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 tragic. With everyone shopping online or going to the major chain stores, all small businesses, including mine, are being affected. I am a vocal supporter for small businesses, and am involved in our community with legislative matters that affect them.”
Molokai Drugs was founded in 1935 by Svetin’s late grandfather, Richard Sakata, who was Molokai’s first pharmacist. Several members of the family have taken part in the growth of Hawaii’s oldest independent pharmacy since then, including her father, David Mikami, who became the island’s second pharmacist in 1969.
Svetin currently oversees a staff of 29 employees, most of whom work between the pharmacy and the family’s 48-flavor ice cream shop. In fact, one employee, Frank Maniago, Jr. recently celebrated his 32nd anniversary at the pharmacy. In 1988, Mikami hired Frank two days before Christmas and he has been their right-hand man since, helping with the pharmacy’s services, delivering hospital beds to hospice patients, fixing broken wheelchairs, delivering prescriptions to kupuna, and other pharmacy services in the community.
Svetin is responsible for all management, human resources, marketing, community relations, purchasing, finance, and legal matters. “My focus right now is also on training future employees,” she added. “I am encouraging internships through the Aloha Connection Innovation program by employing people who want to work in pharmacy. I have collaborated with Frank De Rego, Jr., Director of Business Development Projects at Maui Economic Development Board, on this new initiative to nurture and grow knowledge-based work opportunities. Our stores are also focused on giving opportunities to Molokai’s public school students.”
Svetin concluded, “My personal legacy here at the pharmacy is to be a good employer, offer exceptional customer service, mentor the future generation and advocate for local businesses. Please support your local shops. The mom-and-pop businesses make Hawaii special and unique.”
My parents and late grandparents placed a high value on community service. I recall them often returning to the pharmacy at night to fill an emergency prescription
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 Maui County Office of Economic Development (OED), Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), and various community organizations, the Hoʻoulu Maui Nui Business Directory is a one-stop, online resource for small businesses looking for local service providers, and businesses wanting to reach potential customers by publicizing their services and products.
“This business directory is a great opportunity for local businesses to connect and support one another as we take on the challenges brought by COVID-19,” said Mayor Michael Victorino. “Reinvesting in our local economy and vendors ensures we’re getting the most out of our CARES Act funds, while still getting quality work and products.”
Businesses listed are specifically geared towards retooling and responding to COVID, helping businesses to: conduct business safely, including personal protective equipment (PPE); adapt operations to alternate business strategies; and to invest in technology infrastructure to help businesses operate virtually. Many businesses have had to expand their online visibility with web-based marketing and increase their capabilities to sell online through e-commerce. Some of the types of business listed in this directory are Business Leasing, Business Finance Consultant, Cleaning Restoration, Commercial Printer, Design, Remodeling, and Construction, Employee Recruiter, Export Consultant, Food Scientist and Technologist, HVAC Filtration Expert, IT Consultant, Marketing, PR, and Social Media Consultant, PPE Provider, Photographer, Videographer, and other services. There is no cost to participate.
According to Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President and CEO, “We want to make sure that the companies know, through the Ho’oulu Maui Nui business directory, what resources are available here at home.”
You can learn more about the Hoʻoulu Maui Nui Business Directory, search for businesses or apply to promote your business at https://www.hooulumauinui.org/
Maui County-based companies interested in signing up and being included in the business directory can visit www.HoouluMauiNui.org. There is no cost to participate.
Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) is administering the Adaptability Fund, a program to help local small businesses recover and survive the impacts from COVID-19. Funded by the federal CARES Act, and as proposed by the MauiCARES Task Force, the County has allocated five million dollars to the Fund. Businesses use the grants to modify operations and invest in technology infrastructure to expand virtual platforms, web-based marketing, and E-commerce.
According to Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President and CEO, “Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the mandatory closure of many Maui County businesses and visitor-industry activities, health and safety protocols have required costly investments by Maui County businesses to operate safely, re-tool operations, and expand customer markets. The Maui County Adaptability Fund was established to help our local businesses adapt to this new economic environment.”
Malia Bohlin, Aloha House Development Director, said, “With funds provided through the Adaptability Fund, administered by MEDB, our organization was able to address concerns due to physical and technical limitations. We set up socially-distanced workstations, so clients could log-in from our facility, and we improved our technical capabilities to provide better content. Our staff are thrilled with the new tools, and are better able to provide necessary programs with more engagement and progress for the clients. We have also retained many clients who previously may have had technical barriers to treatment via telehealth. Thanks to the Adaptability Fund, clients at Aloha House’s outpatient drug treatment program have been able to participate safely in group and individual treatment settings.”
Aloha House, founded in 1977 as a treatment program for individuals struggling with substance abuse, makes it possible for adults on Maui to change their lives and the lives of those closest to them. “We help participants rediscover their strengths, learn from their experiences and create new pathways forward in health and wellness,” Bohlin added. “Since its beginnings, the Aloha House mission has expanded to include comprehensive, person-centered behavioral health interventions for the prevention and treatment of individual substance abuse and other disorders. Our staff members are passionate about helping people achieve lasting recovery.”
We appreciate MEDB’s work with the County of Maui to quickly manage the application and award process during this critical time.
Jocelyn Romero Demirbag, Ed.D., Director of Development at the University of Hawaii (UH) Maui College, works to expand the college fundraising efforts through the UH Foundation. The Foundation, a private 501(c)(3) non-profit, was established in 1955 to encourage private support for the university. Today, it is the central fundraising organization for the UH System. “Our work is to unite donors’ passions with UH aspirations,” said Demirbag, “We raise philanthropic contributions and manage private investments to benefit UH, the people of Hawaii, and our future generations. The university is supported by numerous individuals from Maui Nui, the state and the mainland, as well as a diverse range of organizations and businesses that include non-profits and foundations, hotels, and cultural groups.”
“UHMC welcomes contributed support of all types,” Demirbag noted. “Funding is needed for scholarships, endowments, faculty development, and instructional resources including facilities, equipment and technology upgrades. Our vision is to inspire giving and partnership by fostering UH pride among donors, alumni and the community.”
Demirbag pointed out, “One gift is all it takes to make a difference in the life of a UHMC student. With one gift, Maui residents can complete a degree and provide for their family, retool for a more satisfying career, or apprentice in the field of their dreams. One gift can be a game changer for both the college and students.”
Recently, the Wailea Community Association became a UH Foundation community partner. The Association felt that the Maui health issue is critical for everyone. They realized that when you directly help a nurse you are improving the care that any patient is going to be receiving. “Not only did they pay for the licensure of our nursing class that graduated in May 2020, but they are also funding the costs associated with taking the examination for the May 2021 graduating class,” said Demirbag. “We are so grateful to Wailea’s Community Association and to all our supporters! We hope other potential community partners will learn more about the program and other ways they can support us. These partnerships are so needed during these challenging times.”
Community partnerships allow UH to provide more career-related opportunities that might otherwise never happen.
Jocelyn Romero Demirbag, Ed.D., Director of Development, UHMC
Three new electric-vehicle (EV) fast-charging stations are now open to the public at the Queen Kaahumanu Center in Central Maui, Pi’ilani Village Shopping Center in South Maui and Lahaina Aquatic Center in West Maui. Owned and operated by Hawaiian Electric, the publicly accessible fast chargers offer a lower rate during daytime hours to encourage charging when solar energy is typically abundant.
Hawaiian Electric previously brought another fast-charging station online in August at the Pukalani Terrace Center in Upcountry Maui. These four completed sites were selected to cover a broad geographic driving range around the island. They previously accommodated charging infrastructure for the members-only EVohana program that was retired in July 2020.
“Thank you to our four partnering site owners and the EV drivers on the island for their continued support of our efforts to expand the public-charging options on Maui,” said Sharon Suzuki, president of Maui County and Hawaii Island Utilities. “Electrification of transportation is a major part of our goals to help reduce our state’s overall fuel consumption.”
The new fast-chargers can provide about 43 miles of additional range for a typical EV in 15 minutes. The fast-charger supports CHAdeMO, used by EVs like the Nissan Leaf and the Tesla with their proprietary adaptor, and CCS, used by American and European EVs like the BMW i3 and used as an option on the Chevrolet Bolt EV. Charging sessions can be initiated in several ways, including smartphone apps to credit cards.
Property owners who offer their sites for publicly accessible EV charging play a critical role in helping to increase the adoption of electric vehicles and use of renewable energy on the island. “My administration is committed to furthering our community’s clean energy and clean transportation transformation,” said County of Maui Mayor Michael Victorino. “We will help meet our community’s need for dependable EV charging and encourage EV adoption.”
Ed Krampitz, Queen Kaahumanu Center management added, “We are excited to partner with Hawaiian Electric to add these new EV chargers. Shoppers can now receive a fast and reliable charge, while enjoying a variety of stores and restaurants at the Center.”
The EV Maui charging rate is $0.28 per kilowatt-hour between 9 am and 5 pm, $0.40 per kWh between 5 pm and 10 pm, and $0.38 per kWh between 10 pm and 9 am.
Sharon Suzuki, President of Maui County and Hawaii Island Utilities
The Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce (MNHCoC) presented a virtual talk-story session about Hālau Perseverance. MNHCoC’s mission is to promote and sustain Hawaiian culture, nurture a strong community of Hawaiian values, and enhance opportunities for success in business and education.
Hālau hula (hula instruction) was discussed by speakers Kumu Hula Kealiʻi Reichel and Kauʻi Kanaka’ole. They talked story about cultural nurturing and endurance from a traditional hālau perspective. Reichel, a world-class performer, best-selling recording artist, and multiple award-winning kumu hula, has been at the forefront of the revival of Hawai’ian culture. Kanaka‘ole is a kumu hula trained in the renowned Hālau o Kekuhi with more than 20 years of experience in cultural advocacy. She has 14 years of teaching experience, including 11 years at Hana School.
“Kanaka’ole and Reichel are not only talented and experienced kumu hula, but also successful business and cultural entrepreneurs,” observed Frank De Rego Jr., President of the MNHCoC. “They remind us that adaptability in times of tremendous stress and volatility must be rooted in the foundational vision and values of a business, focusing especially on the welfare of others and not oneself alone.”
Reichel noted, “In the wake of the inconceivable, such as a global pandemic like Covid-19, cultural education, language, dances and storytelling have long thrived in the hālau hula. The hālau has survived multiple disruptions throughout Hawai’i’s history including the deadly epidemics of 1848, being forced underground during the missionary era, World War II, and the advent of industrial tourism. Businesses can learn from the hālau’s traditional values, ethics and cultural passion to emerge whole after this pandemic, through life lessons, character building and responsibility.”
Kanaka’ole added, “The hālau’s mission encourages a deep appreciation of Hawaiian cultural arts, leadership and teamwork skills, and the preservation of our āina. From generation to generation we must encompass many aspects of the cultural lifestyle in a learning environment where creativity thrives with a particular focus on music and hula. Students in the hālau range from keiki to kupuna. They are taught all aspects of traditional Hawaiian values that motivate and inspire them and can be applied in any circumstance.”
Covid-19 gave us time for reflection to appreciate and be grateful for all that we have. Hālau perseverance helps us adapt and still retain what is important.
Kealiʻi Reichel, Award-winning Kumu Hula and Recording Artist
Ke Kula o’ Pi’ilani School of Maui, surrounded by the beauty of ‘Īao Valley, is a rare treasure in the community. The independent, nonprofit Hawaiian language school, founded in 2016, is located on the Hawai’i Nature Center campus. Ke Kula o’ Pi’ilani is the only school in the state to offer a curriculum of Hawaiian language, culture, and a common core grading system created entirely by the kumu (teacher).
“Our goal is to ensure our students can be successful in anything they choose to be in the future because of the solid and well-rounded Hawaiian culture and language foundation that connects them to each other and to these lands,” said Kahu Kekai Robinson, Po’o Kula (Head of School). “Wailuku has historically been a hub for literacy and education , and we are doing our small part to honor and continue that here in the heart of ‘Īao Valley.”
The schools current program, a COVID-19 hybrid 20 percent online, 80 percent on-campus schedule with a shortened school day, supports 20 keiki in grades kindergarten through grade four, with the hope to accommodate twice that number of students in the coming years. Beginning next year, the school will add a fifth grade to accommodate the graduating fourth graders. “We strive to inspire a lifelong love of learning by cultivating an enriching environment in which diverse students grow to be united, confident, and globally competitive servant-leaders who think critically and creatively to contribute to the betterment of Maui, Hawai’i, and the world,” said Robinson.
Kumu Kehani Guerrero, Po’okumu Lead Teacher & Curriculum Director, explained, “Our curriculum is supplemented by Hawaiian practitioners in the classroom to leverage community resources and provide real-life cultural experiences. Alongside the Hawaiian cultural enrichment classes, we are able to contextualize the hands-on work into lessons in math, science, reading, writing, and art. Ka Piko Kaiao (family classes) are also designed to integrate with the school curriculum to enable family members to learn alongside the students and extend their education into the home. We hope to offer our Hawaiian language and cultural courses to the community in the 2020-21 school year.”
We get to use what we learn from being outdoors in this beautiful valley and connect it to all our studies. Plus, we learn Hawaiian culture, language, history, and values. We love this school!
Maui TechOhana meetings are back! Presented by the Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) and supported by the County of Maui, the first virtual Zoom meeting provided an informal networking opportunity open to anyone interested in Maui County’s business and technology industries. Invited guest Doug Nelson, Founder, President and CEO of Kinection, spoke on the topic ‘We’re All Startups Again’.
“Whether you call it the “Post-Covid landscape,” the “big reset,” or the “new normal,” it is clear that we need to adapt our businesses in order to survive and thrive,” said Nelson “Our markets, our channels, and even our customers have changed, and will likely continue to for the foreseeable future.”
Discussing the questions startups face daily, Nelson explained how to adapt products and services so that customers are met where they are; how to continue to provide value; how to find new customers to serve; and how to take advantage of new opportunities that did not exist last year. The participants considered some practical techniques from the startup world that helped professionals and businesses to (re)connect with customers, (re)imagine themselves, and (re)discover product-market fit. Attendees also looked at some local examples and considered how to apply the techniques to their personal situation.
“The fundamental activity of a startup is to turn ideas into products, measure how customers respond, and then learn whether to pivot or persevere,” Nelson said “Using the Lean Startup Methodology, whose core is the build-measure-learn cycle, startups better understand their customers and develop products that the customers are looking for. Part of this methodology is Customer Discovery and Experimentation. This principled approach teaches you how to drive a startup, how to steer, when to turn, and when to persevere, to grow a business with maximum acceleration. Companies can create order, not chaos, by continuously providing tools to test a vision. By the time the product is ready to be distributed widely, it could already have established customers.” The participants agreed, “When markets, channels, customers and products are in flux, we are truly all startups again. Sharing personal experiences was a valuable takeaway for the community. Thank you, MEDB!”
MEDB’s Maui TechOhana presentation was a relevant topic in today’s pandemic-ravaged industry, offering an opportunity for participants to talk to others with similar professional interests.
Doug Nelson, Founder, President and CEO of Kinection
George Kahumoku, Jr., known as Uncle George, is a multi-Grammy and Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award-winning Hawaiian slack key guitar master, songwriter, touring performer, teacher, artist, storyteller, author, and entrepreneur. The Maui slack key legend is currently also a farmer with his wife Nancy at the Cliffs of Kahakuloa. “We are a small, sustainable farm in the West Maui mountains,” said Uncle George. “We have mini-horses, chickens, ducks, goats and sheep, and we raise all manner of fruits and vegetables, you name it! We also feed our animals our own high-protein grains.”
Uncle George has won several statewide and national awards for farming. In 1993 he graduated from the Hawaiˊi State Agricultural Leadership Program. He is a community leader who taught a special motivation program at Lahainaluna High School for 20 years, and has worked with children in native language studies, farming, and other programs.
Beginning his day at 3am every morning, Uncle George uses natural indigenous Native Hawaiian planting methods. Influenced by the Hawaiian moon calendar, he incorporates lots of composting, manure and mulch. He also mentors students, feeds the homeless, and shares his seeds and manaˊo with over 200 farms in Hawai’i and across the globe. The plants, herbs, animals, and food that he grows, sells, and shares are all grown with Aloha.
“My goal has always been to feed people and be sustainable,” Uncle George reflected. “I was raised by my great grandfather Willy Kahumoku in the traditional Hawaiian method of mala or dry-land style of farming; using animals and fowl in an integrated sustainable system. I made a film documentary titled Seeds of Aloha and authored and did the artwork for volume one and two of the book A Hawaiian Life”.
Hawaiian slack key guitarist Keola Beamer reflected, “My mom, Aunty Nona Beamer, gave Uncle George the title of Hawaiˊi’s Renaissance Man because of his bountiful gifts. I am constantly amazed at his unstoppable energy. His ability to channel that special mana of creativity and storytelling into his art, farming, music and everything he does, has always impressed me. That sure feels like renaissance to me!”
My great grandmother told me if I have a dream, and can smell it, taste it, and feel it, that vision is mine. I have been blessed with the opportunity to draw on my visions.
Uncle George Kahumoku, Jr., Hawaiˊi’s Renaissance Man
Beginning a new year often involves core values worthy of preservation. During her talk for the Nisei Veterans Ta-Ke Leadership Series, Sharon Suzuki, President of Maui County and Hawaii Island Utilities, shared some of the values she grew up with. “My father, a Nisei Veteran, was a member of the 100th Battalion 442nd Infantry Regiment known for their loyalty and perseverance during WWII,” said Suzuki. “The Nisei values taught to me by my parents influence my life even today. The first of these, Gamon, means to endure. Endurance is a virtue that continues to help me through trying times, and is especially important now for all of us challenged with the Covid-19 pandemic.”
While living and studying in Japan, Suzuki learned that she must be flexible, a Ta-Ke value meaning ‘bends with the wind, strong and grounded, like bamboo’. “I fell in love with Japan,” Suzuki reflected. “With a degree in Japanese studies, I decided to teach Japanese and learned the importance of flexibility while living abroad. During this time, I decided to also earn a business degree, which opened many opportunities for me.”
Another value her parents instilled is Kanzen-sei, integrity. “Learning how to turn a negative into a positive is especially important in this value; to take the high road and do the right thing,” Suzuki noted. “This centers around the Japanese value of Giri, duty and obligation. Kodomo no tame ni, sacrifice for the sake of the children, for the future, is also a key value. At Hawaiian Electric, that means pursuit of renewable energy, new programs and community solar projects. If we can continue to work together we can help grow the economy with clean reliable sources for our future generation.”
Concluding, Suzuki said, “The values from our parents are relevant today. I used Japanese terminology but other cultures share similar values, like the Hawaiian value of Ohana. Values are retained by becoming part of our everyday lives. Their real meaning and significance are not merely a time of obligations fulfilled, but also an occasion for rejoicing and celebrating intrinsic and time-honored meanings that are worth preserving.”
My Dad always encouraged and supported me. His advice, ‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained’ helped me to make major changes in my life when needed.
Sharon Suzuki, President, Maui County and Hawaii Island Utilities
