an understanding of our connections across the Pacific.

I started out studying biology, earned a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning, and I’m currently working toward a PhD in Learning Design & Technology. For the past 15 years, I’ve been in the education space, developing research programs and curriculum, and supporting educators here in Hawaiʻi and in Micronesia, especially around STEM, place-based learning, and supporting newcomer students and families.

All of this work was grant-funded, which gave me the chance to grow my expertise in writing strong proposals and managing projects of different sizes to support a team of about 30 education professionals doing amazing work in schools and communities around the Pacific region. 

Kīpuka Strategies is an opportunity for me to invest all of that experience into helping others grow their impact and build programs that make a real difference for our future.