In addition to a colorful 15-year career in private, nonprofit, county government and state university, Kit has provided instrumental leadership to numerous community boards, which includes hours and hours of pro-bono volunteer work for creative services.
While she had her marketing and creative consultancy firm Kit Zulueta Productions LLC since 2009, she finally decided it was time to go full-time in 2019. At this point in her life, she seeks to forge on ahead in the same direction of community service, wanting to continue to make a difference in her circle of influence.
Kit can write, shoot, edit, draw, organize, lead. She can help you with marketing materials, online presence, audio-visual presentations. She is multi-talented – an endless source of creative energy. And she truly loves and enjoys helping so many business organizations in her community.
Immigrating to Hawaii in 2008 with only a suitcase and a lot of grit and wit, Kit had to make it on her own.
Her career in the Aloha State started with PBS Hawaii (Hawaii Public Television), which was later honed with creative skills doing photography, video editing and graphic design with a local agency on Maui. Thereafter, she reentered the world of politics (after a serving as “Emily” for a former Philippine senator) with the Office of Mayor Alan Arakawa for the County of Maui as his Deputy Chief of Staff, then as Communication Director for the Maui County Council. Later on, she joined the University of Hawaii Maui College as Marketing Director, before finally deciding to risk leaving a steady paying job to spread her wings and make a difference in her community.
Her background is in Film and AV Communications, graduating cum laude with a bachelor’s degree from the College of Mass Communication at the University of the Philippines. Kit remains to be an advocate of seeking a harmonious blend and bridge for the best in Filipino-American culture and values, and actively promotes this in her programs, activities and projects.
Also, she built Mystery Maui Escape Room with her husband Deron, which opened in March 2018. The escape room SURVIVED the pandemic of 2020 – just something she’s not shy to brag about.
Pandemic hair. I had it in all colors!
In 2021, Kit and Deron ventured in retail, with their kitchen condiment Maui Chili Chili Oil – a Szechuan style chili oil with garlic and onion bits that is now available on grocery shelves statewide, and can be shipped anywhere in the US! The business was selected among 140+ applicants to join a cohort of 11 companies accepted in 2023’s Mana Up – an accelerator program designed to help small businesses level and scale globally.
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Snapshot:
- Pacific Business News “40 under 40” Awardee 2023
- Japanese Cultural Society of Maui, Board member 2018-2019, current president (2023-2024)
- Maui Filipino Chamber of Commerce, President (2016), current board member
- University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Hawaii, PRO 2018-2022, President-Elect (2023-2024)
- Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2021 awardee, Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii
- Featured in “Six Pioneer Pinays in Hawaii”, Hawaii Chronicle March 28, 2020 issue
- US Small Business Administration, Advocate for Minorities Award, County of Maui 2018
- Wailuku Community Association, board member, 2018
- Fil-Am Courier, writer
- Filipino Young Leaders Program, Alum 2012, President 2016
- Maui Karate Association, 2nd dan, Assistant Instructor (education by JKA Hawaii)
- Progressive Awardee in media and communication, United Filipino Community Council, 2016
- Ka Ipu Kukui Leadership Program, class of 2015
- Filipino Association of University Women, member
- Maui Historical Society, member
Updated: June, 2023
About that logo:
I’ve had many fur babies, this one is Dash. He was always playful and creative. When I moved to Hawaii, he was left in Manila with my parents. The moment I decided to create KZP, he was sprawled on the rug like this. I’ve always loved upside-down cats ever since. Be a little silly, a little chonky, love often, stay pretty.