As the Chief Executive Officer of HomeAid Hawai‘i, Kimo leads the organization’s mission to build housing solutions for people experiencing homelessness and who are at risk of a housing crisis. Under his leadership, HomeAid Hawai‘iis currently the lead developer for Governor Green’s Kauhale Initiative and Maui Interim Housing Programs aimed at building more than 1,045 homes across the State of Hawai‘i.
With 17 years of experience in healthcare, human services, and construction, his career has been at the intersection of developing housing solutions and solving socio-economic challenges facing disadvantaged people. He has responded to two major disasters resulting in 930 homes, created eight clinics and medical centers, nine specialty shelters with 164 beds, and four Kauhale villages consisting of another 219 homes. Kimo aims to develop 12 additional Kauhale villages making HomeAid Hawai‘ione of the largest housing developers for people experiencing homelessness across the State of Hawai‘i.
Prior to HomeAid Hawai‘i, Kimo served as the VP of Community Impact for Aloha United Way, overseeing $30M in annual impact funds supporting 247 nonprofits. He also led Hawai‘i’s United for ALICE initiative developing upward economic mobility for Hawai‘i’s working poor.
As the former Executive Director of Queen Lili‘uokalani Trust’s Opportunity Youth Centers, Kimo led the development of Lydia House for youth in crisis. And when he served as theCommunity Relations Director at The Institute for Human Services (IHS), he expanded the agency from 2 to 11 facilities, including Hawai‘i’s first medical respite project.
Kimo is a graduate of Damien High School, received a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering from Tulane University in addition to attending Tulane Medical School, and received an MBA from Hawai‘iPacific University. He has received recognition as one of PBN’s 40 Under 40 (2015), Hawaiʻi Business Magazine’s 20 for the Next 20 (2022), and several awards in film and communications. As a former foster youth whose mother has lived on the streets for 22 years with schizophrenia, Kimo is an advocate for those suffering with mental illness and has been a champion of Hawai‘i’s Assisted Community Treatment Law and foster care reforms.
