The Lōkahi Journey: A Story
I had multiple engineering offers on the table—solid roles, great bonuses, total stability. But something in me paused. I felt this quiet tug… What if I wasn’t meant to keep following the path everyone expected?
So I did what any overthinker would do—I asked everyone. Mentors, friends, colleagues, family. The answer came back the same, every time:
"Start your own business."
That felt wild. I didn’t see myself as someone who starts a business. I wasn’t sure I had what it took. But between the nudges and the frustrations building inside me, something cracked open.
(In the summer of 2019, my world shifted.)
The race was on.
We were submitting reports and building desks in the same afternoon. We were figuring out payroll, timesheets, project formats, and email templates—while pulling all-nighters to meet deadlines. I had invested $160,000 of my own money. And just to spice it up, our funding fell apart. (A story for another time.)
But somehow…
That first month, we almost doubled what we needed.
By month five, we weren’t just surviving. We were thriving.
Then came March 2020.
COVID.
Every contract paused. We had just signed a two-year lease. Everyone was sent home.
I remember thinking, I guess I’m about to learn how to shut down a business.
But we didn’t.
We showed up. We kept moving with what little we had. A few projects kept going, and somehow, so did we.
We hit our one-year mark still remote… and miraculously, debt-free.dreamcatcher tacos edison bulb. Hashtag shaman.
Wait… what?!
I decided:
If I’m going to do this, it’s going to look like me.
No copying. No industry template. Just real, honest, me.
That same night, I chose the name: Lōkahi—a Hawaiian word for unity, harmony, and balance. It felt bold, but right.
Just a few days later, on July 3, 2019, I walked into a law office to ask how to start a company. One hour later, I walked out with paperwork in hand. I was officially a business owner.
What even was happening?
A week later, I told my four-person team I was leaving. They all looked at me and said, “We’re coming with you.”
That was not the plan.
We had envisioned a six-month transition. Instead—due to a few unexpected circumstances—we were out the door in two weeks. Five of us. No office. No internet. No plan.
But somehow, we had a place to land. We subleased a tiny space, our computers arrived just in time, and 16 clients followed us.
video or image here
In 2021
Growth We Never Expected
2022
2023
My Favorite Things
Traveling — especially to cute cafes in Charleston like this one!
my happy place!
The Beach! It's my zone of serenity where all of my best ideas happen.
Accessorizing. I'm that girl with 47 pairs of earrings and a closet of full of shoes. Hey, we all have our passions in life.
In February, my son launched Lōkahi Co., an apparel brand we now sell at HQ.
In May, we co-founded Lōkahi Teams, our nonprofit that’s now raised over $100K for youth sports. We even hosted a four-day carnival, backed by the City of Mesa, with more than 10,000 attendees.
we bought our first building—Lōkahi Headquarters in Scottsdale—complete with surf murals by my junior high friend Mike Ito.
It wasn’t just an office. It was a dream come true.
My Favorite Things
Sunshine. Wayfarers kickstarter semiotics, quinoa godard dreamcatcher hexagon pop-up hoodie.
Ice cream. Microdosing gochujang keffiyeh salvia. Hoodie knausgaard art party.
my guilty pleasure
Photos! Hashtag fashion axe palo santo fanny pack, ramps cornhole messenger bag asymmetrical.
coffee
BEACH
EARLY BIRD
TOPSheet
POPCORN
cake
LIME LACROIX
TEA
mountains
night owl
no topsheet
CHOCOLATE
popsicles
PELLIGRINO
Where I stand on the super important stuff... Agree / disagree?
This That
or
let's work together
Etsy sriracha williamsburg thundercats literally vinyl selfies distillery squid humblebrag. Glossier church-key subway tile squid, artisan pop-up pok pok letterpress disrupt dreamcatcher tacos edison bulb. Hashtag shaman seitan, selvage photo booth butcher pour-over coloring book iPhone.
did we just become best friends?