Born in Philippines and raised in San Diego CA, Kiara grew up knowing about her indigenous Igorot identity without fully knowing what it meant. After coming to Hawai‘i for 6 months during college, she began to understand the immensity of what our ancestors did and have left behind, and the importance of continuing their efforts to build something worthy of being sustained for generations. Since graduating in 2023, she has come back to give back in all the ways she can, joining the team to support ongoing movements towards food sovereignty and systems change here in Hawai‘i and beyond.