Fellows mentioned in this story:
Janice Ikeda
Yunji de Nies

From Hawai‘i News Now:

Janice Ikeda was born and raised in Hilo — the only place she’s ever wanted to be. Home isn’t just where she lives; it’s what gives her purpose. “This is the place that has fed me, grown me, and fed my children and taught my children, and it’s the place that holds the bones of my ancestors. And it’s as simple as it’s the place that I belong.”

As the founder and executive director of Vibrant Hawai‘i, Ikeda works to strengthen the island that raised her, helping communities rediscover their own capacity to thrive.

“Vibrant Hawaiʻi ultimately is an administrative backbone,” she explains. “We serve the role as convener. We provide training and technical assistance, but the fruit of all of that depends on the seed and the vision that the community had. Our role is to be the soil and the water, to nourish the seeds of hope and vision that everyone carries within themselves.”

Through Vibrant Hawai‘i, her work has expanded from food hubs to digital literacy to community-led healing projects — each rooted in local wisdom and the belief that Hawai‘i already holds the solutions it needs.

Watch at hawaiinewsnow.com.