Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 39, Number 5, 1 May 2022 — Kanaka Solopreneurship Course Promotes Hawaiian Economic Power [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kanaka Solopreneurship Course Promotes Hawaiian Economic Power

By Kū Kahakalau, Ph.D. Young, motivated Hawaiians aspiring to run their own successful businesses, while remaining true to Hawaiian values and cultural practices like aloha aina, ean now earn a micro-creden-tial in Kanaka Solopreneurship, while learning how to heeome a solvent Hawaiian solopreneur. Solopreneurs are new kinds of entrepreneurs taking the business world by storm. Using emerging technologies, solopreneurs ean start and run businesses entirely on their own. Where they laek expertise, solopreneurs outsource, acquiring supporting services and resources not available a decade ago. A new EA Ecoversity course called Kanaka Solopreneurship, whieh will run from June to November 2022, will provide young emerging Hawaiian entrepreneurs, who already have a business endeavor in motion, with a highly flexible, interactive, culture-based way of learning, that empowers them to take their business to the next level. In previous decades, the struggle of Native Hawaiians has mostly centered on cultural revitalization and aloha 'āina. But no matter how successful Hawaiians are in these areas, without eeonomie independence, our eollective power and our ability to make social impact are severely restricted. "My mom and I started Kū-A-Kanaka as a solopreneurship in 2015. Two owners, but no employees," explained Kū-A-Kanaka Senior Project Director 'I'ini Kahakalau. "In just a few years we were able to grow a successful, culturally grounded social enterprise, and are now teaching others how to heeome Kanaka business owners." Kanaka Solopreneurship is one of muhiple EA E-Learning courses sponsored by EA Ecoversity, a eul-ture-based higher education and career training program designed to empower Native Hawaiians ages 15-30. EA Ecoversity offers micro-credentials in Kumupa'a, foun-

dations in Hawaiian language and culture; Aloha 'Āina environmental stewardship and food sovereignty; Ola Pono, healthy living; and Mahi, career exploration and training, with a special emphasis on Native Hawaiian entrepreneurship. According to a 2021 Kamehameha Schools Hawaiian Education Assessment report, 50% of Native Hawaiians with young children do not earn a living wage, resulting in more Hawaiians than ever leaving for the continental U.S. due to eeonomie hardships. "Currently 83% of Hawaiians have no post-second-ary credentials, compared to 42% statewide, making it extremely difficult to survive in Hawai'i," said EA Ecoversity Executive Director Pōlanimakamae KahakalauKalima, a mother of three. "We want to provide our generation with the eeonomie power that will enahle us to stay in our kulāiwi and raise our keiki here. One way to do this is by training young, bright, self-motivated, eulturally grounded Hawaiians to heeome solopreneurs." Kanaka Solopreneurship has already received support from the Kūki'o Foundation, whieh will fund one fulltime, six-month paid internship to a course participant based on the applicant's preparation and completion of initial assignments. The goal is to eventually provide at least 50% of course participants with paid internships, with a special emphasis on young Hawaiian mothers, since only 4% of Hawai'i entrepreneurs are Hawaiian wahine. To meet this goal, EA Ecoversity is seeking Hawaiian businesses and organizations interested in providing paid internships to additional Kanaka Solopreneurship participants, as well as social impact investors who want to sponsor EA Ecoversity learners on their two-year learning journey, or support EA Ecoversity otherwise. Moreover, in partnership with Ho'oulu Lāhui, EA Ecoversity

is currently engaged in a fundraising campaign to create 'īpuka EA, an Indigenous Learning Exploration System that will set new standards in Hawaiian online education. Tax-deductible donations to 'īpuka EA will be matched by the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. Just like our kūpuna, many young Hawaiians today are incredibly innovative, creative and talented. Additionally, because of Hawaiian-focused schools and programs, many have strong foundations in their native language and traditions, whieh they ean use to grow successful businesses in the education industry and beyond. Kanaka Solopreneurship is designed to help them develop not just the necessary skills to run their own business, but also a Kanaka entrepreneur mindset that will allow them to generate sufficient revenues to stay in Hawai'i. And when Hawaiians thrive in our homeland, everyone benefits." ■ For more updates or info about Kanaka Solopreneurship, EA Ecoversity and Kū-A-Kanaka activities, follow Kū-A-Kanaka on Instagram or Facebook or visit www.kuakanaka.com. Tax-deductible donations to 'īpuka EA ean be made at www.kuakanaka.com. Ku Kahakalau, Ph.D., is thefounder ofEA Ecoversity and an award-winning educator and social entrepreneur.

Paid EA Ecoversity interns Dyllon Ching and Kni'o Andoyo, exploring medio coreers, interview EA Ecoversity Administrotor Krisho Zone obout the vision of EA Ecoversity. - Photos: Courtesy

Poid EA Ecoversity interns Oeeon Teves ond Woimeo Romos, exploring coreers in ronching ond forming, use on ouger to put in fence posts ot Kopopo Lo'i o Keoli'ikuo'ōino in Woipi'o Volley, EA Ecoversity's oloho 'ōino research station.