Rooted Intelligence. Bold Solutions.

Build from a strong foundation.

Guided by ʻike kupuna, innovation and impact. Kahua Strategies helps organizations build with integrity, rooted in culture, community and pono practices.

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Our Name, Our Purpose.

Kahua means “foundation” in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.
We believe in building from the ground up: intentionally, respectfully, and with integrity.

As a Native Hawaiian-led firm, our work is rooted in the values of mālama (care), kuleana (responsibility), and aloha (love).

We design and lead culturally grounded engagement strategies that elevate community voice and ensure inclusive, informed decision-making. Through deep relationships, facilitation rooted in Hawaiian values, and clear communication strategies, Kahua Strategies helps organizations build trust and align with the communities they serve.

From large-scale development projects to organizational initiatives and cultural alignment work, we guide meaningful engagement processes that move beyond check-the-box outreach.

Every partnership begins with listening and from there, we build a foundation for meaningful, lasting impact.

Guiding Pillars of Kahua Strategies

  • ʻIke Kupuna

    Rooted in ancestral wisdom, ʻike kupuna serves as the cultural grounding and ethical compass for every engagement. It anchors each project in place, culture, and ancestral integrity, ensuring every strategy is not only effective, but pono.

  • Innovation

    Creativity guided by context. At Kahua Strategies, innovation means designing bold, adaptive solutions that honor tradition while meeting the evolving needs of community, ʻāina, and systems partners.

  • Impact

    Change that matters. Our work seeks more than deliverables. It seeks transformation. Impact is measured not only in outcomes, but in relationships built, voices elevated, and systems shifted toward pono practices and aloha.

Leonani Puailihau

Our Founder

Founder of Kahua Strategies LLC, Leonani is a Native Hawaiian strategist, storyteller, and connector with over 15 years of experience in cross-sector collaboration, community leadership, and cultural strategy.

A proud kānaka entrepreneur, Leonani is committed to uplifting Hawaiʻi through grounded strategy and bold vision — helping organizations do business in and with Hawaiʻi authentically, respectfully, and with aloha.

Our Services

How We Partner

  • Naming, narrative, and identity work rooted in place and ʻIke Kupuna.

  • Helping businesses align operations and messaging with Hawaiʻi values and ethics.

  • Guiding values-based conversations that uplift community voice and strengthen trust.

  • Helping teams share their work with authenticity, alignment, and aloha.

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Partnerships

  • DTL

    Howard Hughes

  • Actions of Aloha

  • OLA

    Oils Legacy Aloha

  • ‘ŌLA

    (ʻŌʻiwi Leadership Accelerator)

  • Kanaka Collective

  • Moani Restaurant Group

    Moani Island Bistro & Bar

    Moani Waikīkī

  • Friends of Keoni Souza

    Community Engagement

  • Noho Home

    Inspiration Studio Curriculum

Consult With Us

"Outreach without strategy is noise." Kahua Strategies integrates engagement with program design, evaluation, and strategic planning—ensuring community insights inform not just the message, but the mission.

Trust us to get the job done right.