Ka Ipu Kukui Fellows

What Ka Ipu Kukui Fellows does

Ka Ipu Kukui Fellows is a nonprofit, community-based leadership development organization founded in 2008 and headquartered in Kahului, Maui, Hawaii. The organization identifies and develops emerging community leaders in Maui County through a selective, year-long cohort program. Participants, who are nominated or identified by the community, attend monthly multi-day Hālāwai sessions that expose them to the diverse challenges facing Maui Nui, including governance, agriculture, economic sustainability, water management, tourism, and environmental planning. The program operates free of charge to participants and is structured as an initiative of the parent organizations Decisions Maui and Focus Maui Nui.

The core program offering is the year-long Ka Ipu Kukui Fellows Program, augmented by a Youth Program for younger participants and an Alumni Portal for program graduates. The leadership training component leverages FranklinCovey's flagship leadership development curriculum as a technical training backbone. There is no proprietary technology product; the offering is fundamentally an in-person, experiential educational program. Distribution is limited to Maui County residents selected through a direct application process, with cohorts progressing through a published 2026-2027 monthly session calendar culminating in graduation.

The organization operates as a 501(c)-style nonprofit with a staff of 1-10 employees, led by Executive Director Charen Kepler and governed by a 12-member Board of Directors that includes alumni and community leaders (e.g., Mike Silva, CEO of Ronald M. Fukumoto Engineering, Inc., who is a 2012 Fellow). It is funded primarily through donations accepted via its website and BetterWorld donation platform, with no participant fees, no disclosed revenue figures, and no venture, private equity, or public ownership. Marketing is conducted through organic social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube) and a WordPress-based website.

Name

Ka Ipu Kukui Fellows

Legal name

Ka Ipu Kukui Fellows

Website

https://kaipukukuifellows.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ka Ipu Kukui Fellows is a Hawaii-based nonprofit that runs a year-long, cohort-based leadership development program for community-identified emerging leaders in Maui County, offering monthly Hālāwai sessions on island challenges and funded through donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Leadership Development

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Student Government & Leadership Programs (EDAJAJAH)

Keywords

• Leadership development programs
• Community capacity building
• Nonprofit training initiatives
• Civic engagement programs
• Emerging leader fellowships

Headquarters

HQ city

Kahului

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ka Ipu Kukui Fellows is a nonprofit, community-based organization that runs a year-long leadership development program for community-identified emerging leaders in Maui County. The program centers on monthly multi-day Hālāwai (Meeting of the Minds) learning experiences covering topics such as leadership values, community assets, governance, agriculture, tourism, water sustainability, and planning for Maui Nui's future. It also operates a Youth Program and maintains an Alumni Portal for program graduates.

Product overview

Ka Ipu Kukui Fellows is a nonprofit, community-based leadership development organization offering a year-long program to develop future leaders in Maui County. The core program centers on monthly Hālāwai sessions—multi-day experiential learning opportunities covering diverse topics including leadership values, community assets, governance, agriculture, tourism, and environmental sustainability. The organization also operates a Youth Program and provides an Alumni Portal for program graduates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ka Ipu Kukui Fellows Program A year-long community-based leadership development program designed to identify and develop young leaders in Maui County, with monthly Hālāwai learning experiences focusing on Maui's challenges and future planning. Targeted at community-identified emerging leaders.
• Hālāwai Monthly multi-day learning experiences for program Fellows covering topics such as leadership values, community assets, social capital, governance, agriculture, tourism, water sustainability, and planning for Maui Nui's future. Topics change from year to year.
• Youth Program Youth-focused leadership development initiative under the Ka Ipu Kukui Fellows program aimed at younger community members.
• Alumni Portal Members-only login area for program alumni to access exclusive content and resources.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Decisions MauicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA parent initiative that conceived the Ka Ipu Kukui Fellows program as part of its mission to promote and develop future leaders through community-based planning for Maui Nui's future.
• Focus Maui NuicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA parent initiative that conceived the Ka Ipu Kukui Fellows program as part of its mission to promote and develop future leaders through community-based planning for Maui Nui's future.
• FranklinCoveyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFranklinCovey's flagship leadership development program is leveraged for the program's leadership training component. Fellows experience this proven organizational leadership development curriculum as part of their training.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Coro Foundation: National nonprofit running cohort-based civic leadership training programs for adults across multiple U.S. cities. Comparable as a non-degree, cohort-style civic leadership development program targeting emerging community leaders.
• Asian & Pacific Islander American Leadership Forum: A leadership development network focused on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities, offering cohort programs and convenings. Comparable as a cohort-based leadership pipeline organization with cultural-community alignment similar to Ka Ipu Kukui Fellows.
• Pacific Century Fellows: A Hawaii-based, cohort-style leadership fellowship for emerging professionals across the islands. Directly comparable in mission (developing local leaders), cohort structure, and Hawaii geography, even though it operates statewide rather than only in Maui County.

Broad incumbents

• AmeriCorps: Federal program placing emerging leaders in community service roles across the U.S. Comparable as a publicly funded pipeline that develops young adults into community leaders through immersive service, though at a vastly larger national scale.
• Hawaii Community Foundation: The largest community foundation in Hawaii, administering charitable funds and supporting leadership and capacity-building programs statewide. Comparable as a Hawaii-based philanthropic institution that overlaps with leadership pipeline development, though at a much broader scale.
• Eisenhower Fellowships: International, cohort-based leadership fellowship program identifying and developing emerging leaders globally. Comparable in cohort-based emerging-leader development model, though at a global scale and with a different selection approach.
• Omidyar Network: Hawaii-anchored philanthropic investment firm supporting governance, civic engagement, and community-leadership initiatives. Comparable because of its Hawaii roots and focus on community/civic leadership pipelines, though it is a funder rather than a direct program operator.
• Leadership for Educational Equity: National nonprofit that recruits and develops leaders (often former educators) for civic and policy leadership. Comparable in cohort-based leadership development for emerging leaders pursuing community impact.

Regional players

• The Kohala Center: Hawaii Island-based independent nonprofit focused on community resilience, research, and leadership development for island communities. Comparable as a Hawaii-focused community nonprofit that trains and convenes local leaders on sustainability and regional issues.
• Maui United Way: Maui-based nonprofit focused on community impact and collective action across the county. Comparable as a Maui-focused nonprofit operating in the same community-building space, though it is a fundraising/distributing entity rather than a direct leadership training program.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@kaipukukuifellows9977
• Facebookfacebook.com/KaIpuKukuiFellows
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ka-ipu-kukui-fellows
• Instagraminstagram.com/kaipukukuifellows

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ka Ipu Kukui Fellows