Uncle Wes takes us on a journey that has lasted over 40 years learning the ancient Hawaiian art of kapa making. This journey started here in Hawaii and took him all around the Pacific where he learned from the many practitioners of the art. We thoroughly enjoyed hearing stories about the various plants, varieties, and styles of kapa making across The Pacific. Uncle Wes sought out knowledge from many of these people who perpetuated this art and style of clothing that was near extinction in the 1970s. Lucky for us, we still have this knowledge to pass on to our keiki today. Joining us on this episode is guest host and fellow Native Hawaiian artist and graphic designer DJ Kekuaokalani. Intro Music -- Tiare Tahiti by Clint Mariteragi from the 2009 album Tamari'i No Tahiti.

As successful as Meli James has been throughout her career, she had a strong desire to return home to Hawaii and apply what she learned through school at Cornell and working in Silicon Valley for over ten years. Her goal was to come home and establish an innovation ecosystem here in Hawaii. Her newest venture, Mana Up, aims to build the next 100 product companies in Hawaii earning $1 million or more in annual revenue through a 12-week acceleration program. Using a variety of connections and a vision for the future of Hawaii, Meli brought her ideas to fruition with the successful completion of the first cohort and an excellent showcase at the end of the program. The next cohort is just around the corner and Mana Up is currently looking for applicants looking to scale their Hawaii-based business. Meli is one of the most accomplished female entrepreneurs in Hawaii and was recognized as one of the top female entrepreneurs to watch back in 2016 by Entrepreneur Magazine. Intro Music -- Tiare Tahiti by Clint Mariteragi from the 2009 album Tamari'i No Tahiti.

For Brook Emanuel, the foundation for everything he does goes back to his entrepreneurial process model. This is something that he has developed over the years and has become the cornerstone for how he works. While starting and running multiple businesses in a myriad of industries, networking with like-minded professionals, and consulting others on strategy and transformation, Brook has found a way to do it all. One of Hawaii's up and coming leaders in the business and entrepreneurship sector, Brook has had his fair share of learning experiences that led him to this model. Lucky for us, we were able to hear some of his thoughts on this and where he sees our island community, how it's grown, and what he's doing, along with many others, to ensure our success moving forward. The mantra of his company, Kai Capital Group, is to profit with a purpose. He has used Kai Capital Group to help other companies in Hawaii do the same. Intro Music -- Tiare Tahiti by Clint Mariteragi from the 2009 album Tamari'i No Tahiti.

In the 1830s, the Hawaiian Nation became one of the most literate countries in the world. Mo'olelo could now told both orally and through print and at one point there were more than 150 newspapers in the islands. To preserve the moolelo for our keiki today, Ka'iulani Kauihou founded a non-profit organization, Hi'ohia to revitalize the stories and translate them into other languages such as English, Japanese, and Korean. Ka'iu has taken 8 stories originating from the Wai'anae district using Native Hawaiian models, photographers, and make-up artists from that district to re-enact these same mo'olelo. Hi'ohia has been invited to many other districts throughout Hawaii to fulfill the same mission for other districts whose stories may have been lost over time. Her goal through this organization and the many other ventures she is currently pursuing is to promote Hawaiian awesomeness (her own words). Her positivity and infectious can-do attitude made her a perfect fit for this episode. Intro Music -- Tiare Tahiti by Clint Mariteragi from the 2009 album Tamari'i No Tahiti.

In the late 80s and early 90s, higher education was not as available to residents of American Samoa as it is today. With a job offer in the American Samoa government, Dr. Ken Galeai moved back home to American Samoa from Hawaii and was able to engage the local government so opportunities of education and training could be provided to the local community. Dr. Galeai established the first training program of its kind on the island of Tutuila to provide the opportunity to gain competencies, skills, and ultimately a Master's Degree from universities in the continental United States without leaving their home land. Through partnerships with universities, colleagues, and government grants, he was able to establish similar programs in rural areas throughout the Pacific. These programs ultimately led to degrees for an underserved community that would not have had the opportunity otherwise. In recent years, Dr. Galeai has continued his work in education, teaching at BYU-Hawaii, raising the next generation of leaders, and speaking at many events throughout the world. A recent study of his focused on decolonizing education, a topic especially important for our people here in the Pacific. Intro Music -- Tiare Tahiti by Clint Mariteragi from the 2009 album Tamari'i No Tahiti.

Now two months, 10 episodes into the journey of launching our very own podcast here in Hawaii Nei, we take time to reflect on the many lessons that we've learned from our first nine guests on the show. We are extremely grateful to all our supporters; those who have tuned in, gave us feedback, and kept us going. We continue to be amazed by the many inspiring stories we come across every single day and hope to be able to deliver those inspiring stories to our audience. Mahalo nui loa to our Pacific Current family! In this episode, you'll hear a recap of our first episodes. Check them out if you haven't already to hear about your brothers and sisters doing some amazing things right here in our islands. Intro Music -- Tiare Tahiti by Clint Mariteragi from the 2009 album Tamari'i No Tahiti.

It's been a vision for over ten years to have a magazine created specifically for women of the Pacific Islands which celebrates the rich cultural heritage of our people. For Tolua Samifua, the realization of this dream has come to fruition with the release of the first issue of Lady Pasifika. It took courage, perserverance, and a strong belief in herself and her team to accomplish this feat. From her childhood, growing up as a Samoan female in Hawaii to eventually reaching out for an interview with Hawaii's leading Republican gubernational candidate, Andria Tupola, Tolua has plenty to share about her journey to the first issue of Lady Pasifika, entitled Reconnect. Join us as we hear this journey from the mouth of Lady Pasifika's visionary founder, Tolua Samifua. Intro Music -- Tiare Tahiti by Clint Mariteragi from the 2009 album Tamari'i No Tahiti.

With the encouragement and inspiration of her grandmother, Naleisha started her very own kids clothing line right out of her home in Nanakuli and named it Keiki Kine Designs. Naleisha was able to carve out a nice niche in the kids apparrel industry for people who are "'ono" for those local sayings we all grew up with. She runs this business on the side of her main job all while being a full-time mother of two. The incredible journey she takes us on is one that we can all relate to and be inspired by as we find ourselves facing life's everyday challenges. Naleisha has a deep-seeded passion for her roots in Nanakuli where she's spent most of her life. Her passion is not only to create a cute clothing line for children, but to do it in her hometown and be a role model for the keiki growing up in her community. Along the way, she's inspired her own keiki to dream big with her grandmother and husband as her biggest supporters. Don't miss out on this episode where we take you into the creative mind of this do-it-all local girl. Intro Music -- Tiare Tahiti by Clint Mariteragi from the 2009 album Tamari'i No Tahiti.

Lorra Naholowaa, soil operations and conservationist at Island Topsoil shares her thoughts on how we can improve and restore the health of our aina in Hawaii. After taking an hour-long tour around the facilities on the Waianae coast, we sat down with her and listened to the wisdom she's gained over the past 25 years in the industry. An incredible resource who's helping restore what the land once had, Lorra literally turns your rubbish into money for Island Topsoil and a healthier environment for all of us. As we become more conscious of the waste we produce and how it affects this beautiful place we call home, we learn how to care for it. Whether you have a small container garden or acres of land, Lorra and Island Topsoil are here to help all take care of our land. Intro Music -- Tiare Tahiti by Clint Mariteragi from the 2009 album Tamari'i No Tahiti.

Chris Fuamatu-Maafala grew up in Mayor Wrights Housing in Kalihi, Hawaii as the youngest of eleven children. At the age of ten, his father passed away and he was raised by his hero, his mother. With the help of his family, community members, coaches, and teammates, he was able to make his dream of playing in the NFL a reality. He talks about some of the struggles he went through on his journey to the NFL and the people around him that helped him get to his dream. His humble and focused attitude and faith in God has helped him throughout his life now that he is a husband and father. Chris was an excellent running back with a rare combination of size and speed. One of the best at that position to ever come out of the state of Hawaii. In 2015, he was ranked as the 9th best running back in Utah Utes history by the Deseret News. Intro Music -- Tiare Tahiti by Clint Mariteragi from the 2009 album Tamari'i No Tahiti.