This logo was created with the help from my friend and former colleague, Randy Compton.
For over a year now, I have been working on this special project that has blossomed into an exciting opportunity for me to apply my strengths to serve my community. I feel so fortunate and thankful to have had the experiences and opportunities that have brought me this far, and for the opportunity to dream. How magical it is for me to culminate my prior work and educational experiences to be able to give back to those that have invested in me.
With the support of my ʻohana, prior employers, and colleagues, I am honored to share that I have been in the process of building a consulting business. My ultimate goal is to improve Native Hawaiian health through ʻāina justice and advocacy. My vision is built upon my prior educational and work experiences. Using my unique educational background in public health and law, I plan to lift up voices of cultural practitioners so that policies support, encourage, and add power to those actually doing the work on the ground. It is important to me to not only serve individuals, but also at the community and policy levels as I know that change is needed at all levels. Simultaneously, it is important that we not lose sight of the impacts of policies to a farmer or lomilomi practitioner.
I certainly don’t have all of the answers, but I know that I it has been over 30 years since the enactment of the Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act. But yet Native Hawaiians continue to experience health disparities. I hope to provide a unique perspective at the intersection of public health and law.
What this kind of work looks like varies based on the different client I may be working with. A client may be an individual, a farmer, a cultural practitioner, or another consultant who I work with on a project. Similarly, the needs of this type of individual client varies. As an example, as this has already been identified and echoed, individuals are wanting assistance with setting up their business. This is something that I could help with.
At the community level, I envision working with existing organizations that are already doing important work that touches Native Hawaiian social determinants of health–education, culture, health, just to name a few. Commonly, it has been identified that there is no shortage of work that needs to be done. However, there is often a shortage on personnel or capacity to complete a project or projects that an organization would like to do. This is something that I could help with.
And lastly at the policy or governmental level, I see my role as being able to ensure that policymakers are well-informed and have a clear understanding of who their policies impact. This is something that I can help with based on my experience with individual and community-level clients.
I am continuing to learn new things everyday as things continue to evolve. This is critical to my success to be sure to provide and best serve my community. With that said, how can I serve you or your community?
Have something that you need help with? Have a project that you need done, but don’t have the personnel in-house? Message me here and let’s get to work!