Rooted in place.
Driven by purpose.
Connecting culture, climate, and capital into shared solutions.
I was born and formed in the ahupua‘a of He‘eia, on O‘ahu, where I played in the nahele ("forests") of ‘Ioleka‘a Valley, the wai ("fresh water") of Ha‘ikū Stream, and the kai ("salt water") of Kāne‘ohe Bay. These places gave me a visceral connection to nature long before I had language to describe it.
My educational and professional pursuits led me across the globe, to the continental US, Japan, Great Britain, and Aotearoa New Zealand, before ultimately guiding me back home.
Along the journey, I learned how business models, financing mechanisms, thoughtful policies, go-to-market strategies, aquatic and terrestrial conservation and restoration, carbon markets, clean energy, storytelling, and cultural practices can uplift ecosystems, communities, and economies.
This understanding shaped my career path and my purpose: to develop and deliver solutions that serve people and places by addressing our polycrisis — the climate disruption, biodiversity loss, ocean emergency, and freshwater scarcity we collectively face.
PC: Real Hawai‘i Tours
Interconnectedness: our salt water, fresh water, and land ecosystems.
PC: Nick Volpe
Collaboration: an endemic ‘i‘iwi bird pollinating an endemic ‘ōhi‘a lehua blossom.
PC: Waikoloa Dry Forest Initiative
Biodiversity: the endemic wiliwili flower is a story of positive human intervention.
How I show up
Whether collaborating with a nature positive nonprofit exploring conservation finance mechanisms for coral reefs, engaging electric utility representatives around wildfire resilience and green infrastructure investments,
or exploring how scalable seed banks could be a lynchpin to unlocking global reforestation,
I bring consistent values to the spaces I enter:
Lead By Listening
In boardrooms and forests alike,
I bring humility, respect, and curiosity to my interactions.
Seek To Understand
I've learned that there is much I still don't know, and I enjoy searching for and absorbing knowledge.
Bias Towards Action
Keeping in mind the urgency of our circumstances, I engage people to talk and take action together.
Click on this button to delve into my approaches and perspectives.
Photo courtesy of Blue Forest