
About Poha School of Real Estate
Our Mission
Poha School strives to create a thriving network of real estate professionals through high-quality education, mentorship, and collaboration—ensuring Hawai‘i’s communities are served with expertise and integrity.
Our Name, Our Inspiration
We named our school after the Hawaiian Poha berry — a small, golden fruit that grows strong in tough conditions and stays protected in its papery husk until it’s ready. It’s a local treasure, just like the hidden potential in every agent. At Poha School, we want to help you peel back the layers, build confidence, and thrive in Hawai‘i’s unique real estate world. No matter where you’re starting from, we’re here to help you grow strong and stay rooted.
Jill Fukumoto | Principal Administrator
Jill Fukumoto was born and raised in Mililani, Hawaii and attended the University of Wisconsin –Madison where she studied Communication Arts and Marketing. Since returning home she has held several positions in Marketing and Operations at HomeStreet Bank and L&L Hawaiian Barbecue Franchise Inc. where she has honed her expertise in project management and program development.
Her passion for nurturing her culture in Hawaii lead her to co-founding the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii’s(CCCH) Young Professional organization and is currently a Board of Director of CCCH, a Trustee for the United Chinese Society, Co-Chair of UCS NexGen, and a member of the 3rd cohort of the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce’s Emerging Young Business Leaders.
As owner and principal administrator of Poha School of Real Estate her goal is to provide valuable and practical continuing education courses to licensed Realtors in Hawaii to enhance the quality of Hawaii’s real estate industry.
Lee Wang | Instructor
Lee is the Executive Director of Housing Hawai’i’s Future, a non-profit that advocates for workforce housing solutions and engages Millennials/Gen Zers in the conversation; he is also a full-time Realtor® specializing in residential and commercial properties on Oahu.
He recieved his real estate license in 2008 and later obtaining his real estate broker license in 2014. Lee has achieved great success – most notably as a top 100 Realtor on Oahu, over 80 million in sales volume, and Volunteer for the Year in 2017.
In addition to real estate, Lee serves as a teacher for the Honolulu Board of Realtors, teaching many courses from contract writing to affordable housing to pricing strategies certifications. He also serves as a business advisor for the School of Entrepreneurship at Manoa for students in the startup world.
Kynan Pang | Instructor
Kynan Pang (B), CCIM, Principal & Owner of Excel Commercial Realty, specializes in the sale of multifamily investment properties and has extensive knowledge and expertise in the field. With more than 10 years in the commercial real estate industry, Kynan has established himself as a trusted advisor and has amassed a thorough knowledge of the nuances of the Hawaii multifamily real estate market.
Kynan has serviced not only institutional clients such as Kamehameha Schools, Red Tail Acquisitions, and Finance Enterprises Ltd., but also, smaller local businesses and investors.
Kynan holds the coveted CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member) designation, which is recognized as the Ph.D. of commercial real estate. Kynan currently serves on the CCIM Hawaii Chapter’s Board of Directors and is a Past President (2024).
Outside of the office, Kynan is an Assistant Varsity Football Coach at Punahou School where his passion for coaching allows him to help student-athletes reach their full potential. He also enjoys spending time at the park with his wife Taylor and son Colby.
Laura Merrifield | Instructor
Laura Merrifield is a Loan Officer and Branch Manager at Guild Mortgage, proudly serving clients from her office in Honolulu’s vibrant Kakaʻako district. With a real estate journey that began in 2001 and a passion for mortgage lending since 2008, Laura combines deep industry knowledge with a warm, hands-on approach to help clients feel confident every step of the way.
She lives in Honolulu with her husband, Devon, their two college-aged daughters, Madison and Taylor, and their lovable (and very opinionated) bulldog, Tyla. When she’s not helping people finance their dream homes, you’ll likely find her on the tennis or pickleball court—or exploring Hawaii’s underwater beauty through SCUBA and snorkeling.
Richard Emery | Instructor
Richard is Principal Broker of Hawaii First Realty LLC and Vice President of Hawaii Affairs for Associa and has more than 32 years’ experience in association management. Richard holds the CAI Reserve Specialist designation and was a participant in CAI’s National Task for Reserve Study Public Policy. Richard often serves as a private consultant or expert witness on litigation matters. Richard regularly teaches Hawaii continuing education core and elective courses to real estate licensees. Richard brings a wealth of industry knowledge. He is a Hawaii Real Estate Commissioner. Richard is an admitted member of the National Association of Parliamentarians.
Julie Bratton | Instructor
With more than 27 years of experience in the real estate industry, Julie Bratton (formerly Tumbaga) has overseen OR Exchange’s Honolulu office since 2001. She manages the office’s staff, marketing initiatives and educational program. Previously, Julie was a sales and marketing consultant at Old Republic Title & Escrow (ORTC) of Hawaii. She received her Bachelors of Arts and Sciences in Architecture/Interior Design from San Diego State University in California. Julie is an affiliate member of the Hawaii Association of Realtors®, the Realtors® Association of Maui, the Kauai Board of Realtors®, the Kona Board of Realtors®, the Hawaiian Island Board of Realtors® and the Federation of Exchange Accommodators (FEA).