Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 10, 1 ʻOkakopa 2016 — Hiʻilei Aloha wins $50,000 national award [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Hiʻilei Aloha wins $50,000 national award

Non-Profit Hi'ilei Aloha LLC wins $50k U.8. Small Business Administration Competition

Submitted by Hi'ilei Aloha Hi'ilei Aloha LLC, a nonprofit subsidiary of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, won a $50,000 award in the U.S. Small Business Administration's 2016 Accelerator competition for its emerging native incubator located at Paeihe Park Plaza, 711 Kapi'olani Boulevard. On Aug. 31, SBA and its partners, including SBA's Office of Native American Affairs, announced 68 contest winners in 32 states. Four hundred incubators across the U.S. entered the contest, and 200 finalists were asked to submit two-minute videos for the hnal hurdle of the competition, resulting in three winners from Hawai'i. The other two Hawai'i winners are located on Maui and in Kona. "Hi'ilei's capacity-building program is funded by OHA," said chief operating officer

Mona Bernardino. "This award will allow our new incubator facility to reach more Native Hawaiian start-up businesses and nonprofits as we work to increase capacity in the Hawaiian community. We will use the prize to purchase videoconferencing and webinar

technology to expand our reach." Incubator manager Martha Ross said, "Many in Hawai'i's communities are ready to fully utilize incubator support to strengthen and speed business and nonprofit progress from the early idea stage to flourishing sus-

tainability. Small businesses and nonprofits are the backbone of communities and eeonomie development throughout the islands." Hi'ilei Aloha's mission is to identify, promote, develop and support

culturally-appropriate, sustainable opportunities for Native Hawaiians. In addition to its funding from OHA, it has partnered with SBA's Office of Native American Affairs, USDA, Maui County, Hawai'i County and others to offer entrepreneurship classes and technical assistance. To see Hi'ilei's winning videos on the dreams of some Native Hawaiian entrepreneurs or to leam more about the incubator, visit http://www.hiilei.org/ Ke-Kumu-Oihana/In-The-News/20 16-growth-accelerator-fund-competition-4089. ■

"Small businesses and nonprofits are the backbone of communities and eeonomie development throughout the islands."

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Hi'ilei Aloha LLC. Martha Ross, incubator manager (left), and Mona Bernardino, chief operating officer (right), are meeting with Charlotte Rosecrans, a Native Hawaiian electrician for 1 6 years. The incubator is helping Rosecrans apply for a State contractor license under her new LLC's name. Courtesy photo: Hi'ilei Aloha LLC.