Lilinoe Kauahikaua, MSW uses she/her/ʻO ia pronouns and is from Piʻihonua, Hilo on Moku o Keawe (Hawaiʻi Island) but has lived and grown in many other spaces throughout her journey, including Oʻahu, California, and Arizona.

She is a 2021 graduate of the Masters of Social Work program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM), and now serves as a program coordinator with Papa Ola Lōkahi, for all substance use and mental health projects, as well as the AANHPI ʻOhana Center of Excellence focusing on behavioral/mental health and substance use.

Her research focuses include data disaggregation, and Indigenous approaches to: behavioral/mental health, reentry services, incarceration, and substance misuse. She also received her B.A. in the Administration of Justice, with a minor in Hawaiian studies from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, along with a certificate in Hawaiʻi Lifestyles from Hawaiʻi Community College. Lilinoe was appointed by Governor Ige to the Hawai‘i Advisory Commission on Drug Abuse and Controlled Substances and serves on the boards of ʻEkolu Mea Nui, Going Home Hawaiʻi, and Kinohi Mana Nui, and as the cultural committee co-chair for The Going Home Hawaiʻi Consortium, organizations serving the Native Hawaiian community impacted by incarceration and substance misuse. Lilinoe also serves on committees for the Institute of Violence and Trauma (IVAT), and Hawaiʻi SUPD (Substance Use Professional Development) initiative.

Lilinoe received the kāhea to return home and serve her lāhui over 10 years ago and is committed to pursuing social justice for the Native Hawaiian Community. She also enjoys singing, going to the beach, cultural learning, and spending time with ʻohana & friends.