Mana Up Showcase 2023: Celebrating Hawai‘i’s emerging entrepreneurs, musicians

Mana Up will host its annual Mana Up Showcase, an event series that highlights Hawai‘i’s emerging entrepreneurial leaders and musicians. The events will take place over three days with a combination of in person events in Honolulu and a global broadcast slated for Nov. 19.

The Mana Up Showcase 2023 is presented by King’s Hawaiian, the Hilo-founded sweet bread company that has since scaled into a global brand over the last 70 years. Additional major sponsors include Hawaiian Airlines, Shopify, Bank of Hawai‘i and Waiākea Hawaiian Volcanic Water.

This year’s signature events:

• Mana Up Showcase Celebration and Marketplace, Nov. 9 at 5 p.m.: The Mana Up Showcase Celebration and Marketplace including features from Mana Up’s most recent graduates of Cohort 8 and alumni. The event will be held at Bloomingdale’s Ala Moana, 3rd Floor in Honolulu and includes a marketplace of over 50 local vendors, craft cocktails by Kō Hana Rum, local food and more. All vendors will be offering special products, new releases and limited-time discounts, perfect for early holiday shopping.

• Mana Up Showcase Broadcast, Nov. 19: The award-winning Mana Up Showcase global broadcast is back this year with a fresh batch of entrepreneur storytelling, Artists to Watch performances, live shopping and more. Aired on Hawaiʻi News Now and social streaming platforms.

Additional events on Nov. 8:

• Mana Up x Pow Wow Pitch at 3 p.m.: Mana Up has partnered with Pow Wow Pitch for its first-ever event in Hawai‘i. Pow Wow Pitch is a global organization featuring Native-owned businesses. The event held at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center invites Native-owned businesses to pitch their idea to a crowd and judges, with the winner taking home a cash prize and an invitation to pitch at the global competition.

• Artists to Watch + Anuhea Live Concert presented by Maui Divers at 6 p.m.: In its fourth year featuring young musicians across Hawai‘i as part of the Mana Up Showcase broadcast, Mana Up is now bringing the experience into a live concert at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center. Eventgoers will see the “Artists to Watch” perform their original music and also enjoy a headline performance from Anuhea. Food and drink will be available.

This year boasts an expanded event schedule for the Mana Up Showcase. According to a news release, more than 700,000 people have watched the Showcase virtually over the past three years, and previous in person events have gathered over 5,000 attendees. Additionally, the Mana Up Showcase broadcast has earned four International Telly awards for best Opener, Virtual Experience, and Storytelling.

Featured Entrepreneurs at the Mana Up 2023 Showcase: Averylily, Brianne & Co., Hawaiian Rainforest Naturals, Hawaiian Soda Co, Hobbs Tea, Liquid Life Hawai’I, Lotus & Lime, Kaka‘ako Kasuals, Maui Chili Chili Oil, Sweet Land Farm, and UBAE.

Artists to Watch Performances Include: Hazel-Rose Kamaka’ona’onaokamalani Nāhi‘ena‘ena, Hezekiah Lagestee (Hezekiah), Imani Colon (Tomboy Mani), Keawe‘iwi Pilayo (‘Iwi), Rocco Olmstead and Tehani Whittington (Tehani).

In addition to the livestream and broadcast on Hawaiʻi News Now on Nov. 19, Mana Up is providing a dedicated showcase experience for Japanese viewers through a translated show and shopping site supported by Hawaiʻi Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism to be also hosted on Nov. 18 local Japan time.

“The Mana Up Showcase is our annual opportunity to celebrate Hawai‘i’s incredible talent and invite our community to be part of their success,” said Meli James, Mana Up co-founder. “If you want to feel good about the future of Hawai‘i, you should definitely tune in virtually or join us at an in person event. These creators inspire us to see how entrepreneurship can solve the many challenges we face today in our islands including economic diversification, community
giveback and sustainability.”

To reserve a spot for the in-person events or to register for livestream and broadcast shows, visit https://manaupshowcase.com/. Attendees of the in-person events must purchase a ticket separately from the free livestream event registration.

Ticket prices range from $45 to $75. All registrants will automatically be entered into over 20 prize giveaways; entries will be accepted through Nov. 19 at 4:30 p.m. HST.

This event is a collaboration between organizations like King’s Hawaiian, Hawaiian Airlines, Shopify, Bank of Hawai‘i and Waiākea Hawaiian Volcanic Water and accelerator partners including title partner Kamehameha Schools and partners Bank of Hawaiʻi, Altres, Castle & Cooke, and Hawaiʻi Technology Development Corporation.

Additional event partners include: Maui Divers as Concert Partner, Hawaiian Electric
Industries as People’s Choice Partner, Hawaiian Telcom as Connectivity Partner,
Knobbe Martens as Legal Partner, VertAccount as local Pow Wow Pitch Partner, Hawai‘i
Symphony Orchestra as Artists to Watch Prize Sponsor, Bloomingdale’s as Venue
Sponsor, Prince Waikīkī as Hotel Sponsor, Honolulu Magazine, Hawaiʻi Magazine and
iHeart Media as Media Partners, Hawaiian Host Group, Zippy’s and Ola Brew as Ohana
Partners, Spire Hawaiʻi as Cocktail Sponsor, Servco, L&L Hawaiian Barbeque and Better
Business Bureau and as event partners.