20 for the Next 20: Shawn Kana‘iaupuni, Partners in Development Foundation

The nonprofit’s president and CEO leads unique educational initiatives, including a mobile preschool and assistance for homeless families.

Shawn Kana‘iaupuni learned much at the Polynesian Voyaging Society, including a deeper understanding of Hawaiian culture’s connection to the human spirit.

That’s carried through to her work with the Partners in Development Foundation, a nonprofit founded in 1997 that she now leads. “The community-based organization provides educational programs to keiki and ‘ohana, supporting them for success and service,” Kana‘iaupuni says.

Before joining PIDF in 2020, Kana‘iaupuni, an educator and Kamehameha Schools alumna, directed her alma mater’s Public Education Support Division and worked for the schools’ research and evaluation arm. That included studies on culture-based education and how it affects student outcomes.

Her own culture-based education included beginning sailing as a crew member in 2015 on part of Hōkūle‘a’s worldwide voyage.

“When I was on the ocean, I was like, ‘Oh, wow, this is home to me,’” she says. “But my kūlana (role) on the wa‘a (canoe) was, I was a newbie and I was a rookie. So I just learned to follow and be as helpful as possible and try to learn as fast as I could.”

The pursuit of learning and strengthening communities are core elements of PIDF’s programs, which include Tūtū and Me, a mobile preschool that trains families in early education, and the Ka Pa‘alana Homeless Family Education Program.

In 2022, PIDF and its partners won an eight-year, $20 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for their collaborative work on the Kawailoa project’s  restorative programs to reduce youth incarceration. Laura Dang, PIDF VP for administration, says Kana‘iaupuni’s ability to “analyze situations and think outside the box” enables the foundation’s broad reach.

PIDF’s focus on family resilience led it to partner with American Savings Bank to help children build financial literacy. The Keiki Assets Account (KA‘A) helps parents save for their children’s educational futures while giving them more confidence in handling their own money, says Beth Whitehead, executive VP and chief administrative officer at the bank.

“This program gives children a better start by helping their parents build a strong financial foundation,” Whitehead says. “The stability and opportunities it creates will have a huge impact on their lives as they grow up.”

Kana‘iaupuni sums up PIDF’s mission: “Mālama i ke ‘ohana, ola ka kaiāulu, which translates to when you care for family, you build healthy communities.”