Mina Viritua Jr
Hometown:
Hilo me Puna, Hawai‘i
Connect: LinkedIn
Mina is excited to live and work in his ancestral homeland and grow in his personal and professional journey, while making a positive impact on the people and places that have shaped him as a person and a professional. He aspires to contribute towards elevating the overall health and well-being of the Puna community.
Mina Viritua Jr, a proud kupa (lineal descendant of Hilo and Puna) embodies the essence of his ‘āina – the land that shaped and nurtured him. Raised amidst the rich tapestry of Hawaiian language, culture, and lifestyle Mina’s formative years were woven with pursuits ranging from, surfing, farming, fishing and diving, hunting, native reforestation, lei making to traditional hula kahiko. These experiences fostered not only a deep-rooted connection to himself but also a profound bond with both human and ecological communities.
Armed with a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa in 2016, Mina embarked on a journey that led to a beautiful intersection of passion and purpose. Welcoming the blessing of parenthood and returning to his ‘āina aloha (homelands), Mina found himself drawn back to his roots and one of his greatest passions – aloha ‘āina, “conservation.”
For the past three years, Mina has had the honor and privilege of spearheading undergraduate summer internship programs at University of Hawaii at Hilo’s Pacific Internship Program for Exploring Sciences. This program serves as a conduit, guiding and inspiring cohorts of local and kanaka maoli (native people) from Hawai‘i and the Pacific on pathways that intertwine self-discovery, academic study, and career pursuits aimed at nurturing island resources and fortifying resilient and thriving communities.
ERC Project
Project Title:
Revitalize Puna: Diversifying and Strengthening Our Local Economy
Host Community or Region:
Hawaii
Host Organization:
Hoʻoulu Lāhui
This project is strategically focused on revitalizing the Puna district, significantly impacted by the 2018 Kīlauea eruption and COVID-19 pandemic. The project plans to leverage technical assistance partners, adaptive funding sources, and subject matter experts from across the island and the State of Hawai‘i. The ERC Fellow will further collaborate with the Disaster Recovery Division of the County of Hawaii’s Planning Department. They will design and implement a network-based approach to fortify the entrepreneurship and workforce development ecosystem for Puna residents, farms, and businesses, including place-based demonstration projects to promote business development in Pāhoa and expand agricultural activity and production facilities in Puna. The fellow will drive a collective impact initiative, fostering innovation, coordinating resources, and realizing the vision of a resilient and thriving Puna. The overarching goal of this project is to enhance the quality of life and generate greater community wealth for Puna residents, emphasizing economic revitalization and long-term resilience.
Interested in supporting this project or learning more? Contact the ERC program team here.
