Brytni K-Aloha

Name Brytni Kalei K-aloha

Social Media @ekolu.mea.nui

Age 32

Town/Moku Punaluʻu, Oʻahu

Island Oʻahu

Leadership Category Business Development

Nominated by Jamee Miller

Share with us a little about yourself and what you do. My name is Kalei K-aloha born and raised in Punaluʻu, Oʻahu. I am currently the directors of operations for ʻEkolu Mea Nui and Co-Founder of Kahikolu LLC. I have taken the lead on the family business Kahikolu LLC to help fund ʻEkolu Mea Nui to continue to fulfill itʻs mission.

Why is the work that you do important to you? The community? The work that I do is important to me because of the influenced that the criminal justice system has on Native Hawaiians. Due to this trauma I believe that it is necessary to have advocates that will represent Native Hawaiians in a different light. It is crucial to get Native Hawaiians back on their ʻāina and not locked up. Sharing our story can help influence other families.

Share with us the qualities of leadership you admire and how you express those in your life. A few leadership qualities that I admire are Integrity, Strategic Thinking, Collaboration and Accessibility. As a Wahine Hawaiʻi these qualities exalt the importance of being a Native Hawaiian in Hawaiʻi. Integrity is having strong moral principles even in times of hardship. Never lose sight of the main objective: staying connected to your identity and place. Strategic thinking requires a person to look at the bigger picture but still make immediate gains. Planning for the future for the next generation by seeing what others don't see. Collaboration is necessary for networking to get the best advice from other experts. As individuals we need to work together for a common purpose to represent Native Hawaiians to continue to flourish in Hawaiʻi. Accessibility means to stay connected through ongoing conversations to grow long term valuable relationships. Mentorship from leaders is crucial for the next generation. Over the years these qualities have taught me many lessons. My success is a reflection of leaders who possessed these qualities. I continue to use these qualities to work on myself and to influence others.

Who has inspired you to do the work that you are doing? My brother ʻEkolu Miller

What is one word that describes something you are excited about for the lāhui? moʻomeheu

What is one word that describes a pressing issue that is facing our lāhui? Data