People who stopped by a bustling pop–up at either the Alumni Week Mākeke or the 25th Annual Native Hawaiian Convention got an early look at a new Ke Kula ʻo Kamehameha initiative. More than a store, E Ola is designed as a place where products, stories, people and learning come together to strengthen Hawaiian identity and build community. 

Operating under Kamehameha’s Theory of Change, a key concept of Strategic Plan 2030, E Ola represents an evolution of the campus store experience into something much more expansive following the closure of the KS Kapālama bookstore. Though currently available through pop-up experiences, E Ola will eventually operate online and as a brick-and-mortar gathering space in Kamehameha Center Kapālama beginning in late 2026. People can expect to find things to wear, listen to, read, and eat — mea Hawai‘i that strengthens pilina, activates ea and cultivates kuleana to the broader lāhui. 

“This is a kākou thing not just a Ke Kula ‘o Kamehameha thing,” said Kaʻiminaʻauao Wong KSK’08, E Ola alakaʻi hoʻokipa. 

More than a store 

The team behind E Ola is intentionally challenging what people expect from a retail space.  

“We're trying to fundamentally redefine what a store can be,” Wong said. “Rather than focusing on transactions, we’re creating a place centered on relationships, learning and ‘ike Hawai‘i.”  

That vision was already taking shape at E Ola’s first pop-up experiences, where conversations about Hawaiian history, identity and community were just as common as conversations about products.  

Every item has a story. Whether inspired by historical moments, resources from waihona.net or contemporary expressions of Hawaiian identity, the goal is for each product to become an invitation to continue learning long after someone leaves. As E Ola grows, those experiences will expand beyond merchandise. Workshops, guest speakers, cultural demonstrations, storytelling and community gatherings will become part of the experience, creating opportunities for po‘e to engage more deeply with Hawaiian knowledge and with one another. 

People can also expect to have a chance to deepen pilina with ʻāina Pauahi, with products grown and made on KS ʻāina offered in the online and brick-and-mortar space. 

Ea-conomics 

Another way E Ola disrupts the transactional model centers around where sales proceeds will go.  

“The monies go towards funding community programs and events, whether it’s events like Ola Ka ʻĪ, as well as grants and scholarships; from Ea Aʻe, to future initiatives through the Pauahi Foundation, it’s all about activating our SP2030 Theory of Change,” said Wong. 

Another lāhui-boosting component involves forging partnerships with local creatives, practitioners, hui, and other Native Hawaiian-serving organizations, including the Hawaiian Council, which handles warehousing and fulfillment for the online store. 

You can find out much more about E Ola and where it’s headed through the eola.live website.  

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imua kamehameha, e ola, ke kula ʻo kamehameha

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Kaipuolono Article, Regions, Kona, O’ahu, Themes, Culture, E Ola!, Hawaii Newsroom, KS Hawaii Home, Kapalama Newsroom, Kapalama Home, KS Announcements, Maui Newsroom, KS Maui Home, Newsroom, Campus Programs, Hawaii, Kapalama, Maui, Preschools, Alumni, Oahu, Kapalama campus, Hawaii campus, Maui campus, Preschools

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