Your Why is Your North Star | with Mahina Paishon
When you know your “why,” you’ll never lose your way.
Raised on Oʻahu and now living in Kona, Mahina Paishon’s journey as an entrepreneur, community leader, and cultural navigator is anchored by one guiding force: her why. It’s not a job title or a list of accomplishments—it’s her inner compass, pointing her back to purpose whenever the waters get rough.
Finding Her Way Through Action
As a 19-year-old Hawaiian studies major at UH Mānoa, Mahina wasn’t content to wait until graduation to make an impact. She wanted her learning to live and breathe in the real world.
“I didn’t want to wait until I would graduate two years later to actually start taking action. So for me…I knew very early on that I wanted to contribute in a big way.”
Heʻeia Fishpond
That search led her to Heʻeia Fishpond. She thought she was just volunteering, but when she stepped onto the ancient wall and turned to face the Koʻolau mountains, something shifted.
“I had a vision that there were thousands of people on the wall, that people were enjoying the work that we were taking a part of which was taking stone by stone to rebuild this very important cultural and historical place…from that moment on, I accepted that I had some kuleana in that.”
Purpose as a Map
For Mahina, that moment wasn’t just a turning point, it was the start of a lifelong sail plan. As a voyager and cultural practitioner, she turns to navigation metaphors often, seeing each challenge or opportunity as a point on a chart. But the key to that chart? Knowing your destination.
“If you get really clear on your why, that will be a North Star for you. It’s always been a north star for myself in terms of navigating through adversity, navigating through challenges, and also sorting through the many opportunities that will come to you.”
When you’re building something that’s never existed before—like the nonprofit, Paepae o He’eia, she co-founded at 21, or her later ventures like Waiwai Collective—it’s easy to get lost in uncertainty. Mahina's clarity of purpose helped her navigate through financial stress, tough leadership decisions, and overwhelming moments of self-doubt.
When Things Get Hard, Go Back to Why
There was a moment in Mahina’s journey that nearly brought her to her knees. A value clash with someone she deeply respected pushed her to the edge. The emotional toll was so high, she questioned if it was all still worth it.
“What I needed to do was really get back to the, why am I doing this? It wasn’t for me, it wasn’t for my own individual gain. It was always about the community and the aspiration that the community held to restore the place so that we can learn again how to care for our ‘āina and care for one another.”
Over the years, Mahina has returned to her “why” again and again. When launching Waiwai Collective with her partners, when growing the Ho‘iwai Fund, and when guiding the next generation of leaders, her purpose remains her anchor.
Big Change, Small Steps
Her advice to young changemakers?
“Do something. Try it out. Learn quickly. Adapt. Then start to build momentum and gain traction that way.”
Mahina didn’t wait for a perfect plan to start. She just started. She trusted her instincts, and learned on the fly. Whether restoring fishponds or building resilience hubs, she knows that bold change often begins with a single, brave step.
Creating Space for Culture and Innovation
Today, Mahina co-leads Waiwai Collective, a values-driven community hub for culture-based entrepreneurs. Her goal is to build a future where local businesses are rooted in aloha ʻāina, kuleana, and shared purpose.
“There’s great examples of Hawaiians and local folks that are doing great work, work that’s nationally renowned, locally renowned, and in some cases internationally renowned. And yet we didn’t see places to plug into…so our first project involved creating a co-creation and resilience hub that’s based out in Ka Mō’ili’ili.”
A Message for the Next Generation
To any keiki or young adult wondering where to begin, Mahina has this to say:
“Go to your place that brings you back to center, a place that fills you up with inspiration or a person that fills you up with inspiration. Take some quiet time, write out what it is that you want to accomplish and your why.”
Heʻeia Fishpond
Because when your why is your North Star, no wave is too big, and no dream is too distant.
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