Keilana Mokulehua

Name Keilana Mokulehua

Age 27

Town/Moku Kapolei

Island Oʻahu

Social Media Handle @keilanamusic

Nominated by Kimie Miner

Leadership Category Art/Creative/Music

Share with us a little about yourself and what you do.

Inspire and encourage artists, creators, and entrepreneurs alike to strive to the best of their abilities and skills to cultivate a sustainable lifestyle of artistry and craftsmanship in Hawaii. I am a live musician, artist, public speaker, and educator passionate to push my limits in my experience as an artist to not only inspire but also someday pass down and cultivate resources to gift to the next generation.

Why is the work that you do important to you? The community?

I grew up with the notion that being a non-traditional artist/musician in Hawaii was for the dreamers and would not be sustainable. But as I continue to grow, I realize it just comes from a lack of community, resources, and experience. So I continue to cultivate my networks and skills to slowly bridge the gap. I want to be a part of a bigger plan--where a new way is paved and we re-build a foundation for music here in Hawaii. Knowing the amount of raw talent and heart here pushes me to continue striving to be a catalyst of change and growth so the gap that Hawaii from global. Hawaiians can do all and anything they set out to do, and aside from that, Hawaii has so much to offer to the world. We need to create environments for innovators, creators, and artists to thrive and create exports that can create sustainable life for our kanaka.

Share with us the qualities of leadership you admire and how you express those in your life.

A few qualities that I honor in my work are humility, open mindedness, risk taking, transparency, and innovation. I honor all the people who brought me to where I am by never forgetting where I started and taking time to thank, honor, or just reflect on the growth. In order for growth to occur though, you need to take risks and have an open mind. Knowing that paving a new foundation requires understanding that there will always be pressure and doubt and you must persevering past it. I have a knack for coming up with ideas and having visions from things that lack. I've always been a sort of Macgyver when it came to problem solving, and thats helped the innovation in my work. So I like trying things never done before or experimenting to see what works and what can improve. I always strive to grow.

Who has inspired you to do the work that you are doing?

My family played a big role in helping me discover my passion for the field of music. But my alma mater, Kamehameha Schools is what helped me realize the importance in honing in on our abilities and using it to give back to the lāhui. I have a deeply rooted duty as a progressive Hawaiian to ensure that not only our culture remains in tact, but it evolves with the ever-changing life and technologies of this world. With it, comes great responsibility. I don't want Hawaii and Hawaiians to get lost in the noise of this world. So I use my music to connect with the outside world while concurrently using my music to help our people connect with the world beyond our waters.

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

Revitalization

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

Self-Sustainability