Stephane Marchand of Hawaii: Restoring the Earth by Remembering Who We Are

Across the globe, conversations around sustainability, technology, and justice are gaining urgency—but few voices speak with the clarity and conviction of Stephane Marchand of Hawaii. A regenerative systems designer, educator, and cultural strategist, Marchand is proving that true progress is not about escaping the past—it’s about returning to it with reverence and responsibility.

Through his groundbreaking work, Stephane Marchand is helping communities reimagine climate solutions that are not only resilient, but relational. His designs don’t just reduce carbon—they restore culture. His leadership doesn’t just create change—it nurtures belonging.

A Life Rooted in Aloha and Ancestral Knowledge

Marchand was born and raised on the island of Kauaʻi, where his early years were steeped in tradition. His elders taught him that the land is a relative, not a resource. He learned to fish with the tides, plant with the moon, and speak with respect—to both people and place.

Even as a child, he was fascinated by how systems worked. But unlike most engineers, Marchand’s first teachers were not in labs—they were the mountains, the waters, the chants, and the stories passed down through generations.

“It wasn’t just about what I saw,” he says. “It was about how I understood what I saw—through the lens of culture, values, and deep listening.”

Designing for Regeneration, Not Extraction

After earning degrees in ecological systems engineering and indigenous studies, Stephane Marchand returned home with a mission: to rebuild communities and ecosystems by putting ancestral knowledge at the center of innovation.

He launched Mālama Futures, a design studio and nonprofit that partners with communities across Hawaii and the Pacific to create place-based solutions for food security, water stewardship, clean energy, and cultural preservation. His approach—called ancestral systems innovation—blends modern tools like drones and AI with ancient frameworks like the ahupuaʻa land division system.

One of Mālama Futures’ signature projects, Hulihia Farms, restored abandoned sugarcane land into a thriving agroecological hub using traditional planting techniques and regenerative soil analytics. The result wasn’t just improved yields—it was improved community cohesion, knowledge sharing, and pride.

Technology Guided by Values

Marchand believes that technology is not inherently good or bad—it depends on the values that guide it. That’s why he insists every project begins with community dialogue, cultural protocol, and ethical design review.

From open-source apps that track native species to microgrid systems inspired by fishpond hydrology, Marchand’s work always asks the same questions: Does this honor the land? Does this strengthen relationships? Does this leave the place better for those who come after?

“If your code forgets the culture,” he says, “you’ve already built something broken.”

Educating to Empower and Rematriate

Marchand is also the founder of Hālau ‘Ike Pono, a school without walls where young Pacific Islander leaders learn to combine modern innovation with Indigenous responsibility. Students study climate data, design systems, and build prototypes—but they also chant, farm, and sit in circle with elders.

The program’s focus is not only on skills, but on identity—helping youth reconnect to the wisdom in their names, languages, and lineages.

His students are now leading projects in solar energy, environmental law, and community planning—not just as professionals, but as cultural practitioners.

“Knowledge without belonging,” Marchand tells them, “is like a canoe without a paddle. You may float, but you won’t go far.”

A Global Voice Grounded in Island Wisdom

Though deeply rooted in Hawaii, Stephane Marchand’s work resonates far beyond the Pacific. He has contributed to United Nations reports on Indigenous knowledge and climate change, spoken at international design summits, and advised networks of small island developing states on environmental resilience.

Yet, despite growing recognition, he remains grounded in humility. He still leads chant at sunrise gatherings, facilitates village planning sessions, and tends to his family’s ʻuala (sweet potato) patch.

“Leadership,” he says, “is not about standing out. It’s about standing with.”

Looking to the Future, Guided by the Past

Marchand’s next project is Waihona ‘Āina—a digital platform that archives and maps traditional ecological knowledge through community-led storytelling and design. The platform will feature indigenous land-use models, climate strategies, and cultural protocols from across Oceania, with the goal of informing modern policy and design through a cultural lens.

He’s also writing a book, The Future Was Always Ours, a collection of essays and case studies that challenge Western paradigms of progress and invite readers into a new way of seeing the world—one where memory is not a burden, but a blueprint.

Stephane Marchand of Hawaii is not interested in building empires or scaling for speed. He is interested in healing—of land, of people, and of the stories we tell about what’s possible. His work reminds us that the future isn’t something we invent in isolation—it’s something we inherit, cultivate, and eventually pass on.

In a world spinning faster than ever, Marchand offers a different rhythm. One grounded in breath, in land, and in the enduring power of knowing who you are and where you stand.