David and Ululani Yamashiro of Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice, a participant in Maui Economic Development Board’s Maui Business Connect program, collaborated with Maui moms Jenny Coon and Nicki Barsamian to launch their second children’s book, Huli the Hawaiian Chicken Searches for Snow. During the Covid-19 pandemic when many where discouraged by its impacts, Coon and […]
Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) is proud to announce a partnership with Hawaii Technology Development Corporation (HTDC) in its efforts to spread the word throughout the State of Hawaii about two of the US Small Business Administration’s (SBA) ‘America’s Seed Fund’ research grant programs, the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer […]
Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), the Small Business Association (SBA) and the Women’s Business Enterprise Council (WBEC) are collaborating to introduce local businesses to networking platforms that hold the potential for new opportunities. One platform is SBA’s Minority Owned Small Business (MOSB) which includes Women Owned Small Business (WOSB) and Veteran’s Owned Small Businesses. On […]
Rainbow Jo, a dynamic upcountry clothing company, offers original artwork on clothing by Maui resident and designer Michele Joy Thornton. Since 1986, Thornton has served wholesale and retail customers throughout Hawaii and beyond with innovative and updated resort wear. Headquartered in Makawao, with a factory in Indonesia and her own building with a retail store […]
In celebration of Women’s History Month, Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) partnered with Oahu’s YWCA Minority Business Development Agency’s (MBDA) Women of Color Business Center to present a ‘Women in Business’ seminar series. In the introductory seminar, “Getting Small Business Administration (SBA) Certified as a Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB): Opening New Doors of Opportunity”, business […]
Mitzi Toro, owner of The Maui Cookie Lady, recently opened an incredible upcountry boutique bakery in Makawao Town featuring her original, six-ounce cookie creations. After two years of looking for a store front, she received a call from Barbara Tam, who grew up on the property where Toro’s current commercial wholesale kitchen is located in […]
As for many businesses during the worldwide pandemic, it has been a challenging time for small community pharmacies. Kimberly Mikami Svetin, the third president of family-run Molokai Drugs, Inc., is worried about what is happening state-wide in her industry and across the country. “Our small pharmacies are going out of business,” Svetin said. “It is […]
Ho’oulu Maui Nui is an online resource directory that helps Maui County’s small businesses find local services and products during COVID-19. Ho’oulu means ‘to grow’ and the directory, launched as part of the 2020 Adaptability Fund, was created to help Maui County businesses grow and adapt in a new business climate. A partnership among the […]
Kumu Hula Kapono’ai Molitau and his wife Jennifer are the owners of the Wailuku-based store Native Intelligence (NI). Together, they are at the helm of a resource center that offers inspirational teachings and goods about Hawai’i’s land and culture. “Our mission is all about teachable moments,” said Molitau. “We are more than a traditional retail […]
Exciting projects, industry-best benefits and flexible working arrangements are a few of the reasons that Kihei-based Centauri was recently named a 2020 Hawai’i Best Place to Work by Hawaii Business Magazine. Centauri is a technology company providing high-end, creative software and engineering solutions to critical national security missions across space, cyber, missile defense and intelligence […]