Moloka'i Connect
What is Moloka’i Connect?
Moloka‘i Connect was formed through a collaboration between the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), and the State of Hawai’i, working in alignment with the Connect Kākou initiative and the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) to address the digital and economic divide faced by the island of Moloka‘i. The project was carried throughout the Spring 2025 academic semester and brought together a team of four students: Jordan Launstein, Payton Higa, Micah Schoefield, and myself. I served as one of two project managers, contributing to community outreach, interviews, research, presentation development, scheduling, solution ideation, and product creation.
Roles & Collaboration
- Project Initiation (January 2025): Team roles assigned; responsibilities defined; partnership expectations established.
- Research & Community Engagement: Early meetings with DHHL, Connect Kākou, and other stakeholders in order to establish project direction and initial research efforts.
Our objective with this project was to develop a solution that closely aligned with the initial problem statement, a process that evolved significantly as we continued to engage with professionals and Moloka‘i community members. Our team was also given the great opportunity to visit the island of Moloka’i, which allowed us to speak with locals directly and provided us with essential firsthand insight into the residential challenges and digital barriers we seeked to surmount.
Process & Insights
- On-Island Visit: Traveled to Moloka‘i for in-person interviews and community conversations.
- Problem Reframing: Shifted focus from connectivity issues to a lack of awareness of existing digital resources.
- Key Discoveries: Identified gaps in digital literacy, resource visibility, and communication pathways both within outside of the community.
Ultimately, we identified that the primary barrier was not connectivity itself but the lack of awareness of already existing resources. In response to this, we opted to design a centralized resource aggregator using the UI/UX design tool Figma to organize all current and past programs on Moloka’i, built with the intention of accommodating future additions. We then formally presented our findings, project timeline, and final prototype to the Lieutenant Governor of Hawai’i, Sylvia Luke.
Solution & Outcomes
- Ideation & Prototyping: Developed and refined a centralized resource aggregator through iterative design in Figma.
- Final Presentation (May 2025): Delivered full project narrative, design rationale, and prototype demonstration to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.
- Next Steps: Discussed opportunities for potential continuation and long-term integration of the aggregator.
Note: For legal reasons, I am unable to provide public access to the resource aggregator developed for Moloka‘i Connect.
Photos:
(Left) The Moloka’i Connect team with our Professor Jeff Hui at a senate hearing at the Hawai’i State Capitol.
(Middle) Moloka’i Connect and the DHHL on our trip visiting the island of Moloka’i.
(Right) Moloka’i Connect and the DHHL at our first meeting with Hawai’i State Senator Lynn Decoite.
Additional photos available upon request.
To learn more about the broadband connectivity programs that Moloka’i Connect contributed to, please visit https://dhhlbroadband.com/
Project contacts and supervisors available upon request.