The Story Behind Kōkua Hub
In 2022, the way we worked had changed. The small, human moments that helped people stay connected - quick check-ins, spontaneous conversations and the chance to sense when something wasn’t quite right - had become harder to find.
"People were enjoying fewer face-to-face interactions, they were less able to stay connected, sense the mood of others, or spot issues before they grew." - Cellene Hoogenkamp, CEO & Founder
We saw talented people navigating change with less support. Managers were carrying more responsibility. Teams needed new ways to stay connected, communicate and grow.
And it raised a bigger question:
How could organisations give their people meaningful, personalised support - wherever they worked and whatever stage of their career they were at?
We believed coaching could provide that human connection. Not simply when something was wrong, but as a proactive way to help people build confidence, strengthen leadership skills, navigate challenges and perform at their best.
That idea became Kōkua Hub.
Before 2022
Support happened naturally - through conversations, check-ins and everyday moments of connection.
Today
Work has changed, but the need for human connection hasn’t. Kōkua Hub brings that connection back.
That’s where Kōkua Hub
began.
“Kōkua” - the Hawaiian word for helping with intention - became the principle behind everything we built.
Our founders shared a belief that great coaching shouldn’t be reserved for the most senior people in an organisation. More people should have access to the right support at the right moment - whether they’re stepping into leadership, navigating change, building confidence or facing a new challenge.
So we created Kōkua Hub: a flexible coaching solution that gives employees the freedom to choose the coach who is right for them. With 70+ accredited coaches across 20+ countries and support in 12+ languages, organisations can provide personalised coaching across diverse and distributed teams.
Today, our purpose remains simple: help organisations develop stronger leaders, grow their people and build teams that are better equipped for what comes next.
Meet the Founders
Cellene Hoogenkamp
Founder & CEO
Cellene Hoogenkamp is an advisor to CEOs On World-Class Team Performance. For 25 years, the Dutch-born executive has been in the trenches of business with senior executives and entrepreneurs, both crafting successes and learning what it takes to succeed at the highest levels. An Executive Coach focused on global leadership development.
Kathleen Halligan
Kathleen Halligan is our Design and Facilitation Lead for bespoke leadership development programs. She is a Chartered Work & Organisational Psychologist and HR strategist with over 30 years’ experience advising senior leaders across sectors. As co-founder of Kōkua Hub, she helped shape its mission to bring accessible, high-impact coaching to organisations.
You care about your people. So do we.
Let’s talk about how coaching can help them grow with confidence.