Mana Up ShowcasE
In May of 2021, we became a member of the 6th cohort in the Mana Up accelerator program and celebrated in November of 2021 with an online showcase.
The members of our Mana Up cohort will also be in attendance! Here are the businesses from the 6th cohort in the Mana Up accelerator program.
JT Ojerio fell in love with art during a long surgery recovery process away from her home state of Hawai‘i. The images she drew reminded her of home and brought her peace. Aloha De Mele was born out of that exploration of her creativity. Today, the company creates art prints, lifestyle products, and greeting cards that embody the aloha spirit.
Four childhood friends started Banán as a way to support the agriculture industry in Hawai‘i. They source the bananas for their frozen treats from Hawaii Banana Source to continue to move toward their dream of a self-sustainable Hawai‘i.
Katie Cook and Justin Orr discovered their gift for growing peppers after years of home gardening. They began making their own flavorful hot sauces from their home-grown peppers as a way to break the monotony of the hot sauces regularly found in a kitchen pantry. HI SPICE now offers 18 different flavors of hot sauces that use only locally-sourced ingredients from the islands of Hawai‘i.
Founded in 1991, Island Harvest produces organic macadamia nuts from the macadamia orchards planted when sugarcane production slowed down in Hawai‘i. They aim to be positive stewards of the agricultural lands in Kohala by using sustainable farming practices in their production of organic macadamia nuts.
Melvin Matsuda and Clyde Fukuyama merged their two family farms in 1986 to create Kahuku Brand. Today, Kylie Matsuda (a fourth-generation farmer) runs the Kahuku Farms farm stand to bring a taste of the farm to passersby.
Keiki Kaukau offers children’s toys and books that represent Hawai‘i. This teacher-created company partners with the Hawai‘i Food Bank to donate five meals for every play set they sell (over 59,000 meals to date)!
‘Ohana Nui’s cookies use island-grown macadamias as their key ingredient. They strive to be positive contributors to Hawai‘i’s economy and to give back to the community by donating a portion of their proceeds to local organizations like the Hawaii Marine Animal Response.
Pawniolo Pets started with the hope of supporting local ranchers and keeping more livestock in Hawai‘i, all while creating healthy, nutritious pet food. They utilize whole animals for their products to ensure that no part of the livestock goes to waste.
Peter Hessler puts his decade of experience as a chef and mixologist into all of the offerings at Pono Potions. Their cocktail and coffee syrups use locally-sourced ingredients to bring affordable, unique beverage flavors into the home. We had the privilege of contributing a hand-lettered sign to their shop, so feel free to do a double take at their in-store menu.
Sea Salts of Hawaii harvests most of their pa‘akai (salt) from their own farm in Kona, Hawai‘i, which uses deep seawater to create a well-balanced, flavorful salt. One percent of all of their proceeds benefit the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project to continue to preserve Hawai‘i’s oceans.
Utara Organics started as a way for creator, Amy Arnett-Smith, to begin a healthier skincare routine, free of the irritants found in most commercial cosmetics. Their products use all organic ingredients, many of which are grown on their own farm. Each batch is hand-made and tested before being sold.
