Growing from the ground up:
Mikiʻala Lidstone’s journey of heart, hustle, and ʻāina
If you’ve ever sat across from Mikiʻala Lidstone, chances are you walked away inspired — and maybe just a little more rooted.
She doesn’t lead with fanfare or ego. She leads with intention. With aloha. With kuleana.
As the founder and Executive Director of Ulu Aʻe Learning Center, Miki has spent over a decade weaving people back into the story of the land.
Her work in West Oʻahu is not just about education — it’s about empowerment. It’s about cultural continuity. And it’s about healing our relationship to ʻāina.
But like all great journeys, hers began with a sense of place — and a call to serve.
BORN OF MANY PLACES, GROUNDED IN ONE PURPOSE
Mikiʻala Lidstone’s roots span both sides of the island of Oʻahu in Hawaiʻi, giving her a deep and layered understanding of Hawaiʻi's diverse communities.
Today, she lives in Kapolei, not far from where she was born—close enough to feel the salt in the wind and the stories in the land.
It’s no coincidence that her work centers on place-based education. For Miki, sense of place isn’t a theory — it’s a way of life.
Through Ulu Aʻe, she works to ensure that all keiki and youth in West Oʻahu have access to culture-based programs that deepen their relationships to ʻāina and to one another. Because when you know where you come from, you stand differently in the world.
FROM KUMU TO CHANGEMAKER
Before founding Ulu Aʻe in 2014, Miki was already building something special — as a teacher at Kapolei High School and a kumu hula with Hālau ʻo Kaululauaʻe. Her classrooms were more than spaces for learning; they were spaces for remembering.
As parents and community groups began urging her to expand her reach, she listened. The seeds of Ulu Aʻe were first planted in 2004, long before paperwork or grant funding.
They were planted in trust. In community. In pilina.
In time, those seeds grew.
THE PAPERWORK AND THE PASSION
Fast forward to 2023. A major grant opportunity appeared — one that aligned perfectly with Ulu Aʻe’s work.
But as many small nonprofits know, alignment doesn’t mean accessibility.
The application required a formal financial audit, something few grassroots organizations can afford. Still, Miki moved forward. She found another way. She worked with her team to submit alternative documentation, crafted a 150-page proposal in a matter of weeks, and leaned on others when the weight got heavy.
“There were so many moments where I thought, ‘This is too much.’ But I knew how important this was. I had to try.”
She also reached out to ChangeMakers Hawaiʻi’s and was connected with their Fund Development Director Becky Brett, who provided not just technical edits, but great insight. Together, they shaped an application that told Ulu Aʻe’s story clearly, powerfully, and unapologetically.
VICTORY—AND THEN RIGHT BACK TO WORK
The grant was awarded.
It was a moment of validation — not just for Miki, but for everyone who had helped Ulu Aʻe grow from the ground up. But instead of taking a break, Miki went right back to writing the next proposal, planning the next gathering, and thinking about the next generation.
Because this is more than a job. It’s her kuleana.
And kuleana doesn’t pause.
THE TRUTH ABOUT RESILIENCE
Before that big win, Miki had faced five straight rejections. It would’ve been easy to lose hope. But she didn’t.
“You’ve got to be able to fall down and get back up. You’ve got to be okay starting the year with nothing.”
In a world that often prioritizes scale over soul, Miki leads differently. She builds slow. She builds strong. She builds in relationship — with people, with place, and with the values that raised her.
WHAT ULU AʻE REALLY MEANS
Translated, ulu aʻe can mean “to grow up, to rise.” But it also evokes something deeper: the idea of emerging from the land, of growing from what is already there.
That’s what Miki does. She doesn’t impose. She nurtures.
She doesn’t create change from the outside in. She cultivates it from the roots up — where culture, community, and ʻāina meet.
WANT TO SUPPORT MIKIʻALA AND THE WORK OF ULU AʻE LEARNING CENTER?
Visit uluae.org to learn more, donate, or get involved. Because when we invest in leaders like Miki, we’re investing in the future of Hawaiʻi — grounded in place, led with heart.
Strong communities are built on pilina—relationships rooted in trust,
reciprocity, and shared vision.
If you, or an organization you care about, are looking for support with fund development skills, ChangeMakers Hawai‘i offers culturally grounded guidance and resources.