Kona Coast, HI July 2026

Specialty Care, Same Day, Wherever You Are. Tired of Waiting Months for Specialty Eye Care?

At Eye Center of Hawai’i, we believe your vision should never be on hold. With our new Same-Day Specialty Appointments. No more calling, waiting, or traveling far from home. We’re bringing top-level eye care and cutting-edge technology straight into your local community — from Hilo to Waipahu, Kona to Kauaʻi.

SAME-DAY ACCESS | MOST INSURANCE ACCEPTED SERVING OAHU, MAUI, KAUAI AND THE BIG ISLAND

Because you shouldn’t have to fight for the care you deserve.Specialty Care. Same Day. Wherever You Are.

Dr. Farhad Safi, MD

Book your appointment today! Call us at: 808-329-2010

Learn more at: www.eyecenterofhawaii.com

Exceptional Eye Care, Close to Home.

American Cancer Society® Relay for Life 2026

Together, our community can make a powerful impact in the fight against cancer.

WHEN: Saturday, July 18, 2026 4 pm - 9 pm

WHERE: Edith Kanakaole Stadium

Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union is proud to stand with the American Cancer Society. We invite you to join us to celebrate survivors, to honor and remember loved ones, and fight back against cancer by participating in this year's Relay for Life!

Relay for Life Donations can be made by scanning the QR code. Mahalo!

The Weight of Legacy

This month’s issue of Kona Coast Magazine highlights individuals whose work is deeply connected to Hawaiʻi, not just professionally, but personally. Their stories remind us that leadership, craftsmanship and purpose are often formed quietly over time.

You will meet Iko and Holly, whose outrigger canoe adventures out of Keauhou offer more than an experience on the water. Through friendship, storytelling and cultural knowledge, they have created something that feels increasingly rare today: an authentic connection. Their lives reflect a deep respect for the ocean, community and the traditions that continue to shape this island.

We also share the story of Dr. Farhad Safi of the Eye Center of Hawaiʻi, who chose to return home to the Big Island and serve communities across the islands. His work restoring sight is ultimately about restoring people’s ability to fully experience the beauty around them.

And then there is Tommy Greenwell.

Many recognize the Greenwell name through Kona coffee, but this story goes deeper. It is about the quiet discipline of maintaining a legacy while continuing to innovate. Whether on the coffee farm, in the lab or at home.

As I reflect on these stories, I am inspired by people who remain connected to purpose and impact. People who care deeply about the quality of their work, the stewardship of their resources and the legacy they leave behind. I challenge you to explore these areas in your life as you read the pages of this issue.

Thank you for continuing to support local businesses, local stories and the people helping shape the future of Hawai‘i.

With Aloha, TAYLOR

STUTTS,

July 2026

PUBLISHER

Johnny Gillespie | johnny.gillespie@citylifestyle.com

CO-PUBLISHER

Taylor Stutts | taylor.stutts@citylifestyle.com

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR

Matias Arredondo | matias.arredondo@citylifestyle.com

EDITOR

Julia Kurppa | julia.kurppa@citylifestyle.com

PUBLICATION DIRECTOR

Amanda Troyer | amanda.troyer@citylifestyle.com

ACCOUNT MANAGER

Nicolas Kimmich | nicolas.kimmich@citylifestyle.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Nathan McQueen, Nabil Abu-Assal, Julia Silva Kurppa, Margaret Kearns

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Ewalina Photography, Anna Velichko, Kal Sullins, Ken G. Kosada, Mahina Choy-Ellis, Haj Gollestani, Jacob Vandervelde

Corporate Team

CEO Steven Schowengerdt

President Matthew Perry

COO David Stetler

CRO Jamie Pentz

CoS Janeane Thompson

AD DESIGNER Jenna Crawford

LAYOUT DESIGNER Kathy Nguyen

QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Hannah Leimkuhler

inside the issue

Paddle

city scene

WHERE NEIGHBORS CAN SEE AND BE SEEN

5:

6:

OCEAN-TO-TABLE • BEACHFRONT • INSPIRED

business monthly

Ōlena Gallery

Ōlena Gallery is an Art Gallery in Hawi, North Kohala, that features exclusively Big Island artists. We carry a range of art items from original paintings and sculptures to affordable prints and greeting cards. You can find jewelry, wood bowls, pottery, glass, fine crafts and more. Learn more about us at OlenaGallery. com or at @olenagallery.4636.

Scan to read more

Meals in a Heartbeet

Meals In a HeartBeet is excited to announce our move to Kona at 75-5699 Kopiko Street! We offer fresh, gluten-free meals for home delivery and catering, featuring local pastured meats, fresh seafood and organically grown ingredients whenever possible. Our new location brings convenient access to flavorful, nourishing food made with aloha—perfect for busy individuals, families and visitors. Order online: MealsInAHeartBeet.com or view our IG @meals_in_a_heartbeet.

Living Edit

Laurel Tincher is a Professional Organizer and Trainee in the KonMari Method® She works with clients who are ready to edit the clutter and create physical and digital spaces that truly support their dream lifestyle. Let's bring order, beauty and calm into your home—so you can focus on living! LivingEdit.co.

Money Wise with Ken.

Ken Steria Investment Advisor Representative Certified finanCial Planner®

Your health could become your biggest retirement expense.

Most people plan carefully for retirement, but far fewer prepare for the rising cost of healthcare.

One unexpected illness, long-term care need, or Medicare mistake can quickly impact years of savings.

The good news? Small decisions made in your 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond may help reduce future costs and financial stress. Learn the healthcare planning strategies that can help protect your finances, your options, and your peace of mind.

Scan to read the article.

Confidence Starts Here

Breast Augmentation | Breast Reduction

Breast Lift | Tummy Tuck

FINANCING OPTIONS AVAILABLE

Call or Text 808-909-3283 to schedule your complimentary consultation with our Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. www.aliihealthcenter.com

Photo by Haj Gollestani

EXPLORE SLOWLY WITH CARE AND ALOHA

Paddle Out to Observe Angelic Sea Creatures and Discover Hawaiian History

the EcoConscious Way

Photo by Ken G Kosada

Lifelong waterman, Iko Balanga, founder/owner of Anelakai Adventures in Keauhou, grew up spending nearly equal time on his native Oʻahu island’s Windward Coast and Hawaiʻi Island’s Kona Coast.

“The ocean was my life—surfing, outrigger canoe paddling and fishing. At the time, I was also developing deep respect for Hawaiian values, culture and sustainable living practices embraced by my family,” Iko says.

In 1983, at age 18, he left fast-paced Oʻahu behind, feeling more aligned with the old Hawaiʻi-style living experienced in Kona. Nearly 30 years later, having built a successful construction business, he felt his heart tell him it was time to step away.

“Development was happening too quickly; Kona was changing too fast. I realized I no longer wanted to be a part of that,” he says.

In 2012, with his wife, Holly Crane—waterwoman and company co-founder—he made a change that reflected his love for this place. Since then, the duo has operated the only non-motorized, paddle-powered hahalua (manta) and cultural tours on the Kona Coast with daughters Anelakai, 19, and Li‘linoe, 12.

“Anelakai (angel of the sea), just four at the time, inspired me to return to what I love doing and aspire to—living pono (righteous) to protect island resources and preserve Hawaiian culture for future generations,” Iko says. “Ancient Hawaiians

were masters of sustainability, stewards of the land and sea. Today, sustainable eco-tourism is at the heart of everything we do.”

That includes using two wa‘a kaulua (double-hulled Hawaiian voyaging canoes), which accommodate just six guests and two crew each, in deliberate contrast to the prevailing industry trend toward motorized vessels, higher guest capacities and increased tour frequencies, according to Holly.

“We’ve watched those practices take a toll on ocean health. By operating paddle-powered tours, we eliminate environmental impact: no carbon emissions; no risk of fuel or oil leakage into the ocean; no engine noise disturbing marine life,” she says.

With hahalua tours operating twice nightly, up to six days weekly, the earlier tour departs just before sunset, with the sky bathed in dreamy rose-gold light. Just seven minutes of rhythmic paddling to Keauhou Bay’s south point is soon rewarded with the mesmerizing, graceful movements of the first hahalua, to silently appear just beneath the hulls.

Whether in the water with snorkel and mask— safely secured by handholds between the two hulls—or seated comfortably dry in the canoe, the close-up views of these special beings are otherworldly and heart-expanding, according to Holly.

The second tour departs under expansive starlit skies with heightened expectations for what’s to come: the angelic dance of the hahalua and their wingspans of 15 feet or more. While their size may intimidate some, Iko reassures guests these gentle giants pose no danger to humans—they have no teeth, no barbs, no stingers and no bones, he says.

“The hahalua have been coming to this place long before man. Today, more than 400 live along the Kona Coast,” Iko says. “While we can’t guarantee sightings on every excursion, the odds are in our favor!”

The slow-paced, two-hour morning cultural tour (offered at 9 a.m. Monday-Friday) is delivered in the Hawaiian storytelling style by guides familiar with the history of Keauhou Bay and coastline, passed down verbally by kūpuna (elders) for centuries.

Both tours are conducted with aloha and a desire for guests to take away a greater appreciation for Hawaiʻi, its beauty, culture and our collective vision for its future—and a gentle reminder to slow down, live in the moment and in harmony with nature, Iko says.

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TRUE Vision

An Ophthalmologist’s Journey From War Zone to Calling Hawaiʻi Home

It is easy to miss Eye Center of Hawaiʻi in Kona if you aren’t looking for it. Located off Queen K, the blue building is the only indicator that it is there. Despite its subtle appearance, extraordinary things are happening inside.

Founded in 2001, Eye Center of Hawaiʻi has multiple locations on Oʻahu, Maui, the Big Island and Kauaʻi. At the Big Island location, they provide one of the only centers where local residents can have surgeries for severe visual issues such as retinal detachment, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and other debilitating eye issues. In addition, they provide standard ophthalmology services and treatments, including vision tests, screenings and an optical shop.

While the services offered by Eye Center of Hawaiʻi are fairly standard, the doctors and staff are exceptional. Working out of the Kona location, soon-to-be retired Lt. Colonel Dr. Farhad Safi’s journey from a war-torn country to calling Hawaiʻi home is far from ordinary.

Born in Afghanistan, Dr. Safi’s family struggled with poverty and being caught in the Afghan-Soviet War. With few prospects for education, a unique opportunity in high school allowed him to attend college in the USSR to study medicine. After several years, a new opportunity arose: a chance to live in Hawaiʻi. At 21 years old, unable to speak English and having never seen the ocean, Safi and his family relocated to Oʻahu with the help of his uncle’s sponsorship. When he landed on Oʻahu, he prayed for help

because he thought the plane was crashing into the water. It was just turbulence.

Life did not become easier for Safi. UH Manoa would not accept his international college credits and required him to start his entire college education over. With little money and a diet of Spam and Burger King Whoppers, he attended Kapiolani College, then transferred to UH Manoa. During this time, he worked three jobs, including at his uncle’s rental car business and as a cadaver technician, to pay rent, cover tuition and send money back to family in Afghanistan.

Newly graduated from UH Manoa, the next step was medical school. Now, with a family of his own, Dr. Safi needed a way to cover the high costs of completing his dream. In 2003, he found the answer. In his 30’s, Dr. Safi joined the Army, which paid his tuition and allowed him valuable experience working with eye trauma from veterans wounded in combat. After residencies and placements all over the U.S., Dr. Safi could choose anywhere he wanted to go. The answer was a simple one.

“Hawaiʻi gave me everything I have. I raised my seven kids here. My family is here. This is where I want to die.”

Gregarious and fluent in multiple languages, Dr. Safi’s love for the island cannot be compromised by money or prestige. Hawaiʻi nei gave him everything, and his wish is to repay the favor, one surgery at a time.

EyeCenterOfHawaii.com.

“Hawaiʻi gave me everything I have. I raised my seven kids here. My family is here...”

L U X U R Y E V E N T S

“ W H E R E

C E L E B R A T I O N

M E E T S

S T O R Y ”

C u r a t e d w e d d i n g s , i n t e n t i o n a l l y d e s i g n e d p r o p o s a l s , a n d i m m e r s i v e e x p e r i e n c e s a c r o s s H a w a i ‘ i a n d b e y o n d .

K n o w n f o r s o u l f u l e x e c u t i o n , a n d d e s t i n a t i o n - w o r t h y c e l e b r a t i o n s ,

f o u n d e r O l i v i a S m i t h b l e n d s i n t e n t i o n a l h o s p i t a l i t y w i t h e l e v a t e d d e s i g n t o c r e a t e u n i q u e e x p e r i e n c e s t h a t f e e l e f f o r t l e s s , a n d i n t i m a t e

p h o t o s b y F l e t c h P h o t o g r a p h y , J a s o n D e n g , a n d V a l o r i e D a r l i n g @ m a l a m a l u x u r y e v e n t s

ARTICLE BY KALI KASPRZYK

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANIE JONES

MAKEUP BY MIKAYLA CRANE

The 10% Target Mindset

Jen Cohen ON THE PRACTICE OF ASKING FOR WHAT YOU WANT

Winnipeg in the winter, and a 17-year-old waits 45 minutes in the cold for Keanu Reeves. Her fingers are numb. She is not there for an autograph. She is there to ask him to appear in her audition tape for MuchMusic, Canada’s MTV. When he finally agrees, she writes her number on a gum wrapper with a borrowed lip liner.

He calls days later.

That 17-year-old was Jen Cohen — fitness expert, host of the Habits & Hustle podcast, and best-selling author. She has built a career on the premise her frostbitten afternoon proved. She calls the practice the 10% Target: 10 attempts at whatever you want most in life.

The premise is simple. Most people never make one attempt. Almost nobody makes two. The math works in favor of the person who keeps going.

The top-rated Habits & Hustle podcast has logged hundreds of conversations with high performers and the people who study what the body does to the mind. Her TEDx talk, The Secret to Getting Anything You Want in Life, has traveled widely inside Fortune 500 sales-training rooms. On the Share the Lifestyle podcast, Cohen sits down to share the working rules that are the foundation of her latest book, Bigger, Better, Bolder.

“You have to be the CEO of your own life.”

FEATURING JEN COHEN

Discover the full 10% Target Mindset framework.

1 2

MAKE TEN ATTEMPTS

The door opens, or another door does. The unmade attempt and the refused one leave you in the same place — except one of them teaches you something.

STACK THE DECK

Cohen frames her habits as a wager: How do I stack the deck so I win more than I lose? The workout happens first, and the food decisions follow. The email follow-up gets sent, and the answer arrives. The choices compound in a single direction.

3

DISCIPLINE IS A PRACTICED SKILL, NOT AN INHERITANCE

No one is born with it. The people who look disciplined are running a routine they have rehearsed long enough that it no longer feels like effort. The reps are the skill. Miss them, and the skill fades, the same as any other.

4

SELF-TALK ONLY WORKS WHEN THE BODY BACKS IT UP

Confidence does not arrive by repeating the word. It arrives after the body has done the thing — the workout finished, the cold walk endured, the email sent. The mind takes its cues from what the body proves it can do. Talk follows action, not the other way around.

5

NEVER MISS A MONDAY

The first decision sets the slope of the rest. Skip the Monday workout, and the rest of the week tends to follow. Hold the line on Monday, and the slope tilts the other way.

doug@dougdollinger.com

THE COFFEE FARMER

WHO ALMOST WASN’T

Tommy never planned to be the fourth-generation steward of Kona’s most storied coffee farm. After four decades of farming, he’s ready to start anew.

Tommy didn’t grow up dreaming about coffee. He grew up on a dairy in Waimea and a cattle ranch in Kona, took apart every toy he had before he ever played with it, dreamed of diesel engines, and was halfway through college in Oregon when his father called and said, “Aren’t you done yet? Come home.”

That was 1979. By 1985, the cattle market had collapsed, the family ranch had been sold and his father decided to grow coffee on 400 acres his family had owned for over a century. “I don’t know anything about coffee,” Tommy told him. “We’re going to learn,” his father declared. “It’s in our blood.”

Forty years later, Tommy runs Greenwell Farms—a name his great-grandfather, Henry Nicholas Greenwell, put on the global map when he carried Kona coffee to the 1873 World’s Fair in Vienna.

Ask Tommy what he does, and he won’t lead with legacy. He’ll tell you about his wife, Jennifer, whom he met when she was

selling shoes at Nordstrom in the King Kamehameha Hotel. “Everybody loved her.” He’ll tell you about his three-year-old granddaughter and how Jennifer is finally trying to retire so she can spend more time with her. He’ll tell you about his son, who used to sneak out of the house in his diaper to rake coffee at the mill. He still works on the farm.

Tommy is one of the most important figures in Hawaiian agriculture. He helped invent a mechanical coffee harvester that is now used worldwide. He’s a founding board member of the Hawaiʻi Coffee Association. He helped launch the Synergistic Hawaiʻi Agricultural Council, a nonprofit that

channels Federal Farm Bill funds to Hawaiʻi’s coffee, papaya, macadamia nut and floral industries. He hosts roundtables for coffee farmers in Kona—competitors included—to share what he’s learned about pests, pruning and coffee processing. Since 1999, he has cultivated numerous varieties of coffee trees, especially those resistant to insects and fungi. Greenwell Farms won the 2025 Hawaiʻi Coffee Association cupping contest with one of its cultivars, “Mamo” (a premium Kona coffee), in the Kona Division. Remarkably, Tommy is the only commercial black pepper farmer in the United States. “It completely sells out about a week after the last harvest.”

Now there’s a new, glitzier chapter: This spring, Tommy is opening “Revered” on Kuakini Highway, near Kona Town. It’s a joint venture with Mark Hall, a good friend and long-time Kona resident. Hall was part of the team that created the Monster Energy Drink brand. Built on a former 70-acre orchid farm, the appointment-only tasting room (with a magnificent, unobstructed ocean view) is a love letter to specialty coffees and unique liquors. By invitation only, small groups will sample flights of distinct coffees. They will tour a coffee farm that Tommy planted on-site. They will learn how the nuances of different processing techniques lead to distinct coffee flavors. “They will see and taste what makes or breaks a cup of coffee.”

Alongside the coffee, as a labor of love and tribute to Hawaiʻi, the facility will produce and sell “Okolehao,” a traditional Hawaiian spirit distilled from ti root. It’s been around since the late 1700s. Many other coffee-based liquors will also be produced on-site. People can tour the complex, including viewing the impressive distilling equipment.

The experience will be immersive and elegant. People can perk up, chill out or both. The building is the most beautiful building in Kona, if not the entire island. Like Tommy, the project is ambitious yet fully grounded in Kona’s dirt. As Tommy says, “You gotta dream big to get something small.”

Learn more at GreenwellFarms.com | Revered@coffee.com.

Fletch

An Underwater OCEANGALZ: EXPLORATION

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A Gallery of Two Girls in Love With the Ocean

ARTICLE BY JULIA SILVA KURPPA PHOTOGRAPHY BY OCEANGALZ

Maria Millan and Isa Lassinaro, owners of OceanGalz, met in Hawaiʻi and quickly became friends as they learned to freedive together. “We were the first in the water and the last ones out,” Maria recalls. Their social media page started as a way to share diving videos and arrange beach cleanups; today, their online community has surpassed 420,000 followers.

Hawaiʻi served as the gateway to their international ocean exploration. Isa is currently in Sri Lanka, working alongside organizations to remediate pollution, while Maria is sailing through Fiji, documenting its vibrant reefs.

Through their mainstream platform, OceanGalz deliberately withholds specific locations to avoid overcrowding in spaces vital and sacred to local ecosystems. Instead, they use their reach to advocate for the conservation and protection of the ocean.

“We’re aware that one trash cleanup won’t change the world. But little, consistent actions slowly change the culture,” says Isa.

At the heart of each project and exploration is one simple goal: to teach people to love the ocean.

Learn more at OceanGalz.com | @OceanGalz.

Set your schedule. Make an impact. Build a life you’re proud of.

Behind each of our 200+ City Lifestyle magazines is someone who cares deeply about their community. Someone who connects people, celebrates businesses, and shares the stories that matter most. What if that someone was you?

Or maybe it’s someone you know. If this isn’t the right time for you, but you know someone who could be the perfect fit, we’d love an intro.

events

JULY 4TH

37th Turtle Independence Day

Surf Shack, Mauna Lani Resort | 9:00 AM

Enjoy education booths, delicious food, gentle Hawaiian melodies and dancing by hula halaus performed right on the sand. Celebrating the efforts of the Mālama Honu, Malama Honua conservation program, this event honors sea turtles, marine conservation and Hawaiian culture in an interactive, local-style way. Presented in partnership with Sea Life Park. Auberge.com

JULY 4TH

62nd Parker Ranch's 4th of July Rodeo and Horse Races

Parker Ranch, Waimea | 9:00 AM

The Parker Ranch Rodeo Arena, a cornerstone of the ranch, hosts the annual 4th of July Rodeo, showcasing the skills and traditions of the paniolo. This vibrant event brings together the community to celebrate and honor our ranching heritage. Gates open at 7:30 a.m. ParkerRanch.com.

JULY 4TH

4th of July Extravaganza 2026

Queens’ Marketplace, Waikoloa | 11:00 AM

Join us for the annual 4th of July family celebration at Queens’ Marketplace! This free event will feature live music with local bands, keiki carnival games, face painting and more! QueensMarketplace.com.

JULY 4TH

Kailua Village Independence Day Parade

| 6:00 PM

This year’s celebration holds special significance as we join communities across the nation in honoring 250 years of American history, unity and progress. Our parade theme, “America The Beautiful” will reflect many creative expressions. Fireworks over Kailua Bay will happen at 8 p.m. ParadesInKona.com.

JULY 25TH

Volcano's ʻŌhiʻa Lehua Half Marathon

Volcano Village | 7:00 AM

Join this an annual scenic running event held in Volcano Village on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi. The event, which also features a 5K and a kids run, is held in conjunction with the Experience Volcano Festival to celebrate the local community. OhiaLehuaHalf.com

JULY 25TH

7th Annual Experience Volcano Festival

19-4074 Old Volcano Road, Volcano, HI 96785 | 10:00 AM

Join a celebration of the culture, people and traditions that make the Volcano Area so unique. More than just a gateway to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, the Volcano Area is home to many activities and relaxing opportunities. Get a taste of everything that Volcano has to offer on July 25th & 26th 2026, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ExperienceVolcano.com.

Building On Excellence

At Floor Expert, our journey began in 2006 with a vision fueled by hard work and dedication. As a flooring installer, I always dreamed big and bold, believing in the power of transforming dreams into reality, one step at a time. Guided by unwavering dedication and perseverance, I’ve navigated the challenges of the industry over the years.

Now, 20 years later, I am proud to lead a remarkable team that embodies a deeprooted passion, extensive knowledge, and unparalleled expertise in both our flooring store and installation team. Together, we have built a reputation that consistently earns us five-star reviews, reflecting our commitment to delivering the best experience for our Hawai’i Ohana. This mission lies at the heart of everything we do and inspires us every day.

With Warm Aloha

Paul Didok (Owner, Founder)