Chef Spotlight: Kealoha Domingo
‘Ono kāhi ‘ao lū‘au me ke aloha pū.’
“A little taro green is delicious when love is present. Even the plainest fare is delicious when there is love."
— Excerpt From: Mary Kawena Pukui & Dietrich Varez. “ ‘Ōlelo No‘eau ”
We are thrilled to welcome Kealoha Domingo for the second time to the Common Ground Summit.
What an honor that we will get to enjoy his fabulous food and inspiring company again!
Kealoha Domingo is the chef and founder of Nui Kealoha, a family-run company that offers food and education grounded in the traditional values and cultural practices of his Hawaiian ancestral roots.
Nui Kealoha’s work honors the spiritual connection between the ‘āina (land), kānaka (humankind), and mea ‘ai (food). The meals they prepare and serve express respect for traditional foodways, together with innovation born from contemporary creativity in the professional kitchen.
Born & raised on O‘ahu, Kealoha is part of a multi-generational lineage of Hawaiian practitioners with a genuine love for food. His aloha for the ‘āina of his home and the community that he feeds is informed by his grounding in Hawaiian perspectives, and has earned him praise and respect throughout the pae ‘āina Hawai‘i.
Raised in a food-centric ʻohana, Kealoha grew up preparing meals for countless gatherings, with traditional ‘imu and other elements of traditional Hawaiian food. Kealoha was mentored by family members in the food industry as well as generations of ancestors who carried the cultural responsibility for cooking and healing. He has inherited an innate need and responsibility to continue his family’s kulena to those duties in service to his community.
Kealoha is an active community leader, dedicating time outside of the kitchen to support
organizations that are doing critical work to strengthen the lāhui and the community at large, including Ke Kula 'o Samuel M. Kamakau Public Charter School, Papahana Kuaola and more.
Kealoha is a featured chef at each Hawaiʻi Food and Wine Festival and has appeared in
specials produced by the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, PBS Hawaiʻi’s Alter-NATIVE and Family Ingredients series, and more.
Common Ground Summit 2024 is an invitation to step Into Community with Place with us, celebrate connection, and discover the power of the collective. We hope to see you there.
In the coming weeks, we will be featuring other unique experiences and people who make the Summit experience what it is. Stay tuned.
Common Ground Summit is an immersive gathering designed to change the way you approach connection to place. Join us for a 3-day regenerative leadership summit featuring curated conversations, authentic experiences, ridiculously good food and meaningful relationships.
