About two weeks ago we reported that Ryan Kalei Tsuji had picked up a side gig.
The aide to Hawaii Gov. David Ige, a former reporter with KITV, will formally launch RKT Media on March 30.
Now, Tsuji says he will be leaving his government post at the end of the month to focus on the new venture.
“It had really been in the works for awhile,” he said Tuesday. “It’s not because of the article.”

Tsuji said the the work putting together RKT media was taking a lot of his time. His work for Ige is not a 9-to-5 job, either.
As well, Tsuji runs a nonprofit, sits on the boards of other nonprofits and does work for OC Sports.
“It was unsustainable,” he said of the workload, adding, “People in Hawaii must work multiple jobs, and government workers are not exempt.”
Tsuji’s website had said that members of his RKT Media team included other former KITV colleagues who currently work in the administration and another in the state Senate. The Our Team link no longer lists those people.
Tsuji said he enjoyed his time with the administration and is in the process of helping transition his departure.
In a statement, Ige said, “Ryan Kalei Tsuji has been a tremendous asset to me, my administration and staff. His hard work and dedication have been greatly appreciated and we will miss him. I wish Ryan the very best always.”
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About the Author
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Chad Blair is the politics editor for Civil Beat. You can reach him by email at cblair@civilbeat.org or follow him on X at @chadblairCB.