Established in 2007 as a Honolulu-based 501(c)3 non-profit, Kupu empowers future generations to create a more sustainable, pono Hawai‘i. The organization provides hands-on training programs that educate and mentor youth to become stewards of our culture and environment, helping them develop a strong connection to the place in which we live. Since 2007, Kupu has risen to meet the increasing demands of the green economy by training over 3,500 youth in the areas of conservation, sustainability and environmental education. Kupu affirms the Hawaiian notion of “ma ka hana ka ʻike” or “in working one learns”. This approach has led to the creation of hundreds of internships and service-learning opportunities which blend vocational training and green leadership development to support over 150 partner sites across Hawaiʻi and the Pacific region.
In Hawaiian, the word kupu means to “to sprout, grow” providing the backbone of the non-profit’s efforts to revive the people, land and the sea across Hawaiʻi. Kupu’s work has been likened to the role of the Kupukupu Fern which is one of the first plants to cultivate the land after a lava flow. The fern not only serves as a foundational species for rebuilding a healthy, native ecosystem, but it also symbolizes a place where knowledge can grow. After learning from their experience, this next generation of green leaders enter the workforce with valuable skill sets that positively impact the communities in which they work.
In accordance with Federal Law, Kupu is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.
Total Youth Served
Participants actively pursuing or currently employed in a career in conservation, sustainability or natural resource management
Participants increase their understanding and connection to Hawaiian culture
Participants continue to pursue environmental issues
Participants continue to serve their community
John Leong
Chief Executive Officer
Matthew Bauer
Chief Operating Officer
Janice Kim, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
Katrina Ogata
Director of Impact
Nate Gyotoku
Director of Sustainability Initiatives
Michael Wilson
Kaulana Park
President
Senior Project Manager
Rider Levett Bucknall
Tyler Tokioka
Vice President
Vice President External Affairs
Island Insurance
Bradley Totherow
Treasurer
Vice President
Cadinha & Co., LLC
Kim Gennaula Hagi
Secretary
Executive Director of Advancement
ʻIolani School
Kathleen Thurston
Member at Large
Owner & President
Thurston Pacific, Inc.
Michael Wilson
Member at Large
Supreme Court Justice
State of Hawaii
Rodney Chong
Member at Large
Grid Modernization
Hawaiian Electric
Lance Wilhelm
Member at Large
President
The Wilhelm Group
John Neff
Member at Large
President Hawaii Region
Penhall Co.
Julianna Rapu Leong
Member at Large
Owner Pono Pacific
Co-Founder Kupu
2014 – Hawaii Green Business Program Award
2015 – The Corps Center of Excellence, Accredited Youth Corps
2015 – Environmental Protection Agency, Food Recovery Challenge, Certificate of Achievement
2017 – Hawai‘i Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations, Community Collaborator Award
2018 – USDA, US Forest Service, Regional Forester Award
2017 – Hawaii Business Magazine, Top 250 Companies
2017 – The Corps Network, Project of the Year
IUCN World Conservation Congress, Youth Initiative
2016 – Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, Hoʻokele Award
John Leong and Julianna Rapu-Leong
2016 – The Corps Network, National Corpsmember of the Year
Keoni Kīkala, Program Participant
2014 – Na Kama Kai Hoʻokele Award: Beginning a Life Long Commitment to Mālama ʻĀina
John Leong, Chief Executive Officer
2014 – The Corps Network, National Corpsmember of the Year
Jon Brito, Program Participant
2013 – USDA, US Forest Service, Regional Forester Award
2013 – Hawaii Institute of Public Affairs, Hoʻoulu Leadership Award
John Leong, Chief Executive Officer
2013 – Federal Accreditation as a 21st Century Service and Conservation Corps
2012 – Hawaii Business Magazine, 20 for the Next 20
John Leong, Chief Executive Officer
2011 – The Corps Network, National Corpsmember of the Year
Mari Takemoto-Chock, Program Participant
2011 – Business Leadership Hawaiʻi, Nonprofit Leadership Award Finalist
2010 – Pacific Business News, Forty Under 40, 2010
John Leong, Chief Executive Officer
2010 – Bank of Hawaii, Community Leader of the Year
John Leong, Chief Executive Officer
2010-11 – American Reinvestment & Recovery Act, Project of the Year, 2010-11
2010 – Audubon Society of Hawaiʻi, Environmental Education Award
2010 – AmeriCorps Service Commission, Innovation in Civic Participation
2008 – The Corps Network National Corps Member of the Year
Linnea Heu, Program Participant
Total Economic Benefit in 2017
Cumulative Economic Benefit Since 2007
Government Grants and Contracts
Private Grants and Contracts
Program Service Fees
Donations and Contributions
Other Revenue
Program Services
Management and General
Fundraising and Development