Building wealth with aloha

Application Deadline November 30, 2024

What is it?

The Business Incubator is a nine-month entrepreneurship program for Native Hawaiians, veterans, and local residents, who want to build a meaningful business rooted in self-sufficiency and Hawaiian cultural values. 

Cohort 3: January 7 to September 30, 2025

Our intention is to increase the number of locally owned businesses aligned with values that support inner wealth while creating outer wealth.

This is for you if:

  • You’re a new or early start-up. You have a product/service ready for market, or expertise in a skill or art that you want to create a business with.

  • You want to learn business management skills and to create a business plan.  

  • You want to feel confident about your sales and financials. 

  • You desire to do work that’s deeply meaningful and creates value for Hawaiʻi and beyond. 

  • You’re a Hawaiian cultural practitioner, artisan, or have a skill/product that you want to share with more people, while increasing your income.  

  • You have skills in Hawaiian culture, arts, or botanical conservation and want to explore business ideas that support Waimea Valley’s mission & operations. 

What’s included

  • Training

    Business foundations, planning, financial workshops (12), plus market opportunities at Waimea Valley events. Workshops held weekly in-person at Waimea Valley 10am-12pm.

  • Networking

    Quarterly events (4) featuring guest speakers and opportunities to connect with local business owners and leaders. Plus, Slack community of like-minded entrepreneurs.

  • 1-on-1 Support

    Personalized support sessions on building your business, plus access to co-working space at Waimea Valley equipped with working stations, laptops, and robust printing resources. Work on your business surrounded by the natural beauty of Waimea Valley and collaborate with your fellow entrepreneurs. 

Apply Now

Program requirements

  1. Must be a Hawaiʻi resident and based on Oʻahu.

  2. Committed to launch a business within 6 months. 

  3. Committed to participating in the full 9-month program, plus working on your business in your free time. Minimum 10 hours a week. 

There is no cost to join. We require all participants to attend all 12 workshops, four quarterly networking events, three technical assistance 1:1 sessions, complete workshop surveys, and share your quarterly business gross revenue (kept confidential) for grant tracking and reporting purposes. 

How to Join

  1. Apply today as we're reviewing applications until Cohort 3 is filled. Application deadline: November 30, 2024 11:59pm HST 

  2. We'll email you if you've been invited to the next round for an interview. Interviews will take place October to December 2024

  3. Cohort 3 acceptance will be notified by email late December 2024

  4. Cohort 3 begins January 2025 to September 30, 2025

Program topics 

The program includes weekly gatherings designed to create a strong foundation for your business, taking your inspired ideas into action.

Workshop topics include: 

  • Validate your business concept 

  • Create thriving business structures and financial processes 

  • Register your business and GET license 

  • Financial Basics: Money mindset & understanding financial statements 

  • Marketing Basics 

  • Craft your sales pitch 

  • Hawaiian cultural workshops 

  • Build healthy business admin habits: record-keeping and self-accountability  

  • Develop your business plan 

  • Networking Opportunities: Talk story with local business leaders and entrepreneurs 

  • Test the market and get your first sales at Waimea Valley events 

  • Design your waiwai life through your business 

Info sessions via zoom

  • Info Session - AM

    Friday, November 22, 2024

    11:00 am - 12:00 pm

    Zoom

    See if Cohort 3 is right for you. We’ll go into more details on the curriculum topics and answer any questions you may have. Hosted by our Business Incubator Manager and an Incubator participant. This is our morning session. Register for zoom link.

    Register

  • Info session - PM

    Wednesday, November 27, 2024

    4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

    Zoom

    See if Cohort 3 is right for you. We’ll go into more details on the curriculum topics and answer any questions you may have. Hosted by our Business Incubator Manager and an Incubator participant. This is our afternoon session. Register for zoom link.

    Register

Testimonials

  • “Joining this cohort has been instrumental to growth and happiness in my business and life. The network of support that I have received has been the most valuable thing. Our mentors are very knowledgeable and supportive of our individual needs. I am truly inspired by everyone in our cohort as well as the guest speakers we had the privilege of meeting.”

    Kaya Waldman, Keālia Media 

  • “I really appreciate the Waimea Valley Business Incubator. Business workshops helped us to set strong foundations and foster important habits in the early stages of business. Our cohort received a lot of support - everything ranging from opportunities to get our products in front of customers, to feedback on marketing materials, to resources for business growth. Mahalo for creating this safe and nurturing space for us.”

    Jessica Kihara, Sweet ʻŌkole Soap 

  • “Being a small business owner and new entrepreneur is a daunting task. Having mentors and a group of individuals that you can lean on for professional (and sometimes even emotional!) support is a blessing. That is what this business cohort has afforded me over these last couple of months: it has given me the confidence to create and conduct my business the way that I want. It fosters meaningful discussions, provides tools and a networking system, and constructive guidance on how to achieve what it is that you want for your personal business journey. I'm grateful for the valuable skills I've developed and the connections I've made.”

    Thi Nguyen, Aunt T’s Cotton Candy 

  • “Waimea Valley's Business Incubator program was an outstanding resource to build alongside a beautiful community of entrepreneurs. The workshops helped me better understand what areas I need to focus more attention on while giving me the tools and knowledge to execute. Overall, the experience gave me the confidence to push my farm and food business to the next level. I look forward to seeing the progress of everyone in our cohort as we all grow and flourish together.”

    Ray Trinh, SoulSum Hawaii 

  • “Numbers and taxes usually scare and overwhelm me, but as we talked more and more about how to deal with those kinds of things in class, I did feel a little bit more at ease. I am less overwhelmed because of the information I received. I now have a sense of confidence that when it comes time to do taxes, I’ll know the way to approach the beast.”

    Kawika Pangelinan, EA Creations 

  • “Everyone has been super supportive of our business goals. Getting to meet like-minded individuals who want to create or expand their pono businesses has been such a joy. Despite hardships, everyone involved in the program has been kind and helpful. I'm so grateful for this opportunity and I look forward to building stronger relationships with my mentors and teammates.”

    Cohort 1 Participant

  • “I am feeling confident making the changes in my business I need to thrive and better support my community.”

    Cohort 1 Participant

  • “This cohort has been incredible, from the resources, education, network, business and finance literacy, and support of the mentors and team.”

    Cohort 1 Participant

 FAQs

  • This program is best for new or early start-ups. You have a product/service that’s ready for market, or you have expertise in a skill or art that you’d like to create a business around. 

  • No. Cohort 3 in 2025 will be our last as we’re a 3-year grant funded program. 

  • Hybrid option available, although you’ll get the most out of this program by attending our in-person 12+ workshops at Waimea Valley to receive community support and connection. 

    Our quarterly networking events will only be in-person at Waimea Valley. Your 1-on-1 technical assistance sessions have the option of in-person or zoom. Plus, you’re invited to our co-working space at Waimea Valley, equipped with laptops and printing resources.  

  • Our program requires 51% of our seats reserved for Native Hawaiians. We invite you to still apply.

  • Yes! If you have any questions, email our Business Incubator Manager, Kristien at kalquero@waimeavalley.net or call 808-900-7677. 

Kūkulu I Ka Waiwai

Kūkulu I Ka Waiwai is loosely translated to mean ‘Building Businesses.’  But literally, it means to build wealth.  The word ‘wai’ means water, and because water is so valuable, the word for wealth is to say water twice:  waiwai.  But wealth in the Hawaiian worldview is not just about money or material items.  It means to be “rich” in many ways – to have good health, to have a strong ‘ohana (family), to have good relationships, to have a connection with the ‘āina (land), to be well-grounded in one’s culture and values, and to have enough food. To have lawa (enough) is considered to have plenty, to have abundance, or waiwai, (wealth).  

The production of this website was supported by Grant #90NA8454-01-00 from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF)/Administration for Native Americans (ANA). Its contents are solely the responsibility of Hi‘ipaka LLC and do not necessarily represent the official views of ACF/ANA.