Kawika Riley

Kawika Riley currently serves as the Vice President of External Affairs at Kupu, Hawai’i’s largest youth-focused conservation organization, and has held numerous leadership roles throughout a diverse career. With experience at Harvard University as a Senior Director of External Affairs and a Research Fellow focused on Indigenous governance, Kawika has also managed community change initiatives for the Liliʻuokalani Trust and acted as Chief Advocate for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Previously, Kawika founded the Pacific Islander Access Project and served in various capacities within government, including as Communications Director for the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Kawika holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and has continued professional development in areas such as federal regulatory drafting and emergency management.