Indigenous Values Seed Systems Transformation in Hawai’i

Above: Enterprise participants from (L to R) Sust’ainable Molokai, GoFarm Hawai’i, ‘Aina Ho’okupu o Kilauea and Polipoli Farms gather at Ala Kukui in Maui for a meeting of HIR’s Hawai’i Food Systems Accelerator. The program highlights enterprises’ roles within a larger ecosystem, recognizing that diversity and interconnectedness are essential drivers of systemic change (Photo by Kim Moa, Courtesy of HIR)

In the dynamic landscape of impact investing, systemic and bioregional investing approaches are emerging as transformative models for regenerative economic development. Hawai’i, with its rich biocultural heritage and unique geographic and ecological significance, provides a fertile demonstration ground for place-based solutions with global relevance.

At the forefront of this movement are innovators, community leaders, social entrepreneurs, and capital holders working toward a more just, resilient, and regenerative future. Weaving these networks of collaborators is Hawai’i Investment Ready (HIR), a non-profit impact investing intermediary with a bold mission to invest in Hawai’i’s economic transformation by accelerating the coordination and collaboration of capital to seed and scale systemic solutions.

By centering relationships, Indigenous expertise, adaptive leadership, and systems-based strategies rooted in cultural values, HIR is developing and prototyping systemic investing and bioregional financing models that empower community-driven solutions to Hawai’i’s most pressing social and economic challenges and opportunities.

Systems Problems Require Systems Solutions

As an island economy, challenges like food insecurity, over-reliance on imports and environmental degradation are magnified, posing existential threats. Transforming Hawai’i’s economy is no small feat and conventional economic development approaches have failed for decades to manifest large-scale change. Overcoming the unique market challenges and barriers requires new leadership, mindsets, tools, and investment approaches.

After over a decade of catalyzing social enterprise in Hawai’i, HIR continues to foster regenerative business models through its flagship program. The reimagined Hawai’i Food Systems Accelerator is the first Native-led accelerator in Hawai’i or the continental U.S. Its dual-cohort strategy and selection process prioritizes funders and enterprises committed to the iterative growth and experimentation critical to working in Hawai’i’s complex ecosystems.

Indigenous Values as a Foundation for Innovation

The Native Hawaiian concept of aloha ‘aina recognizes the deep reciprocal relationship between people and ‘aina (land, or “that which feeds”). This Indigenous worldview acknowledges the complexity and interconnectedness of all living systems and inspires the type of innovation being employed by HIR accelerator alumni like Hui Malama i ke Ala ‘Ulili (huiMAU), which leverages place-based expertise and holistic strategies to tackle unique regional opportunities and challenges across diverse sectors including education, workforce development, ecosystem regeneration and watershed management, food cultivation and distribution, health equity, and housing.

In contrast, extractive economic models that externalize social and environmental factors, hinder sustainable growth and exacerbate economic and ecological challenges in frontline rural communities and global industries alike.

HIR’s culturally grounded approach empowers shared purpose and the quality of all relationships–human, environmental and ancestral.  Native Hawaiian values serve as core principles in process design, decision-making, and investment strategies–Pilina (relationship), kuleana (responsibility), aloha (love, respect), a’o aku, a’o mai (reciprocity in learning), and ho‘ohua (action) provide a powerful framework to reimagine economic development in Hawai’i and beyond.

“Living one’s values is not an inconsequential life choice. Values are foundational and should provide the navigational guidance for our governance and economy. When we practice them and create inclusive spaces for others to see and live by them, we uplift the wisdom of our ancestors and our collective futures.”

– Neil Hannahs, HIR Co-Founder & Board Member

Changing the Way Money Moves: Innovative Capital Solutions

Recalibrating roles and responsibilities on both sides of capital markets fosters better alignment with the needs of frontline communities. This requires innovative capital solutions and reciprocity in decision-making and collective learning as these strategies are tested in the field.

HIR’s new ‘Aina Aloha Economy Fund (AAE Fund) is reshaping capital flows to align with Indigenous values and community priorities. The AAE Fund is Hawai’i’s first catalytic capital product—developed in alignment with the ‘Aina Aloha Economic Futures (AAEF) framework and launched in 2024 in partnership with Mission Driven Finance (MDF).

Combining HIR’s program expertise, research and relationships in the social sector with MDF’s fund administration experience, the AAE Fund integrates patient, flexible and risk-tolerant debt with HIR’s technical assistance and capital networking to enable investments in solutions often overlooked by conventional financing. This strategy directs capital to values-aligned enterprises, prioritizing sustainability and resilience over short-term and often unsustainable economic gains.

The community-governed AAE Fund reseats decision-making power and includes an advisory council that is 100% Native Hawaiian and 70% wahine (women) and an investment committee representative of the local community. While HIR holds an advisory seat, it does not sit on the investment committee, ensuring the community has final say over resource allocation.

The AAE Fund challenges extractive financial models by centering equity and reciprocity in decision-making and deploying values-aligned capital that is responsive to community needs. This emergent investment model highlights the role of finance as a tool for healing and regeneration and offers a new narrative for investors and enterprises that fosters trust and shared responsibility for economic and environmental outcomes.

Our Blueprint for a Thriving Future

We at HIR envision the just transition to a regenerative, locally-resilient ‘aina aloha economy where all life (land, people, communities) thrives. By addressing systemic inequities in the market, we are demonstrating that long-term adaptive change is both strategic and scalable, and strategic investment in place-based strategies and regenerative approaches are not only ethical but economically critical. Our work with the AAE Fund and integrated systems-based approaches show that economic transformation is not just possible, but already underway.

Hawai’i highlights the power of bioregional solutions to address systemic challenges. These lessons extend beyond our islands and serve as a blueprint for reimagining a more equitable future where people and ‘aina thrive together.

Also by Keoni Lee for GreenMoney: Investing in a Different Kind of Paradise: Catalyzing Hawai’i’s Sustainable Food System 

Article by Keoni Lee, C0-CEO of Hawai’i Investment Ready, and a successful Native Hawaiian social entrepreneur and co-founder of Waiwai Collective and ‘Oiwi TV. He is actively engaged in community work around decolonizing education, local food systems and the economy and is a co-leader of ‘Aina Aloha Economic Futures and a member of Toniic. Contact him at keoni@hiready.net