Ed Freedman, founder of Stable Road Foundation, is honored by Pacific Business News as one of Hawaii’s Most Admired Leaders for 2025.
When Stable Road Foundation makes a commitment, we make it for the long haul.
As our founder Ed Freedman says:
life is like a game of Chutes and Ladders.
There will always be obstacles, but if you’re determined to achieve your goal, you’ll find a way to succeed.
This year saw many of our long-term projects bear fruit, like homes and healthcare for our Maui ohana. We also found new ways to support the causes we care about—like providing education, protecting the environment, and more.
IMPACT MENU
Hawaii’s Most Admired Leaders 2025
Disaster Relief
Housing
Healthcare
Ocean
Conservation
Childhood
Development
Let’s take a look back at Stable Road Foundation’s impact in 2025.
Hawaii’s Most Admired Leaders 2025
Pacific Business News is one of Hawaii’s most respected news organizations, and its annual Most Admired Leaders award is one of the state’s most coveted honors. In 2025, our founder Ed Freedman was chosen for his exceptional impact as a nonprofit leader.
From the Hawaii’s Most Admired Leaders gala at the Halekulani Hotel in Honolulu.
Disaster Relief
This year was marked by major natural disasters across the United States, especially the wildfires in Los Angeles and the flooding in Texas. Together with our longtime partners at Global Empowerment Mission (GEM), Stable Road Foundation stepped up to help communities in need—drawing on our experience responding to disasters here on Maui.
A review of our years-long collaborations with GEM, on the two year anniversary of the Maui wildfires.
Texas flood survivors pick up their free tools courtesy of our partners at GEM.
Our partners at GEM survey the damage of the Texas floods.
Aftermath of the Eaton fires in Los Angeles
A segment on “Good Morning America” spotlighting the Angelenos helped by our donation after the LA wildfires.
A volunteer distributes supplies to survivors of the LA wildfires.
Housing
After the 2023 wildfires, we made a commitment to our Maui community that we’d help our neighbors return to their land and rebuild their lives. This year, we welcomed back dozens of community members displaced by the fires. The healing process isn’t over, but it took a major step forward.
Local ABC station covers the key handover ceremony for our Laihana ADU project, in partnership with GEM.
Our partners at GEM give an overview of the Jodo Mission rebuilding project.
The blessing ceremony for the new accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in the Laihana burn zone.
Ed and our Chief Inspiration Officer Zoe at the blessing ceremony for the opening of our Lahaina ADU project.
Stable Road Foundation presents a gift to local partners TreeCovery Hawaii to help them plant indigenous trees on the properties of new homes for fire survivors.
Rev. Gensho Hara and his family, caretakers of the historic Jodo Mission, bless the opening of their new homes on their Laihana property.
Healthcare
Healthy communities are strong communities—so this year, we doubled down on our support for the organizations that protect the health of our Maui ‘ohana. Our donations to local groups like the Maui Health Foundation and Pacific Cancer Foundation helped them buy life-saving equipment, open new facilities, and provide world-class care to people in need.
Ed and our Chief Inspiration Officer, Zoe, attend the opening of Maui Memorial’s new Heart, Brain & Vascular Center.
Ed shows Zoe the Stable Road Foundation entry on Maui Health Foundation’s Wall of Honor.
Childhood Development
Every child deserves a chance to achieve their greatest potential, whether they live here on Maui or around the world. In 2025, we put our principles into action by partnering with organizations with a proven track record of enriching children’s lives, like Maui’s Imua Family Services and the Buddy Program of Aspen.
Kids and mentors in the Buddy Program share what the program means to them.
Ed and Chief Inspiration Officer Zoe with Dean Wong, executive director of Imua Family Services
Families celebrate the start of Pedal Imua 2025.
Paddle Imua participants enjoy an afternoon out on the water.
Fun and games at Camp Imua.
Ed and Chief Inspiration Officer Zoe join the Imua’s Keiki Halloween Festival
Ocean Conservation
Woody Harrelson and his wife Laura Louie are longtime friends of Stable Road Foundation. So when Laura asked if we’d be interested in supporting a documentary narrated by Woody (and executive produced by Laura) about plastic pollution in our oceans, it was an easy decision to say yes.
The film, which premiered in November’s Hawaiian International Film Festival (HIFF), is called KULEANA. In Hawaiian culture, kuleana often refers to the honor and responsibility of caring for the world around you—which is a pledge we wholeheartedly embrace.
Ed Freedman with director Georgia Scott and executive producer Laura Louie for KULEANA’s premiere at HIFF.
Poster for the Maui showing of KULEANA as part of HIFF’s public engagement campaign.
