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Members of the Makai team receive a blessing from Kehaulani Lum ahead of the office blessing.

Next, Kehualani Lum, a Native Hawaiian cultural practitioner who traveled from Oʻahu, began the ceremony by calling up the ancestors—of everyone in the room. A caretaker of Loko I’a Pāʻaiau, a 400-year-old royal Hawaiian fishpond at Pearl Harbor, Lum explained that Hawaiian blessings always begin by “looking to the source”—acknowledging those who lived on and cared for the land long before. 

Carrying a wooden bowl filled with water she brought from Hawaii and sacred Hawaiian sea salt from Hanapēpē, Lum—affectionately called “Auntie” by Makai CEO Stephanie Hutch—dipped ti leaves into the mixture and gently flicked salty drops around the common area outside the new office. She then led Hutch, her family and the Makai team inside, symbolically cleansing the space “to leave all troubles outside and invite light, abundance, and connection in.” 

Continuing with the blessing, Lum symbolically cleanses the Makai workspace using ti leaves, water and sacred salt.

A Moment of Growth and Connection 

In her remarks, Hutch called the office opening “a new chapter that honors both where we come from and where we’re going.” 

“Our roots are in Hawaiʻi, but our mission is national,” she said. “San Antonio’s defense ecosystem and culture of collaboration make it the perfect home for our next chapter. We’re proud to be part of a community that connects innovation with purpose.” 

Makai CEO Stephanie Hutch offers remarks during the grand opening of the office at the Boeing Center at Tech Port.

Founded five years ago as the first company under the Kekoa Foundation, a Native Hawaiian nonprofit dedicated to advancing education and cultural preservation, Makai supports that mission by providing cybersecurity, systems engineering, and IT services to Pentagon clients nationwide. Revenues generated by Makai and future subsidiaries help fund Kekoa’s educational and cultural programs in Hawaiʻi and across the country—linking technical innovation to community impact. 

Hutch, who recently relocated with her family to the San Antonio area, said the new office will host eight team members supporting defense operations at neighboring Lackland AFB, Army Futures Command, and other regional partners. 

Shared Purpose with the Port Community 

Port San Antonio’s Will Garrett, vice president for talent and technology development and integration, welcomed Makai as “a company whose story blends service, culture, and innovation.” 

“Makai’s commitment to both national security and community uplift reflects exactly what we aim to cultivate here,” Garrett said. “Their presence adds to a diverse campus of firms whose success is measured not just in contracts won, but in how they invest back into people and place.” 

Will Garrett, Port San Antonio's Vice President Talent & Technology Development & Integration welcomes Makai to San Antonio.

That spirit resonated with State Representative John Lujan, who recalled working across the street decades ago as a San Antonio firefighter—before launching his own technology company and later serving in District 118. 

“When we invest in technology, we break cycles of poverty,” he told the crowd. “Each new company here creates opportunities that change lives.” 

For Hutch, the ceremony’s deeper meaning lay in the idea of ‘kuleana’—a sense of responsibility to honor heritage while giving back. “As Native Hawaiians living away from the islands, we carry our culture wherever we go,” she said. “This blessing allowed us to bring that spirit here and to acknowledge the people and history of this land, too.” 

After the ceremony, guests enjoyed shave ice from Hokulani Shave Ice of San Antonio, closing the event on a sweet note.

Photo credits: Mark Sobhani for Port San Antonio