Kevin John Fong
2 min readMay 8, 2024

Cultivating New Roots

Photo: Jeremy Bishop/Unsplash

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Over the last two decades, I have had the honor to share centuries-old wisdom and guidance with organizations and individuals who — like me — want to build a healthier and more balanced world.

As a facilitator, writer, and weaver, I have had the opportunity to develop frameworks that center on social consciousness and offer solutions to benefit communities. My new book, The Five Elements: An East Asian Approach to Achieve Organizational Health, Professional Growth, and Personal Well-Being, delivers a core framework to promote transformative justice.

But even as I rejoice in our collective progress, I find we are in a time when the call to cultivate communities and organizations of belonging has become more profound than ever before.

We need more leaders who can weave people and perspectives together! Not just line-order executives, but people in every walk of life who are ready to facilitate — and embody — change.

My teacher, Grace Lee Boggs, often asked “What time is it on the clock of the world, and what are you doing to make a difference for good?

When I founded the Kahakulei Institute, I knew that the time had come for us to nurture deeper roots and access the wisdom to live into our kuleana in ways we had not previously imagined.

In the tumult of the racial and social reckoning we have witnessed over the last few years, the Kahakulei Institute partnered with clients as they strove to navigate major organizational crises. Our work helped these clients cultivate trust, rebuild alliances, and co-create a strong sense of purpose. We drew new strength from our collaborations — and we helped to create energized initiatives that build communities of belonging where all can thrive.

Many of you have shared that if we wait for a full-blown crisis, that might be too late. The urgent need for transformation calls for a proactive rather than a reactive approach. We hear you loud and clear!

I am proud to announce that the Kahakulei Institute has re-framed how we can help by designing a series of new programs. You — our clients and friends — have called for us to increase and adjust what we offer. We are excited about this responsive evolution in our work and invite you to join this vibrant new journey.

We look forward to reconnecting with you in the days and weeks ahead. Thank you for your continued support and care.

Kevin John Fong

A cultural translator and racial healing practitioner, Kevin works to weave people and possibilities to cultivate communities of belonging — www.kahakulei.com