Kepa Barrett was born and raised on the islands of Oʻahu, Maui, and Hawaiʻi. His family enrolled him in Ke Kula Kaiapuni ʻo Waiau, an elementary school where he was immersed in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi. He began his journey with Kupu nearly 14 years ago when he participated in Kupu’s Summer Program. Kepa served four years as a Program Coordinator and has now served nearly four years as its External Affairs Officer. He also owns and operates his own online retail business called AINA Co. – Aloha In All Ways Company – whose mission is to serve people with high quality, environmentally-conscious products, along with providing business mentorship & leadership to others. Kepa is deeply passionate about ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, Mālama ʻĀina, and encouraging others to connect to a deeper sense of purpose in their lives. A graduate of Kamehameha Schools, Kepa holds a BA in Environmental Analysis and a minor in Economics from Pitzer College in Claremont, California.