2024 Honorees:
The 47th annual Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce 2024 ‘Ō' ō Awards &Gala will be held October 4, from 5pm-9pm in the Coral Ballroom at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
Our kūpuna taught us, “Na ke kanaka mahiʻai ka imu ō nui (Pukui 2239)” A well-filled imu belongs to the one who tills the soil. Basically, you reap what you sow. This year we honor those who have led our communities in various ways to till the soil across the paeʻāina.
This award was conceived 47 years ago, to showcase and honor Native Hawaiian business leaders that demonstrate courage, resilience and dedication to their craft and the people of Hawaiʻi. These ʻōiwi leaders are reminders that Hawaiian culture and values continue to be important pillars for how we do business and what we pass on to the next generation of leaders.
The Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce is proud to present this year's ‘Ō‘ō Award to three outstanding and very deserving honorees Paula Lynn Ka'iulani Akana, Corbett Aaron Kamoha’ikiokalani Kalama & Thomas Keali'i'aimoku Nāhiʻenaʻena McClellan.
Paula Lynn Kaʻiulani Akana
Paula Akana is the President & CEO of The Friends of ʻIolani Palace. Her journey to ʻIolani Palace in July of 2019 came after years of keeping Hawaii’s residents informed. Paula spent 35 years as a broadcast journalist for KITV Island News, where she focused on Hawaiian issues and Hawaiian culture. She was the long-time host of the Merrie Monarch Festival and the Queen Liliʻuokalani Keiki Hula Competition. Paula is a proud graduate of the Kamehameha Schools and the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism.
Paula has served on numerous local nonprofit boards over the past three decades, including MAʻO Organic Farms, and the YMCA Metro Honolulu. She also both covered the voyaging canoe Hōkūleʻa for television and volunteered with the Polynesian Voyaging Society.
As the President & CEO of The Friends of ʻIolani Palace, she oversees the day-to-day operations of this historic landmark and wahi pana. During the pandemic, Paula navigated the non-profit organization through the most challenging time of its 50 plus year history. She actively seeks funding to keep the organization operational and works to maintain the physical integrity of ʻIolani Palace and the other buildings on property.
Corbett Aaron Kamoa Kalama
As President and Chief Executive Officer of RESCO, Inc., Locations’ parent company, Corbett A.K. Kalama oversees the overall strategy and operations of the company, including the firm’s core brokerage operations, and institutional and developer relationships.
Prior to joining Locations in 2023, Corbett served as executive vice president of the Weinberg Foundation’s Hawaii Office. He has also held numerous positions at First Hawaiian Bank over 32 years, including executive vice president and manager of the bank’s Wealth Management Group.
Corbett serves on the boards of the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation and the First Hawaiian Bank Foundation, and he is president of Friends of Hawaii Charities, as well as director and coach of Kailua Canoe Club. He has previously served as a Kamehameha Schools Trustee.
He is a graduate of Western Oregon University and the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington, where he was also a faculty member for 20 years.
Thomas 'Aimoku McClellan
Thomas 'Aimoku McClellan has dedicated decades to advancing the well-being of Native Hawaiians. His primary goal has been to empower the next generation of Native Hawaiian business leaders by providing them with tools to build family wealth and give back to their communities. His contributions include offering mentorship, resources, and financial support to those pursuing education and entrepreneurship.
In the 1990s, 'Aimoku and his wife founded The Poi Company, focusing on making pa‘i‘ai (undiluted poi) more available, especially to kūpuna. He improved production methods and shared his expertise with small Native Hawaiian-owned poi companies after selling the business.
'Aimoku also served as President and CEO of Pelatron, Inc., a Native Hawaiian Organization (NHO) owned company that specialized in defense contracting. Under his leadership, Pelatron developed advanced systems for the Department of Defense and grew significantly, receiving recognition as one of Hawai‘i’s fastest-growing companies.
He co-founded the Pelatron Center for Economic Development (PCED) to support Native Hawaiian business development and served as the third President of the Native Hawaiian Organizations Association (NHOA), where he stabilized the industry and strengthened relationships with federal agencies and indigenous groups.
'Aimoku's leadership has consistently centered on uplifting Native Hawaiian businesses and providing opportunities for future generations to thrive.