Across our community, Fellows are doing the hard, hopeful work of helping people build lives and careers right here in Hawaiʻi. In our latest issue of Taking on Tomorrow, we asked several of them to share what workforce development looks like and this is what they had to share.

By: Meli James

What is your organization doing to ensure workforce development honors community and ʻāina rather than simply filling jobs?

Mana Up was created with the belief that Hawaiʻi’s economy should grow in a way that honors our people, culture, community, and ʻāina. The companies we support are rooted in Hawaiʻi and many are building products connected to local agriculture, culture, wellness, food, fashion, and place-based storytelling. Our goal is not just to help founders sell more products, but to help them scale in a way that strengthens local supply chains, creates meaningful work, and shares Hawaiʻi with the world responsibly. Workforce development, to us, should help people build livelihoods while also deepening their connection and responsibility to this place.

What is your organization doing to help create meaningful career pathways that allow people to build a life in Hawaiʻi?

At Mana Up, we are focused on helping Hawaiʻi entrepreneurs build scalable, values-driven companies rooted in place. Through our accelerator, retail platform, and venture fund, we support local founders in growing businesses that can create quality jobs, expand career pathways, and keep more economic opportunity here in Hawaiʻi. We have worked with over 100 Hawaiʻi-based companies that collectively generate more than $150 million in annual revenue and support more than 1,200 local jobs. For us, workforce development starts with building the kinds of companies where people can see a future for themselves at home.

What have you learned about developing people and talent through your own work?

One of the biggest lessons I have learned is that people grow when they are given both support and real responsibility. Entrepreneurs, team members, and emerging leaders need mentorship, access, and encouragement, but they also need the chance to make decisions, take ownership, and learn through doing. At Mana Up, we see talent development as more than training for a specific role. It is about helping people build confidence, judgment, relationships, and the ability to adapt as industries and opportunities evolve.