OCTOBER 1-3*, 2026
ʻAiaola
Food is Medicine
Summit
WINDWARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE, OʻAHU
Plus five huakaʻi destinations
OCTOBER 3 IS AN OPTIONAL HUAKAʻI DAY
Hosted by
As Hawaiʻi deepens its commitment to Food is Medicine and works toward a future where locally sourced nutrition is integrated into care, this summit represents a pivotal moment to align partnerships, policy, and community action.
Join leaders from healthcare, agriculture, and community organizations to advance Food is Medicine as both a practice and a longstanding cultural movement in Hawaiʻi. Together, we will explore how locally sourced, culturally grounded nutrition can strengthen community health while leveraging unique opportunities like the Medicaid 1115 Waiver to build a more resilient and equitable food and healthcare system.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Puni Jackson
Director of Hoʻoulu ʻĀina, Kōkua Kalihi Valley
Dr. Steven Chen
Chief Medical Officer, Recipe4Health Alameda County Public Health Department
Keaweʻaimoku Kaholokula
Professor and Chair, Native Hawaiian Health, John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), University of Hawai'i at Mānoa
Lead Co-Principal Investigator, Center for Pacific Innovations, Knowledge, and Opportunities (PIKO)
Valarie Blue Bird Jernigan
Director of the Center for Indigenous Health Research and Policy, Oklahoma State University
Kaina Makua
Founder, Kumano I Ke Ala
SPEAKERS
Alicia Higa
Executive Director, ʻElepaio Social Services, WCCHC
Kristin Frost Albrecht
Director, The Food Basket
Mary Oneha
CEO, Waimānalo Health Center
Malia Smith and Kapiʻolei Smythe
We The Well Beings, LLC
Jennifer Conway
Dietitian, Waimānalo Health Center
Christina Lee
Chief Medical Officer, Waimānalo Health Center
Monica Esquivel
Associate Professor, Department of Human Nutrition, UH Mānoa
Daniela Spoto
Deputy Director, Hawaiʻi Appleseed
Melissa Gibo
Vice President of Programs, Lanakila Pacific
Christen Oliveira Reppun
Kuina ʻAi Program Manager, HGFA
Jordan Smith
ʻAiaola Food is Medicine Program Manager, HGFA
Matt Haffenreffer
Process First
Kainoa Fialkowski Revilla
Director of Nutrition Support, UH Cancer Center
Vanessa Wong
Associate Professor, JABSOM
Megan Inada
Evaluator, Kōkua Kalihi Valley
Kuʻulei Freed
Evaluator, Kōkua Kalihi Valley
Amber Granite
WIC, Waimānalo Health Center
Funke Ajenikoko
Philanthropy, Rockefeller Foundation
Ian Simoy
Philanthropy, Weinberg Foundation
Jaz Cockett
Educator, Mālama Honua Charter School
Marvin Malohi
State Medicaid Office
Kari Shintaku
Vice President, ʻOhana Health Plan
Amy Miller
President and CEO, Hawaii Foodbank
Lisa Kimura
Community Health Lead, Kaiser Permanente
SUMMIT THEMES
ʻĀina & Community
Grounding Food is Medicine in place, food systems, and the people and communities that sustain them.
Care & Lived Experience
How Food is Medicine shows up in healthcare and communities, with equity and lived experience at the center.
Policy, Funding, & Access
The public systems, benefits, and policy and funding mechanisms that can support Food is Medicine at scale.
Food is Medicine Programs in Practice
The programs and delivery models putting Food is Medicine into action.
Evidence & Impact
How we know what works, what we measure, and what we're learning.
Cooking Demos By
Tammy Smith, KTer4U
Chris Fujimoto, Elepaio Services, WCCHC
Roots Program, Kōkua Kalihi Valley
Hoʻokuaʻāina
Friday Evening Pūpū Hour
ʻĀina-based pūpū, medicinal mocktails, awa, music, conversation
Huakaʻi Destinations
Get a hands-on experience at a working fishpond on the Windward side of Oʻahu
Through this hands-on experience, learn how traditional plants, fermented foods, and ʻike kūpuna can be woven together to support wellness.
Roots Program, Kokua Kalihi Valley
Visit Roots Food Hub, learn about their work, and cook lunch with locally sourced produce.
Cultural Cooking Class with Chris Fujimoto
'Ai Pono: Together, create easy dishes that are nutritious, culturally grounded, and delicious that hopefully expand views on indigenous crops and their potential to change not just the world but also your health and wellness.
Waianu Farm
Come learn about sustainable food systems from three generations of kalo farmers who steward water and ʻāina.
To apply for complimentary mahalo registration (available for farmers, Native Hawaiian healthcare workers, and students):
To inquire about sponsoring or being part of the summit:
To connect about a press pass:
With Support From
