DIVERSITY IS THE ART OF THINKING INDEPENDENTLY TOGETHER.
MALCOLM FORBES
MA RY KAIONA KIM
RIBA, ARB
Chief Executive Officer
Ma Ry is a visionary leader and architect with over 28 years of experience in design and development. With a background in architecture, urbanism, and entrepreneurship, Ma Ry has worked with some of the world's most innovative companies, such as Apple and Google, as well as capital partners and public sector clients across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and the US.
Ma Ry’s strength is her ability to seamlessly hybrid her skills and knowledge with other disciplines. Her roles in a diverse portfolio of companies include:
- CEO of I-ON Group, a multidisciplinary company that creates projects that grow markets into community engines that are renewable, profitable, and globally scalable.
- The Co-founder of B-HARI, the Brain Health Applied Research Institute, a pioneer in integrating neuroscience, aging, indigenous culture, and biophilia into lifestyle solutions and built environments that improve brain health.
- A Partner and Principal Architect with G70, the largest multidisciplinary, architecture, engineering, and planning firm in Hawai’i.
- The Co-founder of Kalahikiola Group, a Design collaboration with Manaola Yap of the Manaola Group.
- A former Principal, Regional Design Leader, and Global co-lead of the Mixed Use Practice Area in Europe and the Middle East for Gensler, the world’s largest architecture firm.
Ma Ry is passionate about making a difference in the built environment, preserving natural resources and ancestral knowledge, and empowering people to thrive in a transforming world. She is also a mother to five amazing human beings, a former associate professor of architecture, and a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
RUSS WOZNIAK
D. Arch., P.E., P.Eng, CCCA, R.A.
Chief Operating Officer
With 25 years of experience Russ has three distinct areas of experience, Engineering, Architecture and Construction. Russ is both a license civil engineer and architect, has a doctorate in architecture, and a range of development experience. Having led several engineering and architecture projects, Russ recently has primarily been focused on community based projects with great emphasis on the social value within each project. In the past 5 years Russ has been focused on building efficiency and affordability specifically in Hawai’i and has started to take these “lessons” to an international scale. Russ has lived and worked in England, Korea, Brazil, Canada and Hawaii. With a strong belief that Hawai’i can be a global model for resilient project blueprints, Russ continues to strive to put this to action.
MEL KANESHIGE
Chair of Development
A Harvard and University of Pennsylvania trained professional, Mel’s career spans a variety of real estate related areas. Mel was an attorney in private practice with the Hawaii law firm of Chun, Kerr, Dodd & Kaneshige for 20 years with a practice concentrated in real estate. Then, in 1995, he joined Outrigger Enterprises Group, the parent of Outrigger Hotels which was then the largest hotel company in Hawaii, as executive vice president of real estate and development, responsible for all of Outrigger’s real estate assets. At Outrigger, he expanded Outrigger’s asset base throughout Hawaii and into the Asia Pacific region with acquisitions in Hawaii, Thailand, Australia, Mauritius, Vietnam, China, and the Maldives. Most importantly, he spearheaded the largest development project in Waikiki’s history - Outrigger’s Waikiki Beach Walk project – that kick started the massive reinvestment in Waikiki by others including Hilton, Sheraton, Royal Hawaiian Center, International Market Place and others. Currently,
Mel serves as a consultant for Hawaii nonprofits (e.g., the aio Foundation (Kahauiki Village), the Salvation Army, Palama Settlement, and the 442nd Legacy Center) seeking to make more productive use of their real estate assets to provide additional revenue to achieve their missions, as well as providing strategic advice to the I-ON Group.
THUY NGUYEN-MARTINES
Chief Financial Officer
Thuy has worked in the banking industry for over 27 years. She started her career as a Management Associate in Commercial Credit at Bank of Hawaii’s Management Development Program and became Vice President and Manager in Private Client Services with Bank of Hawaii in Guam. In 2003, she joined Central Pacific Bank as a Vice President and Senior Private Banking Officer in Wealth Management Group. She was promoted to Senior Vice President and Director in Private Banking at Central Pacific Bank in 2010 and held that position until 2023.
At Central Pacific Bank, she managed mid to high 8-figure credit portfolio and mid 8-figure in deposits of high net worth individuals. She was instrumental in growing Private Banking credit portfolio from low 7-figures to over 9-figures. As a Vice President and Director, she managed a Private Banking Center to deliver a full array of banking, credit, trust, and investment services to the affluent Hawaii market. She was responsible for personnel, credit, business development, marketing management and business unit profitability.
ELIM NG
D. Arch., AIA
Chief Creative Officer
Elim’s passion is rooted in Biophilic Design that embraces natural forms and materials. With a gift for translating ideas into the physical, Elim holds a Master’s degree from Shanghai’s Tongji University in the connection between emotions and architecture. Further, Elim has a Doctorate of Architecture from University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in applying the Principals of Feng Shui to designing spaces that bring human comfort and joy.
Elim's professional journey has taken her around the globe, including immersive experiences in Hong Kong, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, and Singapore. These international ventures have enriched her architectural perspective and refined her creative sensibilities.
As Chief Creative Officer, Elim combines her visionary insights with the pragmatic demands of brand strategy. Her portfolio spans a diverse range of industries, including Agriculture, Education, Hospitality, and Community Groups. By skillfully harmonizing the economic viability and aesthetic appeal of ideas and products, she brings these concepts to life in compelling ways that encapsulate vision, narrative, and innovation, ultimately creating environments that resonate deeply with people.
DAVID KARL
Ph.D.
Partner, Oceanography & Microbial Biology
David Karl, recently ranked in the top 25 of all environmental scientists in the world by Research.com, is the Victor and Peggy Brandstrom Pavel Professor of Microbial Oceanography and Director of the Daniel K. Inouye Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education (C-MORE) at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. As a microbial oceanographer, he has studied the distribution and metabolic activities of microorganisms at various sites in the global ocean from the equator to both poles and from the surface to the greatest ocean depths.
Karl received his Ph.D. degree from the University of California, San Diego in 1978 and joined the UHM faculty that same year. In spring 1973, Karl participated in his first oceanographic research expedition and since that time he has spent more than 1,000 days conducting research at sea including 23 expeditions to Antarctica. In 1988, he co-founded the Hawaii Ocean Time-series program as a sentinel for observing the effects of climate on the structure and function of microbial communities. He has spent more than 1,000 days conducting research at sea including 23 expeditions to Antarctica. In 2006, he led a team of scientists in the establishment of a new U.S. National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center, C-MORE, that conducts collaborative research on the dynamics of marine microorganisms from “genomes to biomes,” and in 2014 he helped to create the Simons Collaboration on Ocean Processes and Ecology program with generous support from the Simons Foundation. Karl’s research has centered around the ocean’s carbon cycle from photosynthetic production of organic matter to carbon sequestration in the deep sea.
Since joining the UHM in March 1978, Karl has written or co-authored more than 475 scientific publications and raised more than $100 million in research grants from both private and public sources. Karl has received numerous career achievement awards including the A. G. Huntsman Medal from the Royal Society of Canada in 2001, the H. B. Bigelow Medal in Oceanography from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in 2004, and the International Balzan Prize in 2015. In 2010, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Chicago, one of our nation’s leading research institutions. He is a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union, the American Academy of Microbiology, and the Explorers Club of New York. A member of the National Academy of Sciences, Karl’s publications continue to advance the field of microbial ecology and collectively have more than 61,000 citations, according to the new ranking report.
When he is not at sea, writing, or on a Zoom conference with colleagues, Karl enjoys motorcycling, ocean kayaking, gardening, and caring for homeless cats on the UHM campus, promoting the proven and humane trap-neuter-return method of animal control. A former high school teacher in his hometown, Buffalo, New York, Karl has always enjoyed teaching and learning. He is especially excited about the breadth, scope, and potential societal impacts of the I-ON Group vision.
MICHAEL BENNETT
Partner, Community Designer
Michael is a Super Bowl Champion, a three-time Pro Bowl defensive end, a fearless activist, grassroots philanthropist, an author, an organizer, and a strong change maker. He's also one of the most scathingly humorous athletes on the planet. He and his wife, Pele, founded The Bennett Foundation which inspires and motivates today’s youth to overcome life’s challenges while leading better, healthier lifestyles. Michael is deeply passionate in how design can directly impact positive community growth. He is currently studying architecture in the doctorate track program at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, hosting a solo show in furniture design in 2023 and engaged in several design industry projects.
DUKE AIONA
Partner, Community Liaison
Duke Aiona brings a unique mix of executive, administrative, management, and strategic leadership skills, knowledge, and wisdom to I-ON Group. Through his public service as the Lieutenant Governor of the State of Hawaii for two terms, legal advocacy as a litigator for eight years, jurist on the circuit and family court benches of the State of Hawaii for twelve years, and Adjunct Professor for Chaminade University for eleven years, Duke will provide I-ON Group with seasoned leadership in its public communication, political and community engagement, and general legal counsel. Duke graduated from Saint Louis School, attained his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of the Pacific and completed his Doctor of Jurisprudence from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He obtained his license to practice law in the State and Federal Courts of Hawaii in 1981. He is Blessed by a marriage of 40 years, 4 children (two girls and two boys), and 7 grandchildren (one girl and 6 boys) and counting!
CHARLES KANESHIRO
AIA, LEED AP
G70 Pesident
Partner, Sustainability & Development Advisor
Charles is the President and Chief Operating Officer of G70, Hawaii’s largest multidisciplinary design firm. A passionate advocate of biophilic design, Charles has created many of the “first” in Hawaii including Kanu o Ka Aina, the First LEED Platinum School; UH C-MORE, the First LEED Platinum Laboratory; Iolani Sullivan Center, the First HI-CHPS certified project. A former high school math teacher, Charles is a recognized leader in the design of educational spaces. Charles has served as the first president of the Association For Learning Environments (A4LE) Hawaii Chapter and 2010 President of American Institute of Architects Honolulu Chapter. Charles has served as an Elder in his church, is active in the community as a mentor and role model for many young professionals, and is even a qualified high school math and science teacher.
GARRETT KAM
Partner, Procurement & Sourcing
Born and raised in Hawaii and graduating from Kamehameha Schools in 1981, Garrett moved to California and pursued his BA in economics and International Finance at Claremont McKenna College. Over the next 35 years, he fine tuned his skills in factory direct sourcing and global procurement and continues to operate his own business HK Consultants LLC maintaining factories, sourcing agents and logistic companies throughout Asia and Europe specializing in areas of textile development, private label apparel, hospitality furniture and construction building materials. Garrett also actively helps to manage the daily operations and practices of I-ON Group for all of its projects.
CHRIS JOHNSON
RIBA, ARB
Partner, Innovation
Based in both London and Hawai’i, Chris is a world-renowned Architect and head of Design Innovation for I-ON Group. He was formerly a Board Member and the Managing Principal of Gensler, the world’s largest architecture firm, in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Innovation, exploration, and passion drive Chris to push boundaries on his projects, working with clients to understand their needs and challenging design teams to develop responsive and innovative solutions. Chris combines international business insight with exceptional design talent. He continues to be a frequent speaker at forums and conferences, and participates on design award juries worldwide.
KAILI CHUN
Artist in Residence
Kaili Chun is a native Hawaiian sculptor and installation artist. Her works address ideas of how process and materials transform physical spaces into unique environments. She often constructs design narratives through symbols and objects that address the impact of historical events on the present day. Organic elements are sometimes included in her pieces, and the changes they undergo during the course of an exhibition metaphorically reference the nature of culture as an evolutionary process. Kaili’s work is included in private and institutional collections in Hawai‘i, the continental U.S. and Germany. She is also the last living apprentice to Wright Bowman, Sr., the beloved and revered canoe-builder who helped with the construction of Hokule’a for its historic journey to Tahiti. Kaili has partnered with I-ON Group on several projects, creating experiential spaces that impact every person on an emotional and physical level. She collaborates with I-ON Group as an artist, writer, cultural practitioner, and life-long creative design partner to Ma Ry.
BEAU NAKAMORI
AIAS
Design
Beau is the Hawaii President of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS). He has a Bachelors in Environment Design and is currently a Doctorate of Architecture student at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. Beau has also served as AIAS Director of Outreach from 2018-20. Beau has placed 1st in the 2020, 2021 and 2022 Hawaii Wood Show (College), 1st in the Basic Design Spatial Exploration Model Competition 2018, and 1st in the 2021 Student Employee of the Year Team Award. Beau has represented the University of Hawaii in the 2021 ‘Finding Our Kuleana’ Campaign and has been the recipient of the Castagna Scholarship, Architectural Donald G. Deer Memorial Scholarship and Johnson-Kelley Architectural Travel Grant, where he studied architecture abroad in Italy. Beau believes firmly in reforming Hawaii’s education system and approaching architecture as a simultaneous medium that connects all disciplines and people together.
PASTOR MARION LOGAN
Education & Community
Marion Logan has the privilege of being husband to Charis and father to Judah (8) and Landry (6). A native Texan, he moved to Hawaii with the dream of being part of positive change and serving in a multi-cultural setting. Marion has worked in full-time ministry for over 17 years and currently serves as an Associate Pastor at Moanalua Gardens Missionary Church (MGMC). He graduated from Arizona State University with a B.A. in Communication, a M.Ed. from UH-Manoa, and a M.Div. at Regent University. He also serves as a Captain in the Air Force Reserves as a Chaplain, an adjunct professor, a regular conference speaker, life/relationship coach, and board member on two non-profits. Marion comes to I-ON as a spiritual advisor with a focus of living wholly, taking care of our world, and being socially conscious. His greatest joy is partnering with God to ignite faith, hope, and love.
KALANI AYAU
Finance
Kalani has been involved in the financing of a myriad of Development projects domestically, nationally and internationally for the past 15 years ranging from Hospitality Development, Senior Home Care Development in China, and Renewable Energy Project funding and acquisition. After receiving his Medical Education and training, he spent a year of his residency training at the VA Hot Springs Medical Center in the Black Hills of South Dakota. He later diverted his interest to the business world by obtaining his Series 6 and 63 Securities license with the Retail Division of Salomon-Smith Barney/PFS/Travelers Group as an Independent Financial Analyst. With this diverse background he offers the “competitive intelligence,” professional insight and approach that is keen, analytical, and assertive. Kalani has also been involved in several entrepreneurial endeavors. From a start-up Internet Service Provider/Web Developer company in the late 90s to helping to pioneer new Agricultural Technology via photovoltaic Greenhouses in Hawaii and the Pacific, Kalani provides the “quiet but steady hand” behind the scenes.