This year, 2022, marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Surviving many challenges through the decades, it is arguably one of the most significant pieces of civil rights legislation in America’s history. Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), recognizing the enormous importance of Title IX and celebrating Women’s History Month, pays tribute to the late U.S. Representative Patsy Takemoto Mink of Hawaii. Widely recognized as the major author of Title IX legislation, Mink introduced it in the U.S. House of Representatives, where it passed with a bipartisan voice vote. After her death in 2002, the official name of Title IX was changed in her honor to the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act.
“Title IX is one of the most important laws passed for women and girls in Congress since women gained the right to vote in 1920,” said Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President and CEO. “Congresswoman Mink’s extraordinary achievements brought equal opportunity and other social justice issues to the forefront.”
During its 50 years, Title IX has been most associated with the dramatic increase in interscholastic and intercollegiate athletic opportunities for girls and women. The statute, however, prohibits sex discrimination in any educational program or activity receiving any type of federal financial support.
More broadly, Women’s History Month celebrates the contributions women have made to our country and recognizes their specific achievements in a variety of fields. In 1972, Time Magazine named Mink one of 100 Women of the Year who leveled the playing field, overcame oppression and worked to bring about changes in Hawaii and the world. Honored, Mink said, “We have to build things that we want to see accomplished, in life and in our country, based on our own personal experiences, to make sure that others do not have to suffer the same discrimination.”
Wilkins added, “Faced with her own encounters with discrimination, Congresswoman Mink devoted her life to advocating for gender equality and educational reform. She was the first Asian-American woman to practice law in Hawaii and the first Asian-American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.”
MEDB celebrates Title IX and Mink’s inspiration to women and minorities. Even after her death, her life continues to inspire people who seek to ensure her enduring legacy.
Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) is once again partnering with the Women Business Enterprise Council (WBEC) to present the third webinar in the Women in Business Seminar Series. In celebration of Women’s History Month, the virtual March 16 presentation will feature business owners that have taken the step to get certified as a women-owned, minority-owned, or veteran-owned small business.
“The event will present business owners speaking about how the certification has helped their business including access to new opportunities with various agencies,” said Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President and CEO. “They will share tips on the process and how to overcome hurdles. Plus, participants can learn how to qualify for an MEDB scholarship to get certified.”
WBEC is one of the official certifiers for women-owned small businesses. Companies can get certified as being 51-percent owned and operated by women, minorities, or veterans, in order to qualify for special consideration in government and private contracts. Additionally, they can participate in a sponsor company’s Supplier Diversity programs. Large corporations such as Disney, Intel, AT&T, Major League Baseball, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios have requirements to include a certain percentage of purchases from diverse suppliers.
“Women-owned businesses make up the fastest-growing segment of the national and international business world,” said Dr. Pamela Williamson, WBEC-West President and CEO. “That is just one reason why WBEC-West is dedicated to helping participants navigate the certification process.” Dr. Williamson has been a dedicated senior leader for over twenty years. She envisions a promising future for WBEC-certified women-owned businesses, and takes an active role in facilitating connections between corporations and women’s business enterprises.
Founder, CEO and Chief Technology Officer of CBT Corporation, and speaker at the upcoming webinar, Kelly Ireland said, “WBEC certification is the access to an immense network of like-minded professionals as well as the ability to build alliances and partnerships with other WBE’s. I went through the program and I will be sharing my experience during the webinar. Additionally, I will discuss the exposure to corporate diversity teams that provide insights and support to make it a win-win-win.” Visit https://bit.ly/wibss316 for details.
The mission of the WBEC is to create strong team environments and increase economic vitality for WBEC certified women-owned businesses.
Dr. Pamela Williamson, WBEC-West President and CEO
Hosted by Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), fourteen aspiring leaders came together virtually for the Project Weekend event, to work on solutions to diversify Maui’s economy. Project Weekend is specifically designed for the Fellows of Ka Ipu Kukui, a year-long program designed to train community-identified future leaders and conceived to address planning for Maui Nui’s future.
“This year, the Fellows were given a specific problem statement in what was called a “Civic-thon Challenge,” said Facilitator Frank De Rego, Jr., Director of Business Development Projects with MEDB. “The task for the weekend was to design a project that addresses the challenge of building a diverse, robust, resilient, and sustainable economic present and future for the residents of Maui County.”
The event kicked off with instructions provided by the MEDB team and a presentation by guest speaker Steven Bond-Smith, an assistant professor with the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization (UHERO). Bond-Smith shared concepts from his research that the cohort could consider for their projects. After the presentations, the groups divided into three teams and began to brainstorm in breakout rooms. Key areas they worked on included defining the problem they were solving; their solution, value proposition and beneficiaries; and funding model, goals and impact.
“An important activity of the weekend was for the teams to validate their ideas with the potential users and stakeholders,” said Amber Hardwick, Ka Ipu Kukui alumna and Board Member, and Program Manager at MEDB. “Usually this would mean getting out and speaking to the public, but this year we did everything virtually and validation was done through phone calls and online surveys.”
Teams presented their projects with a 7-minute pitch to a virtual audience including a panel of three judges comprised of accomplished Maui Nui decision makers and influencers. After all teams received feedback from the judges, a winner was announced: the Na Lei Eha team, Rebecca Pang, Sarah Loney Mark, Shayna Decker, and Dean Tokishi. Ka Ipu Kukui will be accepting applications for the 2022-23 Cohort in early summer; visit https://kaipukukuifellows.org/ to learn more.
The Ka Ipu Kukui Fellows will continue to gather in monthly hālāwai (meetings) to further develop a holistic appreciation and understanding of Maui Nui’s unique challenges to better address them in the future.
Frank De Rego Jr., MEDB Director of Business Development
Presented by the Maui Food Technology Center (MFTC), the Maui Sunday Market is an expanded island ‘ohana. At the core of the MFTC strategy is the goal of encouraging and supporting entrepreneurship among Hawaii’s local residents. The Market, supported by the County of Maui Office of Economic Development and sponsored by Alexander & Baldwin, helps to revitalize the community of Kahului while sharing aloha.
“Events happen all around the island,” said Luana Mahi, President of MFTC. “However, in Kahului, weekly community events are a rarity, especially in the evening. With the Maui Sunday Market, MFTC wanted to create an opportunity for locals and visitors alike to gather each week, engage with each other, share stories, and experience the diversity of Hawaii.”
One of the goals of the Maui Sunday Market was to create a place to share the creativity and talents of residents, wonderful food, and to absorb each other’s genuine aloha spirit in a safe and informal venue. The event draws visitors from the cruise ship that docks in the harbor earlier in the day, as well as visitors from around the island. “Often visitors crave an authentic island experience,” Mahi explained. “Our Market offers local foods, products, and live entertainment that especially resonates with this audience. Residents too are attracted to the weekly festivities, making Sunday evening a truly special time to spend with family and friends. Open to the public, with free admission, the event is held from 4pm to 8pm in the parking lot of the Kahului Shopping Center located at 65 W. Kaahumanu Avenue in Kahului.”
Mahi added, “MFTC also just opened its new food truck hub, called the Maui STREET Market. This foodie hot spot is located in the south side of the parking lot at 150 Hana Highway in Kahului and is open seven days a week. Our new hub will give residents and visitors the opportunity to ‘eat the street’, Maui-style, all year-round, take-out or dine-at, with a diverse menu of ono food served with aloha. Attendees will be helping to support local entrepreneurs and the island’s economy. Hele Mai, hope to see you there!”
The MFTC team provides a variety of food industry and entrepreneurial services to help small to mid-sized companies grow and succeed through marketing, education and business strategies. Visit www.mauifoodtechnology.org for more information.
February has been a month dedicated to acknowledging and celebrating the past and current achievements of African Americans. Black History Month is an annual observance originated in the United States by Dr. Carter J. Woodson in 1926. Since 1976, every U.S. President has designated this month to honor the contributions and legacy of citizens of African descent across American history and society, including the fields of medicine, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, politics, military defense, music, art, and literature, and have shaped the world with courageous and selfless acts of service.
The African Americans On Maui Association (AAOMA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, enlightens and informs the community, the people of Hawaii, the nation and the world about the contributions and experiences of people of African descent. “Our aim is to foster and teach all people about our history, arts and culture,” said Sandra Shawhan, Vice President of AAOMA. “To achieve this goal, AAOMA promotes high quality research, cultural exhibits, arts, scholarships, and teaching of the African American experience. We sponsor a wide variety of programs on topics and issues that are critical for better understanding including events about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Black History Month, Juneteenth, Kwanzaa Programs, and more. We remain inclusive, never exclusive. We invite everyone to learn about the heritage and rich legacy of African Americans through networking, education and mentoring.”
Each year, Black History Month has a theme to focus the public’s awareness on a particular current issue. “The theme for 2022 is Black Health and Wellness,” Shawhan explained. “AAOMA hosted a Zoom presentation featuring well-known speakers and contributors to draw attention to health and wellness which is crucial for strength and resilience, especially during the current Covid-19 pandemic. On this topic, we explored the legacy and achievements of the forerunners who worked in the medical and health fields. We highlighted the current activities and initiatives that African American communities are engaged in to encourage good health and wellness—physically, mentally and spiritually. I am very pleased with our presence in the community and the events that we sponsor throughout the year.”
The AAOMA vision is to include and count all races and ethnicities and to be an outstanding regional resource for authentic African American historical information.
