03/02/2026
As Hanai has grown, so has the curiosity about the woman whose heart and vision brought it into being. Kim Smythe has always been more comfortable listening than speaking, observing quietly from the edges. But life, and love, asked something more of her.
After moving to Bend from Hawaii in 1998 with her husband Tim and their three children, Kim found herself navigating profound change, loss, and a season that required deep reflection. Writing her book Letting Go Again became an unexpected turning point. In choosing honesty over self-protection, Kim discovered clarity, self-forgiveness, and the courage to share the parts of her story that had once felt too tender to name.
Those hard, honest conversations, ones that ask us to soften, open, and be seen, are the ones Kim now holds most dear. They are expansive, healing, and ultimately what inspired the creation of the Hanai Foundation. This evening is an opportunity to step into that spirit together: to listen, to ask, and to connect through the generosity and openness that continue to shape Hanai at its core.