Profiles of winners of the annual Hawaii Venture Capital Association awards.
One theme of this year’s Hawaii Entrepreneur Awards is “Re-imagining Hawai‘i’s Economy,” with an emphasis on sustainability, innovation and diversification.
Meli James, president of the Hawaii Venture Capital Association, which sponsors the annual awards, hopes that everyone in Hawai‘i learns about all that’s going on within Startup Paradise, the nickname given to the local innovation community.
“It’s amazing to see the level of innovation from our Islands’ newest generation of entrepreneurs. This year’s winners are a testament to that innovation as they show us how they bridge Hawai‘i to broader global markets and sustainability,” says James, who is also co-founder of Mana Up, an accelerator and venture fund supporting local companies that make consumer packaged goods.
“We’re seeing a new wave of entrepreneurial spirit and drive that locals have to re-imagine our future economy.”
Bella Hughes, winner of the Entrepreneur of the Year award, believes that sustainability and environmentally positive solutions are top of mind at local startups.
“The future is rooted in an abundance mindset,” Hughes says. “I hope that over the next 10 years, we’ll continue to see our entrepreneurial ecosystem come up with innovative solutions rooted in sustainability, creating a pipeline for smaller businesses to collaborate with larger ones, resulting in environmental and economic vibrancy for our community and economy.”
Kā‘eo Duarte is VP for community and ‘āina resiliency at Kamehameha Schools, which was named Investor of the Year. He says Hawai‘i’s entrepreneurs are leaning again and again toward sustainable solutions.
“More than ever, we’re seeing ventures across food systems and other sustainable industries that will contribute to the resiliency of our Islands in the long term,” Duarte says. “Investing in the next generation of business innovators and connecting them to our resources is part of our kuleana to advance the well-being of Native Hawaiians and the communities they live in.”
Entrepreneur of the Year
Social Impact Entrepreneur of the Year
Tech Entrepreneur of the Year
CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) Entrepreneur of the Year
Deal of the Year
Investor of the Year
Island Innovators of the Year
Corporate Intrapreneur of the Year
Startup Paradise Champion
Ag/Clean Tech Entrepreneur of the Year Student Entrepreneur of the Year Entrepreneur of the Year: Individual or team that has gone above expectations with their company, a clear example to other entrepreneurs. Winner: Isabella “Bella” Hughes Shaka Tea “I have long felt that the dots in my life, they all connect,” says Isabella “Bella” Hughes. “The big why and the arc of my life is definitely a commitment to my community, and intention and abundance.”That arc and commitment brought her to founding Shaka Tea in 2016 with her husband, Harrison Rice.“Starting Shaka Tea really just feels like an extension of what I’ve been doing for over a decade, whether it’s training and championing voices of artists from Hawai‘i or co-founding and launching the Hawai‘i Triennial,” Hughes says. “It’s really rooted in highlighting our community, and in a really powerful way, connecting stories of Hawai‘i and sharing them off-island with larger audiences.”The Punahou graduate raised on O‘ahu received her undergraduate degree in art history from Boston University, where she met her husband, before earning a master’s degree in museum studies from Johns Hopkins University.Hughes says Shaka Tea – the beverage and the company’s business model – are rooted in sustainability for Hawai‘i. The key ingredient is the māmaki plant, a species endemic to the Islands and traditionally used by Native Hawaiians for medicinal purposes, according to UH’s online guide to native plants.“Women ate māmaki fruits and seeds during the later months of pregnancy. The fruit was also used in healing sores and wounds,” the UH guide says.Hughes says she’s proud that Shaka Tea’s ingredients are from 20 small family farms on Hawai‘i Island, resulting in distinctive island flavors like Mango Hibiscus, Guava Gingerblossom and Lemon Lokelani Rose.“Over the last six years we’ve simultaneously built not only one of the fastest growing beverage brands in the country, but we built our entire supply chain from scratch and given away over 35,000 māmaki seedlings to small farmers,” Hughes says.Shaka Tea describes its newly released Immunity Shot beverage as fusing “Hawaiian turmeric, ‘ōlena, with herbal māmaki leaves. The Immunity Shot is blended with tangy, tropical passion fruit, a touch of monk fruit for gentle sweetness and premium vitamins for enhanced function.”Hughes volunteers for several local nonprofits and recently launched FoundHer by Purple Mai‘a with former YWCA USA CEO Gloria […]
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