Feb 1, 2017 | Events, Small Business
Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) proudly presents TWO power-packed workshops for entrepreneurs. As part of MEDB’s Startup Weekend Maui Series, these must-attend sessions will help you jumpstart your new business or fine-tune your existing business.
Pinching Your Pennies: Finance for Entrepreneurs
Thurs., February 9, 2017 • 5PM – 8PM
Learn how to run your business more profitably and avoid mistakes that cause businesses to fail.
Business Model Canvas & Lean Startup Overview
Wed., February 15, 2017 • 5PM – 8PM
The business model canvas is an important tool that people can use to help bring clarity to the question, “How will my business succeed?”
Details and registration
WHERE: MEDB’s Malcolm Center
1305 N. Holopono St., Suite 5, Kihei
COST: $25 per person per workshop
Dinner provided. Reservations required, space is limited.
To register for these workshops, visit http://bit.ly/SUWMaui2017
Workshops sponsored by:
Maui County Mayor’s Office of Economic Development
Sultan Ventures
XLR8UH
Jan 25, 2017 | Innovation
The University of Hawaii (UH) Educational Outreach Team and Maui Economic Development Board have long shared common goals for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. Recently, the UH-Manoa Physics Department hosted a group of four Maui High School students, Mary Chin, Princess Constantino, Laney Flanagan, and Bryce Jackman, at a Maui workshop to present their summer research findings on the effect of cosmic rays on the earth. With the help of their project mentor Dr. J. D. Armstrong, UH Institute for Astronomy (IfA), and their Maui High science teacher, Keith Imada, the students discussed possible correlations between galactic cosmic rays and solar activity to determine if a connection with global warming exists.
“The abundance of galactic cosmic rays (GCR) hitting our atmosphere is heavily affected by solar activity and its 11-year cycle,” said Dr. Armstrong. “We studied about what cosmic rays are, how the solar activity changed during the last couple of centuries, where radiation comes from, and why radiation protection is necessary.”
The four students each gave a presentation on their research, all relating to climate change on earth. “I discussed how more galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) appear when sunspot numbers are lower, when there is less solar activity,” said Flanagan. “It was so interesting to learn the origin and composition of cosmic rays and solar modulation.” Jackman presented his research about how GCRs do not seem to affect climate change through low cloud coverage. “I learned about the different ways that the GCR flux is measured and about the sun’s 11-year cycle,” he said.
“I loved how we got to use actual data and work through the problems with professors,” said Chin, who investigated the relation among GCRs, the number of sunspots, and global temperatures. Finally, Constantino talked about the relationship between global warming and solar energy reaching the upper atmosphere. The students will also submit their project findings to the 2016 Pacific Science Symposium.
The UH Physics professors gave talks and shared activities using data from an instrument mounted on the International Space Station to teach how protection from galactic cosmic rays is necessary for any NASA Mars mission.
Dr. J. D. Armstrong, Institute for Astronomy Educational Outreach
Jan 18, 2017 | Community, Environment
Kahului Elementary School’s 1st grade Grow Some Good (GSG) garden classes recently held Garden Scavenger Hunts as a fun way to review the lessons they have learned so far in the 2016-2017 school year. “Our students learn STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) subjects that help influence their understanding of the natural environment and food,” said Wendy Shishido, first-grade teacher at Kahului Elementary School. “They are able to watch the decomposition process in our compost bin and all the insects and worms doing their part to help make healthy soil. The garden becomes a magical learning space when the youngsters realize we need tomatoes to make pizza!”
Each pair of students was given a collection box, courtesy of Hawaiian Moons Natural Foods, containing a checklist, scissors and a bug cup with instructions to collect the following: a flower; a bug, insect or worm; two weeds; something that smells; and a heart-shaped leaf. “They found that marigolds provided lots of flowers; they hunted down ants, sow bugs and worms; and weeds were easy to come by,” said Nio Kindla, GSG Operations Manager. “Smelly items included the lemon, Thai or Italian green basil, green onions, sage lemongrass or rosemary, which all have strong smells.”
The teacher checked the items for the first pair of students to complete the scavenger hunt. Subsequent pairs of students were checked by classmates. “This is where the real learning came in,” Kindla explained. “As they worked and questioned each other as about whether a plant smelled enough, whether a leaf was heart-shaped enough, how to identify weeds, a real camaraderie grew.”
Students improved their garden literacy, identified and described what they had found, and added new words to their vocabularies. “Some students also learned that keeping an ant in a cup has its challenges!” said Kindla.
The community is invited to GSG’s annual Taste of School Gardens community-wide fundraiser on March 4th, 2017. Guests get to try school garden-inspired dishes from Maui’s top chefs while supporting the school garden programs. For more information, go to growsomegood.org.
Watching 1st graders have that “aha” moment when they realize that what their parents buy in the supermarket is first grown in a garden, is priceless!
Nio Kindla, Grow Some Good Operations Manager
Jan 11, 2017 | Community
Makahiki is an ancient Hawai’ian celebration of the bounty of the ‘aina (land). It punctuated the yearly farming cycle of ancient Hawaii when the ‘aina was considered a living entity. People really care for it and still do.
Noho’ana Farm celebrates this natural way of life. As an energy self-sufficient, family-run farm situated on two acres of kuleana (privileged responsibility) land, Noho’ana comprises 12 ancient lo’i kalo stone terraces that are fed via the fresh waters of the Waikapu Stream. Along with kalo, other important Hawaiian and introduced crops are cultivated at the farm using traditional, sustainable and organic farming practices.
“We have developed an ‘aina-based program designed to educate everyone, from children to adults, about the importance of time-honored and sustainable lo’i kalo cultivation,” said Hokuao Pellegrino, owner and manager of Noho’ana Farm. “We teach the methods of traditional crop production, along with the use of plants and food preparation within an instructive landscape.”
“Participants actively engage with the land while learning the appropriate cultural and natural resource management practices,” Pellegrino explained. “Attendees are taught how to harvest the taro, pound the steamed roots into edible paste and cut the stems for replanting. In fact, many of our visitors get into the water and learn how to dig their heels into the mud to harvest the taro.”
Pellegrino is also a mentor in the Maui Economic Development Board Women in Technology Project, STEMworks™ Summer Internship Program. This year’s Agricultural interns, Noelani Reyes, Kealohalani Ka’aikala and Jade Chihara spent their STEMworks™ internship at Noho’ana Farm. “Our three interns assisted in running our summer culture and place-based program for students in grades 6-7,” Pellegrino said. “Prior to engaging with the younger students, they spent a good amount of time learning how to manage the farm. This included traditional irrigation and water resource management, using farm equipment, planting and harvesting crops, and food production. Behind all of this work they learned many cultural values that are in alignment with their day-to-day responsibilities and an overall appreciation for being food stewards of the ‘aina.”
Our internship at Noho’ana Farm gave us a more prominent concern for environmental issues. We learned that caring for the ‘aina is everyone’s kuleana, privileged responsibility.
Noelani Reyes, Kealohalani Ka’aikala and Jade Chihara, STEMworks™ Summer Interns
Jan 4, 2017 | Education, Stemworks
Jonathan Olsten, former STEMworks™ intern
Jonathan Olsten, once a student in Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) STEMworks™ Summer Internship Program, speaks of the importance of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education in his life. “I interned with MEDB while I was in college,” explained Olsten, a Foreign Spacecraft Analyst at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC). “Through MEDB I worked at the University of New Mexico’s Maui Scientific Research Center doing data analysis of solar intensity. I took what I learned from that experience and applied it to my current job at NASIC, analyzing large amounts of data.”
Olsten first realized he wanted to pursue a degree in engineering while he was taking high school physics. Understanding the way things work in theory and applying that knowledge in practice, was the kind of academic experience that he found most interesting and enjoyable. “It was nice to be good in math, but math for math’s sake was not as interesting to me,” Olsten noted. “It was learning how to apply the mathematical concepts to solve real-world problems that made math interesting.”
After Olsten decided to pursue engineering, it wasn’t difficult to choose his major. Inspired by a couple of pilots in his family, and a child’s dream to be an astronaut, aerospace engineering seemed like a great career choice. “In fact, one of the first toys I can remember having was a space shuttle,” Olsten said. “My advice for kids still in school is to make sure they end up in a position where they have the tools they need to find the job they will enjoy. That is almost synonymous with STEM. Take electives in high school to decide what kinds of STEM careers interest you most.”
Olsten praises MEDB for the extraordinary job they do in the community. “MEDB’s assistance to teachers and students provides education in cutting-edge technologies,” he said. “MEDB’s programs provide STEM thinking skills that solve real problems in the community and beyond.”
MEDB continues to offer extraordinary STEM programs and internships throughout the year.
Jonathan Olsten, Foreign Spacecraft Analyst, NASIC
Dec 28, 2016 | Community
The Makahiki season, the ancient New Year festival to honor Lono, is still celebrated and practiced by Native Hawaiians, with games, sports and religious ceremonies. Our culturally diverse population also celebrates with fireworks, parties, and special New Year foods, from the Japanese traditions of eating sashimi and preparing mochi, to Portuguese bean soup, Filipino adobo, Chinese dumplings, and Southern black-eyed peas.
The New Year is also a time to make resolutions – affirmations of self-improvement and promises to do good things for others. This tradition dates back thousands of years to Babylon and biblical times and it was in the days of the Roman Empire and Julius Caesar that January 1st came to mark the beginning of the year. It was the Romans that named the first month of the calendar, January, after Janus, the God of beginnings. Janus had two faces, one facing forward and one back, so he could see into the past and the future simultaneously.
The Jewish tradition of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and the Christian observance of Lent are also precursors of making resolutions in the year ahead. Studies have shown that resolutions that set measurable goals, shared with and supported by others, are more likely to be successful. The most common resolutions include losing weight, eating more healthily, exercising more, and spending more time with family.
Whatever your personal resolutions, Maui Economic Development Board staff would like to be among the first to wish you “Hau‘oli Makihiki Hou” and the very best for 2017 – Happy New Year!
As the New Year approaches, MEDB would like to be among the first to wish you Hau‘oli Makihiki Hou – Happy New Year!
Dec 21, 2016 | Community, Environment, Sustainability
The Fairmont Kea Lani Resort, venue for Maui Economic Development Board’s annual Ke Alahele Fundraiser, is committed to responsible tourism practices and sustainable hotel management. “Our Sustainability Team, created in 2001, is comprised of leaders and colleagues dedicated to “greening” our operations and cultivating an enduring connection to the land and community,” said Rick Texeira, Chair, Fairmont Kea Lani Sustainability Team. “To date, the Sustainability Team has launched over 50 environmental initiatives at the resort, including the installation of over 1,528 solar photovoltaic panels, efforts in support of the critically endangered Hawksbill sea turtle at neighboring White Rock beach, and our sponsored Earth Day community reef clean-ups, to name a few.”
An especially interesting Kea Lani program, in partnership with Clean the World Foundation, Inc., recycles hygiene products, soap and bottled amenities for worldwide distribution to fight hygiene-related illness. “Clean the World takes our unused soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and shower gel and gives them a second life through a global hygiene initiative,” Texeira explained. “The distribution of recycled soap and hygiene products from hotels and resort partners helps millions of people in countries with a high death rate from these illnesses.”
Recycling with Clean the World and other sustainability projects are a great way to achieve corporate social responsibility goals and attract more guests. “The programs increase employee morale and visitors love it as well,” said Texeira. “I’m so proud of the commitment and effort our hotel has shown. Not only are we recycling, we are helping those in need and supporting the health and wellness of others. It is wonderful to see how simple and responsible acts can save so many lives. We look forward to continuing our sustainable movement for many years and are passionate about our efforts to make a difference for people, our communities and the planet.”
Our hotel has contributed to Clean the World’s distribution of soap, amenities, and hygiene kits in 96 countries.
Rick Texeira, Chair, Fairmont Kea Lani Sustainability Team
Dec 14, 2016 | Education
The Women in Technology (WIT) Project of Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) is proud to announce that one of their STEMworks™ AFTERschool teachers, Jennifer Suzuki, from Maui Waena Intermediate School in Kahului, was named the Maui District Teacher of the Year. Suzuki was one of eight teachers across the state that was considered for the 2017 Teacher of the Year honor by the Department of Education. As a District teacher honoree she received a $500.00 award from the corporate sponsor, The Polynesian Cultural Center.
“The Maui District Teacher of the Year award is a great tribute to Suzuki and our school,” said Maui Waena Intermediate School principal, Jamie Yap. “Suzuki has been recognized for all her hard work and time that she puts in with her students, whom she always puts first.”
“I was so happy to support Suzuki for Teacher of the Year,” said Isla Young, WIT Program Director. “Her classroom is an amazing example of an engaged and inspiring teacher who is truly having an incredible impact on her students, their families, and the community. Suzuki’s ability to bring people together for the betterment of her students and school is remarkable. She is raising the bar as to what middle school students are capable of. Additionally, she empowers her students with self-efficacy to impact their island community.”
Suzuki, a teacher for 17 years, emphasizes the importance of relating to her students, which enables her to guide the development of their talents in constructive ways. “I seek performance-based, real-work opportunities for my students,” she said. “My partnership with MEDB has enabled expansion of Maui Waena’s STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programs such as video, media, robotics, coding, and gardening. It’s a great honor that I was selected as Maui District Teacher of the Year. I want to continue growing my STEMworks™ AFTERschool program with MEDB so that my students will be qualified for high-paying jobs right here on Maui.”
My goal is to create a space of creativity and innovation for my students.
Jennifer Suzuki, Waena Intermediate School, Maui District Teacher of the Year
Dec 7, 2016 | Community
Alo(ha) Creations is a new family-run business on Maui. Their goal is to create unique products made with aloha you can take with you. “The meaning of our company name Alo(ha) is comprised of two parts,” explained Micah Alo, founder of Alo(ha) Creations. “Our family name is Alo, the first part, and the Hawaiian word “ha” meaning to breathe or give life, is the second part. It is our hope that our food, art and other creations will bring life and love to our customers.”
Alo, a former Kamehameha Schools Maui Campus graduate and Maui Interscholastic League soccer standout, said that after a tryout with the professional Portland Timbers didn’t work out, he turned to business, his other passion. “After the tryout I went to World Youth Day (WYD) in Poland to see Pope Francis. My experience at WYD, with people from all over the world, gave me the faith I needed to start my own business.”
Alo began to see the different talents that his family possessed and thought, “Why not turn these into a business? My family and I started our business a few months ago and my mom’s cookies have already taken off,” Alo noted. “Our goal is to make Rochelle’s Famous Chocolate Chip cookies a household name. Additionally, I saw the talent of my brother Chandler and sister Gabrielle and felt their art should be on display for everyone to see. My nana, Carol, and aunty Elaine, are gifted in crafts and packaging, and have really helped incorporate the cookies, artwork, and other local products into our gift baskets, which we also make for events.”
Just recently the family attended the 2016 Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce Business Fest. “The event was an inspiring opportunity for local business people to see that they can successfully contribute to the island community as well as to the world. I met folks from Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) and others, who provided me with amazing insight that I will use to expand Alo(ha) Creations.”
MEDB provides many educational opportunities for new businesses that we plan to take advantage of.
Micah Alo, Alo(ha) Creations
Nov 30, 2016 | Education, Stemworks
Maui High School freshman, Christine Alonzo was invited by President Obama to attend the first-ever White House South by South Lawn (SXSL) event. The Women in Technology (WIT) Project of the Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) sponsored the Washington D.C. trip for Alonzo and her former Maui Waena STEMworks™ AFTERschool teacher, Jennifer Suzuki. The two-day festival, celebrating the spirit of innovation, brought together creators, organizers, and entrepreneurs who work to improve the lives of people in their communities and in the world. Keynote speakers and panels discussed how to solve the country’s most pressing problems while exhibits depicted a future that is full of opportunity for everyone.
In June 2016, while still at Maui Waena Intermediate School, Alonzo attended the PBS Student Reporting Labs’ All-Star Camp in D.C. While attending the camp, she and her group, made up of students from Colorado, California and Virginia, produced a story about a Georgetown graduate who created an interactive website (socialgirlz.com) for African American girls to network and support each other. After Alonzo completed the video, it was submitted to the White House Student Film Festival for this year’s theme, The World I Want to Live In. Although the film was not chosen as a finalist, it was selected as an honorable mention along with an invitation to Alonzo and her group to attend the White House film festival and the inaugural SXSL event.
“It was so amazing to have my video honored like that,” said Alonzo. “Attending the film festival was one of the highlights of my life and really inspired me to continue telling stories and creating videos. The SXSL experience was even more inspirational because I got to meet so many people who are fostering innovation and doing wonderful things in their communities.”
SXSL challenged us to build toward an America that is full of opportunities for everyone.
Christine Alonzo, Maui High School Freshman
