Pitzer Alum Selected as a 2025–26 Obama Foundation Leader

Environmental caretaker, Hawaiian cultural steward, and youth educator: Kepa Barrett ’17 embodies all three roles. His leadership has earned him a place in the Obama Foundation’s 2025–26 Leaders Asia-Pacific cohort.  

“I’ll be learning alongside a truly inspiring group of emerging leaders—people who are challenging systems, elevating communities, and reimagining what’s possible,” said Barrett.

Leaders Asia-Pacific is a six-month, virtual leadership development program for emerging leaders to advance change in their communities, the Asia-Pacific region, and the globe. Obama Leaders can expect to strengthen their values-based leadership—a quality that Barrett brings in spades as a Pitzer College alumnus.

Barrett is the manager of sustainability and ʻāina-based learning for Kamehameha Schools Kapālama. ʻĀina-based education emphasizes reciprocity between land, ocean, air, and all forms of life (ʻāina is a Hawaiian word whose literal translation means “land” or “earth”). Barrett helps K-12 students learn about environmental careers and about their Hawaiian culture through land- and sea-based learning.

Barrett is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools, which is an educational institution aimed at educating students of Native Hawaiian descent. He is eager to give back to a community that has shaped him by participating in Leaders Asia-Pacific.

“I believe deeply in the power of local action and collective leadership, and I’m honored to bring my work and my voice to this table,” said Barrett.

Pitzer helped cultivate Barrett’s passion for environmental education and community engagement. He majored in environmental analysis and minored in economics, drawing from two academic fields to learn how to responsibly steward Earth’s natural resources. Barrett also worked at the forefront of ecological justice as a fellow for Pitzer’s Robert Redford Conservancy for Southern California Sustainability.

Barrett believes that “leadership, at its core, is about service.” From his time as a Pitzer student to his role at the Kamehameha Schools, Barrett has devoted his service to cultural and nature conservation—for this generation and beyond.