Kim Davidson ’05 and Carlo Liquido ’08 pose with a Pi‘ikū cohort, whose members gain real-world experience through mentorship and projects with Hawai‘i-based organizations.
Rising Together: Punahou Alumni Work to Strengthen Hawai‘i’s Tech Future
By Joy Umehira ’01 Goto
When Carlo Liquido ’08 returned to O‘ahu after more than a decade in the continental U.S. tech industry, he came home with a mission: to create opportunities for Hawai‘i’s talent to build their futures here. That vision became Pi‘ikū, a Hawai‘i-based nonprofit that builds career pathways in technology for young people who are kama‘āina or kanaka ‘ōiwi.
The executive director founded Pi‘ikū to connect emerging professionals with real-world experience through a 12-week internship program. He’s joined by Program Director Kim Davidson ’05, who shares his passion for mentorship and helping others. Both lead Pi‘ikū while maintaining full-time careers in tech. “We wanted to create opportunities for people to stay in Hawai‘i and thrive,” Liquido said. “Pi‘ikū was built to make that possible.”
Pi‘ikū began organically when Liquido started matching aspiring technologists with local companies and volunteer mentors. What started as a grassroots effort has grown into a structured, cross-functional program pairing designers, engineers and product managers with mentors from both global and local tech firms.
A partnership with Zippy’s showcased the program’s real-world impact – interns developed the company’s online ordering system for holiday meals-to-go packages, now used statewide. Davidson emphasized that the project’s success came from the interns’ understanding of their community. “They were designing for people they knew – their parents, their grandparents – so accessibility and ease of use mattered,” Davidson said. “That’s what makes local talent so powerful. They build with Hawai‘i in mind.” To date, 75% of Pi‘ikū alumni have secured jobs or paid gigs within six months, earning an average of $44 an hour.
Kim Davidson ’05 (Left) and Carlo Liquido ’08 (Far Right), leaders of Pi‘ikū, are joined by Elley Niwa ’11 (Center), a member of the program’s first cohort and now digital designer for Punahou School.
Elley Niwa ’11, who participated in Pi‘ikū’s first cohort, is one of those success stories. Today, she’s the digital designer for Punahou School’s Communications Department, applying the skills and confidence she developed through Pi‘ikū to her creative work back on campus. “I’m really thankful for having the opportunity to have been a part of Pi‘ikū’s first cohort and being able to use that experience to give back to Punahou,” Niwa said. “I learned a lot about collaborating with clients and iterating designs for websites and apps.”
“Mentorship is what makes it work,” Davidson added. “Our mentors guide interns through real challenges while showing companies the value of local talent.”
The word Pi‘ikū means “transpiration” – the process by which water nourishes a plant, rises and returns to the cycle – and also “to climb” or “ascend.” The name reflects the organization’s belief in regenerative growth: helping local talent rise and give back to Hawai‘i’s tech ecosystem. “We take our cues from Hawai‘i and its wisdom,” Liquido said. “Our goal is to help people grow and then pour that growth back into the community.”
Both leaders trace their drive to create opportunities and build community back to their time at Punahou. For Davidson, Punahou’s wide range of extracurriculars was foundational. “I loved all the clubs and activities – there was so much space to try new things,” she said. “That welcoming environment encouraged me to keep seeking opportunities and joining organizations beyond Punahou. That’s how I ended up in tech and, eventually, at Pi‘ikū.”
For Liquido, Punahou instilled confidence in communication – a skill vital to leading Pi‘ikū. “At Punahou, I was a Damon Speech finalist and spoke at open house events, telling the story of Ka Punahou to visiting families,” he said. “Public speaking and storytelling were built into the curriculum, and those experiences taught me how to share ideas clearly – something I use every day at Pi‘ikū.”
As Pi‘ikū prepares for its fifth cohort, Liquido and Davidson are focused on expanding opportunities for local talent through new partnerships with Hawai‘i companies.
Looking ahead to 2026, Davidson is leading an initiative to launch a business coalition where Hawai‘i companies pool resources to share program costs. Member organizations will contribute funding, staff time or in-kind support, and in return gain access to Pi‘ikū’s alumni network, tech consulting and professional development opportunities.
This sustainable model will help Pi‘ikū continue cultivating local talent while strengthening
partnerships with forward-thinking companies – from major local banks and healthcare organizations to government agencies – that are committed to hiring and supporting Hawai‘i’s tech workforce.
“When local companies invest in local people,” Liquido said, “everyone benefits. That’s how we build a future where Hawai‘i’s talent can stay, thrive and lead – right here at home.”