Meet the newest 10 local companies joining mana up's cohort 9!
Aloha,
Welcome to our May newsletter and a HUGE HO'OMAIKA'Ito all the recent/soon-to-be graduates!
We're thrilled to be announcing Cohort 5 this week! Stay tuned as we announce who has joined our Mana Up 'Ohana over the next few days, today through Friday, in partnership withHawaii Business Magazine. Be the first to know by signing up for Hawaii Business Magazine's e-newsletter here. We will also share daily on Instagram.
We're excited to share a workshop series we are hosting this week designed for the local business community to boost digital sales with: "Level Up Your Digital Marketing".
A huge MAHALO to our customers who shopped with us at House of Mana Up, as this program is funded by 100% of our e-commerce profits, generously matched by King's Hawaiian, as many of us are shifting to online sales as a main source of revenue while tourism is low.
If you are a local Hawai'i brand selling online, register for these workshops focused on digital marketing and growing e-commerce sales on May 27, 28 & 29 (2pm-4pm HST). With each session you attend, you are entered to win one of ten 6-week consulting sessions with Kaua’i-based Google Premier Partner agency Kahuna Marketing! Kahuna is ranked in the top 1.5% of Google advertisers. Register and read more here.
Coco Moon celebrated Hawaiʻi mamas this May via their Mother's Day Instagram Giveaway. Most winners were frontline COVID workers who are working tireless shifts, even while expecting or mamas themselves, risking their own health for our community. Each winner received a Silky Soft Mama Robe + $50 gift card from Coco Moon. Read their inspiring stories on @coco_moon_hawaii under "Mother's Day" highlights. Founder Amber Thibaut, a mama herself, also decided to launch Coco Moon coloring pages to keep da keiki busy during shelter-in-place. Check them out here!
[Every1ne Hawaii], an intiative founded by nine local emerging leaders, creatives, and influencers - inlcuding HAYN co-founder Ryan Matsumoto + Zak Noyle, procured over 1 million face masks and worked with Honolulu officials and nonprofits to give out the masks (at zero cost) in communities throughout the state. Ambassadors with Aloha founders Kekoa Cazimero + Andrea Stickel also stepped up to help the Every1ne team hand out masks. Follow @every1ne_hawaii on Instagram for live updates.
Noho Home wants to make everyone feel at home during this isolating time. The Noho Home team is donating their ultra-comfortable bedding to nonprofit Home Aid Hawaii for the Homeless micro-units at Kalaeloa, providing a free room makeover for a local essential worker, and created masks for donation only - to frontline providers. Learn more about Noho Home here and stay up to date with the latest by following @nohohome on IG.
Voyaging Foods founder Brynn Foster is rolling up her sleeves to help get our community less dependent on imported foods - and more connected to our local agricultural system.
Hawaii imports 85-90% of our food, including virtually 100% of our staples. Ensuring long-term food security and resilience requires boosting local production and processing of staples - which includes flour and flour product. To this end, The Hawaiʻi Farmers Union Foundation, Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative and Voyaging Foods have partnered on an initiative to promote and facilitate efforts to supply 30% of Hawaiʻi's flour consumption with local starches by 2030.
Key to their work is feedback from consumers! They have launched a short survey intended to gather preliminary data on consumer interest, experience and knowledge regarding utilization of ʻulu (breadfruit) flour. They are in the early planning stages of scaling ʻulu flour production for retail, food service, baking and manufacturing outlets, and are also look for key partners to help test products and assist with both product and market development. Your responses and sharing of this survey would be greatly appreciated. They anticipate product for sampling/purchase will be available in summer 2030.
Big Island Coffee Roasters launched a giveaway last month called #AlohaAtHome where they gave away 30 coffees + 30 gift cards from local companies in 30 days as a way of sharing the aloha spirit while everyone is cooped up at home. People were so stoked with their treats that they decided to extend it for 30 more days! You may learn more and enter the giveaway here.
Hanalei continues to donate more products (from lip treatments to lotions) to healthcare workers on O'ahu - adding much needed joy and healing to our frontline providers.
KōHana Rum continues to manufacture and deliver thousands of gallons of FDA-approved hand sanitizer to health care workers, first responders, the elderly, homeless, and workers performing essential services around the islands..but this sanitizer is now also available to the public for purchase! Follow them @kohanarum to stay up to date on their next sanitizer sale.
Maui Nui Venison has now donated over 15,000 pounds of venisonto local food banks, with the continued help of volunteer hunters and dedicated staff. To continue to show them your support, make sure to check out their newly launched DTC home delivery program - Holo’ai - for your shelter-in-place cooking needs. From our personal experience, this venison is definitely 'onolicious...and nutritious! These packages are offered at a 25% discount for Kama’aina. You may learn more and order here.
Nick Kuchar has officially made his drawing tutorials available on his website for parents and their keiki to follow along. He also continues to create and give original sketches to lucky followers! Make sure to subscribe to his social @nickkuchar and e-list for a chance to win.
Stay safe...and stylish! Many Mana Up companies have pivoted their manufacturing processes to accommodate mask production. Not only are these masks fashionable, but they are mandated for the foreseeable future, even as the economy re-opens. Shop for masks from your favorite Mana Up brands below:
Lola Pilar has been participating in a cool new international virtual marketplace: Renegade Craft typically coordinates marketplace fairs featuring entrepreneurs and their products in 10 cities around the world. They attract 300,000 attendees annually and are hosting their first ever Virtual Craft Fair series throughout May! If you are a vendor interested in participating, read more and apply here. If you simply want to attend the fair (via IG live) and support Kristen (founder of Lola Pilar), make sure to follow @lolapilarhawaii for details!
Mānoa Chocolate is not letting covid shut down their mission of spreading the good word about Hawai'i cacao! They just launched a new "Flavors of Hawai'i" series - featuring banana, coconut, and liliko'i tastes, as well as packaging designed by local artist @punkyaloha! They are also offering Virtual Tour experiences with the purchase of a 6-bar sampler. Learn more about these yummy innovations here.
Wrappily is also keeping it fresh - and eco-friendly! - with their new "Over the Rainbow" collection, in collaboration with local artist @laurenroth. Check out the new collection along with other delightful prints here.
We still miss you over at House of Mana Up...but you can find us online and now- in our store windows! At our brick-and-mortar at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, we have set up "window shopping" cube shelves. Each cube contains a product and QR code for shoppers to easily scan and purchase online. Did you also know...
