We exist to improve the lives of Native Hawaiians. We are committed to investing our funding in a disciplined manner based on established research and in collaboration with existing infrastructure, where possible, to yield the greatest impact. In this quest, our focus is on facilitating the creation and strengthening of the early childhood systems that will allow children from low-income Native Hawaiian families to reach their full potential.

All children deserve access to opportunities that support them to thrive—in school, at home, and in the community. Yet, for a majority of Native Hawaiian children, their families, and their communities, access to such opportunities is affected by historic and present-day policies and practices that work in reinforcing ways to perpetuate racial and socioeconomic inequities.

Children from low-income Native Hawaiian families do not have the same access to high-quality educational opportunities as do their peers. Their educational outcomes are lower. The opportunity and achievement gaps start early and result in much lower rates of college completion and social mobility for these children. While a high-quality education impacts all facets of a child’s life, early education has a disproportionate impact on the brain’s development. This makes the early years of informal and formal education an essential time to reduce educational disparities and improve the lives of children.

The Foundation’s work focuses on Native Hawaiians, primarily in Hawaii. The program’s strategy spans birth-to-3rd-grade and recognizes that early learning happens in many settings, both within the formal education system and outside of it—but most notably, within families.

Meet our Board

Daniel Marquardt

Chairman of the Board

Daniel traces his Native Hawaiian lineage through his Poepoe family line. His previous nonprofit work includes serving as a PTA board member and treasurer as well as supporting the World Rowing Island Program to develop National Rowing Federations and rowing programs in South Pacific nations. Daniel's professional background is in investment banking and as a CPA in corporate tax consulting. Daniel has bootstrapped and grown multiple companies with eight-figure annual revenue across a variety of sectors. Daniel holds a Master of Accountancy in Tax and a Bachelor Degree in accounting from Brigham Young University.

Kristen Marquardt

Board Member

Kristen possesses extensive international and domestic nonprofit experience including multiple years of oversight responsibility for State Department and USAID funding in excess of $5 billion/annually. She executed this responsibility while serving as a Senior Advisor on the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC). Additional years of government service include nearly a decade at the CIA and time as the Senior Counselor to the Secretary of Homeland Security on counter-terrorism and Intelligence issues. In 2019, Kristen departed government to become the Chief Cyber Strategist at a Fortune 50 company and currently leads the North American Digital and Cybersecurity consulting practice for a global boutique partnership. Kristen holds a MA in Political Science (University of Utah) and a BA in International Law & Diplomacy (BYU).

Michael Marquardt

Board Member

Michael is passionate about his Native Hawaiian roots and early childhood education. He volunteers his time to help develop young people through his church. Michael is a relationship developer--a skillset honed in a career spanning two decades in the medical industry. He aims to continue to make a difference through projects similar to Poepoe's sponsorship that resulted in partner Papa Kolea being awarded a $1 million grant. Michael graduated summa cum laude from Arizona State University.