Andy Arakaki brings over 20 years of experience in brand development, design thinking, marketing and advertising strategy, and technology to his role as Chief External Affairs Officer at HomeAid Hawai‘i. With a deep passion for affordable housing and a commitment to serving the people of Hawai‘i, he leads storytelling efforts, engagement strategies, and partnerships that help shift public perception and support deeply affordable housing solutions for Hawai‘i's most vulnerable communities.

Before joining HomeAid, Andy served as Director of Marketing at Locations LLC, Hawai‘i’s largest locally owned real estate brokerage. There, he led the launch of strategic MarTech initiatives, developed agent engagement programs to improve retention, and guided the rebrand of Luxury Locations, launched with a luxury real estate TV series with Hawaii News Now.

Earlier in his career, Andy founded and ran Mix Plate Media for 15 years, an independent advertising agency that served clients across finance, retail, tourism, energy, and real estate, as well as nonprofit organizations such as the University of Hawai‘i, Maryknoll School, The Nature Conservancy, Pearl Harbor Historic Sites, and the Institute for Human Services.

Building on that experience, he also launched several digital platforms, including REAL Hawai‘i, a real estate search marketplace focused on new developments, Affordable Housing Hawai‘i, a platform highlighting programs, projects, and solutions that support affordable housing, and Buzz Hawai‘i, one of the state’s first online activity desk platforms, built in 2006 and acquired in 2011.

Born and raised in Honolulu, Andy’s work is rooted in his commitment to Hawai‘i and his belief in building systems that allow local people to thrive where they live. He continues to focus on projects that drive equity, elevate local voices, and create meaningful, lasting impact.