MNHCoC Awarded OHA Grant in Support of October Business Fest

Photo courtesy Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce.

By Maui Now Staff

The Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce has received an Ahahui Grant from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs in support of the Ninth Annual Hui Holomua Business Fest scheduled for Friday, Oct. 30, 2015, at the Grand Wailea Resort.

The full-day conference theme this year is “Pono—Social and Environmental Values in Business.”

Chipper Wichman, president and CEO of the National Tropical Botanical Garden has been selected as the opening speaker. He will discuss the selection Hawai‘i’s selection as host of the 2016 IUCN World Conservation Congress and the business and funding opportunities available to Hawai‘i businesses when this world’s largest conservation event comes to the islands.

‘Aulani Wilhelm will be the keynote speaker at the MNHCOC Business Fest. Photo courtesy Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce.

Lunch Keynote Speaker ‘Aulani Wilhelm is a 2014 Stanford Social Innovation Fellow, founder of Island Water and Director of Ocean Initiatives for NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. She will speak to conferees about how to incorporate stakeholder needs and perspectives to develop better products and services that are both profitable and pono.

Ramsay Taum, founder and CEO of the Life Enhancement Institute, will close the conference with a presentation on creating and maintaining a balanced life to achieve greater health, happiness and prosperity at home, work and play.

Additional speakers and presentations will be announced at a later date.

The grant helps to fund the Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce’s commitment to mentor youth into business through the Hui Holomua Business Fest. Each year, the chamber provides full scholarships for numerous high school students to participate in conference.

MNHCoC President Doreen Pua Canto. Photo courtesy of Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce.

“The Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce thanks the Office of Hawaiian Affairs for its support,” said MNHCoC President Doreen Pua Canto. “The ‘Ahahui Grant will help our chamber to provide significant benefits to Native Hawaiians who are business leaders, aspiring entrepreneurs or students seeking to pursue higher education in business.”

For more information about the Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce, go online.