ABOUT HOPENA FOUNDATION
HOPENA Foundation is awaiting 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization status, but was established by close friends and family to honor the life and legacy of Hopena Pokipala. After his passing, loved ones united with a shared purpose: to ensure his light continues to live on through service, opportunity, and meaningful impact. Hopena embodied the true spirit of Aloha, connection, generosity, and genuine care for others by touching thousands of lives and leaving a legacy our community is committed to carrying forward.
HOPENA Foundation uplifts youth who reflect the spirit Hopena lived by: young leaders grounded in Aloha, aspiring watermen and water women, and purpose-driven entrepreneurs. Through scholarships, partnerships, and community-centered initiatives, we create pathways for education, growth, and long-term success, guided always by cultural integrity, mālama ʻāina, transparency, and an ʻohana-first approach.
RAISED WITH PURPOSE
Hopena was raised surrounded by family and learned early the importance of hard work and doing right by others. Those values stayed with him and shaped how he cared for people and his community throughout his life.
A MESSAGE FROM ʻOHANA...
Thank you feels far too small for what you all have done, but it comes from the deepest place in my heart. Creating this foundation in my son, Hopena's, memory is one of the greatest honors our family could ever receive. He lived with a selfless heart, loving fiercely, giving freely, and always putting family and community first. Through this foundation, his spirit continues to move through the world-lifting others, bringing people together, and reminding us all of the power of kindness and service.
What you have built ensures that his life, though tragically short, will have an impact that reaches far beyond his years. I am endlessly grateful for your love, your compassion, and your commitment to carrying his legacy forward. Because of all of you, his name lives on not just in memory, but in action, purpose, and hope. Love you all beyond measure.
- Heather Keli'ikoa, Hopena's Mother
OUR PILLARS
humility; to be humble
A living example of humility and selflessness to all.
The HOPENA icon is a bold, stylized “H” that represents strength, connection, and cultural grounding. Rooted in balance and unity, it serves as a visual symbol of harmony—bridging mauka to makai, land to sea. The form reflects both resilience and care, honoring tradition while embracing growth, movement, and the future. It embodies the meeting point where community, culture, and purpose come together.
The HOPENA Foundation crest embodies the unity, protection, and balance that define the organization’s purpose. The tī leaf lei surrounding the shield symbolizes strength, blessing, and spiritual protection. The four quadrants within the shield each represent a part of Hopena’s legacy, illustrating the connection between people, place, and purpose.
The triangles represent pō to ao — the emergence of light from darkness. This symbol reflects the cultural understanding of balance, where light and shadow, positive and negative forces coexist in harmony. It communicates the foundation’s belief that growth follows challenge,and that light continues to endure through all transitions.