What does it mean
to be Purple?
Purple is among the rarest colors in nature, reminding us to seek out the “purple-ness” in our haumāna–the things that make each student rare and unique. Maiʻa means banana ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. It references the purple flower of the banana tree.
Pukuʻi #779
He maiʻa ke kanaka a ka lā e hua ai
A person is a like a banana tree on the day it bears fruit. One can tell what kind of a person is by her deeds.
Our
Mission
On a mission to educate and empower the next generation of culturally grounded, community serving technology makers and problem solvers.
Our
Vision
A world-class Hawaiian institution that sets the standard for excellence in education, innovation, and entrepreneurship in the service of land and people.
Donovan Kealoha
Co-Founder, co-CEO of Purple Maiʻa Foundation
Our Moʻolelo
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.
Our Purple
support and impact
We're building more than programs—we're building pathways for people to thrive while serving their communities. Whether you're seeking employment, partnership, or simply want to understand our approach, these resources offer insight into how we work and why it matters.
