Applications for Cohort 9 have closed! Stay tuned to meet our newest cohort in may.
Two craft brewing connoisseurs on Maui decided to get together and make some booch, laying the groundwork for the successful beverage company that is Vitalitea Hawaiʻi. After William Davis and Dante Valentino met at a craft brewing club in 2017, the two decided to turn an enterprise out of Davis' passion project.
June has been full of new and exciting developments, including welcoming new 10 companies into the Mana Up ʻOhana. We are always blown away by the creativity of our founders and this month didnʻt disappoint with many new product releases, new initiatives and more. Weʻre also thrilled to announce that our retail location, House of Mana Up, will be back open for this weekendʻs Open Streets in Waikiki and by appointment. Come see us - weʻve missed you!
West Hawaii Today
Hawaiʻi based product accelerator Mana Up’s fifth cohort contains a diverse mix of companies. From locally sourced and brewed kombucha to nontoxic nail polish, the cohort offers a wide range of authentic Hawaii consumer-packaged goods. The 10 companies are spread across Oahu, Maui and Hawaii Island.
Pacific Business News
Even well-established businesses feel like they're starting all over again in this economy, so PBN gathered insights and advice from experts in starting up.
Hawaiʻi Public Radio
In an environment rocked by COVI-19, startup experts in Hawaii say local businesses should go back to the fundamentals. For Meli James, co-founder of local product-accelerator Mana Up, times like these are when businesses should reexamine everything from products to branding to see if they still make sense.
Pacific Business News
The fifth cohort's roster includes a range of local Island businesses including skincare, resort wear and craft kombucha companies, among others.
Our team at Mana Up is excited to introduce Cohort 5, which is composed of a diverse mix of founders, products, and industries based across the islands. We are looking forward to working with these Hawai'i founders over the next 5 months as each local company has the tremendous potential to grow while being based in Hawaiʻi.
Pacific Business News
The six-month accelerator program — which consists of 10 companies across Oahu, Maui and Hawaii Island — helps Hawaii-based companies address production, operation, and marketing challenges, while building foundational leadership skills.
A huge MAHALO to the local entrepreneurs and businesses who participated in the “Level Up Your Digital Marketing” workshop series Mana Up hosted with Kahuna Marketing and King’s Hawaiian. Kahuna is ranked in the top 1.5% of Google advertisers.
Hawaiʻi Public Radio
Find out how Mana Up is managing their cohort companies through this pandemic. On this edition of Bytemarks Café, learn how their fundamental goal to scale Hawaii companies through the Internet has prepared them to operate even when COVID-19 forces us to shelter in place.
Guam Pacific Daily News
The University of Guam Virtual Conference Series on Island Sustainability will feature women business leaders from across the globe, including Mana Up co-founder, Meli James.
Hawaii Business Magazine
Vitalitea Hawaiʻi is made on Maui by local craft brewers seeking a balance of healthy and delicious kombucha and nitro cold brew coffee using fresh pressed tropical fruits, roots and herbs.