Born at Queen’s Hospital on Hawaiian Independence Day, Kanekoa was raised in Central Oʻahu by his electrical contractor father and homemaker mother alongside his three younger brothers. Growing up in Mililani, Kanekoa participated in AYSO soccer, COYBL baseball, PALS basketball and Boy Scouts, developing the values of teamwork, service, and leadership from an early age. As a teenager, he excelled in water polo, swimming, and golf before graduating from Mililani High School. At the age of 17, Kanekoa moved to Hawaiʻi Island to attend the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication. He later returned to Oʻahu to attend Hawaiʻi Pacific University, graduating with honors and earning a Master of Arts degree in Communication. Kanekoa continued his education at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, completing two years of doctoral coursework in the Communication and Information Sciences Ph.D. program. Throughout his career, Kanekoa has dedicated himself to educating and mentoring Hawaiʻi’s youth and future leaders though public service and education. He has served as an educator at Molokaʻi High & Intermediate School, Kahuku High & Intermediate School, Kamehameha Schools, Honolulu Community College, Leeward Community College, and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
While attending the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, Kanekoa’s family moved from Mililani, Oʻahu, to Hoʻolehua, Molokaʻi, where they built a home on their grandmothers Hawaiian Homestead lot. His three younger brothers are proud graduates of Molokai High School, and his mother served as a nurse at Molokaʻi General Hospital. Kanekoa’s Electrical Contractor father transitioned into the wastewater industry, specializing in the installation, maintenance, and pumping of grease traps, cesspools, and septic systems, as well as providing portable sanitation services for large private and community events. His work supported many important gatherings throughout Maui County, including years of service to the annual Nā Wahine O Ke Kai and Molokai Hoe canoe races. Kanekoa and his brothers worked alongside their father, helping to support the family businesses through electrical and wastewater projects across Maui County. These experiences instilled in him a strong work ethic, a deep appreciation for small business, and a firsthand understanding of the challenges facing local families and rural communities. Molokai has been home to Kanekoa’s family for nearly 30 years. His roots on the island run even deeper, as Halawa Valley is the birthplace of his great-great-grandmother, Kapika Kakalia Maikui Haole.
Throughout his life, Kanekoa has worked as a electrician, construction laborer, subsistence farmer, commercial fisherman, professional musician, investigative reporter, rideshare driver, high school teacher, college counselor, and adjunct professor. Blessed to have lived in Hawaiʻi his entire life, Kanekoa has had the unique opportunity to reside on Oahu, Hawai’i Island, Kauai, Maui and Molokai for various educational and employment opportunities. For over 30 years, Kanekoa has built meaningful relationships with thousands of people across Hawaiʻi, developing a deep appreciation for the diverse communities, cultures, and values that make our islands so special. These lifelong connections have strengthened his commitment to serving the people of Hawaiʻi and protecting the resources, traditions, and opportunities that future generations deserve.