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Changemakers Community and Economic Development

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Changemakers Community and Economic Development

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Changemakers Community Economic Development Corporation is committed to ending poverty by supporting

Our Mission: Changemakers Hawaiʻi is working to end poverty by championing economic equity and justice by promoting economic development that engages communities, creates access to financial resources, and supports passion professions.

10/28/2026

💡 A little encouragement. A lot of wisdom. A lasting impact.

Behind every growing entrepreneur are people willing to share what they’ve learned along the way.

A heartfelt mahalo to our wonderful ʻĀinapreneur Hōʻike panelists:

🌺 Malani Alameda – Homesteady (HeHiAu)
🌺 Haunani Miyasato – Kaulana Mahina
🌺 Olani Lilly – Changemakers CEDC

These amazing individuals generously shared their time, experience, and thoughtful guidance with our five graduating haumāna.

Their advice? Know your story. Perfect your elevator pitch. Stay consistent. And above all, keep going!

Sometimes the most meaningful thing an aspiring entrepreneur can hear is encouragement from someone who understands the journey.

Mahalo for listening, asking questions, sharing your manaʻo, and helping our haumāna see the possibilities ahead.

You reminded us that building a business takes more than a great idea. It takes relationships, perseverance, and a community that believes in you. ❤️

Let's give our panelists a big round of applause! 👏👏👏

10/27/2026

We all have that one local business we can't imagine losing.

Maybe it's the neighborhood restaurant where everyone knows your usual order. The family-owned shop that's been there for decades. Or the small business that always shows up when the community needs help.

Then one day, the doors close.

We share memories, say how much we'll miss them, and wish things had turned out differently.

But what if we recognized their value before they disappeared?

When a longtime business closes, our community can lose much more than a storefront. We lose knowledge, relationships, opportunities, and sometimes an important piece of our shared history.

And here's something we don't talk about enough: not every business closes because it failed. Sometimes an owner is ready to retire, but there's no one prepared to take over.

What if we put as much energy into keeping businesses going as we do into helping new ones start?

That's the question behind our latest blog, The Business We Lose When Small Businesses Close.

📖 Read it here: https://changemakershawaii.org/changingthoughts/businesswelose

And we'd love to hear from you: What locally owned business would you genuinely miss if it disappeared tomorrow?

Let's recognize the businesses that make our communities special while they're still here.

10/26/2026

You may not be able to change someone’s circumstances today. But your words can still change their day.

We don’t always need the perfect words.

We can simply choose words that bring more kindness, dignity and aloha into the space between us.

What kind of life will your words give this week?

10/21/2026

What does courage look like? Sometimes it looks like a small business owner taking a deep breath and saying, “Here goes nothing!” ❤️

That's exactly the kind of courage we witnessed at our ʻĀinapreneur Hōʻike!

After eight weeks of learning, growing, and working toward their business goals, five incredible haumāna stepped forward to share what they've been building.
Were there nerves? Absolutely!

But there was also pride, determination, laughter, encouragement, and a whole lot of aloha.

We watched entrepreneurs share their visions, talk about what they've learned, and take another meaningful step toward their dreams.
And we watched something equally beautiful: people showing up for one another.

From our thoughtful panelists and supportive ʻohana to the generous community members who helped make the evening special, the Hōʻike reminded us why we do this work.
Because behind every small business is a person trying to build something meaningful. And that person deserves to be supported.

Our graduates reminded us that entrepreneurship isn't always a straight path. It takes patience, persistence, a willingness to learn, and sometimes a little help from people who have walked the road before you.

We're so proud of our five graduates and excited to see where their journeys take them next!

🌱 We put together a heartfelt recap of the Hōʻike, sharing the stories, lessons, and moments that made this milestone so meaningful.
Read the full story here: https://changemakershawaii.org/changingthoughts/ainapreneur2026hoike

And if you're working on a business idea of your own, we'd love to welcome you into the ʻĀinapreneur ʻohana.
Our next cohort begins January 19, 2027!

You don't have to build alone. And you were never meant to. ❤️

10/20/2026

🌺❤️ Made by hand. Given with aloha. Worn with pride.

Some of the most beautiful moments at our ʻĀinapreneur Hōʻike came from the generosity of two very special women.

A huge, heartfelt mahalo to Haunani Miyasato of Kaulana Mahina and Nikki Sarella of Cupcakes, Boom! & BOOM! Wahine, who donated their time and talent to create beautiful lei for our graduating haumāna!

Every lei was a special part of the celebration, honoring eight weeks of hard work, growth, and the courage it takes to pursue a dream.

What makes their gift even more meaningful is the aloha behind it. These two women gave freely of their creativity and time to help make this milestone memorable for our graduates.

Haunani and Nikki, mahalo for sharing your gifts with Changemakers Hawaiʻi and our ʻĀinapreneur ʻohana.

You helped make an already special evening even more beautiful. 🌺

Please help us send some love to these two generous, talented women! ❤️

10/19/2026

Aloha doesn’t only change the space around us. It changes what happens within us.

This week, think about the relationships that strengthen you — and the people who may be strengthened simply because you showed up with kindness, patience and genuine care.

Sometimes wellbeing begins there.

10/16/2026

🎓🌱 Five entrepreneurs. Five unique journeys. One unforgettable Hōʻike!
What a night! We’re still smiling from our ʻĀinapreneur Hōʻike, where five incredible haumāna stepped forward to share their businesses, their dreams, and everything they’ve been working toward over the past eight weeks.

Please join us in congratulating:
🌿 Catherina (Uʻi) Amantiad – AU Enterprise LLC
🌿 Liliha Frederick – Hui Hoʻomalamalama
🌿 Maluhia Freitas – Baked with Maluhia
🌿 Chazlynn Takaki – H & A Hauling
🌿 Kaʻāina Smith – Kaʻāina Made for You

Standing in front of an audience and sharing something you’ve poured your heart into takes courage. And these five showed up with plenty of it!

Through their stories, we saw what ʻĀinapreneur is all about: building businesses connected to place, people, passion, purpose, and a sustainable future.

To our haumāna: We see your hard work, your growth, and your determination. We are so proud of you! This Hōʻike may mark the end of your eight-week program, but your entrepreneurial journey is just getting started.

And to the ʻohana, friends, and community who showed up to cheer them on, mahalo for being part of their journey. ❤️

Help us celebrate these amazing entrepreneurs! Drop a 🎉 in the comments and show them some love!

10/13/2026

Since when did staying small become a sign of thinking small?

Somewhere along the way, we started treating business growth as the ultimate measure of success.

If you're not expanding, scaling, hiring, or opening another location, are you really moving forward?

We think it's time to challenge that assumption.

Think about the businesses that make our communities in Hawaiʻi special.

The family-run shop that has served generations of customers.

The local food producer using ingredients grown right here.

The independent tradesperson who has built a respected business through years of hard work.

The entrepreneur whose business allows them to earn a living while caring for children or kūpuna.

These businesses may never make headlines for record-breaking expansion.
But imagine our communities without them.

Growth can be wonderful. It creates jobs, opportunities, and new possibilities.

But growth also comes with trade-offs. And not every business owner wants to exchange independence, flexibility, or connection to community for another location or a bigger bottom line.

The real question shouldn't always be, "How big can you get?"

It should be, "What kind of business—and life—are you trying to build?"

Our latest Changemakers Hawaiʻi blog, What If Success Didn't Mean Getting Bigger?, takes a fresh look at what entrepreneurial success can mean, especially here in Hawaiʻi.

👉 Read the full story: https://www.changemakershawaii.org/changingthoughts/biggerisnotbetter

We'd love to hear from you: What's a small business in your community that you hope stays around for the next 20 years? Give them a shout-out in the comments!

10/12/2026

Even the strongest among us need replenishment.

Wellbeing isn’t only about how much we can carry. It is also about knowing when we need to be replenished.

What is giving you life right now — and are you making enough room for it?

10/08/2026

We could have published the version that flattered us. We published the version you gave us. It's public now. Read more at https://changemakershawaii.org/changingthoughts/workbehindthework

Address

120 Keawe Street, Suite 202
Hilo, HI
96720

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 12pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 12pm
Saturday	8am - 5pm

Telephone

+18083006630

Website

https://www.changemakershawaii.org/

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