Sustainable Molokai

What Sustainable Molokai does

Sustʻāinable Molokai is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community development organization founded in 2010 in Kaunakakai, Hawaii, in the wake of the breakdown of master land-use negotiations between the Molokai community and the developers of Molokai Ranch. Co-founded by Malia Akutagawa, Harmonee Williams, and Matt Yamashita, the organization employs between 11 and 50 staff and operates an integrated portfolio of programs under three pillars: food sovereignty, energy resilience, and environmental and natural resource conservation. Its mission is to restore ʻāina momona (thriving people and abundant land) by uniting traditional Hawaiian practices with modern sustainability solutions, and it positions itself as the central community hub holding together 12 sustainability priority areas identified by Molokai residents.

Core programs include the Mobile Market, an online farmer's market operational since 2015 that connects 30+ local producers with consumers across six island pickup locations; the Molokai Food Bank and Maunaloa Food Pantry; the Kaukau 4 Keiki food access program operated with the Hawaii Department of Education; and agricultural training offerings such as the Mahiʻai Moa Project, the Poultry Egg Education Project (PEEP), and the 12-week Molokai Ag Experience. Energy programs include the Molokai Clean Energy Hui (MCEH), the Community Energy Resiliency Action Plan (CERAP), and the Hui Up! appliance exchange with Hawaiʻi Energy rebates. Environmental work spans the CCSLAR climate adaptation plan, the Molokai Gorilla Ogo Limu Hui invasive-species coalition (which has removed over 34,600 lbs of gorilla ogo since 2021), and the Land Back Initiative, which has been spun off into the separate nonprofit Molokai Heritage Trust.

Revenue is generated through four streams: tax-deductible donations via Donorbox and PayPal, competitive grants (including a disclosed $649,746 USDA award in October 2021), Mobile Market transaction-based sales, and government contracts such as USDA Child Nutrition Programs. Distribution is community-led through the Mobile Market online platform, monthly food bank distributions, physical pickup locations across Molokai, and direct training programs. Technology is limited to standard nonprofit operational tools; no proprietary technology platforms or AI/ML systems are disclosed. The organization is currently planning the ʻUmeke ʻAi o Molokai Food Hub & Sustainability Center, a permanent facility intended to consolidate its food hub, food bank, and headquarters operations with commercial kitchens, a demonstration farm, and educational spaces.

Name

Sustainable Molokai

Legal name

Sustʻāinable Molokai

Website

https://sustainablemolokai.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sustʻāinable Molokai is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community development organization founded in 2010 on Molokai, Hawaii, operating integrated programs in food sovereignty, energy resilience, and environmental conservation for island residents, local producers, and families with keiki.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (624210), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI), Sustainable Agriculture, Food Systems & Land Management (BPADALAG), Natural/Organic Food Co-ops & Community Natural Grocers (CRAHAEAJ)

Keywords

• Community food programs
• Food sovereignty
• Agricultural training
• Energy resilience
• Environmental conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Kaunakakai

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting the organization's mission to restore alna momona (thriving people and abundant land). Donations can be made as one-time or recurring contributions through Donorbox and PayPal.
2. Grant Funding: Funding from grants to support specific programs including food sovereignty, energy resilience, and environmental conservation initiatives. The organization identifies and applies for FS (Food Sovereignty) funding opportunities and government grants.
3. Mobile Market Sales: Revenue from the Mobile Market online platform where local producers sell produce and food products to consumers. The market operates Sunday-Tuesday ordering window with Thursday pickups and deliveries across Molokai.
4. Government Contracts: Partnership with USDA Child Nutrition Programs and Department of Education's Hawaii Child Nutrition Program for the Kaukau 4 Keiki food access program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sustainable Molokai is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community development organization operating on Molokai island in Hawaii. It delivers programs in food sovereignty (Mobile Market online farmers market, food bank and pantry distribution, school-break food assistance), agricultural training (poultry and diversified farming programs), energy resilience (clean energy planning, energy-efficient appliance exchange), and environmental conservation (invasive species removal, climate adaptation planning).

Product overview

Sustʻāinable Molokai is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community development organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs focused on food sovereignty, energy resilience, and environmental conservation for the island of Molokai. The core products include the Mobile Market (an online farmer's market platform operational since 2015), Food Bank and Pantry services, and the planned ʻUmeke ʻAi o Molokai Food Hub & Sustainability Center. Agricultural training programs (Mahiʻai Moa, PEEP, Molokai Ag Experience) support local food production, while energy programs (Molokai Clean Energy Hui, CERAP, Hui Up!) advance clean energy goals. Environmental programs include CCSLAR climate planning, Gorilla Ogo removal, and the Land Back Initiative through Molokai Heritage Trust.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mobile Market (Food Hub)
• Molokai Food Bank & Maunaloa Food Pantry
• Kaukau 4 Keiki (KK4K)
• Mahiʻai Moa Project
• Poultry Egg Education Project (PEEP)
• Molokai Ag Experience
• Molokai Clean Energy Hui (MCEH)
• Molokai Community Energy Resiliency Action Plan (CERAP)
• Hui Up! Energy-Efficient Appliance Exchange
• Molokai Climate Change and Sea Level Adaptation and Resiliency Plan (CCSLAR)
• Molokai Gorilla Ogo Limu Hui
• ʻUmeke ʻAi o Molokai (Food Hub & Sustainability Center)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 34,600 lbs of gorilla ogo removed since 2021
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Molokai Gorilla Ogo Limu Hui CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Coalition including Sustanable Molokai, Aina Momona, HAPAI Project, Division of Aquatic Resources, and the Molokai community working to remove invasive gorilla ogo from island waters. Since 2021, removed over 34,600 lbs of gorilla ogo.
• Department of Education Hawaii - Child Nutrition ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Kaukau 4 Keiki program bringing food to families with keiki during school breaks. USDA Child Nutrition Programs provides funding and regulatory framework for food distribution.
• Maui Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReceives food boxes from Maui Food Bank to supplement with fresh local food for Molokai food pantries. Sustanable Molokai sources produce, fish, beef, shrimp, eggs and more from local producers to supplement the monthly distributions.
• CTAHR (College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducts Chicken Foraging and Feed workshops for PEEP and Mahiai Moa agricultural training programs.
• Simple Roots (Korey Harris)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides 6 Zoom workshops for Mahiai Moa Project on commercial chicken production.
• Molokai CommunitycoreOthersCommunity-led climate planning process with nearly 1000 surveys collected and 2000+ community members reached through workshops held in Maunaloa, Hoolehua, Manae, and Kaunakakai.
• Precedent Studies Inc.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConducted Community Needs Assessment for Umeke Ai o Molokai project in Phase 1 (March 2022-2024).
• Hawaii EnergysecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides energy rebates for the Hui Up! Energy-Efficient Appliance Exchange program, making energy-efficient appliances affordable for local families through bulk purchasing and applied rebates.
• Molokai Farms and ProducerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor30+ Molokai farms and producers sell products through the Mobile Market, connecting local agricultural output with consumers across the island.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Kohala Center: Hawaii Island-based community nonprofit operating across food self-reliance, energy, and natural resource management. Closely mirrors Sustainable Molokai's tri-focus on food sovereignty, energy resilience, and environmental conservation with a rural-island community base.
• Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo (KUA): Hawaii statewide network supporting community-based resource management groups ('ahupua'a) including food sovereignty and traditional ecological knowledge. Highly comparable as a peer networker/coordinator for Molokai-style place-based sustainability initiatives.
• MAʻO Organic Farms: Waianae-based Hawaiian nonprofit that combines organic farming, youth leadership training, and food access on a single island community. Most directly comparable to Sustainable Molokai's integrated farmer-training + Mobile Market food hub model in a similar island/community-development context.
• Paepae o Heʻeia: Oahu nonprofit restoring a historic Hawaiian fishpond as a center for cultural revitalization, environmental education, and food security. Comparable as a place-based Hawaiian nonprofit combining ecological restoration with food sovereignty and community education.

Broad incumbents

• Ulupono Initiative: Hawaii-based social-impact investment firm funding local food production, renewable energy, and waste reduction. Comparable because it funds the same food-sovereignty and clean-energy ecosystem Sustainable Molokai operates in, though as a funder/incumbent rather than direct program operator.
• Hawaii Foodbank: Statewide food bank that supplies Maui Food Bank, which in turn supplies Sustainable Molokai's monthly food distributions. Comparable as an upstream food-access partner and benchmark for food-bank operations on a similar island geography.
• Hawaiian Community Assets: Statewide Hawaii community development nonprofit focused on financial capability, housing, and community resilience for Native Hawaiians. Comparable in mission structure (community-driven resilience) but operates at broader statewide scale versus Sustainable Molokai's single-island focus.
• The Nature Conservancy Hawaii: Hawaii chapter of a global conservation nonprofit working on reef, forest, and watershed protection. Relevant peer for the conservation, climate (CCSLAR), and invasive-species (Gorilla Ogo) components of Sustainable Molokai's mission, with board-level crossover.

Regional players

• Malama Kauaʻi: Kauaʻi-based community nonprofit working on food security, clean energy, and youth development. Comparable as a small-island Hawaiian nonprofit integrating food, energy, and sustainability, but operating on a different island and not directly competing.
• Maui Huliau Foundation: Maui-based nonprofit running environmental education, film programs, and youth leadership initiatives. Comparable as a neighbor-island community nonprofit but on a different island geography and a narrower education/youth focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@sustainablemolokai
• Facebookfacebook.com/sustainablemolokai
• Instagraminstagram.com/sustainable_molokai
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sustainable-molokai

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sustainable Molokai