MEET THE STORYTELLERS

Born in Maui and raised in Lahaina, I have always felt a deep connection to the vibrant cultures and landscapes that define Hawaii. After graduating from Lahainaluna High School in 2018, I embarked on a pre-med journey, driven by a passion for helping others and a desire to make a difference in my community. Eventually, I graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa where I obtained a Bachelor's degree in Biology and Philippine Language & Culture: Ilokano which brought me a step closer to my goal!

Life took an unexpected turn on August 8, 2023 when the devastating Lahaina fire swept through my hometown and reduced my own home to ashes. In the aftermath of this tragedy, I found myself absolutely brokenhearted with the destruction and lost in regards to my goals. Though my passion for healthcare remains unwavering, this prompted a period of self reflection and reevaluation toward my aspirations.

In the wake of this tragedy, I redirected my passion of helping others in another light as a community organizer with the Hawaii Worker’s Center. Since, we have explored the turbulence of Lahaina’s economic landscape and the housing crisis that exists today. This experience has been incredibly meaningful, allowing me to support and uplift fellow Lahaina residents and directly engage with issues facing my own community.

As I continue to navigate my journey, I am grateful for the opportunities to learn, grow, and contribute to the betterment of Lahaina. Though the path ahead may be uncertain, I am committed to following my heart and advocating for meaningful change that uplifts the voices of marginalized communities and ensures equitable access to healthcare for all. Together, we can forge a path towards a healthier, more equitable future for Hawaii.

For over 30 years, Matthew Nagato worked for Hawai‘i’s most vital health care organizations, including the Hawai‘i Medical Services Association and the Hawai‘i Primary Care Association, applying his diverse expertise in communications, strategic planning, process redesign, marketing, and information systems.

Born and raised in rural Waimānalo on the island of O‘ahu, he witnessed firsthand the inequities at the heart of our collective social challenges, and those experiences directly influenced his work on the documentary Ola – Health Is Everything, which Matthew wrote and directed in 2013. The film, which he describes as his love letter to Hawai‘i, remains his personal call to action for creating a more just, equitable world.

The following year, the sequel ‘Ike - Knowledge is Everywhere premiered at the Hawai‘i International Film Festival and was later broadcast on PBS Hawai‘i. The final film in his Hawai‘i trilogy, Ulu - Growth for Everyone, remains in production.

Matthew’s portfolio of award-winning campaigns and education projects has helped to overcome conventional public health messaging barriers and drove cross-sector efforts in addressing interpersonal violence, health and economic disparities, as well as social determinants. He was an invited speaker at the TEDx Honolulu event “Cultivating Community” and is currently the Deputy Communications Director for the Stupski Foundation.

Francine Makaonaona Dudoit-Tagupa (Aunty Fran) has more than 47 years of experience as a Registered Nurse and Native Hawaiian Practitioner. She has a Bachelor of Nursing Degree from the University of Hawaii and practiced as a Registered Nurse at St. Francis Hospital, where she introduced the first hospice care in Hawaii in a hospital. Aunty Fran began her career with Waikiki Health in 1998. She comes from a lineage of Native Hawaiian healers who taught her skills that are valued both in the Native Hawaiian and general community. Her services, as Waikiki Health's Director of Native Hawaiian Healing, combine cultural medicine (Native Hawaiian Healing) and traditional medicine (Western Medicine). Waikiki Health's core service of Primary Medical Care is fully integrated with Aunty Fran's Native Hawaiian Healing services which offer a path of entry for patients unfamiliar or uncomfortable with Western Medicine.

Aunty Fran is a leader and role model for everyone around her, and she has made a powerful and lasting impact both through her Waikiki Health services and her community-based initiatives. For example, Waikiki Health's Pu'uhonua Prison Program, introduced in 2016, was conceived, developed, and is directed by Aunty Fran to address an unmet community need: many incarcerated men and women, post-release, have no job, no clothes, no funds, no transportation, no possibility of reconnecting with family members, leaving them no choice but recidivism (relapse into criminal behavior). While the Pu‘uhonua Prison Program is presented in a cultural framework, targeting Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, Pu‘uhonua ("a safe place of healing") is designed to motivate and benefit any incarcerated man or woman. Most remarkably, Pu ‘uhonua has achieved a recidivism rate for its thousands of participants over the last 2 1/2 years of less than 1 %, compared to Hawaii's overall recidivism rate of 86%.

Jennifer Kaneakalau is from Kāne’ohe, O‘ahu! She achieved her associates degree in Liberal Arts at Windward Community College. Then, her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology followed by a Master’s of Social Work at UH Mānoa. She has worked at Windward Community College in a multitude of roles from student employee, student mentor then program coordinator and now counselor for a program called Paipai o Ko'olau.