Cariann Ah Loo

Prior to the Nakupuna Companies, Cariann began her career working for a large government contractor. Initially hired as a project accountant, Cariann provided program controls management for over $100M of contracted work after a just few short years and rose through the ranks by demonstrating a passion for learning new disciplines and eagerness to assume additional responsibility. She has a proven track record of success in operations management for all major areas supporting contracts and programs, such as: project portfolio management; plan and report development; resource planning; cost and schedule management; risk and change management; client, regulator, and stakeholder engagement; and operational support.

In 2011, Cariann stepped away from her career with large, public companies to lead the environmental services division of small business where she would have a much more direct impact for her company and clients. During that time, Cariann was recruited by her father to help relaunch the first Nakupuna company, Na Aliʻi, as a full-service government contractor shortly before the company received its Native Hawaiian Organization-owned 8(a) certification from the Small Business Administration. Excited by the challenge of starting a business and the opportunity to help Native Hawaiians, Cariann jumped on board. Since then, Cariann has been integral in building the Nakupuna Companies into a successful enterprise poised for long-term success.

Cariann has a passion for supporting Native Hawaiians' advancement and Hawaii economic development, more broadly. In addition to her role with the Nakupuna Foundation, Cariann is a regular volunteer for a variety of local causes and can often be found on weekends pulling invasive weeds at Loko Ea, a historic Hawaiian fishpond on the North Shore of Oahu.

Cariann earned her bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Southern California; is certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP); and has been honored by Hawaii Business Magazine as a recipient of the 20 for the Next 20 award, which recognizes people expected to have the biggest impact in Hawaii over the next two decades.