Contributed by Nadine Lagaso
Ten local businesses will soon take the next step towards expansion as part of Mana Up, an island-based initiative which helps companies with roots in Hawai‘i entice a global audience with products that are grown or sourced locally.
Kamehameha Schools is Mana Up’s title sponsor, and six of the 10 businesses selected are Native Hawaiian-owned. The cohort includes:
“Through the Mana Up accelerator program, Kamehameha Schools is able to help elevate Native Hawaiian businesses and their products by addressing challenges that are preventing them from growing,” said Stacy Clayton, executive strategy consultant in the KS Strategy & Innovation Division.
“We want to see Native Hawaiian businesses thrive and enter into larger markets here in Hawaiʻi and around the world. This accelerator is important for our state’s economy and for Native Hawaiian entrepreneurs looking to start, grow and diversify their businesses. KS is excited to support Native Hawaiian businesses to operate at higher levels of revenue generation and give back to the lāhui.”
Mana Up is aimed at building Hawai‘i’s next 100 product companies earning $1 million or more annually. The 10 businesses in the cohort were selected from a pool of 85 applicants that earn annual revenues surpassing the program’s requirement of at least $100,000.
The 12-week accelerated Mana Up program is offered biannually and begins on January 17 with the goal of helping the included businesses scale-up for broader market expansion.
“Programs like Mana Up give us the support to further our business here at home in Hawai‘i and hopefully provide the opportunity to impact other Native Hawaiians in a positive way,” said Jan Hori of Hawaiian Pie Company. “Having resources that help us to achieve our goals brings forth a sense of pride and purpose in everything we try to accomplish as a business.”
The family-owned company happens to be a Kamehameha Schools tenant in Kapālama.
We want to see Native Hawaiian businesses thrive and enter into larger markets here in Hawaiʻi and around the world. This accelerator is important for our state’s economy and for Native Hawaiian entrepreneurs looking to start, grow and diversify their businesses. KS is excited to support Native Hawaiian businesses to operate at higher levels of revenue generation and give back to the lāhui.
Stacy Clayton, KS Executive Strategy Consultant
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