Kaniela Ing

Interim Director of Grantmaking & Strategic Programs • he/Him

Kaniela Ing is a Native Hawaiian organizer, strategist, and policy leader with over 17 years of experience advancing climate justice, Indigenous rights, and community power. He most recently served as National Director of the Green New Deal Network, where he led a 23-state coalition that helped unlock hundreds of billions in federal investments and moved over $30 million in philanthropic funding to frontline communities. His campaigns have reached over 300 million people, with coverage in major outlets including The New York Times, TIME, CNN, and The Guardian.

Born and raised in Upcountry Maui, Kaniela began working in the pineapple fields as a teenager to support his family—on lands once stewarded by his ancestors. At 23, he became the youngest Native Hawaiian elected to the Hawaiʻi State Legislature, where he advanced Indigenous land and water rights, expanded democracy, and secured major investments for his district.

He later ran a grassroots campaign for U.S. Congress that rejected corporate money and helped bring bold ideas like the Green New Deal and social housing into mainstream debate across the US.

Kaniela has also run a consultancy and co-founded Our Hawaiʻi, a statewide effort building political power for Kānaka Maoli and local communities. Following the 2023 Lahaina wildfires, he helped advance a model for community-led, culturally grounded disaster recovery that continues to support long-term rebuilding.

He serves on national and local boards focused on climate and Indigenous leadership, and lives in Waianae with his two children. His work is grounded in kuleana to his ʻohana, his lāhui, and future generations.