“We need to make it possible for our residents to make the best life for themselves and their families here at home.”
Brandon Kurisu has always embodied an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to make things better for others. Early on in the pandemic, he spearheaded the development and adoption of the AlohaSafe Alert application in Hawai‘i, working with all four counties, the state government, Google/Apple, and key stakeholders in the private and non-profit sectors to keep Hawai‘i safe.
Kurisu said going through this process led to something more, as well – an understanding that “we have a responsibility to do something to help our community. Rather than watching from the side and waiting for something to happen, we need to jump in and work with other sectors for the betterment of Hawai‘i. Everyone brings something valuable to the table.”
That’s why Holomua is so important to him. It, too, strives to unite multiple agencies towards a common goal of improving the quality of life in the Islands. “We’ve always said that in Hawai‘i, if there is collaboration between the business community, state/county governments, the Native Hawaiian community, union organizations, community-based organizations and important institutions such as the University of Hawai‘i System, collectively, we can make an impact and push things forward.”
Born and raised in Mililani and a graduate of Mililani High School, Kurisu, as the COO of the aio Family of Companies, oversees aio’s media holdings and various digital companies and initiatives. He says about half of his employees are from Generation Y or Z, and he understands how so many younger people, as well as the broader population, struggle with Hawai‘i’s high cost of living. “We need to make it possible for our residents to make the best life for themselves and their families here at home,” he says. “Hawai‘i has something special. You can feel it. Others that come here can feel it. I want to help preserve that. We are doing this for our children, and our children’s children.
