Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 27, Number 11, 1 November 2010 — With OHA's revolving loan, what comes around goes around [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

With OHA's revolving loan, what comes around goes around

When lohn and Juliet Ka'ohelauli'i took out a Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan from OHA in 2004 to grow their new shoe store, Sole Mates, their daughter leni was watching. She sawherparents use the $75,000, low-interest loan to stock the store in Kaua'i's Coconut Marketplace with plenty of high quahty slippers, sandals and outdoor adventure shoes. Without that loan, buying Sole Mates wouldn't have been possible, says John, who has since paid off his loan. The intent of the revolving loan fund - relaunched in 2007 as the Mālama Loan - is that more loans ean be granted when other loans are repaid. Iohn's repayment of his loan allows other Native Hawaiian entrepreneurs to benefit from the loan fund, including, as it turns out, his own daughter leni. With her sisters lune and Iasmine, leni worked at the family store. But she also attended business training courses alongside her father. Eventually leni decided she wanted to open her own store, featuring athletic clothing for yoga, paddhng, running, hiking and other active pursuits. Enter Ieni's store, Work It Out, whieh opened in the summer of 2008 in the heart of Kapa 'a town, about a mile north of her parents' store. leni was able to leverage her $25,000 OHA Mālama Loan to get another $25,000 loan from a bank. More than a year later, standing in her store full of trendy and functional exercise clothing, shoes and accessories, leni agrees with her father that the OHA loan helped her make a start as a Hawaiian business owner. Both John and leni say they are happy to share with others their business experiences and recommend the Mālama Loan to those of Native Hawaiian ancestry. "It's a good opportunity if having your own business is a part of your dream," John says. WorkItOut, at 4-1312 KūhiōHighway inKapa'a (808-822-2292) is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday, and is on Facebook. Sole Mates, at 4-484 Kūhiō Highway in Coconut Marketplace, Kapa'a, (808-822-2180) is open 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday and is onhne at www.solemates808. eom. — Diana Leone M

John Ka'ohelauli'i mentored daughter Jeni when she decided to open a fitness-wear store on Kaua'i. One of his business tips was: apply for an OHA Mālama Loan. - Photo by Oiana Leone.