By Jessica Wong
NaHHA is proud to share an article from one of our Lamakū Hoʻokipa – Beacons of Hospitality – who exemplify the value of mālama and are making meaningful impacts as contributing members of the Native Hawaiian community.
KAMEA began in the summer of 2014 when our oldest child was just one year old. In ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, mea can refer to “things” or “creations,” the many expressions that come from our hands through ʻike, manaʻo, and lived experiences.
Sewing and crafting had always been part of my life, and in many ways, KAMEA grew from that simple idea: creating with care and intention. I never attended fashion school or earned a degree in design. When I first started, I only knew how to sew one style of dress. With patience, practice, and faith, that single design slowly grew into the collection we create today.
In the early days, I did everything myself, from cutting fabric and sewing each piece to tagging garments and shipping orders one by one. As the business grew, I began working with trusted manufacturing partners. Even now, designing and sewing remain deeply personal to me and where I feel most creative and connected.
Over time, our journey began to grow beyond clothing. My husband and I felt a calling to create opportunities for other small businesses like ours. That calling eventually became Kākoʻo Hawaiʻi.
The word kākoʻo means to uphold, support, and assist. Kākoʻo Hawaiʻi began as a small pop-up market with a simple purpose: to give local artisans and entrepreneurs a place to share their work and connect with the community.
Today it has grown into a vibrant marketplace rooted in collaboration and the spirit of hoʻokipa. Many of the businesses that participate are Native Hawaiian-owned and incorporate the ʻike, values, and stories of this place, along with a broader community of local makers who celebrate and respect Hawaiian culture.
During Merrie Monarch week that sense of community becomes even more meaningful. We are deeply grateful for the Merrie Monarch Festival and the way it brings people from across Hawaiʻi and around the world to Hilo to celebrate hula and Hawaiian culture.
My husband and I believe the marketplace can also be ministry. When we choose collaboration over competition, we strengthen one another. Leading with faith and aloha means creating opportunities, mentoring where we can, and remembering that success is meant to be shared. With faith, hard work, and a community that believes in you, even the smallest idea can blossom into something meaningful.
Jessica Wong is the founder of KAMEA and co-founder of Kākoʻo Hawaiʻi along with her husband, Kameaaloha Wong. She is a mother of three. Grounded in faith and guided by the values of our culture, Kākoʻo Hawaiʻi will host the Kākoʻo Hawaiʻi Market – One Merrie Event at Sangha Hall in Hilo from April 9–11, 2026. For more info and for ways you can support local and buy Native Hawaiian-owned products, visit kakoohawaii.com.
