Ron Porter, PhD

Chair

Ron is the CEO of Tailored Capital, a company that smooths the integration of new capital into businesses for optimal value creation.

Creighton Chang

Treasurer

I retired in May of 2016 as a Department of Defense Navy Civilian, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility. As a nuclear engineer, I have expertise in reactor maintenance, operations & testing, nuclear quality, radiological controls, organizational learning & change, and project management for submarine overhaul, maintenance, upgrades & repairs. I volunteer for Achieve Zero, New Hope Central Oahu, and my wife, Deb. I am a believer in Jesus Christ. I love to surf, swim, walk, eat chocolates and ice cream. Hence, my need to surf, swim, and walk. I am a life-long learner and a proponent of being on the edge of your comfort zone, though I dislike every minute while there. I don’t consider myself a senior citizen unless there’s a discount or an advantage. I am always willing to allow you to buy me lunch while I listen to your story. Try me.

Patricia Matsueda

Secretary

Writer, editor. Lover of the written word, publication design, cats, trees. Small-business owner. Worked at UH Manoa from 1990 to 2022, first as a technical editor at a research center and then as a managing editor for a UH Press journal. Amazed, befuddled, enchanted by life (and cats).

Michael North

Director

Michael works with growing companies in the fields of finance, marketing, business development, alliance development, telecommunications and technology. He is active in venture capital, private equity and royalty financing, with local projects in Hawaii, across the U.S. mainland, and in greater China.

Anina Quaranto

Director

Anina is a partner at Locations Hawaii Realty and is very active in their philanthropic arm, Locations Foundation. Anina sees joining the board of AZ as building a strong partnership between AZ and the Locations Foundation for “putting people in homes” across the entire spectrum.

Garrett Sisson

Volunteer

Garrett is one of the founding members of Achieve Zero (formerly ALEA Bridge) and is the owner of Paradise Ice.

Nicky Winter

Executive Director

Passionate advocate for those experiencing homelessness. Changemaker. Innovator. Works hard, plays harder. Spiritualist. Idealist. Shameless dreamer of impossible dreams. Mother. Pool player. Severe allergy to politics and bullshit. Social introvert. Standalone. Unrelenting warrior in the fight to end housing inequality. Problem solver. Protector. Leader. Graduate of the School of Hard Knocks, Ph.D. Values-driven survivor with a strong sense of honor, respect, and excellence who still believes that unicorns really do fart rainbows.

Keith Yabusaki, PhD

Programs Director

Local Boy. Local values. Hatched at Wahiawa General Hospital in upper Waianae Uka ahupuaa. Leilehua High School mule. University of Hawaii alumni: Soil Physics Ph.D. Minor Hydrology. Worked 27 years for the dark side at State Departments of Agriculture, Labor & Industrial Relations (DLIR) & Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) before seeing the light at Achieve Zero (AZ). Cold, cruel world morphed him into just one ‘ole bust-up Honey Badger (HB) that champions for the downtrodden houseless. Acquires grants on behalf of AZ. When you work for a small non-profit, you quickly learn when you fall to suck it up buttercup, dust off your britches, and learn to run before walking. His 19 previously houseless feral cats give him permission to reside in the house with them. Favorite Color: BLACK. Has a cold BLACK Heart! Rocks to AC/DC. Song: “I’m No Angel”. Recently did a road trip that traversed Purgatory, PA. Pivot Point: Believes in AZ Executive Director “Demoness” Nicky so much that during a brief lapse in judgment, he unquestioningly followed her to hell and back. Salivates at sashimi & sushi. Treasures Hawaiian ethnic & cultural collectibles. Appreciates life, his job, helping others, & giving back to community. Two wonderful daughters. Lived life with partner Kruger over 31 years. Still visualizes Kruger happily flying with angels over rainbows. P.S. Some view & negatively think his tumultuous journey thus far as a “Life with lemons.” He likes to think that at times lemons can be the main ingredient in life, sweet & savory.

Liane Fujishige

Accounting Generalist

Mom to one awesome football-loving tweenager, 3 sweet shih tzus, and one kolohe chinchilla. Just an old soul who has been there and done that...and probably touched the stove one too many times just to make sure that it was hot. Living proof that not all who wander are lost. Trying every day to be the best version of myself. Loves anything fluffy, sparkly, and pink...or all of the above!
Achieve Zero has restored my faith in humanity and softened me to have more compassion for those who need us most. We all help each other where we can. Super excited to be on board to see how much our humble team can positively impact the communities that we live in.

Isaac Rim, PhD

Outreach Case Manager

A humble but spiritual and knowledgeable dreamer. Pursuing right things and being equipped with righteousness. Thinking positive and being mindful of responsibilities. Growing case manager, knowledgeable life coach, impressive baseball player, admired Korean Medicine Doctor, beloved daddy, and Chosen Pastor with love. Focusing and pressing on what I like to do Knowing how to deal with stress. Expressing and sharing what I’m enjoying and learning through every step of my life.

Tati Young, PhD

Outreach Case Manager

Beach bum at heart with a Ph.D. in Anthropology. Queer-Intellectual-& Bohemian who catwalks in Walmart. Ohana-Oriented. Likes to Finish what we start without biting off more than we can chew. Tarot-Card Reader and Healer (māhū). My PGP is “we/us.” We understand ideas about the self, community, and one an "other" as interdependent (independent and interconnected). I am because we are. In other words, we all need each other to make a difference. We stay Open-minded. Flexible. Loyal. Kind. Direct. Optimistic and yet Realistic AF. We are an ENFJ on the Myers-Briggs Personality Test and Hufflepuff/Gryffindor on the Harry Potter spectrum. That is, we are an empathetic nerd. WE love hard work, taking initiative, making improvements over initial efforts, and eating humble PIE when called in for misgivings. We are a protector of human dignity and a fighter for sosho justice. We are aloha ‘āina. That is we empower all that nourishes the higher self.

Tori Yuen-Carvalho

Outreach Case Manager