Pilali Podcast

In this episode of Pilali, cohosts Ashley and Wren sit down with entrepreneur and investor Meli James, cofounder of Mana Up, to explore how local businesses can drive economic diversification in Hawaiʻi. Meli explains how Mana Up supports Hawaiʻi based companies through mentorship, weekly coaching, retail partnerships, and a statewide accelerator program designed to help founders grow their brands. The conversation highlights how locally rooted products such as Kōhana Rum, Mānoa Chocolate, and other Mana Up companies are expanding beyond the islands while staying connected to the stories and culture of Hawaiʻi.Ashley, Wren, and Meli also discuss the broader economic opportunity behind supporting local entrepreneurs. Meli shares how small businesses create jobs, keep more money circulating in the islands, and strengthen Hawaiʻi’s global brand through authentic products and storytelling. The episode explores how policies, local procurement, and collaborative networks can help Hawaiʻi companies scale while maintaining their connection to place, culture, and community.Socials:  @melijames | @manaup | LinkedIn Show Notes: ⁠Mana UpHawaii Venture Capital AssociationArticle: Beyond the Price of Paradise: Is Hawai’i Being Left Behind?Subscribe to hear more stories from change-makers in Hawai‘i: https://www.pilalipodcast.org/subscribe

In this episode of Pilali, cohosts Ashley and Wren sit down with community organizer Autumn Ness to talk about activism, crisis response, and the power of grassroots organizing in Hawaiʻi. Autumn shares how her experiences living through the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster in Japan shaped her understanding of community resilience and corporate power. After moving to Maui, she began recognizing similar patterns in the fight over GMO crops and pesticide use, which led her into organizing and policy advocacy alongside local communities.The conversation follows Autumn’s work from grassroots campaigns to building solutions such as the Maui Food Hub and the Lahaina Community Land Trust. Ashley and Wren explore how crises can expose systemic vulnerabilities but also create opportunities to strengthen community ownership and trust. Autumn reflects on the importance of long term relationship building, protecting land from speculation, and supporting community driven leadership so that local people can shape the future of the places they call home.Socials:  @lilikoidriftwood | @lahainacommunitylandtrust | LinkedInShow Notes: Lahaina Community Land TrustMaui Food HubArticle: Harness the Shock of Disaster to Propel ChangeSubscribe to hear more stories from change-makers in Hawai‘i: https://www.pilalipodcast.org/subscribe

In this episode of Pilali, cohosts Ashley and Wren sit down with Alapaki Nahale-a to explore identity, education, and what it means to truly be “of” a place. Alapaki shares his upbringing in Hilo on Hawaiian Homelands and reflects on formative experiences at Kamehameha Schools and the University of Pennsylvania. The conversation touches on discovering Hawaiian history and sovereignty movements while away from home, and how those realizations shaped his path in housing advocacy, education, and community leadership.Ashley and Wren also discuss Alapaki’s work in Hawaiian language immersion education and charter schools, and the deeper systemic challenges facing Hawaiʻi today. The conversation expands into themes of pilina, community accountability, and the intentional divisions that shape public discourse. Alapaki introduces his work with Islander Institute and reflects on the importance of building empathy, connection, and shared responsibility for place as the foundation for meaningful change in Hawaiʻi.Socials:  @hiloboy68 I @islanderinstitute I LinkedInShow Notes: Islander InstituteSubscribe to hear more stories from change-makers in Hawai‘i: https://www.pilalipodcast.org/subscribe

Pilali is a storytelling podcast rooted in Hawaiʻi, lifting up the vital role nonprofits play in our communities, while celebrating the kind of philanthropy that actually stick.Through conversations with grassroots leaders, community changemakers, and their funding partners, Pilali explores what it looks like when giving is reimagined not as charity, but as solidarity. We dig into the relationships, the risks, and the reciprocity that make lasting community impact possible.Pilali invites you into a bigger vision of community, bound together not in permanence, but in living reciprocity. Whether you're a funder, a nonprofit practitioner, or someone who cares about Hawaiʻi's future — subscribe to hear new stories.Website: https://www.pilalipodcast.orgInstagram + YouTube: @pilalipodcast