UHMC’s Karen Hanada to speak at Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset

Karen Hanada, director of Extended Learning and Workforce Development at UH Maui College, will speak at the Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset meeting on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. Her presentation, “Maui Food Innovation Center – A Community Partner in Economic Development,” will highlight the center’s role in supporting local food producers.

The Maui Food Innovation Center, a business incubator, recently received a $22,000 grant from the Rotary District 5000 Foundation’s Maui Fires Relief Fund. The funding allowed Lahainaluna High School students to participate in the center’s education, training and business development programs.

Hanada manages the Maui Food Innovation Center and co-leads the MBDA Pa‘Oihana entrepreneurship grant. Her background includes work at the Pacific Biosciences Research Center, Kapiʻolani Community College’s Office of Continuing Education and UH Maui College. For her graduate studies, she has written on globalization, higher education innovation and multicultural perspectives.

The meeting will be held at Lahaina Noon Restaurant in the Royal Lahaina Resort and Bungalows, 2780 Kekaʻa Drive. Social time and food orders from the Happy Hour menu begin at 4 p.m., with the program running from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. To attend in person, email Club Service Chair Laura Stanton at lstanton127@outlook.com.