Etienne Aurelius is an award-winning feature film director from the island of Kaua’i. Not only is he a producer, cinematographer, writer, and creative director, but he is also the founder/CEO of The ECOH which is a top-tier archival indigenous film studio specializing in theatrical narrative feature films, short films, TV and streaming episodic shows, scripted reality, documentaries and so much more. He is a internationally recognized filmmaker worked with Jason Momoa’s production company On The Roam as the director of Film Content. During this time he created 70 commercials, short films, documentaries, and spotlight narrative profiles with his award-winning documentary, We Are Mauna Kea, featured on CNN and Jason Momoa’s Oscar spotlight featured in Vogue Magazine. He was also the head of visual marketing in which he was independently contracted by warner brothers for Aquaman, legendary picture’s Dune, & the launch of Apple TV +. In 2021 he became the first person in history to complete two Narrative feature films in two years attaching academy award winning and nominated producers and securing the largest distribution deal ever for a native Hawaiian filmmaker. His two films Lucy and KAPO won multiple awards and was nominated numerous times at the biggest indigenous film festivals in the world.

In this episode we talk about moving around growing up, life in Kaua’i, how he got into filmmaking, drug addiction, going to jail, making his award-winning films, his love for Hawaiian culture, upcoming projects, and so much more. Enjoy!

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Kekoa Kekumano is a waterman and actor from the island of O’ahu. He is best known for his scene stealing performance in the TV series White Lotus as Kai, his role on Hawaii Five-O as Nahele and for playing young Jason Momoa in the smash hit Aquaman. He is a former City and county of Honolulu Lifeguard and now plays the character Laka, a lifeguard, on the hit series Rescue: HI-Surf on FOX, which he recently won the Rising Star Award for his on-screen performance at the Critics Choice 3rd annual Celebration of AAPI Cinema and Television. When he isn’t acting, he runs his own canoe touring company called Kapua Wa’a experience that offers tours along the Waikiki coastline.

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Aloha everybody! Happy 2025! Mahalo for the amazing support in 2024, we truly appreciate each and every one of you. We will have a brand new episode coming out next week, but for now we just wanted to leave you with a recap of 2024 and some quick updates for 2025. It's going to be another amazing year and we are excited to be on this journey with you allRemember to always keep it aloha 🤙🏽

Mahalo to our new sponsors Kōlea Hop Water, Kualoa Ranch, and Hawai'i Theatre!

Use code KIA25 to get 25% off of our merch from 01/02/25 until 01/09/25

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Rob DeMello is an award-winning sportscaster from the island of O’ahu. He is the current sports director at KHON2 news and is the creator, executive producer, and host of “Cover 2: Hawai’i High School Football Weekly.” Rob is a father and husband who hosts the Hawaii Football Final Podcast during the UH Football season and has traveled far and wide to cover Hawai’i’s biggest sports stories. He also hosts the pregame, halftime, and postgame shows for University of Hawaii Football telecasts on Spectrum Sports Hawaii. To top it all off, he has won National Sports Media Association Hawaii Sportscaster of the year 4 times.

In this episode we talk about his dream of covering sports in Hawai’i, growing up in Kailua before the influx of outsiders, joining the news, his love for work and family, his and Kamaka’s Saints fandom, and so much more. Enjoy!

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Isaac Scharsch is a social media personality from the island of O’ahu. He is the man known all over Hawai’i social media as The Hungry Hungry Hawaiian. This one-man online news source has been keeping us up to date on the good, the bad and the ugly of every day life here in Hawai’i. He is also a father and snorkel guide in Waikiki and has a passion for community.

In this episode we talk about dropping out of high school to work as a Waikiki beach boy, starting the Hungry Hungry Hawaiian, reporting local news, his ups and downs of life, social media, fatherhood, and so much more. Enjoy!

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We welcome back cultural practitioner Elijah Kalā McShane to the podcast for a special episode filmed at Kualoa Ranch.

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Keep it Aloha Kalikimaka! We welcome back Kimié Miner to the podcast for a special Christmas themed episode 🎄

Check out episode 69 of the Hawaiiverse Podcast to see Kimié's first episode and learn more about her life story.

In this episode we talk about Christmas in Hawai’i, catch up on life since her last podcast episode, what makes Hawai’i special, Haku Collective, our love for Texaco in Hawai’i, and so much more. Enjoy!

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Leomana Turalde is a scientist and master hula dancer from the Big Island of Hawai’i. He is a father and cultural practitioner who joined the Marine Corps Infantry in 2005 and served multiple combat tours with the Marine Force Reconnaissance Teams. 6 years later he left the military and started dancing for Chinky Mahoe and since then has become a prominent dancer and composer. This adrenaline junkie loves traveling, extreme sports, jiujitsu, fighting, poetry, philosophy, sky diving, cliff jumping, professional photographer and to top it all off he is also a big coffee lover.

Order your coffee here: https://www.honolulucoffee.com/

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Kūhaʻo Zane is a designer and entrepreneur from the Big Island of Hawai’i. He is the Creative Director of Sig Zane and SZKaiao and also serves as the president of the Edith Kanakaʻole Foundation, a nonprofit that employs his family’s generational cultural insight through curriculum development, site restoration, consulting and publishing. He is a father and sixth generation hula dancer who has performed at over 26 consecutive Merrie Monarchs. He has collaborated with brands and companies such as Hurley, Nike, the Oregon ducks, Slowtide, Aloha Collection and Toyota Hawai’i.

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Brickwood Galuteria is a former radio personality and current politician from the island of O’ahu. He is a long time radio host, musician, and actor that has been in the spotlight for many decades. He previously served as a state chairman of the Democratic Party of Hawai’i from 2004-2006 and in 2022 was elected to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees as an At-Large member where he currently serves today. He performed music with Marlene Sai at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel for three years and later formed a group of his own winning a coveted Nā Hōkū Hanohano award in 1985 for Male Vocalist of the year and Most Promising Artist. Today you can find him on TV as he is the host and executive producer of Kupuna Power which is a platform that seeks to educate and empower hawai’i’s elderly.

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