He maiʻa ke kanaka a ka lā e hua ai
Why Purple Maiʻa? | Our History | Team | Sponsors
Why Purple Maiʻa?
Maiʻa means banana ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, and references the purple flower of the banana tree. Purple is the rarest color in nature, reminding us to seek out the “purple-ness” in our haumāna–the things that make each student rare and unique.
OUR HISTORY

PURPLE MAIʻA WAS FOUNDED
By Olin Lagon, Donavan Kealoha, and Kelsey Amos in 2013. At that time the idea was simple: start a nonprofit that teaches Hawaiian kids how to code. But we quickly realized that our hopes for our keiki and our ambitions for Hawaiʻi’s people were much bigger than just coding.
We wanted to give ʻōpio the skills, mindsets, and mālama that they need to not only succeed personally but to solve problems for their communities in the 21st century. And we wanted to fundamentally change the perception that there is anything contradictory or unusual about Kanaka Maoli and other people of Hawaiʻi being excellent in areas like technology and entrepreneurship.
YOU HAVE TO START SMALL, FAIL FAST AND KEEP MOVING.
So we started with one after school tech class at Kūlia All Stars. The next year we had classes at three locations. The next year it was too many to keep track of. And along the way we started projects that intervene for different age levels and in different subject matter.
Purple Maiʻa has grown and keeps evolving with every new team member, idea, and experience. But the mission remains the same: to inspire and educate the next generation of culturally grounded, community serving technology makers and problem solvers.

HUI ʻOHANA

Mike Sarmiento
Kula Director

Dan Kinzer
Kumu

Megan Nepshinsky
Kumu

Manu Mei-Singh
Kaikaina, Program Director

Kelsey Amos
Co-Founder, Director

Jacqueline Kroupa
Kumu

Donovan Kealoha
Co-Founder, Executive Director

Kiane Kanaha
Kumu

Victor Lee
Hiapo, Program Director

Shannon Edie
Board Director

Naomi Yoshida
Marketing Manager

Jackson Solomon
Program Assistant

Alec Wagner
Purple Prize, Program Director

Kahealani Lono
Kumu

Ashlynn Miyashiro
Designer

Kamuela Enos
Board Member

Joe Baranowski
Kumu

Olin Lagon
Co-Founder, Advisor

Keahi Selhorst
Hiapo, Program Director

David Pickett
Kumu

Blaine Kahoʻonei
Board Member

Elena Farden
Board Member

Forest Frizzell
Board Member
The “we may not see you as often, but still ʻohana” hui

Kalei Akau
Documentarian, Purple Prize

Nate Nahina
Kumu

Louis-John Romero
Intern

Bill Evangelista
Kumu

Levi Hoʻokanuo
Ex-Officio Board Member

Nāpali Souza
Ex-Officio Board Member

Marion Ano
Kumu

Kelela Moo
Kumu

Albert Yee
Intern