Keep it Aloha

Rylee Anuheake’alaokalokelani Jenkins is an accomplished Native Hawaiian, contemporary singer/songwriter with an easygoing island style from the island of Maui. She made her debut in 2009 and just a year later won two prestigious Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards for most promising artist and contemporary album of the year. This mother of one has performed, toured, and shared stages with artists such as Bru...

Leon Kaulahao Siu is a Native-Hawaiian, Chinese musician, vocalist, recording artist, composer, poet, author, and producer from the Big Island of Hawai’i. He is also the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Hawaiian Kingdom and serves as a strategist and spokesman for the reinstatement of the Hawaiian Kingdom. In 2016 he was nominated for the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize. He is the only Hawaiian composer...

Jake Shimabukuro is an award-winning Japanese-American Ukulele virtuoso from the island of Oʻahu. He has been playing the ukulele since he was 4 years old and has proven time and time again that there isnʻt any style of music that he canʻt play and he is not limited by four strings. His music combines elements of Jazz, Blues, Funk, Rock, Bluegrass, Classical, Folk, and Flamenco. This musician has...

Bretman Rock is a Filipino-American social media and internet sensation born in the Philippines, but raised on the island of Oʻahu. This charismatic Leo is known for his makeup tutorials and humorous views on life, but is proving now that he is more than a beauty influencer showcasing his diverse skillset each and every day. He is the star of his very own reality TV show on MTV called MTV's Fo...

John Michael Van Hohenstein, better known as Johnny The Ripper, is a professional longboard surfer born in the Philipines, but raised in Hawaiʻi. After picking up a surfboard at an early age he quickly honed his skills and is becoming one of the best longboarders in the world with his timeless style, nimble cross stepping his toes to the nose, riding backwards, and all while having the time of his...

Patti Ponimoi is a Filipino, Irish sales and communication veteran born in Okinawa, Japan and raised on the island of Oʻahu. She is the Market President and GM for Summit Media Honolulu, an American broadcasting company which features local radio stations such as KRATER 96.3 (KRTR), HAWAIIAN 105 (KINE), KCCN FM 100, POWER 104.3, etc. This boss lady has a career spanning more than 20 years, previou...

Keith Amemiya is a community and business leader from the island of Oʻahu. He is the executive director of the Central Pacific Bank Foundation, former vice president of Island Holdings Inc. and previously was the head of the Hawaiʻi High School Athletic Association for 12 years. He helped transform youth sports in Hawaiʻi, and when state budget cuts threatened to end junior varsity athletics, he l...

Tammy Moniz is a well-known surf instructor and mother of five prolific surfers from the island of O’ahu. She is also a photographer, business owner, lover of music, and wife to former professional surfer Tony Moniz. She runs two surf schools in Honolulu called Faith Surf School and Moniz Family Surf. This mother has been an inspiration and role model to so many people for years and she is everyon...

Lanai Tabura is a Native-Hawaiian Filipino, Italian, Chinese Emmy award-winning Jack of all trades from the island of Lanaʻi. He has done it all. Heʻs a DJ, comedian, cook, TV and podcast host, actor, entrepreneur and father of two girls. He is the winner of Food networkʻs Great Food Truck race season 4, was a co-host with Anthony Bourdainʻs NO Reservations and currently hosts Cooking Hawaiian Sty...

Justyn Ah Chong is an award-winning Native-Hawaiian filmmaker from the island of O’ahu. He has worked as a director, cinematographer and editor at ʻŌiwi TV, and was a 2020 NIA Tero 4th World Media Lab fellow. His film “Down on the Sidewalk in Waikiki” premiered at the Maoriland film festival in New Zealand winning the Peopleʻs Choice Award for best short drama and has been screened at festivals al...

Kiana Cayabyab is a Native-Hawaiian reporter from the island of Kaua’i. She is a model, actress, professional hula dancer, digital news reporter and host for the Star Advertiser. She is also an honor graduate of Loyola Marymount University and was a former Miss Honolulu.  She has a passion for storytelling, public speaking and interviewing. Kiana is a go-getter, and with her charismatic personalit...

Ezekiel Lau is a Native-Hawaiian professional surfer from the island of O’ahu. Zeke started surfing when he was just a kid and has become a household name in the surfing world. He is a MEO Vissla Pro Ericeira champion and the winner of two Vans World Cups of surfing at Sunset beach. He is also the the winner of ABC’s Ultimate Surfer and is a brand ambassador for companies like Quiksilver, Rockstar...

Chad Owens is a Native-Hawaiian former professional football player from the island of O'ahu. This local legend was a college football standout when he played for the University of Hawai'i Warriors and ended his career in the top 10 for receiving yards and touchdowns and till this day is Hawai'i's all-time career yardage leader. In 2012, he was named the Most Outstanding Player in...

McKenna Maduli is a Native-Hawaiian Emmy award-winning wahine from the island of O'ahu. This local girl has over 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry working for MTV, NBC's Access Hollywood, Billboard Live, and interviewing some of the biggest celebrities in the business such as George Clooney, Oprah, and Snoop Dogg. She is also the host of her very own talk show called &qu...

Micah Banks is a local on-air radio personality and music producer from the island of O'ahu. He is a hustler who worked his way from the bottom to the top and has over 15 years of experience working on the radio. As a music producer, his singles "Screenshots" and "Want To" has over 1.5 million streams worldwide. In this episode we talk about how we first met, his journey in...

BJ Penn is a Native-Hawaiian MMA legend from the Big Island of Hawai'i. He is a father, businessman, author, and former UFC champion. He is one of only 7 UFC fighters to ever win titles in multiple weight classes and is the first non-Brazilian to win the jiu-jitsu world championship. Now, he is stepping into a new arena and running for governor or Hawai'i as a republican candidate. In this...

Drew Honda is a Kamehameha graduate from the island of O'ahu. He is the CEO and founder of Sweet Enemy Clothing. This entrepreneur is a hustler that is making a name for himself in the streetwear scene. Drew has collaborated with multiple brands, local athletes, and musicians and hopes to be the biggest brand in the world one day. He started his business as a tribute to his grandma, Rose, and...

Mark "Gooch" Noguchi is a nationally recognized chef from the island of O'ahu. He has been featured on many news stations, TV shows, and even starred in his very own YouTube series presented by Toyota Hawai'i. Gooch is also an entrepreneur, teacher, hula dancer, husband and father to two daughters. This culturally aware kanaka ties in culture with everything he does and is an ins...

Brenton Awa is a Native-Hawaiian journalist from the island of O'ahu. He's a father of three, a high school wrestling state champion, and a former news anchor for KITV4. Since leaving the news station he has been taking a grassroots approach in the community and reporting local news all on his own, all while substitute teaching to make ends meet. Brenton has decided to run for state senate...

Allison Chu is a Hapa model, actress, singer, hula dancer and beauty queen. She was the valedictorian of her high school and became the only person to win both Miss Hawai'i and Miss Hawai'i USA. Hopena Pokipala is a Native-Hawaiian waterman who was born with paddling in his blood. He joined the canoe club at age seven and guided his team to 7 consecutive junior state championships. In 2018...

Rose Wong is a Filipino, Chinese award-winning entrepreneur from the island of O'ahu. She became the youngest store owner in Waikiki at the age of 21 opening up Kolohe, a handmade jewelry "experience-based" boutique. Among her many accomplishments such as being recognized as Student Entrepreneur of the year by the Pacific Asian Center of Entrepreneurship in 2018 and the Hawai'i V...

Keilana Mokulehua is an award winning Hawaiian, Filipino R&B/Soul musician from the Island of O'ahu. She is quickly gaining fame and worldwide recognition with her silky smooth vocals and was recently named “Most promising artist" and R&B Album of the year in 2021. Her debut album “I Am” charted at #2 on the iTunes R&B/Soul charts during its first week of release.  Some of her...

John Ursua is a Native-Hawaiian professional football player for the Seattle Seahawks. He was born and raised in Kailua, Kona on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi, but moved to Utah during his sophomore year of high school. After graduating high school In Utah, and before joining the University of Hawaiʻi Rainbow Warriors football team, he went on a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latte...

Andria Tupola is a Native-Hawaiian, Samoan, politician from the island of O'ahu. She is a member of the Honolulu City Council, a music teacher, a wife, and a mother to two children. Prior to graduating from BYU-Provo, she attended Kamehameha High School and graduated with honors. She ran for Governor in 2018 and garnered close to 35% of the vote as a first-time candidate, only Native-Hawaiian...

Kenneth Appelbaum, better known as Keneke the Great, is an internet star from the island of O'ahu. He is a Filipino, Italian entertainer, dancer, comedian, actor, and as some of you might know, a great storyteller. With over 36,000 followers on Instagram, he is still finding ways to bring happiness and laughter 15 years after his first viral video. In this episode we talk about how he got his...