Kimie Miner

Name Kimie Miner

Age 36

Town/Moku Kona

Island Hawaiʻi Island

Social Media Handle @playkimie

Nominated by Malia Kaʻaihue

Leadership Category Art/Creative/Music Business Development

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

I am a mother of three and a full-time GRAMMY-nominated producer, singer-songwriter, and recording artist. I am the President and CEO of HAKU COLLECTIVE, a full-service, multi-media talent production and management group that I founded five years ago. I’ve written and co-produced five-award-winning albums including the GRAMMY-nominated album, “Hawaiian Lullaby,” and most recently produced “Children of the Sea - Nā Kama Kai” a full-length album from my free music mentorship program called MeleCraft, which honors the Hawaiian culture and language. This program has supported aspiring young artists, 70% of which were Native Hawaiian. Through Haku Collective, we offer more in-depth mentorship programs, music business workshops, and intensive creative camps for established Hawaiʻi based Artists with a preference to Native Hawaiians.

Haku Collective was awarded the 21st HVCA Entrepreneur “Island Innovator Award” and founded Mele in Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i’s first and longest-running multi-home, live-stream entertainment series since the Covid-pandemic began, where I supported over 50+ artists while reaching a global audience with the Hawaiian language and the most progressive sounds of Hawaiʻi. We are what Hawaiʻi sounds like today.

As a two-year term Team Captain for Hawai'i on District Advocate Day, I’ve also served on the Board of Governors for the Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts (HARA) and currently serve on the Recording Academyʻs Pacific NorthWest Chapter. I am an active mentor for ‘GRAMMY U’ and an engaged member of both the education and Songwriters & Composers committees for the PNW Chapter.

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

As an artist, I made so many mistakes and learned so many invaluable lessons while trying to make it in the music industry. I didn’t have anyone to guide me and I had to figure a lot of it out on my own. This taught me that now more than ever is the need for agency or stewardship for Artists in Hawaiʻi both new and established. I created Haku Collective BY ARTISTS FOR ARTISTS. We are a Native Hawaiian boutique Artist management and music group. We aim to empower local artists to achieve a global impact and my mentorship programs, music-based workshops, and creative camps is a way that we do that.

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

A strong leader knows who they are and where they come from. They are able to help others feel empowered by owning their identity and valuing themselves. I love the idea that one should remain true to who they are and to approach their experiences with the pride of their heritage. As Hawaiians, we have our roots and our routes. We know who we are, and we take that knowledge with us when we navigate and explore the rest of the world. My songs regularly evoke the concept of piko, having a home base to which one can always return.

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

My family

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

Representation

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

Ownership