From Kalihi to the Obama Foundation

With his long red-tinged hair and 6’4” stature, Nalu O’Connor is a commanding presence, guiding UH Hilo students through impactful experiences across Hawaiʻi’s diverse landscapes. A Kalihi boy, he found his way to Hawaiʻi Island after answering the call to serve his community atop Maunakea in 2019. He carries his home with him, drawing from the lessons of aloha ʻāina (patriotism and love for the land) instilled by his upbringing on Oʻahu.

It’s because of these homegrown values that he was selected among thousands of applicants for the Obama Foundation’s latest cohort of their Leaders program.

Nalu isn’t new to engaging with issues at the systems level. As the leader of the Pacific Internship Programs for Exploring Science (PIPES), he regularly works with conservation organizations at the federal, state, and local levels to provide transformative experiences for UH Hilo students. In the few years he’s led PIPES, he has instituted the Moʻo ʻĀina Framework – a place-based capacity-building model that follows four values and relationships of Hawaiʻi: Naʻau, ʻĀina, Kaiāulu, and Kaʻao.

Nalu recognizes that the approach offers fresh perspectives and explains, “The vision is to create space for the people of Hawaiʻi in these fields and especially the values and relationships we come from.”

He looks forward to the opportunities the Obama Foundation program may provide, but is quick to express gratitude to the communities and ʻohana that led him here. For Nalu, leadership has never been about standing out, but about standing with his community, ensuring that the values of aloha ʻāina continue to guide him in shaping systems that honor both people and place.