In this episode of Pilali, Ashley and Wren sit down with Todd Apo to explore what he’s learned from a career spanning government, business, tourism, philanthropy, and nonprofits. From serving on the Honolulu City Council to working with Disney and Howard Hughes and later joining the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority board, Todd has spent his career navigating the complicated space between economic opportunity, community interests, and Hawaiʻi’s culture and people.
Todd reflects on political power, the evolution of Hawaiian representation, and what it looks like to move from having local people advise decision-makers to having Hawaiʻi people at the table making the decisions themselves. Together, Ashley, Wren, and Todd wrestle with development, the future of tourism, where tourism dollars actually go, and the question Hawaiʻi has to answer if it wants to become less dependent on the visitor economy: What replaces it?
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Todd has held leadership roles across the public, private, and philanthropic sectors. He brings this unique multi-dimensional lens to helping find and advance change. Todd is committed to finding roles and places where he can help translate complex challenges into scalable, practical, and community and culturally integrated solutions that deliver meaningful impact.
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LinkedIn: Todd Apo
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