Dr. Keola Birano is a Native Hawaiian storyteller born on Maui and raised by his grandparents. The first in his family to attend college, Keola's academic path deepened his understanding of his Hawaiian identity, inspiring him to use his BA in International Cultural Studies, MA in Counseling Psychology, and Ph.D. in Cultural Studies and Social Thought in Education to write culturally relevant stories of Hawaiʻi and its people for young adults.

Keola’s PhD work focuses on Native Hawaiian storytelling as both method and content: how mo‘olelo (stories), chant, and genealogical knowledge can reshape classroom texts, pedagogy, and curricular priorities to reflect Hawaiian worldviews. Keola argues that literature rooted in Indigenous epistemologies can restore relational ways of knowing, center community voices, and offer decolonizing alternatives to standard curricula.

Recently, Keola participated in the Native Hawaiian Storytelling Program, where he received direct coaching from Rebecca Roanhorse, cultural guidance from Dr. Ku Kahakalau, and program leadership from Dr. Michael Andres Palmieri. That experience sharpened his storytelling craft and strengthened his commitment to weaving Indigenous practice into educational spaces.