July News: Steve Case’s Reflections from Hawai‘i on the Hill
This month, we are pleased to share a message from the owner of Grove Farm, Steve Case. When Mr. Case purchased Grove Farm in 2000, he took up the mantle of carrying on the innovation, collaboration, and community building that have defined our company since 1864. Under Mr. Case’s leadership, Grove Farm continues to this day to focus on building thriving communities, providing workforce housing for local families and agricultural resilience.
Hawaii’s Past Inspires Our Present: Lessons Shared on the Hill
By Steve Case
To understand why I care so deeply about Hawaii’s future, you have to understand my past.
I was born in Honolulu just before Hawaii became the 50th state. So close, in fact, that statehood became official on my first birthday. My childhood reflected the unique environment and culture of Hawaii. I grew up climbing banyan trees and body surfing. Community came first and aloha was a way of life.
Both of my parents were also born and raised in Hawaii, my father in the town of Lihue and my mother in Hilo. They both went to the Mainland for college (and, in my dad’s case, for law school as well), but then returned to Hawaii, and met each other at a beach volleyball gathering in what, back in the 1940s, was a fairly sleepy Waikiki.
Hawaii shaped me. It’s where I learned to respect tradition, to value diversity, and to see how geography, history, and identity are intertwined. Those lessons stayed with me throughout my career building AOL, and they continue to guide my work at Revolution and our efforts with Rise of the Rest. My journey may have taken me to Washington, but my roots were planted firmly in Hawaiian soil — and while I have now lived in the DC area for two-thirds of my life, I still consider Hawaii home.
This week I helped welcome nearly 200 Hawaii residents to Washington, D.C. They flew here for “Hawaii on the Hill,” an annual gathering that brings leaders from across the islands face to face with decision-makers in the nation’s capital.
In an age of Zoom calls and digital everything, the power of in-person connection can’t be overstated. This group didn’t just show up, they brought with them the spirit of aloha, the urgency of action, and a vision for Hawaii’s future that is both hopeful and deeply rooted.
Two of the earliest investments I made — more than two decades ago, when I was still CEO of AOL — were in Hawaii companies, Maui Land & Pineapple (MLP) and Grove Farm on Kauai. Both were started more than a century ago, when farming was the main industry in Hawaii.
Today, MLP and Grove Farm are focused on two of Hawaii’s most critical needs: workforce housing for local families and agricultural resilience.
First, housing in Hawaii has become unattainable for most families. For over a century, both MLP and Grove Farm have been building communities, and they remain committed to continuing that legacy, with more than 4,000 housing units in process for local families.
We’re also returning to our roots, literally. A hundred years ago, agriculture was Hawaii’s backbone. MLP and Grove Farm played central roles in that era, growing pineapple and sugar on thousands of acres. Indeed, my grandfather worked on Grove Farm, and I learned firsthand the importance of the aina (land). But like much of Hawaii, both companies were forced to pivot as global markets changed.
Now, we’re pivoting again, with purpose and vigor. Grove Farm is committed to transitioning a portion of our highly productive agricultural land to local farmers to make it possible for a new generation to cultivate the land and feed our islands. And on Maui, this month, MLP began planting agave on former pineapple fields, to put agricultural lands back into productive use, and to create a sustainable, branded spirits business that creates jobs.
The work ahead requires partnering with the community, as well as counties and the state. The dedication I see from our teams at MLP and Grove Farm, and the passion and purpose of those who came to Washington for Hawaii on the Hill, make me believe that a better future is not only possible, it’s already taking shape.
Mahalo Nui Loa.
This post was originally published on Steve Case’s Revolution blog on June 16, 2025.