Our Story

Hi!

I’m Arwin.

The founder of Ohana. We created Ohana because family is is at the center of our world. My grandparents have always been the core of our family keeping us all together and anchoring our family traditions.

When I was young, I spent every weekend, every birthday, and every new years with my grandparents. Some of my fondest memories were formed during these times. They always made me feel like the most special kid in the whole world.

However, when my family and I moved far away from my grandparents, connecting with them became really difficult especially with the time differences. They only have a landline phone. I know they miss me but they never call. They always wait for us to call them. I never understood why until I grew up. I realized it was very difficult for them to make international calls, they got confused with the time difference, and they didn’t want to bother or worry us.

My grandparents don’t want to be a burden. They want to be independent. Later we tried introducing them to different technologies and services so they could reach us at anytime and anywhere but nothing was simple enough to use on their own. The new devices and apps are too unfamiliar to them. So, we went back to square one, me. The younger generation gets along with our busy lives while our grandparents wait and look forward to our calls. Time doesn’t wait and it only draws me further away from my grandparents. Now, whenever I call, we don’t know what to say because we have been so removed from each other’s lives. We try to make small talk but it’s never the same as it once was which brought me to the question “why does it have to be this way?”

Technology has sent us to the moon, so why can’t it just let me be with my grandparents?

We needed to get to the root problem. There are so many communication apps and services out there but they have all forgotten the people who raised and loved them.

We started Ohana to rebuild the connections and the love that we take for granted. We aim to remove all technical barriers and fear associated with new technology. We simplify all interactions so we have the time and energy for us to truly talk and share all precious moments with our loved ones.

We design with love and care to create tight knit families no matter the miles or years between you.

Let’s build a loving home for the generations that loved and cared for us and the generations to come.