Maui Waena Intermediate wins $30,000 as part of ASB’s KeikiCo Business Plan Contest

Maui Waena Intermediate School was awarded a total of $30,000 as the first place and People’s Choice award recipient in the middle school category of the American Savings Bank, Bank for Education KeikiCo Business Plan Contest.

The students were among nine winning student teams at seven local public schools to earn honors from across the state.

This is the fourth time students at Maui Waena have won first place in the competition, and the second time students at the school received the fan favorite award.  Over the past nine years, the school has earned $110,000 through the ASB KeikiCo program.

American Savings Bank awarded a total $135,000 as part of the statewide student business competition that equips Hawaiʻi public and charter school students in grades 3—12 with practical financial and entrepreneurial skills.

The announcement comes as the Hawaiʻi Department of Education moves toward making financial literacy a high school graduation requirement, underscoring the importance of starting financial education early. KeikiCo supports this statewide shift by introducing students to foundational, real-world concepts such as earning income, spending, saving, investing, managing credit and assessing risk, and helping to build confidence well before graduation. 

“American Savings Bank has proudly served Hawaii for more than 100 years, and our focus on financial education is one of the most meaningful ways we uplift the community and strengthen our state’s future,” said Ann Teranishi, president and CEO at American Savings Bank. “By building a strong financial foundation early, paired with critical thinking, teamwork and problem-solving skills, KeikiCo helps prepare our next generation of leaders to succeed in Hawaii and contribute to their communities. We’re continually inspired by students’ creativity and commitment, and this year we were especially excited to see strong participation from neighbor island schools, with two of three top winners coming from outside Oahu.”

Launched in 2015, KeikiCo invites students to develop business plans that support Hawaii’s resilience and long-term growth. This year’s contest received 126 entries from nearly 380 students statewide, with winning ideas ranging from eco-friendly boats made from recycled materials to absorb oil spills to a tracking app that alerts parents when their child arrives safely at school. 

KeikiCo Contest Winners

*Neighbor island schools

The Bank for Education KeikiCo Business Plan Contest is a statewide competition designed to build financial confidence and entrepreneurial skills among Hawaii’s youth. Open to public and charter school students in grades 3—12, the program challenges teams of up to five students to submit a business plan and pitch video addressing a real-world community issue.

Participating schools receive access to a video-based curriculum and financial education tools, including budgeting resources, SWOT analysis guidance and marketing plan templates—many of which are integrated into classroom learning.

Every year, ASB awards school funding and student prizes through the contest, including:

• Up to $25,000 for winning teams in elementary, middle and high school divisions
• People’s Choice awards, selected through public voting on student pitch videos
• $500 individual cash bonuses for students on first-and second-place teams

“There was no limit to how many teams we could submit, so we used KeikiCo as an opportunity to engage as many curious and creative students as possible,” said Justin Brown, Career and Technical Education Coordinator at Kealakehe High School. “We even incorporated it into our curriculum, giving students practical skills they can apply beyond the classroom. We plan to use our winnings to fund future research and development for our project, educational field trips and learning resources for keiki.”

KeikiCo is the signature financial education initiative of ASB’s Bank for Education program. Since the program began, nearly 4,900 students have participated in KeikiCo. 

To date, ASB has awarded more than $1.7 million to 51 schools statewide and distributed over $314,000 in small grants through Bank for Education.