When Ernesto Simões first arrived in Hawaii in 1995, he couldn't have imagined that almost three decades later he would be running a company specializing in some of the archipelago's most exclusive residences. At the time, the man from Bahia was just another young man passionate about the sea.
"It was love at first sight," he said in an interview with Carlos Burle on Bravamente , a program supported by NeoFeed .
Today, as director of Kauai Bahia Holdings, Ernesto leads an operation that develops everything from housing for the local community to mansions that can reach US$25 million. The path to get there, however, involved a radical life change.
Raised in Salvador, he says he was a "summer surfer." He was never a natural talent on the waves, but the sport gained importance when he moved to California to study international business. It was during that period that surfing ceased to be just a hobby and became a passion.
Shortly after, during a trip to Hawaii, he felt he wanted to build a life there. The plan, however, took a backseat. Ernesto returned to Brazil, built a business career alongside his brothers in the media sector, and spent more than two decades nurturing the dream from afar.
The change came in 2016. After the sale of the family business, his son suffered from appendicitis that developed into a systemic infection and spent days between life and death in the ICU. The episode served as a trigger to realize a project that had been on hold for over 20 years.
"I promised that if he got out of there safely, I would change my life," she stated.
Months later, the family moved to Hawaii. The goal was to have more time with their son and give him a childhood similar to the one he experienced in Salvador, with the freedom to play in the street and socialize with friends away from the routine of big cities.
To support this new lifestyle, Ernesto founded Kauai Bahia Holdings. The goal was to bring to the Hawaiian market elements that helped transform Brazilian residential architecture into an international benchmark.
The projects, designed by architect Caio Bandeira, combine large integrated spaces, extensive use of wood, natural lighting, and a strong connection with the landscape.
"It's the charm of a Bahian house adapted for the American market," he summarized.
To scale the business, the company developed its own production chain. A large portion of the woodwork, furniture, and finishes is produced in factories in Indonesia and shipped to Hawaii, reducing dependence on the scarce local workforce.
The model allowed the company to occupy a largely unexplored space in the high-end segment of the region. Today, Kauai Bahia Holdings develops projects worth up to US$25 million.
Recently, however, Ernesto found himself under pressure, with rising US interest rates increasing the cost of credit, reducing liquidity, and making buyers more cautious. It was at this moment that he found a connection between business and his passion for big wave surfing.
"Adrenaline and pressure are very similar," he said.
According to him, the physical and mental preparation protocols developed to face giant waves helped to weather the market slowdown without abandoning expansion plans.
