We’re here for a radical idea, make the best quality local food accessible to everyone in the local community on Kaua’i and grow our local food ecosystem.
About
Since arriving on Kauaʻi, we’ve come to understand the depth and beauty of a Hawaiian concept called kuleana (koo-leh-ah-na). It carries many meanings—responsibility, privilege, right, concern, and duty—but at its heart, it is about a reciprocal relationship with the land, the people, and the community. To belong is to care, and to care is to earn belonging.
For us, kuleana is more than a word—it is a way of life. It calls us to protect the wai (water), nurture the ʻāina (land that feeds us), and create regenerative systems that nourish our community. Along our journey, we’ve been inspired by communities around the world, learning how people come together to care for what sustains them. Yet we always return our focus to Kauaʻi, listening deeply to what is needed here, now.
Once, the Hawaiian Kingdom fed all its people from these lands. Today, 80% of our food is imported. This reality drives our mission: to reclaim the abundance of our home by supporting clean waterways, fostering equitable access to agricultural lands, encouraging culinary innovation, building synergistic partnerships, and creating local culinary education opportunities. We strive to make nourishment accessible to everyone in our community, on sliding scales and in shared spaces that welcome all.
Every project we undertake is a step toward a thriving, self-sustaining Kauaʻi. We invite you to explore our work, celebrate what has been accomplished, and join us in shaping what is yet to come.
We are a project within the Inter-Nation Cultural Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization.
With aloha,
Emily, Andy, and Rob
Contact Us:
Emily Olson
aloha@ainaabundance.org
808.500.7444
Our Team
Emily Olson
Emily Olson has called Kauaʻi home since 2017 and carries a deep kuleana to steward ʻāina through practices rooted in aloha ʻāina, fostering healthy ecosystems and a nourished community. She brings over 14 years of entrepreneurial and leadership experience, having founded and scaled five mission-driven food businesses. Emily’s national work includes creating Foodzie, an online marketplace for artisan food makers, and Din, a premium meal kit service—earning recognition from Inc. Magazine’s Top 30 Under 30 Entrepreneurs, BusinessWeek’s Best Young Tech Entrepreneur, and Food & Wine Magazine’s 40 Big Food Thinkers Under 40. On Kauaʻi, she has helped establish Rainbow Road Ice Cream, Collab Bakeshop, and Collab Cafe, receiving honors such as the Governor’s Green Business Award, Surfrider’s Ocean Friendly Restaurant designation, and Hawaii Magazine’s Best Coffee Shop. A consistent thread throughout her work is local food as medicine, joy, and a pathway to deeper connection with ʻāina. Through ʻĀina Abundance, Emily continues her commitment to expanding access, impact, and regenerative food systems for the community.
Co-founder
Nourishing Community Connection and Well-being Through Networked Emergent Local Food Systems
Andy Gariepy
Co-founder
Seeding Healing Regenerative Gardens, Seed-to-Plate Culinary Innovation and Fostering Biologically Aligned Lifestyle
Andy Gariepy is a seed steward, herbalist, and regenerative systems practitioner rooted in the living landscapes of Kauaʻi. She serves on the board of Regenerations (also known as the Kauaʻi Food Forest), helping guide community-centered approaches to land care, education, and resilience. Andy actively stewards the community seed bank in partnership with the Kauaʻi Food Forest, protecting genetic diversity while ensuring locally adapted seeds remain in the hands of growers. Across Kauaʻi, she seeds healing gardens and manages three distinct agroforestry systems that integrate food production with ecological restoration. She is also a member of the culinary innovation team at Aloha Honeybee Farms, where she helps develop ferments such as tempeh, miso, and exotic fruit vinegars. Andy’s work bridges agriculture, culture, and cuisine, cultivating regenerative systems that nourish both people and place.
Rob Cruz
Co-founder
Stewarding Appropriate Genetics for Tropical Agroforestry and Refining Techniques & Skills for Abundant Regenerative Systems
Rob Cruz is a lifelong steward of regenerative land systems and a foundational leader in Kauaʻi’s local food movement. For more than a decade, he has co-led the stewardship of the Kauaʻi Food Forest, guiding its growth into a resilient, community-supported ecosystem. Rob oversees volunteer steward education, fostering hands-on learning that connects people directly to land-based responsibility and care. His work demonstrates regenerative systems in practice, extending beyond agroforestry to include ethical pig trapping and butchering to address ecological damage caused by invasive species and the absence of natural predators. Through his permaculture YouTube channel, Perma Ninja, Rob shares practical, place-based knowledge with a global audience. He is deeply committed to strengthening local food systems that restore balance between people, land, and community.
