Page 2 - MidWeek Kauai - July 21, 2021

2 KAUA‘I MIDWEEK JULY 21, 2021
Growing up, my ear- liest memories were spent with ʻohana,
The EA app is currently being used to drive a peo- ple-powered economy in the village at Pu‘uhonua O Waimānalo. The communi- ty stays connected virtually, and digital literacy improves through productive use of technology and innovation.
To learn more, check out exchangeave.com or Instagram (@exchangeave).
John Kealoha Garcia has had the opportunity to build his career based on storytelling — weaving technology and inno- vation into accessible morsels of information that have the ability to activate audiences toward positive action.
“Nā Leo Alaka‘i” is pre- sented by Kamehameha Schools to amplify the wisdom of ‘ōiwi leaders from across the pae ‘āina and recognize the immeasurable ways they strengthen our communities, inspire the lāhui and elevate Hawaiʻi nei.
Self-rediscovery Inspires Digital Economy
exploring the ʻāina at my papa’s house in Nānākuli. Those days spent on Nānākuli Avenue shaped my sense of culture, place and belonging.
Since launching one year ago, we’ve registered almost 1,000 members, with ex- changes happening around the world, from Hawaiʻi to Costa Rica.
As I got older and my curi- osity about my culture grew, I remember my papa would share moʻolelo about our people who, before the over- throw in 1893, thrived in a highly organized, self-suffi- cient subsistent social system. At the core of this system was the ahupuaʻa, a land division that sustained the Hawai- ian people for thousands of years. Resources were cul- tivated from mountain to ocean, and abundance was shared amongst the commu- nity with a focus on health and well-being.
Mobile app Exchange Ave. allows members to create a profile, upload items, and browse a marketplace of goods, services, events and opportunities in the area. PHOTO COURTESY JOHN KEALOHA GARCIA
EA’s goal is to become a global economy focused on connecting indigenous com- munities worldwide with Ha- waiʻi serving as a model for a sustainable way of living.
Aloha was the currency.
In 2018, I moved home after spending two years in New York City. Being away allowed me to explore differ- ent cultures and ultimately
The mobile app allows members to create a profile, upload items, and browse a marketplace of goods, ser- vices, events and opportuni- ties offered by neighbors in your area.
Growing up in Honolulu and continuing through my career in the corporate world, I slowly lost that connection my papa believed in and in- stilled in us. As family mem- bers passed — memories and ʻike (information/stories) were lost.
led me to appreciate and re- connect to my own.
ple Maiʻa Foundation’s annu- al competition.
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I began growing kalo in a small mala (garden) in Ka‘imukī, as a way for my ʻohana to eat healthier. That garden grew into a commu- nity foodscape and ultimate- ly fueled the development of my latest venture, Exchange Ave. (EA); ideated and real- ized as part of an indigenous innovation incubator in 2020 called the Purple Prize, Pur-
EA is a portal to the past and a bridge to our future. It’s a digital economy inspired by the ahupua‘a, with aloha and shared abundance at its core.
Fill in the blank cells using numbers 1 to 9. Each number can appear only once in each row, column, and 3x3 block. Use logic and process of elimination to solve the puzzle. The difficulty level ranges from Bronze (easiest) to Silver to Gold (hardest). Answers are on page 11
RATING: BRONZE