Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 39, Number 6, 1 June 2022 — The Pākōlea Program: Encouraging a Circular Economy [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Pākōlea Program: Encouraging a Circular Economy

By Kanoe Takitani-Puahi, Director of Programs, Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association Established to bolster Hawai'i's emerging entrepreneurs and encourage a circular economy throughout the islands, the Pākōlea pilot program has taken its cohort members through a month-long virtual pitch bootcamp aimed to dramatically improve and refine their sales pitches, as well as to develop a better understanding of the standards of loeal and regional distribution partners. A group of 16 wāhine-led businessowners from across Hawai'i were selected, showcasing a wide array of new, loeal products that share the Hawaiian Islands in authentic ways and provide connections between retailers and distributors, laying the foundation for symbiotic, fruitful partnerships that add value to our loeal entrepreneurial ecosystem. TheNativeHawaiianHospitalityAssociation(NaHHA), in partnership with the Purple Mai'a Foundation (PMF), developed the Pākōlea program to build relationships between kama'āina entrepreneurs and distribution chanels throughout the visitor industry to start conversations

The very first Pōkōlea Program cohort included 16 Howoi'i-bosed businesswomen. ltwos o month-long virtuol bootcomp designed to help them improve their businesses. All of the wōhine sell products thot showcose Howoi'i in o pono woy ond thot torget visitors os o primory or secondory oudience. - Photo: Courtesy and create opportunities to plaee authentic, locally made products in ffont of visitors to Hawai'i. The intensive accelerator program provided platforms through whieh the cohort members could connect with and learn ff om experienced entrepreneurs and experts to further develop their pitch strategy and their businesses

in the direction of distribution. In addition to building pilina with 15 other cohort members, having ample opportunities to pitch and receive live feedback, and having the ehanee to connect with numerous loeal and regional buyers, Pākōlea participants were able to collaboratively grow their businesses together. At the conclusion of the program, cohort members were given an opportunity to present their newly enhanced sales pitch at an in-person hō'ike at the Royal Hawaiian Center in Waikīkī. Not only did this showcase allow for four hours of live pitching, but cohort members were able to network and receive direct strategic feedback from buyers and representatives, both loeal and regional.

Pākōlea was developed specifically to help businesses that have a proven product, but need assistance with distribution and with forging connections with the visitor industry. The pilot program focused on all wahine-owned businesses, with the majority being Native Hawaiian, an initiative inspired by Hawai'i FoundHER. Acknowledging the complex challenges that female businessowners often face, this initial cohort was created with the goal SEE THE PĀKŌLEA PR0GRAM ON PAGE 12

of uplifting female entrepreneurs in Hawai'i and inspiring collaboration between like-minded individuals in the industry.

THE PĀKŌLEA PR0GRAM Continued from page 11

Under that direction, this year's cohort participants were carefully selected based on a range of qualifications, the primary criteria being: the business is Hawai'i-based, the owner is a permanent resident of Hawai'i, the business has a CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) product that showcases Hawai'i in a pono way, and its products target visitors as a primary or secondary audience. Priority was given to those whose business are in earlier stages and have not yet gained access to larger distribution channels, but who maintain a realized proof-of-concept with products that have potential to be scaled for distribution. "We are incredibly proud of Pākōlea and our kama aina, wahine-

owned businesses that participated in this inaugural cohort." said Mālia Sanders, executive director of the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association. "We hope this initiative will set the foundation for a long-term mission of strengthening, elevating, and bridging the gap between Hawai'is locally owned businesses and the visitor industry." ■ You ean help support the hardworking wāhine who participated the pilot Pākōlea program, as well as other kamaaina-owned businesses, by shopping loeal throughout the Hawaiian Islands. For afull listing ofthe Pākōlea cohort members, please visit www.nahha.com/pakolea or scan the QR code helow. ^lll