CEO & Agent of Good Juju

Strategist • Graphic Facilitator • Whole-Brain Thinker • Founder

Helping organizations, communities, and leaders transform complex ideas into clear, actionable momentum through strategy, visual thinking, facilitation, and human-centered design.

Cynthia is a strategist, facilitator, visual thinker, and whole-brain thinker known for helping people move complex ideas into clarity, alignment, and action. Blending systems thinking, creativity, communications strategy, and collaborative process design, she has spent more than 30 years helping organizations, communities, businesses, and leaders navigate complex challenges, uncover opportunities, and build meaningful momentum.

Her work experience spans an unusually broad range of sectors — from Fortune 500 corporations and hospitality brands to grassroots nonprofits, cultural organizations, educational institutions, and government agencies. This cross-sector experience gives her a unique ability to bridge perspectives, connect people, and design processes that balance what she often refers to as the “4 Ps”: people, partnerships, planet, and profit.

A graduate of ‘Iolani School, she earned her BFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City and pursued graduate studies at Columbia University.

Translating Complexity Into Clarity

Known for translating complexity into memorable visual frameworks and actionable strategies, Cyn helps groups move from discussion to direction. Her work specializes in visual facilitation, strategic planning, community engagement, systems thinking, communications strategy, stakeholder alignment, and collaborative problem-solving.

Before focusing on facilitation and strategy work, she built an award-winning career in New York City as a Creative Director and Brand Strategist, leading projects involving communications strategy, relationship marketing, consumer engagement, and art direction for both major brands and entrepreneurial ventures.

Founder of Surfrider Spirit Sessions & Royal Adventures

As Founder of Surfrider Spirit Sessions, an innovative Hawai‘i-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created to support vulnerable and at-risk youth through ocean-based mentoring, culture, wellness, leadership development, and community connection, Cyn led organizational development, programming, partnerships, fundraising, branding, and strategic growth. Under her leadership, the organization recruited and trained hundreds of volunteer mentors, served hundreds of youth, developed innovative youth programming models, and raised millions of dollars in philanthropic and program support.

In 2025, she launched Royal Adventures Hawai‘i, a mission-driven social enterprise venture designed to create sustainable earned-income funding streams to support the long-term resilience and growth of the nonprofit. The venture was recognized as a winner in the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program and American Savings Bank Nonprofit Business Plan Competition, earning recognition for its innovation, adaptability, and forward-thinking nonprofit sustainability model.

She is also author and designer of two award-winning philanthropic books: The Surfer Spirit and The Survivor Spirit: The Beauty, Passion, and Power of Breast Cancer Survivors.

Curiosity, Connection & Community

Outside of her consulting and nonprofit work, Cyn is the co-host of the podcast What’s the Connection?, a curiosity-driven show exploring unexpected links between people, history, culture, ideas, and human behavior.

Deeply rooted in Hawai‘i, she brings a relationship-centered and culturally grounded approach to her work and continues to support initiatives focused on youth, culture, environment, education, health, and community resilience.

When she’s not facilitating strategy sessions or mapping ideas, you’ll likely find her in the ocean at dawn in the water or with her dog, exploring curiosity rabbit holes, or chasing meaningful conversations with good humans.