Page 19 - MidWeek - Oct 5, 2022

Mana Up Helps Create Local Jobs, Fuel Economic Growth
FROM PAGE 14
And even after the program, Mana Up is there to help. In addition to the great network of graduates, businesses that make it through a cohort can take part in Mana Up’s new Wayfinder series that helps them grow after hitting $1 million in annual revenue.
brands in stores across the world. And it starts with a shift in mindset.
OCTOBER 5, 2022 MIDWEEK 19
“When you’re an early founder, you’ve got your challenges. You’re wearing five different hats, using family and friends to help you. But now that you’re bigger, the company structure changes, as do you, and your challenges are totally differ- ent than when you started,” James says. “We think of it as our privilege to help these companies more through these later-stage challenges. They’re still here in Hawai‘i and still growing — how Tamazing is that? — and how can we help them get to $10 million or $20 million?”
“You do belong in Bloomingdale’s or DFS, next to Tiffany & Co., Hermès and Saint Laurent; you fit right in at Neiman Marcus,” James says.
House of Mana Up (houseofmanaup.com), the organization’s retail arm that features products from its co- horts, is proof that what she says is true.
o qualify for a cohort, the business has to be headquartered in the
The retail space on the ground floor of Royal Hawai- ian Center is a hub for the best of the best local products, and also serves as a learning plat- form for entrepreneurs to get customer feedback by testing different messaging, products, packaging and more.
(Above) Mana Up cohort participants are able to collaborate, as well as learn from and help each other. (Right) Mana Up co-founders Meli James (left) and Brittany Heyd. (Far right) Mana Up Accelerator workshops take place one-on-one and in group sessions. PHOTOS COURTESY MANA UP
er-islands, have an annual reve- ednue over $100,000 and elevate nsthe 50th state brand.
At every stage of the pro- cess, Mana Up is about ac- celerated growth to help en- trepreneurs reach their full potential, and that extends to its Hawai‘i Rising and Power Up Your Business programs for indigenous and female business owners, respective- ly, too.
— Hawaiian Host, Honolulu Cookie Co., Kona Brewing Co.,tonameafew—and asks the question: “How do we build more businesses like those that are here in Hawai‘i and stay in Hawai‘i?”
the “The brand of Hawai‘i is globally recognized,” James illsnotes. “It’s loved around the rldworld. We see tons of prod- insucts and businesses on the vemainland that use the brand of auiHawai‘i that aren’t even here, dsso we know that it’s meaning-
“Think about any found- er,” James begins. “They start a company and they’ve got a great product, but now as a CEO, you’re supposed to have all these skills. We help them create confidence and build up their skills so they can walk into any meeting and know what they’re doing.”
“We want to shift their mindset, think bigger and go bigger, and also looking at what these companies can do for Hawai‘i,” says James, who also serves as president of Hawai‘i Venture Capital Association.
the mainland or overseas to pursue that dream. But Mana Up hopes to shift the tides. As a first step, its co-found- ers envision building up 100 product-based companies in Hawai‘i that each bring in $10 million in annual revenue, for at that level, businesses are able to create higher-pay- ing, executive-level, deci- sion-making jobs that are so sought-after.
back home,” adds James. This mentality also speaks to the abundance mindset Mana Up instills in business- es it works with. In addition to learning from seasoned busi- ness leaders, entrepreneurs can learn from each other in the process. If one company is dealing with supply chain issues, it’s common to call up another similar business in the Mana Up ‘ohana to get ideas on how to navigate the situa- tion. The goal is to expand the Hawai‘i brand together, which
means every person’s success helps the other one be more successful as well.
k-ful.”
arn Hawai‘i-made products are
“The more we succeed as Hawai‘i, the more we’ re go- ing into these places that are nationally recognized,” Heyd notes. “We’re creating a brand for Hawai‘i that is globally recognized, and we’re build- ing a reputation for high-qual- ity products coming out of Hawai‘i.”
kenot just for the farmers market vetcircuit or local pop-up events, tothough many get their start at re-venues like that. James, Heyd emand the rest of Mana Up be- lieve that local companies .” have the ability to fit in with internationally recognized
She points to former small- time businesses that have since grown their markets overseas with much success
She gives a poignant exam- ple: For a director of opera- tions wanting to try something new, not many opportunities present themselves in Hawai‘i that would pay a competitive wage — hence the move to
“It lifts the tide for every- one from a talent/ability stand- point and people can move
For more information, visit manauphawaii.com.
“It was a thesis of sorts,” she adds. “Can a store like this thrive on Kalākaua Ave- nue where the big boys are?”
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