More About Hapu‘u Miki‘oi Tamangaro and Sade Thomas, two friends from Kaua‘i formed this company in 2022 when they realized they could not find locally designed and culturally minded products for infants and toddlers that reflected authentic imagery of Hawai‘i. The hapu’u, a native Hawaiian tree fern, inspired our name and logo. Poetically translated, hapu‘u means a child or baby in ‘olelo Hawai‘i. Our mission is to create engaging learning products inspired by our unique island culture and storied history. Our Company Values ULU PONO: to grow well; progressive, thriving, successful We value providing the tools and environment to help children grow well and be successful in life. We observe the hapu‘u growing in the forest, unfurling each leaf to become a thriving tree in the forest. ‘OHANA: family, relative, kin group; related We value that our ‘ohana connects us to Hawai‘i. We reflect on the idea that the ‘oha (young kalo plant) of the kalo that grows off the makua (parent), many ‘oha growing from the makua make the ‘ohana. The thought that our keiki are fed and nourished by the makua while they are young will one day stand on their own to start their own ‘ohana and have a connection to Hawai‘i, no matter where they live. ALU LIKE MAI: work in unity We value collective effort to get the big things done. We respect and acknowledge each person’s strengths and know they bring value to accomplish our big goals and dreams by working together. When we are there to support each other, we all do better. ‘IMI ‘IKE: to seek knowledge; a seeker of knowledge We value continually seeking knowledge for lifelong learning. We encourage people of all ages to ask questions and never stop wondering about the world around them. 144 Hawaii Parent May/June 2026
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcxMjMwNg==