Events

On August 17 – 21, 2026 at the Hyatt Regency Maui and Hua Momona Farms in Kapalua, the first-ever RISE Maui Summit will bring together scientists, technologists, cultural leaders, and sustainability pioneers for five days of conversation organized around three pillars — Regeneration, Innovation, and Sustainability — and rooted throughout in the spirit of Aloha.

Keynote speaker Dr. Sasha Luccioni, Co-Founder of Sustainable AI Group and named among TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential people in AI, set the tone with her talk on rethinking AI’s true cost to the planet. She was joined by an extraordinary roster: Rod Roddenberry of Roddenberry Entertainment and Star Trek; inventor and computer scientist Jason Resch on quantum entanglement; Dr. Jun Yao of UMass Amherst on alternative green power; Prof. Matthias Scheutz of Tufts on ethical AI; Tom MacTavish on human-computer interaction; and Rolling Stones vocalist Bernard Fowler, who brought an artist’s lens to innovation and implicit wisdom. On the Regeneration side, Hawaiian Cultural Adviser W. Kamaunu Kahaialii, wellness visionary Manesha AK Sian, and Rev. Andrew Wicks explored the intersection of spirituality, healing, and the age of AI. The Sustainability track featured Native Hawaiian conservationists Oliver Dukelow and James Carpio, luxury aquaculture innovator Diego Sabino, vintner Mark Neal, and Hua Momona Farms’ own Chef Zach Laidlaw.

All proceeds support the incredible work being performed by the Hua Momona Foundation. 

Held August 21 – 22, 2026 at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa, the third annual Maui Music and Food Experience will deliver two extraordinary nights of music, food, and aloha — all in service of the Hua Momona Foundation’s ongoing mission to feed and uplift the Lahaina community.

Friday will open with island soul: 3 Lbs of Kalo, led by 4x Grammy winner Peter deAquino and Naiwi Teruya, will set the tone with West Maui reggae roots; John Cruz, to the Grammy-winning Slack Key Guitar, Vol. 2, will follow with heartfelt island storytelling; and Taimane — four-time Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner and ukulele virtuoso — will close the night with a set that will range from Bach to flamenco to rock. Saturday will bring Kanekoa, Hawaii’s legendary ukulele-powered jam-rock outfit What Mongoose? — the MMFE’s hometown supergroup — uniting Grammy-winning vocalist Lisa Fischer and Rolling Stones touring vocalist Bernard Fowler alongside Chicago pianist Robert Irving III (Miles Davis’s longtime musical director), guitarist Nicholas Tremulis, and Maui ukulele phenom Naiwi Teruya. The weekend will close with five-time Grammy winners Los Lobos, joined by Americana icon Alejandro Escovedo, delivering a sweeping headline set that will bring the house down.

On the culinary side, Chef Zach Laidlaw of Hua Momona Farms will curate an exceptional lineup of Maui talent: Chef Alvin Savella and Donovan Foster of Coco Deck Lahaina, pastry chef and educator Hannah Stanchfield of UHMC, two-time Maui Chef of the Year Taylor Ponte of Aurum Maui, and 2025 Maui Chef of the Year Zach Sato of Havens Harborside — a chef beloved as much for feeding thousands after the Lahaina fires as for what he creates in the kitchen.

All proceeds support the incredible work being performed by the Hua Momona Foundation.

The 3rd Annual Maui Music & Food Experience: Aloha Comes to Chicago

On November 7, 2025, the Maui Music & Food Experience brought its celebrated blend of music, food, and purpose to Chicago’s Copernicus Center — extending its 2-city benefit concert tour and its mission to provide meals, accelerate the Lahaina rebuild, and launch the new Hua Momona Youth Ukulele Ensemble and Music Program for teenagers from Lahaina.

The night’s lineup was a stunning collection of artists across genres. Nicholas Tremulis & the Prodigals opened with special guests Bernard Fowler (The Rolling Stones) and Naiwi Teruya, followed by the incomparable Lisa Fischer, whose voice is widely regarded as one of the greatest in popular music. Hawaiian singer-songwriter John Cruz brought the aloha spirit to the mainland stage, and blues and soul legend Bettye LaVette closed the night with a headline performance. DJ Lady D kept the energy flowing throughout the evening.

The culinary experience featured food by Lahaina’s own Da Local Boy, in collaboration with Hua Momona’s chef Zach Laidlaw — bringing a genuine taste of Maui to the heart of Chicago.

To date, the Hua Momona Foundation has raised a combined $450,000+ across all three events and served over 80,000 hot, fresh meals to those impacted by the Lahaina fires.