THE HAWAII VENTURE
CAPITALIST ASSOCIATION HOSTS AN
ANNUAL ENTREPRENEUR AWARDS GALA
WHERE BOTH ENTREPRENEURS AND
COMPANIES ARE HONORED FOR THEIR
ACHIEVEMENTS IN HAWAII'S VENTURE
COMMUNITY AND THIS YEAR YOU'LL
MELE JAMES, HB CA PRESIDENT,
JOINS US THIS MORNING WITH ALL
OF THE GREAT DETAILS.
GOOD MORNING, MELE.
GOOD MORNING.
NICE TO SEE YOU, KELLY.
OF COURSE, HAPPY TO HAVE YOU
BECAUSE WE GET TO EXPERIENCE THE
GALA HERE ON KHON.
SO FIRST BEFORE WE GET INTO
THAT, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
THE IMPORTANCE OF ORGANIZATIONS
LIKE HPCA.
HB CA WAS LAUNCHED IN 1988
AND REALLY TO CREATE A NETWORK
AND OPPORTUNITY FOR VENTURE
ISLAND.
MILITARY TOURISM AND
DIVERSIFYING OUR ECONOMY, IT'S
BEEN ONE OF THESE GREAT
ORGANIZATIONS FOR OVER 30 YEARS
THAT'S SUPPORTED THAT TYPE OF
GROWTH AND INNOVATION HERE ON
WONDERFUL.
THE ENTREPRENEUR AWARDS THEME IS
THRIVING THROUGH CHANGE.
CAN YOU DIVE INTO THE MEANING
BEHIND THAT?
YEAH.
OUR AWARDS EVENT STARTED OVER 21
YEARS AGO, SO THIS IS OUR 21ST
ANNUAL EVENT AND REALLY IT'S THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SHED AND
SPOTLIGHT OUR ENTREPRENEURS,
WHAT THEY ARE UP TO, ESPECIALLY
TO OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY WHO MAY
STARTUPS ARE DOING AND GROWING
INTO FLEDGLING SMALL BUSINESSES
AND EVEN BIG BUSINESSES.
THIS THEME IS REALLY LOOKING AT
COVID AND PIVOTING AND NOW
OUR ECONOMY MORE THAN EVER AND
LOOKING AT WHY THAT'S JUST SO
IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT WILL WE
WANTED TO FOCUS ON FOR THIS YEAR
IS HOW DID THESE COMPANIES START
TO PIVOT, HOW THEY ARE
CONTINUING TO MOVE FORWARD.
SO IT'S A GREAT EVENT.
SO REALLY IN THAT HOUR-LONG
EVENT A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY IS
ABLE TO GET A SNAPSHOT INTO
WHAT'S GOING ON.
EACH OF THE ENTREPRENEURS HAVE
AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WHAT
THEY ARE UP TO SO YOU GET A FULL
EDUCATION AND AWARDS EVENT IN
ONE HOUR.
WONDERFUL.
AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT'S SO
INTERESTING TOO BECAUSE OF THE
DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUSINESSES
THAT ARE BEING CREATED, AND THE
ARE DOING.
IT'S INTERESTING AND I THINK A
MUCH OF IT IS GOING ON IN OUR
AS THE PRESIDENT OF HB CA, WHAT
EXCITES YOU THE MOST ABOUT
HAWAII'S ECONOMY.
WHAT EXCITES ME THE MOST IS
HOW OUR ENTREPRENEURS ARE
THRIVING AND WE NEED TO
DIVERSIFY MORE AND SEEING WHAT'S
HAPPENING WITH, LOOKING AT OUR
MUSIC INDUSTRY, HAKU COLLECTIVE
WITH KIMIE MINER, HOW ARE WE
AND CAPITALIZE ON THAT BRINGING
MORE JOBS AND OPPORTUNITY.
LOOKING AT OTHER AWARD
CATEGORIES AROUND THE HAWAII
TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
CORPORATION, DEPLOYING $10.4
MILLION INTO OUR STATE TO REALLY
HELP AND GROW INNOVATION AND
ENTREPRENEURSHIP SMALL BUSINESS
AND STARTUPS HERE.
I THINK WHAT'S NEAT IS SEEING
THE PAST 30 YEARS OF SUPPORT AND
THE GROWTH.
NOW MANY OF THESE COMPANIES
REALLY COMING INTO FRUITION AND
PROVIDING THIS ECONOMIC
DIVERSIFICATION.
THAT'S WHAT GETS ME EXCITED
REAL QUICK CAN YOU RECAP THE
EVENT DETAILS?
IT'S HAPPENING FEBRUARY 20TH,
RIGHT?
YES, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH
YOU CAN SEE IT RIGHT HERE, KHON
22.
AND IT'S AN HOUR-LONG EVENT.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW TOO MUCH GOING
ON IN OUR ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARD,
YOU'RE GOING TO GET THE
INCREDIBLE BOOM BOOM BOOM, HEAR
HOW THEY ARE SOLVING PROBLEMS IN
OUR BACKYARD AND THE WORLD.
YOU CAN REGISTER HVCA.ORG.
WE'LL HAVE A LINK TO THAT ON
OUR WEBSITE AS WELL, KHON2.COM.
THANK YOU JOINING US THIS
MORNING.
THANKS, KELLY.