ASHLEY HELENIHI | CORE TRANSFORMATION MANAGER

Pronouns: She/Her

Pasifika Culture: Native Hawaiian / Kanaka 'Ōiwi

About Ashley Helenihi:

Ashley Helenihi is a proud Kānaka ‘Ōiwi raised in Vancouver, WA, and a passionate cultural practitioner dedicated to supporting the Pacific Islander diaspora. As the Core Transformation Manager and Journey Navigator at UTOPIA PDX, Ashley supports finance and operations and works with local Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) elementary students. She also volunteers with the Moku‘āina A Wakinekona Hawaiian Civic Club and serves as a Pacific Islander Club advisor within the Evergreen School District.
Ashley holds a Master of Studies in Law (MSL) from USC Gould School of Law and a BA in Sociology from the University of Southern California, with a minor in Psychology and Law. Her academic background complements her deep commitment to cultural advocacy, social justice, and community leadership.
Rooted in the values of family, culture, and community, Ashley is driven by a lifelong passion for empowering Pacific Islander communities to thrive. In her free time, she enjoys crafting lei, dancing hula, spending quality time with friends and family, traveling, and savoring all but especially Hawaiian, Hawai‘i local, and Japanese cuisine. Ashley’s passion for building and strengthening PI communities is fueled by her life experiences and the unwavering support of her ‘ohana.
Grateful for the love and encouragement she’s received throughout her life, Ashley remains deeply connected to her roots, and she strives to spread the aloha spirit through all her work and interactions.

What is your favorite Islander Food?

I love kalua pig and cabbage, lau lau, and haupia. For more Hawai'i 'local' foods, I love spam musubi, loco moco, and prune mui.

What is your most meaningful memory with someone who is a member of the QT/PI community or with your culture? 

In 2015, Kaina was asked to do a traditional Hawaiian blessing for Marcus Mariota's new Heisman Trophy at the University of Oregon, and he asked me and my brother to support him in the ceremony. This was an extremely affirming experience as a cultural practitioner and mentee, and something I still reflect on fondly. It's meaningful for me to represent my culture as positively as I can, and to support those of us who live in diaspora.

What are you most excited to do or achieve during your time at UTOPIA PDX? 

I'm excited to help support our communities and especially our youth. I had lots of support throughout my life in my culture and identity, even when I didn't feel confident in myself, and I want that to be a common experience for other Pacific Islanders especially. Then using the skills I've developed to help UTOPIA PDX's functions and grow personally. What a wonderfully unique experience to work for and with an entire group of QTPIs!