Our Mission
Roots Reborn is dedicated to
serving our migrant and immigrant
community impacted by the Maui fires.
Growing to support our community
for years to come.
Our Ethos
We stand as a compassionate and trusted advocate for immigrants and migrants, dedicated to understanding and addressing their unique challenges and needs. Embraced by the broader community, we use our platform to shine a light on the issues faced by those we serve, working to ensure they receive the right support and resources in ways that are meaningful and impactful.
The trust we have built within these communities, often wary of traditional authority, allows us to bridge divides and create a safe space for support and empowerment. In the wake of disasters like the recent fires, we see community members reaching out to us for help. At Roots Reborn, we uplift these voices, foster resilience, and ensure every individual has the chance to rebuild their lives with dignity.
Meet the Team
The Roots Reborn team is made up of individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds, many of whom are immigrants or children of immigrants themselves. This shared experience creates a profound connection with the communities we serve, fostering trust and understanding as our team members truly grasp the unique challenges faced by those who may feel overlooked or marginalized.
Founders and Team
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Veronica was born and raised in Santa Ana, Califas by a community of immigrants and spent 15 of her most formative years in Chicago. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Science and Studies from DePaul University in Chicago which informs her understanding of how immigrant rights are fundamentally intertwined with environmental crises that disproportionately target oppressed communities, including those in Lāhainā. In Maui, she has devoted herself to pro bono casework, a commitment that intensified following the Maui wildfires. Recognizing the vast and varied needs of the local immigrant community in the recovery process, Veronica has focused on mobilizing and empowering young leaders from these communities, believing strongly in their capacity to drive change. She is a proud daughter of immigrants from Mexico and mother to a mixed Mestizo-Hawaiian `ohana.
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Khara Jabola-Carolus is a co-founder of Roots Reborn. She is a proud daughter of an immigrant from the Philippines. Khara served as the Executive Director of the State of Hawaiʻi’s Commission on the Status of Women for over half a decade, recently departing to join the Global Center for Gender Equality out of Stanford University. Khara pioneered a women-centered economic recovery plan during COVID-19 which was heralded by United Nations Women and adapted globally by various nation-states, universities, and NGOs. She has also helmed the Hawaii Coalition for Immigrant Rights and successfully led the statewide legislative campaign to grant driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants. Khara holds a Juris Doctor with a specialization in Native Hawaiian rights.
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Kevin J Block is a dedicated, experienced, and passionate immigration attorney in Maui and the founder of Maui Immigration Law, LLC. The son of an immigrant and the parent of an immigrant, Block is passionate about the positive contributions immigrants make to our Hawaiian community and throughout the U.S. His legal career and long history of service to the community are a testament to his dedication and commitment to social justice.
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Leslee Matthews is the Founder & Managing Attorney for Speak Out & Up Law, LLC. She is also a Social Worker who is an advocate for social justice and passionate about connecting the community with resources. Leslee grew up on Maui and attended law school at the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
Leslee has served as a Legislative Attorney with the Maui County Council and a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney. She has also served as a Legislative Attorney with Hawaiʻi Senator Rhoads and the Senate Committee on Judiciary. She is the Vice President of African Americans on Maui Association, Immediate Past President of the African American Lawyers Association of Hawaiʻi, Immediate Past President of the Maui County Bar Association, Board Member of the HSBA’s Government Lawyers Section, and a Member of the Women’s Prison Project. Leslee serves as Special Counsel to the Judiciary and a Lecturer for the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
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Aparna Patrie is a dedicated and passionate immigration attorney with over a decade of experience in civil litigation and federal policy. Aparna has represented clients in asylum and removal proceedings, drafted judicial opinions on a wide variety of immigration issues for the U.S. Court of Appeals, and provided advice to noncitizens considering their immigration options, from asylum to TPS to work authorization issues. As a proud immigrant from India and Indonesia, she arrived in the United States at age 13 before naturalizing in her 20s.
Aparna received her Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown Law, magna cum laude, in 2015. While in law school, she represented a detained immigrant in removal from proceedings from El Salvador and successfully won withholding removal on his behalf. She also did internships at the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Constitutional Rights. After law school, Aparna clerked for the Honorable Majorie O. Rendell of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, where she handled all of the complex immigration appeals that came before the court. Aparna also has years of experience as a lawyer for the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, where federal immigration laws are drafted, and as a staffer in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is barred in New York.Aparna lives in Lahaina with her husband and three kids and is passionate about helping her community heal, recover, and rebuild after the wildfires.
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Dania, originally from Chiapas, Mexico, made Maui her home in 2003 when she was just 5 years old. Growing up, she attended Princess Nahi`ena`ena Elementary School, Lahaina Intermediate, and Lahainaluna High School, shaping her upbringing within the Lahaina community for the past 21 years. Even from a young age, Dania felt a strong connection to her latinx community, often serving as a translator. Despite initially struggling with English upon her arrival in Maui, she dedicated herself to mastering the language to better assist her immigrant parents and her community. While she has worked in the tourism industry, Dania is now excited to join Roots Reborn, eager to contribute to a cause she believes in passionately.
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Born and raised in Southern California and a proud daughter of immigrant parents from Mexico and El Salvador, Lily has called Hawai’i home for the last 16 years. In the aftermath of the devastating fires, Lily assisted with various initiatives including fundraising initiatives, donation distributions, and language translation. Lily holds a bachelor’s degree in Marine Science from the University of Hawai’i and has worked in the environmental education field until transitioning to her current position at Roots Reborn. She is passionate about advocating for equitable access to resources and support for the immigrant community.
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AnnDionne was born in Pohnpei Micronesia and moved to Maui at the age of 6 with her mother and younger sister. They moved to Hawai’i in hopes of living a better life. Growing up as an immigrant, she had a difficult time in school because of the language barrier. Her parents worked two jobs to make ends meet while she cared for her younger sister. This impacted her schooling but only made her more determined to work harder. She is a proud magna cum laude King Kekaulike high school graduate. She joined Roots Reborn in January 2024 to serve her community, culture, and people.
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Julisa Figueroa was born to teenage parents in Long Beach and raised in Wilmington, Califas. The support of multigenerational Mexican and Yaqui/Yoeme homes, many strong-willed Matriarchs, and Vick’s vapor rub curanderas led to the path of care for others and learning the most effective and trauma-informed ways to do so. Her studies to be a Full Spectrum Doula and Mexican Traditional Medicine (MTM), is a continuation of that legacy. Folklorico dancing when she was five planted the seed for a lifelong love of dance. This love has allowed her to professionally train and perform in CA, AZ, NV, NY, HI, Italy, and the Netherlands, which she does to this day. Her emphasis on in-person gatherings comes from growing up at a time, right as technology started to overshadow block parties, fiestas, running through the streets, and knocking on your neighbor's door to play. Lahaina was reminiscent of that time and surviving the fires made her realize that many people’s needs that were not being met, easily could, with the right guidance and direction. The only way to find them is to have access to time, the ability to read English, documented eligibility, and community advocacy. All of which Roots Reborn fills in the gaps, and she is so honored to be a part of the team.
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Born and raised on Maui, Genesis joined Roots Reborn shortly after the wildfires. As the daughter of immigrants, she is an advocate for her Latinx community. To propel her career she received her undergraduate studies at Whittier College and then obtained her Master's in Legal Studies at the Sandra Day O'connor College of Law at Arizona State University. She helped plan the Dia de los Muertos event and is excited to continue planning this tradition for the community.
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Ethnic Studies Ph.D. Student at University of California Riverside.
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Born in California, Stephanie moved to Lahaina, Maui at three years of age. Growing up in the Lahaina community, she attended King Kamehameha III Elementary, Lahaina Intermediate, and is a proud graduate of Lahainaluna High School. Stephanie experienced first-hand the lack of legal assistance on Maui when her husband of 10 years was deported to Mexico. She’s been traveling back and forth to Mexico with her daughter over the last four years. Before joining the Roots Reborn team, Stephanie worked in the restaurant industry. Using her people skills, she works closely with individuals and families to navigate resources. With her own experiences and support network, including her mother and neighbors, she learned the importance of taking care of each other.
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Evelyn Del Valle, a Maui native, emerges from a rich heritage as the youngest member of a large Guatemalan family. Evelyn attributes her education success to being a part of Head Start during her formative years. Participating in Head Start taught her so many things, one of which was how to speak English. She started her professional career in early childhood education in 2018. Her love and dedication to the field drove her to pursue her Associate's degree in Early Childhood Education. With that degree, she continued to create safe and nurturing environments for young minds. She then was able to reciprocate the learning and guidance in her role as a Head Start Teacher. With her familial roots deeply embedded in Maui, since their parents' arrival to Maui over three decades ago, she has a connection that runs profound and is committed to always spreading the Aloha spirit. She is proud to have grown up on an island with abundant beauty and culture.
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Sue Ellen was born and raised in Pohnpei Micronesia and moved to Maui in 2016. Over the next few years, she traveled to different parts of the Mainland to expand her knowledge. In May 2022 she returned to Maui and worked in the tourism industry in various roles ranging from housekeeping to customer service. Her passion has always been to serve and help others so when the fire happened, she didn’t hesitate. Despite the impact on her job, she volunteered with the Red Cross offering support to those affected by the tragedy. She continues to pray and hold the families that were affected by the fire close to her heart. Recognizing that Roots Reborn was serving the COFA community, she felt compelled to step up and help her community.
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Born and raised in Santa Cruz, California and a proud mother of 2 sons born on Maui with Argentinian descent. Ry has called Maui home for 32 years where she found roots in our diverse local community. As Co-founder of a successful family business Ry was VP of Client Relations & Business Development. Ry worked for 3 decades providing Human Resource and Payroll support serving as compliance Liaison to local business owners and their workforce. Ry volunteered in various community outreach affiliations such as SHRM, Chair for Maui Heart Walk, Go Red for Women, and Chamber of Commerce networking seminars and events. Ry is passionate about offering solutions and resources to support our local communities of all origins and backgrounds.
Board of Directors
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A proud kanaka maoli and graduate of Maui's public schools with training as a scientist and engineer from Stanford University, Matt has been using data and technology to solve challenging problems for over 20 years. Recently, his work has been focused on Maui wildfire relief, with special focuses on housing, immigrants, and broad assessments of economic recovery and survivor needs. This work has put him in collaboration with decision makers at the County, State, and Federal levels, as well as non-profits including the American Red Cross, the Hawaii Community Foundation (HCF), the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA), the Economic Research Organization of the University of Hawaii (UHERO), and several local grassroots organizations. His earlier work include applying AI to physics research, being the tech lead of an algorithmic trading team, and co-founding a cloud computing startup.
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Executive Director, J. Walter Cameron Center
Cesar brings over 29 years of leadership experience in nonprofit management, community development, and sustainability projects. As the Executive Director of the J. Walter Cameron Center, he oversees operations supporting 24 nonprofits that collectively serve over 60,000 individuals annually. With expertise in grant stewardship and facilities oversight, Cesar has led several impactful projects, including energy conservation initiatives and community outreach programs. He has also held leadership roles with the Maui High School Community Council, Maui Economic Opportunity, Rotary, Na Hale O Maui, Maui County Commission on Persons with Disabilities, and the Maui Nonprofit Directors Association. He is also a proud graduate of the Ka Ipu Kukui Fellows Program, dedicated to leadership and sustainability in Maui.
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Besides being blessed to be raised on Maui for the past 22 years, this Mexico born Latina, has lived and seen how quickly the Latino community of Maui has grown. Calling Maui her home and shortly after graduating from the Maui High School (Class of 2007!); became naturally involved in helping to interpret/translate for those with a limited-english proficiency community who's first language is Spanish.
Through her work history as a Program Specialist at the Enlace Hispano Program at MEO (Maui Economic Opportunity, INC.) In 2013 to currently working as a full-time certified immigration paralegal side-by-side with the well known immigration attorney Kevin Block; Lizz has discovered that she loves the satisfaction of helping others. She has developed a high level of expertise with immigration law and is one of the most friendly and helpful faces of Maui. Also currently part of the AAP- AILA's Affiliated Paralegals and recently fully honored to be a board member of the Roots Reborn Organization and continue helping the needing and growing community of Maui.
