Meet Our New Kuleana Academy Cohort
The Hawai‘i Alliance for Progressive Action (H.A.P.A.) is excited to announce the cohort for the 5th “Kuleana Academy”, a leadership development and non-partisan candidate training program for emerging leaders in Hawai‘i. The Academy will run online from December 2020 to March 2021. Learn about our 2021 participants below:
Hawaiʻi County
Katie Kamelamela lives in Kapu'euhi, Hawaiʻi Island, is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Akaka Foundation for Tropical Forests a non-profit that is integrating knowledge of Indigenous and local practices into Hawaiʻi forests and a co-founder of Mauliola Endowment a boutique consulting firm that provides access to resources and tools based in Hawaiian epistemologies.
Kristen Alice is the Director of Community Relations at HOPE Services Hawai‘i, where she advocates for an end to homelessness on Hawaiʻi Island.
Rebecca Villegas is a passionate, professional and proven public servant who is honored to serve her community as the Hawaiʻi County Council District 7 Representative (North & South Kona).
Beverly Yates-Tese is a compassionate activist for all communities of all colors and backgrounds.
Oʻahu
Alani Bagcal is a 25-year-old woman of color, who grew up on the East Coast but found her voice in Hawai‘i and parlayed her political awakening into a position advocating for reproductive freedom as the O‘ahu Organizer at Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawai‘i.
George White is a devoted family man, government attorney, and passionate believer in the power of civic engagement and collective activism to protect our ‘āina, sustain our kamaʻāina, and promote a positive progressive future for all, from keiki to kūpuna.
T.J. Cuaresma is a long-time Wahiawā resident who believes in listening to her community to be most helpful and is the owner of Tita Ei Nei Productions whose mission is to share Hawaiian music and culture with the world!
Nickie Shintani is an advocate for environmental justice, food sovereignty, and healthy communities with an interest in art and design.
Lena Mochimaru is here to serve her community, through advocacy, volunteerism and most importantly connecting.
Joel Johnson is a 31 year old engineer looking to build a stronger community and put his skills to work building a more sustainable Hawaiʻi.
Maui and Molokaʻi
Mahina Poepoe is a born and raised Molokaʻi native, a nature-lover, an aspiring environmentalist, a seeker of justice, and a grassroots organizer dedicated to advancing natural resource conservation, cultural preservation, and social resilience on Molokaʻi.
Brandi Corpuz is a community ‘āina advocate for Oʻahu, Maui and Molokaʻi and the founder and Executive Director of Rooted Kekahi Me Ka ʻĀina.
Carol Lee Kamekona whose ʻohana hails from Hawaiʻi Island, is deeply passionate in the preservation of ʻiwi kūpuna and cultural and natural resources. She is an ʻāina advocate seeking food security and reforestation for the betterment of her community through civic engagement and local activism.
Daniel Smith believes that prudence exhumes an array of benevolent devotion that fully supports all the peoples' of Hawaiʻi; through the governing body of righteousness, that envelopes peace to formally rectify all injustice with the preservation of civil liberty and Aloha!
Keisa Liu is a mama, aspiring gardener, and finally yielding to her calling as a community organizer.
Kauaʻi
Lorilani Keohokalole is a community advocate who is deeply passionate about the health, wellness and future of our diverse communities statewide.
Chanel-Marie Josiah is an advocate for marginalized, underrepresented and under-sourced communities.
Peleke Flores from Waimea, Kaua'i, is honored to be blessed with 5 keiki from his mana wahine from Maui and excited to explore and learn to see how this experience will guide him in new trails of his life.
Jade Moss is a mother of two who views leadership as a service to others.
Waipū'ilani (Wai) Flores is a Hawaiian Arts/Hawaiian Studies teacher at Kanuikapono Charter School in Anahola, and a wearer of many hats, and very excited to be a part of the Kuleana Academy.
“I strengthened my foundation of leadership, activism and campaigning with the manaʻo of so many incredible speakers and opportunities. I returned to my community, fired up for change.”
“We are excited to support emerging leaders who want to engage in civic work. There’s a groundswell of interest in transparent, responsive government in recent years, and we want to be part of empowering new and diverse voices in local and state civic leadership.”
