Kamakani's commitment to housing justice is grounded in their Native Hawaiian family's experiences with eviction and houselessness. As a Housing Policy Analyst, Kamakani conducts data-driven housing research and supports policy advocacy to advance equitable solutions that protect Hawaiʻi residents from displacement and expand access to safe housing.

Before joining Hawaiʻi Appleseed, Kamakani served as a policy fellow at the ACLU of Hawaiʻi and as a graduate research assistant at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Kamakani is a poet from Oʻahu and holds a master's degree in political science and a bachelor's degree in ethnic studies.

Anthony is driven by a deep belief that strong communities are built through storytelling, connection, and showing up. He approaches development work with a community-first mindset, viewing fundraising not as an end in itself, but as a means of resourcing the people and policies that create real, lasting change.

Anthony comes to Appleseed as an educator turned development professional, with a decade of experience spanning communications, community engagement, and fundraising across nonprofit and educational settings.

As a Transportation Equity Policy Analyst, Malia is dedicated to ensuring that Hawaiʻi's transportation systems and infrastructure serve all residents equitably. Malia built her career in the Bay Area's transit sector, first as a Sustainable Transportation Associate for Commute.org, and later as a Planner and Safe Routes to School Specialist.

Malia served as an inaugural member of the Hawaiʻi Youth Transportation Council and, upon returning home, as a Community and Transportation Planning Intern for the Oʻahu Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Will was born and raised on Oʻahu and is a graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Before joining Hawaiʻi Appleseed, Will spent a decade working in media — serving as editor-in-chief at Ka Leo O Hawaiʻi, as a writer and associate editor at The Honolulu Weekly, and then as editor of The Hawaii Independent and Summit magazine.

Will oversees Hawaiʻi Appleseed's messaging and the production of communications products and resources. He also puts together the final version of Appleseed's data-driven research products, working to ensure these tools are useful and accessible to the public and lawmakers in advancing people-first public policy.

Arjuna is Hawaiʻi Appleseed's Director of Research, and also serves as housing policy director. She has a master's degree in urban planning from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

She has contributed research to several affordable housing studies, including the ALOHA Homes study and the Maui County Comprehensive Affordable Housing Plan. Her research centers on finding equitable solutions to ensure all Hawaiʻi residents can access safe, stable housing.

Maile is passionate about building relationships and serving as a connector in the community. At Hawaiʻi Appleseed, she works closely with community members, listening to their lived experiences and understanding the issues that impact their lives — focusing on developing community leadership and strengthening collective power.

Maile was born and raised in Hawaiʻi and is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools. She earned her bachelor's degree in economics from Occidental College in Los Angeles, and previously worked in commercial banking, leadership development, and teaching.

Christy is a community organizer, licensed clinical social worker, and field instructor for the University of Hawaiʻi Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health. She works to cultivate Appleseed's connections with the grassroots from which the best public policy originates.

She is the former executive director of Faith Action for Community Equity, and was program manager for Family Promise of Hawaiʻi, which serves homeless families with children. Her other social work experiences deal primarily with substance abuse and mental health.

As a Food Equity Policy Analyst, Genevieve researches and advocates for equitable food systems in Hawaiʻi, focusing on policy initiatives and data-driven research that promote access to culturally significant and nutritious foods for all.

Before joining Appleseed, Genevieve conducted research at Democracy Unlimited and Move to Amend, and promoted health equity as a Training Fellow for Grassroots Health in Washington D.C. She graduated from The George Washington University with a degree in Political Science and Peace Studies. Being Filipina and growing up on Oʻahu, she is dedicated to serving AAPI/NH and immigrant communities.

Abbey is Hawaiʻi Appleseed's Director of Transportation Equity. In this role, she advocates for transportation and land use policy that improves residents' access to safe and affordable public transit services, as well as walking and biking infrastructure.

Before joining Appleseed, Abbey worked as a community and urban planner at Planning for Community LLC, a consultancy firm she founded, and previously at SSFM International. Abbey holds a bachelor's in architecture from the University of Minnesota and a master's in urban and regional planning from the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa.

Daniela serves as Deputy Director at Hawaiʻi Appleseed, helping guide strategy, policy advocacy, and operations across the organization's core issue areas. She also continues to lead the food equity work, advancing policies that make healthy food more accessible.

Daniela brings over 15 years of experience in public health and social justice policy in Hawaiʻi. Before joining Appleseed in 2018, she led statewide initiatives for the Department of Health and the City and County of Honolulu. She holds a master's in public health from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Devin is particularly interested in researching how the dire housing crisis in Hawaiʻi can be alleviated, and this focus informs his work with Hawaiʻi Appleseed. He obtained his master's degree in international relations at the University of Edinburgh, where he wrote his dissertation on the motivations of the United States in regard to its interactions with Venezuela.

Having grown up in Hawaiʻi, Devin is ardently committed to giving back to the local community by researching and promoting policies that combat economic and racial injustices.