Lipoa Kahaleuahi
2026-2027 Obama Foundation Asia-Pacific Leader
Executive Director, Ma Ka Hana Ka 'Ike Building Program
Hawaiʻi
Lipoa Kahaleuahi is the executive director of Ma Ka Hana Ka 'Ike, an organization that provides hands-on apprenticeships to empower Native Hawaiian youth through trades and land stewardship. In 2025, her program served over 600 participants, who completed 32,000 hours of service and work. As a founding board member of the local land protection organization Ke Ao Hali'i, Lipoa helped to return over 200 acres of coastal land to community stewardship.. Guided by kuleana (responsibility) and aloha 'āina (love of land), she builds systems that ensure Indigenous youth thrive in their ancestral homes without displacement.
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