Hawai‘i Green Growth’s new CEO shares mission, priorities

When Kalani Kaʻanāʻanā was a junior at Kailua High school, his sights were set on joining the U.S. Air Force Academy. However, that changed during the summer between his junior and senior year, after his paddling coach arranged a trip to Kahoʻolawe.

“It was such a transformative experience that when I came back, I recognized the yearning that I had to learn more about our language and our culture,” he told Aloha State Daily.

That curiosity later led him to double major in Hawaiian language and Hawaiian studies at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. He is fluent in ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i and is an active member of the Kailua Hawaiian Civic Club.

“When I think about how that informs me, it was really a foundation, that I do everything from — my time working at Sunetric in renewable energy; my time at The Queen’s Health Systems working on Native Hawaiian health programs; or at Hawai’i Tourism Authority, leading natural and cultural resources, then as chief brand officer, and, most recently, our stewardship and destination management programs. This was all made possible because of the foundation that I stand on and will continue to in this new role.”

Kaʻanāʻanā started as CEO of Hawai’i Green Growth on July 7, succeeding Celeste Connors, who was recently appointed president of the East-West Center. Hawai’i Green Growth is a nonprofit recognized by the United Nations as a Local2030 Hub, committed to advancing local and global sustainability goals.

He told ASD three days into the new role that meeting with and understanding the needs of the team was his initial priority.

“I'm still very much in the listen and learn phase,” he said. “As I look back at my career to date, I think about the work that I’ve done to build community from a grassroots level, which started with honest, deep listening,” Kaʻanāʻanā said.

He noted that the diversity of Hawai’i Green Growth’s partners “is incredible” — and comprised of “all levels of government, business and civil society.”  

“To me, it highlights an island-informed way of trying to tackle these really big challenges and these really big opportunities in front of us, whether it be around smart sustainable communities or renewable energy or fresh water or food security, it's really going to take all of us.”

Kaʻanāʻanā said last week that he was still being briefed on numbers around membership and staffing levels, as well as annual budget and funding.

“Our membership is probably a little bit different than maybe how you might think of other member-based organizations. I'll say it's not pay to play,” he said. “I think it's about peer-to peer learning, sharing of best practices and discovering shared knowledge, where we can collaborate and accelerate our progress.

“Fundraising is a whole-office effort for us that starts with compelling storytelling, to ensure the work gets to continue,” he noted.

The nonprofit, he said, aims to implement the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDG) through the Aloha+ Challenge, which is Hawai‘i’s local framework for achieving such benchmarks.

“At the end of the day, the [UN's] SDG are meant to improve the quality life for everyone globally. Hawai’i launched [their own], informed by Hawaiian culture with the same goal — to improve the challenges we have around affordability, housing, climate challenges, he said. “Our role is to be catalyst for change. My call to action is if you are interested or already working on these goals, 'E hele mai,' come on down."

As a leader, Kaʻanāʻanā said one of his core values is mālama, “caring for one another and our island earth.”

“More generally, my background is informed first by aloha,” he said, adding that having come from the tourism industry, “I understand how that word can be thrown around and it can be made to feel hollow and empty, and that's not what I mean in this case.”

“I want to bring those two dual poles of this sailing canoe that I think we’re all on to try to navigate our path forward.”

In 2016, he joined HTA serving in a few different roles, though as chief stewardship officer, he prioritized community well-being and care for the land as the agency shifted tourism efforts toward regenerative practices. Earlier in his career, Kaʻanāʻanā held leadership and community engagement roles in sectors spanning Native Hawaiian health, clean energy, government and nonprofit.

When asked who his mentors are, he said, “No one person, although I will acknowledge there have been many in the village who have shape and raised me.”

“Without getting sappy about it, I really want to say my mom. My mom is my reason. I lost her five years ago and I think about her every day. … None of who I am or where I am today is possible without her. So, I'll say mom.”

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Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.