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COURTESY BANK OF HAWAII
Alana Penaroza, left, co-founder of Tag Aloha Co., talked with Meli James, co-founder of Mana Up, at a cohort workshop for entrepreneurs on Aug. 30 at Mana Up headquarters in Honolulu.
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Mana Up, an accelerator and venture fund for Hawaii-based products, said Wednesday it is partnering with Bank of Hawaii to boost the success of Hawaii entrepreneurs in an effort to diversify the local economy.
Bankoh will become the exclusive banking partner at the Founder Level to put into effect key programs, including a new executive mentorship program as well as content collaboration for local entrepreneurs.
In addition to supporting the annual accelerator program, Bankoh will co-create with Mana Up an executive mentorship and training program to propel local companies to the next level. The annual initiative will match 10 Mana Up alumni companies with executive mentors from Bankoh based on specialized areas of growth. This program will provide leadership and business maturation content to entrepreneurs while offering the executive mentors the opportunity to extend their expertise for the community at large.
“Small businesses and the hardworking individuals behind them are the heartbeat of our community,” Bankoh Chairman, President and CEO Peter Ho said in a statement. “We’re excited to support Mana Up and have our executives partner directly with local entrepreneurs to help guide them on their entrepreneurial journey.”
Mana Up and Bankoh will co-develop campaigns that highlight the state’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem. A “Shop Local” feature on Bankoh’s website will highlight the benefits of shopping with Hawaii-based businesses that grow the economy, create jobs, and invest in giveback initiatives of their own.
“We all have a stake in Hawai‘i’s economic future,” Mana Up co-founder Meli James said in a statement. “We are excited and grateful to share a vision with Bank of Hawaii in high-potential industries for Hawaii that are aligned with community values and benefit locals for the long term. Partnering with Bank of Hawaii will be a tremendous leap in accomplishing this vision because they are contributing their expert knowledge to the next generation of the economy.”
Bankoh also will be recognized as the community partner for Hawai‘i Rising, a program led by Build Native with Shopify and Mana Up. The program is designed to grow e-commerce revenue for Indigenous-identifying and Native Hawaiian-owned businesses.
For more information about the accelerator program, visit www.manauphawaii.com, and to shop House of Mana Up, visit houseofmanaup.com.