ʻUlu Ambassador: Kealoha Domingo

Born and raised on the mokupuni of O‘ahu, in the district of Ko‘olauloa and the ‘ahupua‘a of Ka’a’awa, Kealoha Domingo is a multi-generational Hawaiian practitioner with a genuine love for food. As chef and owner of NuiKealoha catering company and an active member of the Hawaiian community, he revels in feeding his community with a foundation of traditional Hawaiian value, honoring the spiritual connection to the ‘āina (land), kānaka (humankind), and mea ‘ai (food) combined with touch of contemporary style.

Kealoha’s genuine aloha for the ‘āina and the community that he feeds combined with his native Hawaiian perspectives have earned him praise and respect throughout the pae ‘āina Hawai‘i. His passion for cooking stems from the examples of both food industry professional family members who often serve as his support system, as well as generations of ancestors who carried the cultural responsibility of cooking and healing and inherently passed this innate need to fulfill these duties. Additionally, exposure to the various cultures and cuisines that makes Hawai‘i so unique helps shape Kealohaʻs passion and love for foods of all types.

Chef Kealoha shares his passion for food and appreciation of traditional hawaiian staples through his catering business Nui Kealoha. His business has been selected and recognized as one of Ka Waiwai Collective’s and Chef Hui’s preferred and value-aligned caterers. It also services many other community oriented functions, conferences and organizations such as He Au Hōnua Indigenous Researchers conference at UH Maui campus, E Ala Pū global conference, ‘Aha Kāne, Lili‘uokalani Trust, Planned Parenthood, IUCN, Blue Zones, Purple Mai‘a, ‘Aha Hui O Na Kauaka: Association of Native Hawaiian Doctors, Kamehameha Schools, Pauahi Foundation, Friends of ‘Iolani Palace, Hālau Kū Mana, Paepae O He‘eia, Kāko‘o ‘Ōiwi, OHA, Hui O Ko‘olaupoko, Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce, Hawai‘i Conservation Alliance, PA‘I Foundation, University of Hawai‘i Native Hawaiian Student Services, University of Hawai‘i Hawaiian Studies. Kealoha has also been fortunate to have been featured and affiliated with Hawai‘i Food and Wine Festival since its inception in 2010.

Kealoha is an avid supporter of the ‘ulu movement. As a lifelong lover of ‘ulu he has committed himself to this crop for generations to come by engaging in a partnership made up of a collective of Hawaiians who have embarked on a farming venture starting with 40 ‘ulu trees of various varieties.