Young entrepreneurs shine in Windward Mall program

Windward Mall will welcome a dozen new short-term tenants July 25 for four hours’ worth of business.

The uber-short lease is a traditional part of the annual Kids Inc. contest in which winning entrepreneurs 15 and younger get to sell their wares in the mall’s center court.

The opportunity is a "corporate initiative that a lot of our other sister-centers do," said Kristin Smith, assistant marketing manager at Windward Mall, which is managed by Illinois-based Jones Lang LaSalle Inc.

There were 36 entrants for this year’s Kids Inc., and after 4,034 public votes were cast via Facebook, 12 winning business proposals were announced Tuesday.

This year’s crop of youthful entrepreneurs ages 6 through 15 will offer a wide range of merchandise and food items, and the kids get to keep all the revenue their businesses generate.

Some entrants will donate a portion of their proceeds to charity, while "The Sweet Life" baker Brooklyn Blake will donate everything she earns to a spouse abuse shelter. "I have a very soft spot for this shelter," she wrote in her entry. She will bake cookies and brownies from scratch but concedes to using boxed mixes for the variety of muffins and cake pops her booth will sell.

Entrants regularly have raised funds for nonprofits or to help with school supply drives, said Smith. "It’s nice to be able to see kids doing things for selfless reasons."

Kamalanimalie Manner — of A Little Bit of Everything, offering handmade crafts, gifts and games — will donate a portion of her proceeds to a school supply drive. Matai Seleni Dycus, of Little Chief Inc., will raise money with his DIY sticker and dice game Goonie-Goo-Goo to sponsor an 8-year-old African child through Compassion International.

Some of the money made by Kevin Wata­nabe of Sparklettes, offering blingy bracelets, ornaments or sports-related pendants, will be donated to help Oahu’s homeless.

At least one of the young entrepreneur’s projects started as a way to fund a larger personal goal. Rylee Brooke Kama­hele wanted to design her own gown for the Junior Miss Hawaii pageant. Given the expense of the proposition, she created a line of lip balms and lip scrubs sold in apothecary charms on necklaces.

Bradyn Oskar Asato’s Oskarsaurus Jerky Co. is made exclusively with local beef grown on Hawaii island. The boy-biz’s unique flavors include smoked pineapple and chili pepper, cala­mansi and lemongrass, superspicy habanero and orange, among others.

Another food choice could create a festive atmosphere in Windward Mall’s center court, as Carnival Treats will be selling "fairground funnel cakes" as well as other assorted desserts and snack items prepared by siblings Kau­kahi, Napu­lani and Kehau­lani Maintop.

The business named "Awesome Shoppers" comprises Isabel Allen, Leah Delos Santos, Lyla Gonsalves, Kona Minchew, Summer Nishida, Brooke Peralta, Kylee Rogers, Lexy Sakata and Charla Teves. Their business plan is to sell tech accessories: laptop bags, laptop, tablet and phone stands and more.

The competition allows for sale of services or products made by hand, or for the resale of products purchased from a wholesaler.

One vendor will have a hands-on, make-and-take opportunity for shoppers. Kaya and Kylie Smith, aka theKSisters Hawaii, will help people create their own designs on transfer paper they will iron onto a T-shirt.

Da Kine Kendamas’ Johnny Kress plans an interactive booth that will allow customers to play with kendamas and try to learn tricks before buying. The traditional Japa­nese toy teaches hand-eye coordination and is good for all ages, Kress’ entry says.

Art is behind two other vendors’ businesses, both photographic and traditional painting.

Kaleohano Images by Justin Baker will offer Hawaii-themed photographs on all-occasion notecards and magnets at the mall for the second year in a row.

Hawaii also is part of the inspiration for Jazlyn Shi­ma­bu­kuro, 11. Her entry said her desire is to "capture the beauty of God’s creations in the world around her and to share her art with everyone." Aloha Jaz will offer marine life prints, including a sea horse, octopus, clown fish, spotted ray and tropical fish, on notecards, mugs and other items.

In addition to being selected as a winner and generating sales revenue, "it’s also a great experience," Smith said. "How many 12-year-olds can say they sold handmade merchandise at Windward Mall?"

"There’s something intangible about the pride and sense of accomplishment in seeing their business come to fruition," she said.

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Reach Erika Engle at 529-4303, erika@staradvertiser.com or on Twitter as @erikaengle.