Poleki was born in New Zealand. His parents worked hard to save money, get green cards, and then moved to Hawaii where Poleki grew up. His parents’ sacrifice motivated him to always do his best and excel even when it wasn’t comfortable.
In 1999, Poleki moved to the mainland to play football for Idaho State University, and became the first college graduate in his family. After graduating and settling in Pocatello for about 20 years, Poleki moved his family to Utah to expand his startup, Washie.
Washie is a smart toilet seat that dispenses an alcohol based cleaning solution to clean the seat before use. The seat also connects to an app, alerting staff when a cartridge needs to be refilled or a battery is low.