10/19/2025
👏🏽We are pleased to share that the Hawai‘i Community Foundation’s Dana Okano has been selected to be among the Hydro20.
The Hydro20 is a dynamic group of 20 individuals celebrated for driving change, disrupting norms, and doing good for water sustainability across the United States. The Hydro20 is an initiative of Waterloop and was announced during Climate Week NYC at the Rethinking Water conference hosted by Columbia University.
Learn more about the Hydro20 wavemakers at hydro20.org.
Dana Okano, the Natural Environment sector program director at the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, is celebrated as a Hydro20 honoree for founding the Hawaiian Islands Environmental Finance Center and advancing water sustainability in rural Hawaiian communities. Facing the challenge of limited population bases to fund infrastructure, Okano established the Center to provide technical assistance to agencies and nonprofits, helping them secure federal funding for water projects.
Her leadership has supported diverse initiatives, including upland watershed restoration for aquifer recharge, agricultural master planning for efficient water use, and expanding county wastewater recycling to supply water for hotels and golf courses.
Learn more about the HEIFC at hawaiianislandsefc.org.