Zoe Mounts, Seabury Hall freshman, was recently honored at the 2022 Blue Planet Foundation Student Energy Summit on Oahu for her work on climate awareness. Mounts dedicated a six- month solo research project to Climate Change Awareness culminating in the production of four informative videos, each 7-10 minutes in length: Climate Change is Real; Food Wasting in our World; Plastic Pollution and Solutions; and The Truth about Consumption. She created a Vimeo showcase of these short films and presented them to her school and church community during an Earth Hour event that she helped to coordinate.
“In 2019, I chose to implement many zero-waste practices in my own life,” said Mounts. “I am currently in the process of organizing a new Sustainability Club at Seabury Hall, and I have been in communication with the cafeteria staff to implement more sustainable practices in the campus dining program. The school club would help raise awareness of environmentally sustainable practices and motivate students to find clean energy solutions. During the Blue Planet Summit, I had the opportunity to network and collaborate with like-minded peers, applying ideas to real-world challenges, which I now want to share.”
Recognizing that the youth are our future, the Blue Planet Student Energy Summit emphasizes educating the students of Hawaii to empower them to speak up and act. Launched in 2015, the Summit motivates students island-wide to discover sustainable solutions for their own communities. Another focus is making the voices of Hawaii’s youth heard through building a collective roadmap to share with state and local leaders around the 2022 legislative session.
Mounts added, “The Summit offered a forum to cultivate ideas for solving the biggest challenges of our generation. Energy professionals equipped us with tools, connections, and information to continue to make positive changes for our islands. I was inspired to think creatively about renewable energy, clean-transportation alternatives and energy efficiency. Also, I was challenged to think critically about economics and policy, and how to take part in systemic change in Hawaii’s energy laws. Hawaii has an exciting 100-percent renewable energy future.”
I hope to share what I learned at the 2022 Blue Planet Student Energy Summit with my school and the community. We are tomorrow’s clean-energy leaders.
The 9th Annual Hawaii Energy Conference (HEC), presented by Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) and supported by the County of Maui Office of Economic Development, explored the theme “Electrification: Where are we now? What does the future hold?” The two-day virtual conference revisited all the aspects of electrifying the grid and transportation—current successes, potential pitfalls, and future opportunities.
Mayor Victorino stated, “MEDB is helping to lead the way to the future. Hawaii is a leading state for solar energy in the nation with a goal of 100-percent renewable energy by 2045. Our famous trade winds can help generate electricity and we have the potential to capture wave energy and geothermal for our energy needs. We have sustainable energy, and an abundance of sunshine and resources to help us. We look to the engineers, scientists, and other experts at this conference to help the people of Hawaii make a transition to renewable energy sooner than later.”
Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President and CEO said, “Electrification will completely impact how we approach the issues of energy, production, distribution, energy equity, resilience, and more. Our program focused on the challenges and opportunities before us all in building a resilient, sustainable, affordable, secure, and equitable energy future.”
Abigail Anthony of the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission said during her keynote at the conference, “Rhode Island, the smallest state in the country, roughly the size of Oahu, asserts that right rates and benefits are needed in order to encourage residents to convert to electrification. Electrification is no longer just for early adopters; it is ready to go to scale. We are focused on advancing equity, by making sure our customers are paying only for things that they can benefit from as well as afford.”
The 2022 HEC brought together experts on energy policy, strategies, leadership and innovation to help Hawaii reach its goal of 100-percent renewable energy sources.
Frank De Rego, Jr., MEDB Director of Business Development Projects, Co-Chair, 2022 HEC Program Committee
Recently, Hawaii’s Brian Kohne, an award-winning music producer and independent motion picture writer, director, and producer of the movies Kuleana and Get a Job, was the guest speaker at Maui TechOhana. Presented by Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) with the support of the County of Maui, Kohne talked story at the virtual meeting.
Kohne noted, “I hope the attendees gained a greater sense of our interconnected industries: the arts, media, and motion pictures. That in order to build a thriving, sustainable industry here on Maui, we must place equal emphasis on infrastructure, workforce development, and education.”
Kohne returned to Maui in 2005 from Silicon Valley, having excelled as a national director of sales and marketing in corporate video production and sports broadcasting, as well as a senior user-interface architect for an interactive television corporation. Presently, Kohne is principal of Hawaii Cinema Inc., and director of the Academy for Creative Media at University of Hawaii Maui College.
“During Maui TechOhana, I illuminated a few projects we were able to successfully complete , and how the state tax incentives were essential, as was the support of our local community,” Kohne recalled. “I also talked about the Academy for Creative Media, a multi-media school I have built in recent years that is beginning to thrive. We offer degrees in filmmaking, graphic design, creative media, and, coming soon, animation. Island creatives no longer need to leave the island to receive high level educational opportunities in media.”
Speaking about opportunities on Maui, Kohne added, “once the pandemic is no longer a major governing issue, producers and studios will return to business as usual in chasing the ripest tax and financial incentives in determining where they will spend their time and money. So, we must continue to invest resources to support and grow an industry from within. Hawaii residents must originate viable productions in order to truly enjoy the benefits of the arts, media, and motion picture industries.”
Kohne shared his unique experiences in film and music along with his efforts to build the creative industries sector of our local economy.
Frank De Rego, Jr., Director of Business Development Projects, MEDB
Maui residents Stephen Reyes and Savannah Forbeck started Tartaria Juice Company during the pandemic to stay healthy, share their knowledge of wholesome juicing, and grow their business. Once the community opened up again they were eager to get out and offer their nutritious and organic juices. “Our goal is to share the wealth of health with as many people as possible while supporting local and organic agriculture,” said Forbeck. “Our juices, 100% cold-pressed for premium quality, maintain their nutritional value and anti-inflammatory health benefits. We feel it is important to be fully transparent about our ingredients and where we source them. Grown locally on Maui, our ingredients are either certified organic, organically grown, or grown without the use of chemical pesticides and herbicides.”
Tartaria Juice came about as Reyes and Forbeck dove deeper into uncovering a healthy lifestyle for themselves. Starting the company aligned with their passion for removing obstruction from the body, especially in the time of Covid-19. “Juice became a center point for our own healing journey as we found it to be a very powerful tool in pulling lymphatic waste from our bodies as well as aiding in digestion and healing,” Reyes explained. “Our bodies finally had a well-deserved break. Cold-pressed juicing has become an integral part of our daily life and now we want to share its power.”
The method of extracting cold-pressed juice uses significantly less friction and heat than traditional forms of removal. Cold-press juicers are gentle in their extraction, leaving nutrients intact, with dramatically increased flavor and longer refrigerator life. “Most of the juice that you buy at supermarkets is pasteurized, meaning it has been cooked or heated to a certain temperature which eliminates most of the nutrients you need,” Forbeck noted. “The cold- pressed process boosts your energy levels, and improves your immune system while it retains more vitamins, enzymes, minerals, and antioxidants. Cold-pressed juice—liquid love—is a simple form of energy, a way to rehydrate and heal the body. Most importantly, this method of juicing helps us live in balance with nature and one another to stay healthy and happy.”
The benefits of cold-pressed juice are boundless. The nutrients immediately enter the body and provide a kick of energy!
Stephen Reyes and Savannah Forbeck, Tartaria Juice Company
The 13th Annual Hawaii STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) Conference is almost here! After two years of hosting the Conference virtually, Maui Economic Development Board, (MEDB) is extremely excited to be returning to the Hawaii Convention Center for the 13th iteration of their celebration of ‘All Things STEM’. The event, being held on Friday, April 29th , is open to all STEMworks™ facilitators and high school students.
“MEDB is thrilled to see the students in-person this year,” said Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President and CEO. “We are easing back into an in-person event as we continue to help build career readiness skills. Our hope is that by equipping our youth with the right skills, tools, and opportunities, we can inspire the next generation of innovators, ensuring a bright future for our community and our world.”
MEDB’s STEMworks students and teachers, along with community and business leaders across the state, are invited to celebrate the student’s service-learning projects, hear stories of inspiration, engage with some of the biggest names in the STEM field, and experience the excitement of a regional technology conference. The students will showcase their analytical thinking skills and apply the latest high-tech industry tools in an innovative approach to environmental and cultural issues.
Katie Taladay, MEDB Director of Education and Workforce Development, STEMworks, noted, “We will have hands-on professional development opportunities for teachers and students, industry networking sessions, and a STEM Playground. We welcome our teachers, students, and industry professionals back in-person for a full day of hands-on training opportunities, mentoring and networking with leading industry professionals. This year, we will bring folks together from many sectors including Computer Science, IT, Cybersecurity, Augmented and Virtual Reality, Creative Media, including Film and Video Game Design, Geospatial Sciences, Engineering, Energy Science, Health Sciences, and much more. There will also be time to celebrate and honor our STEM talent from across the state by awarding the coveted STEMMYS.”
Wilkins added, “STEM education has the power to improve all of our lives. The Hawaii STEM Conference creates meaningful learning experiences to enrich the lives of Hawaii’s students today and into the future.”
STEMworks initiatives focus on empowering students with 21st century skills to prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow.
Each February, Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) STEMworks™ program offers the popular Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day (IGED), also called Girl Day. Held in conjunction with National Engineering Week, this year’s STEMworks event had 155 middle-school girls registered from around the state. Nationwide, throughout the week, organizations, partners, industry professionals, mentors, and teachers showed girls how to get involved in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields. The theme, to increase interest in engineering subjects, promote amazing engineering feats by women in our society, and encourage students to consider engineering careers, is vital for our future generation of women.
“Girl Day is our most favorite day of the year at MEDB because we get to see the future of STEM as the girls work on their creative innovations,” said Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President and CEO. “IGED inspires them to think about solving problems to make our community a better place.”
STEMworks Director of Education and Workforce Development Katie Taladay added, “IGED is important to make sure girls feel supported as they explore different engineering areas and see how engineers change the world. We presented a 30-minute, industry-led lightning talk and Q&A session with six women engineers specializing in aerospace, agricultural, biochemical, civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering to expose girls to the wide variety of careers in engineering.”
A STEMworks teacher at Kihei Charter School (KCS) noted, “Everyone had a wonderful time and ran into challenges that they were able to overcome with pride. They all left the event with huge smiles.” A KCS middle-school agricultural session participant reflected, “IGED was so interesting! We engineered a drip-irrigation system and explored the science of irrigation and the different ways that farmers put water to work, from flood-irrigation to spray-irrigation to computer-controlled farming.”
Taladay concluded, “It is important to provide and develop future leaders through community-based programs such as STEMworks that empower students to solve unpredictable, real-world problems. Designed to address planning for Hawaii’s future, IGED engages young women in events that add to their skill set and inspires them to choose a career in STEM.”
STEMworks provides role models from diverse engineering fields to encourage girls to learn engineering skills that exhibit the wide range of career paths they can choose from.
Katie Taladay, MEDB Director of Education and Workforce Development, STEMworks
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
It’s never too late to make music! Just ask Maui violist, violinist and music educator Teresa Skinner who began playing professionally and teaching in her native Southern California. On Maui since 1986, Skinner has become a celebrated local violinist. In 2015, she was honored with the Maui County Committee Women of Excellence Award for her contribution to music education in the community.
Currently, Skinner is principal violinist with both the Maui Pops Orchestra and the Maui Chamber Orchestra, and is part of a string quartet. Leading the string program at Haleakala Waldorf School, Skinner also teaches violin and viola at her private studio as well as at the Maui Music Conservatory in Queen Ka’ahumanu Center. Haleakala Waldorf School educators, Keith and Lynette McCrary said, “Skinner teaches with warmth, enthusiasm and artistry. She listens to her students, incorporating their ideas where appropriate, bringing laughter and musical discipline to their endeavors.”
Skinner started the Suzuki-Maui School of Talent Education and Ability Development and mentors students of varying ages. “The Suzuki Method, named after its founder, the late Japanese violinist Shinichi Suzuki, applies the basic principles of language acquisition to the learning of music,” Skinner explained. “A music curriculum and teaching philosophy, the method aims to create an environment for learning music which parallels the linguistic environment of acquiring a native language. Incorporated in the Method is the Suzuki Triangle, in which the parent helps the child practice and gives encouragement. The central belief of his language acquisition theories is that all people can and will learn from their environment. Some components to the Suzuki method include saturation in the musical community, developing friendships with other music students, and listening to recordings of professional musicians in the home every day.”
Skinner has seen the immeasurable benefits of music education firsthand and is quick to point out that there is more to it than scales and chords. “Music education is part of a well-rounded education,” she emphasized. “It fosters the development of self-motivation, as well as verbal and musical intelligence. It provides the life skills students need to make decisions, juggle multiple tasks, and foster excellent character.”
Maui Pops Orchestra is in rehearsal for the Winter Pops performance on February 20th and Spring Pops on March 13th. It is wonderful to be playing again for our Maui community!
Teresa Skinner, Principal Violinist Maui Pops Orchestra and Maui Chamber Orchestra
