Kuhio Lewis: President of CNHA promotes Pop-Up Makeke and other initiatives to help Native Hawaiian businesses thrive

Besides the work on rent and utility assistance, what CNHA programs have an impact on non-Hawaiians as well as Native Hawaiians?

CNHA strives to create a positive impact and to build a more resilient community by supporting Native Hawaiians and all of Hawaii.

During the pandemic, CNHA helped organize and promote COVID-19 vaccinations through partnerships with health care organizations. We brought inoculation efforts into underserved communities and to kupuna statewide.

We developed Pop-Up Makeke — a virtual marketplace supporting hundreds of Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian small Hawaii-based businesses. The initiative has so far put more than $2.5 million into the hands of business owners.

Our efforts aren’t limited to the pandemic. We offer workforce training through our Hawaiian Trades Academy, entrepreneurial support to aspiring young business owners through our Kealahou Initiative, and business plan development through our Ku Hana program, to name a few.

CNHA also provides scholarships, loans and grants to locals seeking financial assistance, as well as HUD counseling for individuals and families whose goal is to own, rent, maintain or finance a home. We also work diligently, and alongside our 400-plus member based organizations.

How do you see the future for Pop Up Makeke? An independent online marketplace? Or under CNHA?

Pop-Up Makeke is one way we kako‘o our locally owned businesses and vendors. We are extremely proud of how Pop-Up Makeke has grown and evolved — providing our Hawaii-based vendors with support and opportunities.

We are always trying to improve on our initiatives and we’ve started to do that with Pop-Up Makeke. Early on, we realized we had to get creative — not just to make a vision a reality, but to shift courses in strategy when we realized the market’s overwhelming success.

We’re always reevaluating and brainstorming ways to further support Hawaii’s community. We hope to continue the market and expand its impact as long as we can. We’re partnering with Amazon and Shopify to expand our global audience to support and showcase Hawaii’s unique brands.

Pop-Up Makeke is also providing business owners the guidance they need to grow and become self-sustaining. Participating vendors can take part in CNHA programs and courses so their businesses can thrive beyond the pandemic.

The future of the Pop-Up Makeke will be decided based on the best path to support our local businesses.

What is the organization’s role in workforce development and trades?

CNHA strives to bolster the core of Hawaii families by helping our community members secure well-paying careers that improve their likelihood at surviving in our homeland.

We launched the Hawaiian Trades Program in 2019 — a development program for disadvantaged and underserved communities. It’s a 40-hour-long course that gives students an opportunity to specialize and earn their licenses or certificates in various trades, including carpentry and solar work, as well as the police and firefighting force.

To date, over 260 students have successfully completed the program and are well on their way to providing much needed stability for their families.

How do Native Hawaiian political movements fit in with your overall program?

An important role of CNHA is to elevate the voices of our community and facilitate conversations about the future of our collective advancement.

Each year, CNHA hosts the Native Hawaiian Convention, the largest convening of Native Hawaiians in Hawaii. At these gatherings, leaders share, collaborate, brainstorm and develop priorities that speak to our advancement as a community. These priorities become the backbone of CNHA’s advocacy throughout the year.

How has the mission changed for the Council in its 20 years, if at all?

The mission remains. How we achieve our mission has evolved. As we look to the next 20 years, we will focus our energy on building the capacity of our membership, businesses and nonprofit organizations utilizing innovation, education and motivation to help our community as a whole.

THE BIO FILE

>> Title: President and chief executive officer, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA).

>> Professional experience: Operational management experience in nonprofit and government services, including the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Kapolei Community Development Corporation, and now, managing, creating and realizing the vision for Hawaii’s largest community development financial institution (CDFI). Helping to shape economic development through an e-commerce hub, Pop-Up Makeke.

>> Community work: I proudly live in the community I am committed to serve. When I am not in the office, I am actively involved as the vice president of Kanehili Community Association, director of the Hawaii Civic Club of Honolulu, and as an adviser to Halewai‘olu Senior Residences.

>> Personal: I am a proud single dad.

>> One more thing: There is a plaque I placed on the Administration Building at Honolulu Community College that reads, “Failure is not an option; Persist and you will always be successful.” This has been a theme that I have come to live by.

>> Guilty pleasure: I still play video games on my Xbox — and I love it!