Page 5 - MidWeek Kauai - Oct 12, 2022

Mana Up Helps Create Local Jobs, Fuel Economic Growth
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.
world. And it starts with a shift in mindset.
OCTOBER 12, 2022
KAUA‘I MIDWEEK 5
“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
islands, have an annual reve- er-nue over $100,000 and elevate
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.
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?”
edthe 50th state brand.
ns “The brand of Hawai‘i is theglobally recognized,” James notes. “It’s loved around the illsworld. We see tons of prod- rlducts and businesses on the insmainland that use the brand of veHawai‘i that aren’t even here, auiso we know that it’s meaning-
dsful.”
k- Hawai‘i-made products are arnnot just for the farmers market kecircuit or local pop-up events, vetthough many get their start at tovenues like that. James, Heyd re-and the rest of Mana Up be- emlieve that local companies have the ability to fit in with .” internationally recognized m,brands in stores across the
“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.
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.
This mentality also speaks to the abundance mindset Mana Up instills in busi- nesses it works with. In addition to learning from seasoned business 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 an- other similar business in the Mana Up ‘ohana to get ideas on how to navigate the situ- ation. 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.
“It was a thesis of sorts,” she adds. “Can a store like this thrive on Kalākaua Ave- nue where the big boys are?”
She points to former small- time businesses that have since grown their markets overseas with much success — Hawaiian Host, Honolulu
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 the mainland or overseas to
“It lifts the tide for every- one from a talent/ability stand- point and people can move back home,” adds James.
“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.”
For more information, visit manauphawaii.com.
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