Controlled by Native Hawaiians
The Trusted Bridge in the Pacific
The Trusted Bridge?
A 501(c)3 Non-Profit Native Hawaiian Organization (NHO)
70+ Years of Military Experience
Led (and controlled) by retired Native Hawaiian’ military officers and successful CEOs who are dedicated to serving our Native Hawaiian’ people and the men and women protecting our Country.
Drawing on the combat experience of veterans raised on these islands, our NHO Board of Directors carries both the profound kuleana (responsibility) of a people who have called Hawaiʻi home for generations and a clear-eyed grasp of the operational demands facing our warfighters who train here to defend the nation.
Our NHO board members bridge that gap naturally — because there is no gap for us. We have faithfully served this nation in uniform and come home to serve the Native Hawaiian communities we grew up in and where our families have lived for generations.
Controlled By Native Hawaiians
Who are Native Hawaiians? — “any individual whose ancestors were natives, prior to 1778, of the area which now comprises the State of Hawaii.” – 13 CFR § 124.3
Why Our NHO Exists
Our NHO began with a promise – one our Chairman made at his father’s beside before he passed on December 8, 2023. To build a dialysis clinic in Ka’u, so no family in his rural hometown would ever have to watch a loved one go without the care they need.
That promise still drives everything we do.
We keep it – and carry the wider work forward – through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 8(a) program: an economic engine Congress wrote into law for community economic development, not individual gain.
Why Our NHO is Different
We are led by genuine Native Hawaiians, as defined by federal law.
Pre-1778 lineage: Our (verified) Native Hawaiian lineage traces back to ancestors living in Hawaiʻi before 1778, the historical benchmark used by the Small Business Administration (SBA) to define Native Hawaiian ancestry.
Born and raised in Hawaii. This is not simply where we operate. It is where we come from. Our kupunas, parents, siblings and extended families live on these islands. Our connection to the people and the land goes back generations.
Transparent: The 501(c)(3) choice was deliberate. We publish our NHO Board salaries and our federal tax returns on-line . So anyone can see exactly where the money goes, and the good it does for the people of Ka’u.
Authentic NHO giveback: We DO NOT simply donate funds to other Hawaii-based organizations and take credit for their work. We are on the ground, doing the work ourselves and directly supporting the communities we serve.
We defend the NHO program’s integrity. We are not asking for the benefit of the doubt. We prioritize transparency and will ensure that every dollar generated by our NHO goes DIRECTLY to the families in the Native Hawaiian communities we serve.