Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 37, Number 11, 1 November 2020 — A KĀKOU EFFORT: [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

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Eaeh order is carefully fullfilled, packed, and shipped by the dedicated Pop-Up Mōkeke warehouse team. - Photo: Kawena Lei Apao

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By CNHA Staff One of the busiest shops at Ka Makana Ali'i Shopping Center is invisible to passersby and inaccessible to public shoppers. The site within the outdoor mall is a small warehouse of sorts filled with everything good about Hawai'i: good food, good art, good creations and more importantly, good people. These items are now being sold through an online marketplace called Pop-Up Mākeke. The Pop-Up Mākeke warehouse location is packed with tens of thousands of items, big and small - all of them made with love in Hawai'i. Row after row, shelf over shelf, you will find something for every taste, literally and figuratively - from Grandpa Joe's Cotton Candy made on Maui to beautifully hand-crafted lei hulu and pāpale from the west side of O'ahu. The clicks of computer keys and the whir of printers blend with the shuffling of feet as a small and mighty team of dedicated staff from the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) hustles through the aisles gathering items to be sent around the world. ^AEoĀa n<(dzaJU id(dLaĀĀ/ CNHA staff are in charge of taking inventory and packing orders, whieh was never part of their job descriptions. While it's not something they

planned on doing, it may be the most fulfilling aspect of this unexpected enterprise during these uncertain times. They're doing what comes naturally to our people - taking care of eaeh other and our community, and lifting up our lāhui. What they are doing in their little warehouse in Kapōlei is helping hundreds of Hawai'i-based small businesses and artisans survive.

"As a people, as kānaka, we know the strength of eommunity. Coming together is in ourblood," says CNHA President and CEO Kūhiō Lewis. "We do it with purpose. We do it with love. We do it because it is at the core of who we are as Hawaiians. So,

when this pandemic hit, there was no hesitation." Realizing the struggle of many Native Hawaiianowned small businesses and artisans, Lewis and his team stepped up, venturing far beyond their eomfort zones to create a lifeline: the Pop-Up Mākeke. Executive Assistant Kaloku Kahalepo manages the day-to-day operations of the warehouse and ean tell you about every product, the hottest sellers, the best prices, and the biggest suiprises. Nothing comes into the warehouse without her knowing about it or the vendor who dropped it off. "Our team is goal-oriented and what keeps us motivated eaeh day is the knowledge that the work we do here helps our vendors provide for their 'ohana," says Kahalepo. "Starting an online store of this scale was definitely not something we saw happening in 2020, but we saw a need within our community and worked quickly to find a solution." Special Project Manager Kawena Lei Apao is now well-versed in the world of e-commerce and responsible for coordinating content for weekly live broadcasts and the promotion of the show and the online marketplace. (Sundays, 8 p.m., on KHNL and live at facebook.com/popupmakeke) "Our store is the home for hundreds of our ven-

CE0 of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, Kūhiō Lewis. - Photo: Courtesy

dors and their products, many who have never sold items online before," says Apao. "There is mana in working together and by existing in one centralized online space, we are leveraging the power of eommunity so that everyone ean have an opportunity to sell." The COVID-19 pandemic's crippling grip on Hawai'i hit locally based small businesses across the islands especially hard. The shutdown eame at what should have been one of the most lucrative times for Hawai'i-based vendors - the Merrie Monarch Festival. Those who have attended know that Merrie Monarch Festival Week is a time when many small businesses see a business boom that ean sustain them through most of the year. For Native Hawaiian Artisan Nalu Andrade, the pandemic presented another roadblock to his business, Nā Maka Kahiko. "I have rheumatoid arthritis," said Andrade. "I am on an immunosuppressant and cannot be around people with this COVID-19 breakout. This online store helps me to still sell to customers while staying safe." Drawing inspiration from Amazon and QVC, the Pop-Up Mākeke is a one-stop-shop to access Hawai'i made, designed and inspired products. It launched in April 2020 and featured thousands of artistic, cultural, intellectual, even edible creations from more than 100 vendors. Vendors saw instant success, whieh offered inspiration and hope to make it through this pandemic. "They gave us the opportunity to show our work and sell it, and I am thankful for the hard work they

did to move it on to the customer," said Multimedia Artist Tamsen Kealohamakua Fox. "It really helped me a lot because it paid for at least two months of my rent and more." The initial two-month run of the online marketplace resulted in nearly $325,000 in sales and moved over 11,000 Hawai'i-made products that were shipped across Hawai'i, to the Continent, and even beyond to Japan, Canada, and as far away as Germany. A vision born out of need heeame a labor of love for all involved. As the mākeke and its purpose grew, so did the army of Native Hawaiians doing their part to make it a success. One section of the warehouse is a dedicated television production set where Pop-Up Mākeke shows are produced live. 'Ōiwi TV provides the crew and equipment for eaeh live broadcast and for promotional videos. Designer Manaola Yap, best known for his stunning fashions and accessories, is the

creative mastermind behind the program's impressive set design. Eaeh print, eaeh product, eaeh pillow, plant and chair is placed with purpose and aloha. Hosts Billy V and MeKenna Maduli bring the products to life eaeh week, and radio personalities Mele Apana and Shannon Scott showcase vendors and their growing customer base. "The Pop-Up Mākeke is such a critical pieee of the puzzle for our community during this time of COVID," says Na'alehu Anthony, principal for Palikū Films and co-founder of 'Ōiwi TV. "It's a great way to support loeal business and remain socially distanced. CNHA has been instrumental in the success of this endeavor, bringing together businesses, government, production partners and more to offer these Hawai'i products to our eommunity and help sustain our small businesses in the process." "When times get tough, we use what we know and find a better way. We turn, we pivot, we help, we think together," said Pop-Up Mākeke host Billy V. "That's the opportunity that the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement has given all of us, and it's touching buyers and customers across the planeū We need work together more and in other ways. In politics, government, education, research and development of ourselves and what we want to accomplish." As the shutdown stretched into summer and then fall, Lewis and his team began working on launehing a second run of Pop-Up Mākeke. This time, they teamed up with the City and County of Honolulu and County of Maui - using CARES Act funds from eaeh county to provide access to the marketplace at no cost to vendors. Every dollar paid for products goes back to the vendors. All products are shipped

to customers free of charge. "During this time of uncertainty, Pop-Up Mākeke and the support of customers helped us to keep our small business afloat," stressed entrepreneur Sheryl Kahue of uCook Hawai'i, whose cooking sauces and marinades are featured in the marketplace. When the eall for vendors went out in September, the response was astounding. Repeat participants credit Pop-Up Mākeke with giving them the courage to branch out, to get innovative, and to chart a new path to success. "There are always challenges in life," says Unele John Kaohelauli'i of Hawaiiancheckers.com who shares the art of the game of Kōnane. "In Kōnane, you have to find solutions to be successful. You have to identify your resources and manage those resources to be in the best position to be successful. I am so grateful to CNHA for giving my company one SEE Pop-Up Mākeke ON PAGE 12

Hosts Billy V and MeKenna Maduli on the Pop-up Mōkeke set. Manaola Yap is the genius behind the qorqeous set desiqn. - Photo: Courtesv

Senson 2 hosts Shannon Scott, Mele Apana, MeKenna Maduli and Billy V (L-R) have some fun before show lime. - Photo: 'Ōiwi TV

Pop-Up Mākeke Continued from page 11 more ehanee." "I am so appreciative of all of this...to help my family during hard times," agrees North Shore designer Kawehinanioku'uhomeka'i'inimainalani Aiko Kaohiai Casey. Since its anticipated relaunch on October 1, Pop-Up Mākeke is already riding a steady wave of growth. In the first 10 days, it sold more than 9,200 items. The customer base is expanding as well, with nearly a quarter of business coming from outside Hawai'i. The beauty of the online marketplace is its ability to offer something for everyone. Some of the best-selling items may eome from shops few people have heard about until now.

"Most exciting is how the Mākeke is bringing resources into our state's economy from outside of Hawai'i and giving our small businesses a lifeline during the pandemic. It's a win all the way around," emphasized Lewis. Lewis said the plan is to run Pop-Up Mākeke through December. From now until then, customers ean tune in every Sunday on KHNL or on Facebook Live to eheek out featured items on the live show. The goal is to highlight vendors who do not have name recognition and to allow customers a window into the tremendous offerings of locally made products within our community. Lewis said, "The mākeke connects us, unites us, empowers us to get involved, to provide, to lift up our community in big and small ways - buying a package of li hing mango from a loeal business, helping to paek up products to bring to the mākeke, or organizing orders to ship out. There's a role for everyone." And, the impact is great as noted by Pop-Up Mākeke host Billy V. "It represents the best of us, coming together, using the technology of today to eonhnue things that are important to Hawai'i's people, past and present." ■

Warehouse staff paek hundreds of orders eaeh day and ship Ihem to customers around the world. - Photo: Kanani Woods.

Manaola Yap and his talented team give the live show set a fresh new look for Season 2. ■ Photo: Kawena Lei Apao

Special Project Manager, Kawena Lei Apao and Executive Assistant, Kaloku Kahalepo. - Photo: Kawena Lei Apao

MeKenna Maduli, Kini Zamora, Kūhiō Lewis and Josh Tatofi with a few of the homegrown products that have been featured on the Pop-up Mōkeke. - Photo: Courtesy