Pilali Podcast

In this episode of Pilali, Ashley and Wren sit down with Mālama Kula founder Kyle Ellison to explore what happens when disaster forces a community to become its own first responder. Kyle shares his experience of the 2023 Kula fires, from fighting flames behind his home to helping neighbors access water and supplies, and how that response ultimately grew into Mālama Kula.

The conversation explores the power and limits of community-led disaster recovery, from wildfire prevention and philanthropy to the long-term work of rebuilding. Together, they reflect on what Maui’s recovery reveals about tourism, housing, local infrastructure, and what it takes to build communities that are prepared not just to respond to disaster, but for what comes next.

Socials:

@malamakula

LinkedIn

Show Notes:

Malama Kula

Common Ground Collective

Maui Huliau Foundation

Ashley and Wren sit down with environmental advocate and entrepreneur Kahi Pacarro to discuss ocean conservation, community leadership, and the evolving role of civic engagement in Hawaiʻi. Kahi reflects on his upbringing in Kailua, his early career in finance and real estate, and the moment when witnessing environmental degradation during his travels pushed him to rethink his path. That shift ultimately led him to found Sustainable Coastlines Hawaiʻi, where he has spent more than a decade mobilizing communities to address marine debris and protect Hawaiʻi’s shorelines.

Ashley and Wren explore the scale of plastic pollution in the Pacific and the deeper systems driving it, from industrial fishing practices to global consumer culture. Kahi shares how his work expanded through global partnerships like Parley for the Oceans and youth initiatives such as Ocean Uprise, which empower young leaders to take action on climate and environmental issues. The conversation also touches on civic participation and Kahi’s decision to run for public office, reflecting his belief that protecting Hawaiʻi’s environment requires both grassroots action and stronger democratic engagement.

Socials: 

@instakahi | @parley.tv | @sustainablecoastlineshawaii | @peopleforpacarro | Linkedin 

Show Notes:

People for Pacarro

Parley Hawaii

Ocean Uprise 

Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii

The City and County of Honolulu Clean Water & Natural Lands Program 

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Ashley and Wren sit down with birth worker and advocate Sonya Niess to explore maternal care and birth options in Hawaiʻi. Sonya explains the roles of doulas and midwives and how the midwifery model of care centers emotional, physical, and community support throughout pregnancy and postpartum. The conversation highlights how Hawaiʻi’s maternal health system faces shortages of providers and structural barriers that make it difficult for many families to access the care they need.

Ashley and Wren also discuss the policy and cultural shifts shaping birth in Hawaiʻi today. Sonya shares her work with the Pacific Birth Collective and the challenges midwives face navigating licensing, insurance, and regulation. The episode explores how collaboration among birth workers, healthcare providers, and families could improve outcomes while restoring agency and dignity to the birth experience. Together they reflect on how strengthening maternal care systems can better support mothers, families, and communities across the islands.

Socials: 

@pacificbirthcollective | LinkedIn

Show Notes:

Pacific Birth Collective 

Committee on the Status of Women, County of Maui

Maui 2023 midwifery law (Act 32)

Mālama I Ke Ola Health Center 

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Ashley and Wren sit down with community organizer and former state legislator Kaniela Ing to talk about political power, grassroots organizing, and the future of democracy in Hawaiʻi. Kaniela reflects on his path from working in the pineapple fields and student activism at the University of Hawaiʻi to becoming one of the youngest legislators in state history. He shares how experiences inside government shaped his understanding of power and led him to focus on building movements outside traditional political institutions.

The conversation explores Kaniela’s work with Our Hawaiʻi and the importance of base building, community trust, and participation in shaping public decisions. Ashley and Wren discuss lessons from movements such as Mauna Kea and disaster response efforts in Lahaina, and how communities can organize to both stop harmful projects and build alternatives. Kaniela reflects on the need for multiracial working class movements, deeper civic participation, and new forms of leadership that empower communities to reclaim influence over the systems that affect their lives.

Socials: 

@kanielaing | @ourhawaii808 | LinkedIn | ⁠Kaniela Ing Website ⁠

Show Notes:

Our Hawaii 

Lahaina Strong 

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Ashley and Wren sit down with historian and educator Robert Perkinson to explore the intersections of incarceration, higher education, and public dialogue. Robert shares how his path from student activism to academia eventually brought him to Hawaiʻi and to the University of Hawaiʻi’s Better Tomorrow Speaker Series, a program designed to bring complex social issues into open, community-centered conversations.

Together they examine how systems such as mass incarceration and immigration detention shape society, and why prison should be a last resort rather than a default response. The conversation also looks at the role universities can play in social change by producing knowledge, connecting diverse voices, and creating space for big ideas to meet real-world implementation. At its core, the episode reflects a shared belief that progress happens when people come together to question assumptions and imagine better futures.

Socials: 

@robert_perkinson | @uh_btss | @uhmanoanews | LinkedIn

Show Notes:

Better Tomorrow Speaker Series

Texas Tough: The Rise of America’s Prison Empire 

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Ashley and Wren sit down with Dawn Lippert, founder and CEO of Elemental Impact, to discuss climate innovation, investment, and the role Hawaiʻi can play in developing solutions for a rapidly changing planet. Dawn shares how Elemental works with entrepreneurs building climate and energy technologies, combining investment with hands on support to help companies navigate capital, workforce development, policy, and community relationships. The conversation highlights how the organization has helped generate billions in follow on funding and thousands of jobs while recycling investment returns back into nonprofit climate work.

Ashley, Wren, and Dawn also explore the tension between development and environmental protection, and the importance of earning community trust when building new energy and infrastructure projects. Dawn reflects on Hawaiʻi as a place where global climate solutions can be incubated through strong relationships with local communities. The discussion closes with a sense of urgency and optimism, emphasizing that technological innovation, community partnership, and entrepreneurial energy can all play a role in addressing climate change.

Socials: @dawnhawaii | Elemental Impact | Linkedin

Show Notes:

Elemental Impact

Earthshot Ventures 

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Ashley and Wren sit down with investor and entrepreneur Chenoa Farnsworth to explore innovation, entrepreneurship, and the future of Hawaiʻi’s economy. Chenoa shares how her work with Blue Startups helps mentor and invest in Hawaiʻi-based entrepreneurs, particularly in ocean and climate technology. The conversation looks at how incubators support founders through mentorship, training, and investor networks while helping local companies scale beyond the islands.

Ashley, Wren, and Chenoa also discuss the broader vision behind this work, including the need to diversify Hawaiʻi’s economy beyond tourism and the military. Chenoa reflects on the importance of building companies that create meaningful local jobs, encouraging kamaʻāina talent to return home, and supporting women entrepreneurs who remain underrepresented in venture capital. The episode highlights a growing movement toward businesses that balance financial return with community impact while strengthening Hawaiʻi’s long term economic resilience.

Socials: @cfarnswo | @bluestartups | Linkedin

Show Notes:

• Blue Startups
• Hawaii Angels Investment Network
• East Meets West 

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Ashley and Wren sit down with Claire Sullivan to talk about the evolution of Hawaiʻi’s local food movement and the systems needed to support farmers and communities. Claire shares her journey from working in corporate communications at Maui Land & Pine to becoming deeply involved in the local food ecosystem through Whole Foods and later Farm Link Hawaiʻi. She reflects on how early efforts to scale local agriculture through retail partnerships helped open opportunities for small producers across the islands.

Ashley and Wren explore Claire’s experience supporting local farms through both relational and market-based approaches, highlighting stories from producers like MAʻO Organic Farms and the challenges farmers face in accessing markets. The conversation also touches on broader food system barriers, from supply chain limitations to policy gaps. Claire explains how Farm Link’s model aims to connect farmers directly with consumers while expanding access through SNAP EBT and DaBux programs, illustrating how a more resilient and equitable local food economy can take shape in Hawaiʻi.

Socials:  @clairefarrissullivan | @farmlinkhawaii | @hoiliilimarket | Linkedin

Show Notes: 

• ⁠FarmLink Hawaii
• MA’O Organic Farms
• Hōʻiliʻili Market & Deli

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Ashley and Wren sit down with Liza Gill of the Hawaiʻi Coalition for Immigrant Rights to discuss immigration, belonging, and the realities facing immigrant communities across the islands. Liza explains how HICIR works to build power for the nearly 20 percent of Hawaiʻi residents who are foreign born through coalition building, policy advocacy, and efforts to expand access to legal counsel. The conversation explores the recent rise in immigration detention in Hawaiʻi, the fear and uncertainty many families are experiencing, and the civil nature of immigration law that often leaves people navigating the system without representation.

Ashley and Wren also speak with Liza about what solidarity and belonging mean in a place shaped by generations of migration. Drawing from her own experiences and the communities she works alongside, Liza reflects on the dignity of immigrant workers, the importance of joy and community organizing, and the role Hawaiʻi can play in imagining a more inclusive future. The discussion closes with a vision for a society where immigrants are fully supported to live, work, and contribute as whole people within the communities they help sustain.

Socials:  @lizajeanryan | @hi_cir | LinkedIn

Show Notes: 

• Hawai'i Coalition for Immigrant Rights
• Kōlea Podcast
• The Compacts of Free Association

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Ashley and Wren sit down with Noe Kalipi to explore leadership, community engagement, and the complex intersections of land, policy, and military presence in Hawaiʻi. Noe shares her journey from growing up in Hilo to working in Washington, D.C. as a congressional intern for Senator Daniel Akaka during the era of the Apology Resolution. She reflects on how those early experiences shaped her understanding of reconciliation, public service, and the importance of approaching governance with aloha and humility.

Ashley and Wren discuss Noe’s work building relationships between institutions and communities, including her time with the Kohala Institute and current role navigating issues related to U.S. military land leases in Hawaiʻi. The conversation highlights the importance of community participation, ancestral knowledge, and dialogue across differences. Noe emphasizes the need to hold space for disagreement while building shared understanding, and reflects on how meaningful change often happens through small cracks in large systems when people commit to showing up with integrity and care for place.

@noelanik

LinkedIn

Show Notes:

Apology Resolution 

Akaka Bill

Kohala Institute 

Island Leadership Lab

Hawaii Coordination Cell

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