On Wednesday, November 8th, 2023, Pow Wow Pitch, North America’s premier pitch competition for Indigenous entrepreneurs, presented in partnership with RBC, Shopify, and Mastercard, announced Puna Tripp, the Kanaka Maoli Founder of Hā Tonics, from Hilo on Hawai’i Island, as the first-ever 2023 Mana Up Pow Wow Pitch Winner. The Native Hawaiian-owned business has won 5,000 USD and is advancing to the 2024 Pow Wow Pitch Finals for a chance to win $25,000.

On Wednesday, 35 Indigenous entrepreneurs pitched their businesses live at the Mana Up Showcase in Honolulu, Hawai’i, USA, for their chance to win cash prizes and advance to the 2024 Pow Wow Pitch Finals. 

Host Sunshine Tenasco, Founder of Pow Wow Pitch, emceed the action-packed program alongside Mana Up co-founder, Meli James, where Indigenous entrepreneurs had the opportunity to pitch their business ideas and businesses in one minute for their chance to win prizes and support to make their dreams a reality. 

Following a first-round open pitch, judges Kyle Brennan Shàwinipinesì, Senior Lead Indigenous Entrepreneurship at Shopify; Bernice Parsons, Co-Founder of Vertaccount; Cole Slater, CEO of Maui Divers Jewelry; Kainoa Penaroza Co-Owner of Tag Aloha Co.; and Nohili Thompson, Strategy Consultant from Kamehameha Schools shortlisted the ‘Top 6’ entrepreneurs to advance to round two. 

The Top 6 entrepreneurs were paired with mentors from Maui Divers Jewelry, Tag Aloha Co, and Kamehameha Schools to help them polish their presentations before they pitched one last time to judges Kyle Brennan Shàwinipinesì, Senior Lead Indigenous Entrepreneurship at Shopify; Bernice Parsons, Co-Founder of Vertaccount; Kimié Miner, President and CEO of Haku Collective; Jalene Kanani, Founder of NOHO Home; and Stacy Ferreira, CEO of OHA (Office of Hawaiian Affairs).

“I’m so honoured and grateful to have won the Mana Up Pow Wow Pitch, said First-place winner and Founder of Hā Tonics, Puna Tripp. “One thing that has been the foundation of starting our business is ‘those who know why will always rise above those who know how.’ Your purpose behind doing what you’re doing matters more than anything. As long as you have a strong ‘why’ you can keep going.”

Hā Tonics is a Hawaiian superfood brand that is providing the strength and vitality of Hawaiian foods in new ways through their superfood products. Hā Tonics currently has three locations on the Island of Hawai’i.

Puna also received the Fan Favourite 500 USD Prize and shared in her pitch that she is going to use her winnings to invest in the local crop farmers where Hā Tonics sources their product from and grow their production together. 

The Second-Place 2,500 USD and Youth Prize 500 Prize USD Winner was fifteen year-old Coen Cadinha, Founder of Keiki Rise. Keiki Rise is an entrepreneurship program created by and for Hawaiian youth. Coen is empowering Hawaiian youth and how they can scale up through mentorship with his program. “Pow Wow Pitch dedicated a whole prize for Youth entrepreneurs and that shows their dedication to Youth entrepreneurship. I am so honoured to be here today, it was such a fun experience.”

The Third-Place 1,000 USD Winner was Tristan Manuel, Co-Founder of Maoli Farms, a Native-urban farm located in Kailua, O’ahu specializing in plants and trees. Maoli Farms also provides backyard Native Growers a platform to reach a wider audience and promote sustainable agriculture. “This was an awesome experience, I was super nervous but being amongst my peers and knowing that we’re all here to support each other was inspiring. I would encourage anyone else to just do it and give it a try!”

“Congratulations to Puna on her Golden Ticket win to advance to the 2024 Pow Wow Pitch Finals,” said Sunshine Tenasco, Founder of Pow Wow Pitch. “We are in awe of the immense talent of Hawai’i and are so honoured to spotlight their work at the Mana Up Showcase. Puna, your drive to support Hawaiian farmers and promote healing through food is admirable and we are so excited to have you join us in next year’s Grand Finale.

“Hosting the inaugural Mana Up x Pow Wow Pitch in Hawai‘i was inspiring because it brought together our local community with other indigenous communities from across the world. By being together, it illuminated a unique bond over how to blend business with honoring heritage, promoting shared values, and showing how indigenous rooted business methods can make an impact on capitalism as a whole,”  said Meli James, Co-founder of Mana Up. 

“Pow Wow Pitch is a tremendous showcase of Indigenous innovation and entrepreneurship, and the stories and achievements of this year’s semi-finalists are a testament to their creativity and entrepreneurial spirit,” said Michael Ferencich, Senior Vice President, Business Financial Services, RBC. “We’re so proud of all our participants and semi-finalists, and we will continue to support their growth and success in the future.”

“Being involved in Pow Wow Pitch is not just an honour, it’s a privilege to witness the creativity and innovation of Indigenous entrepreneurs,” said Kyle Brennan Shàwinipinesì, Build Native Program Manager at Shopify. “It’s a reminder of the resilience and strength of our communities and the power of entrepreneurship to create positive change. Shopify has played a proud role in supporting Pow Wow Pitch, so it is exciting to see how things have grown over the years. What an incredible opportunity for Indigenous entrepreneurs!”

“At Mastercard, we’ve been inspired by the innovative thinking and solutions brought forward by all the Indigenous entrepreneurs involved in this year’s Pow Wow Pitch,” said Sasha Krstic, President of Mastercard in Canada. “The future is brighter when Indigenous entrepreneurship is recognized, supported and celebrated, and we are honoured to play a role in continued success and growth of these entrepreneurs. Congratulations to all the pitchers and congratulations to Puna on advancing to the next round.”

All those who pitched at the Mana Up Pow Wow Pitch will receive a 60-day free Shopify trial, and will join the Pow Wow Pitch community for ongoing support.

Puna will now advance to the 2024 Pow Wow Pitch Finals to pitch for the Grand Prize of $25,000. Visit www.powwowpitch.org for more information.

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Today, Pow Wow Pitch, North America’s premier pitch competition for emerging Indigenous entrepreneurs, presented in partnership with RBC, Shopify, and Mastercard, announced a new partnership with the Mana Up to put the spotlight on Indigenous entrepreneurs in Hawai‘i, USA.

Mana Up is a local accelerator for Hawai‘i-based consumer brands scaling to global markets  through multiple programs such as the Mana Up Product Accelerator, House of Mana Up shop -including four brick-and-mortar locations and e-commerce, and the Mana Up Venture Fund.

The Mana Up Showcase is an annual celebration of Hawaiʻi’s entrepreneurs and rising talent with in-person events in Honolulu on November 8th and 9th and a global livestream on November 19th. The featured entrepreneurs are from Mana Up’s latest entrepreneur growth accelerator, a 6-month program during which local companies get connected to mentors, workshops, sales channels, and resources to help them grow their businesses. 

This year the Mana Up Showcase has expanded the event lineup to include with the first-ever Hawai‘i Pow Wow Pitch competition held on November 8th at the Hawai‘i Convention Center, offering the opportunity for Indigenous and Native-identifying entrepreneurs to win cash prizes, get a “golden ticket” for the 2024 Turtle Island Pow Wow Pitch Finals competition and more.

To enter, participants and entrepreneurs can pre-register their business at powwowpitch.org/manaup. To participate, entrepreneurs will have 1-Minute to Pitch their businesses live, in front of an audience and panel of judges for a chance to win!

The top six pitchers will be paired with mentors before pitching in front of the judges and the Mana Up community. Prizes include 5,000 USD for 1st Place, 2,500 USD for 2nd Place, 1,000 USD for 3rd Place, 500 USD for the Youth Prize and 500 USD for the Fan Favourite. In addition, the 1st Place Winner will also get a Golden Ticket to the 2024 Turtle Island Finale to pitch for the Grand Prize of $25,000. 

Bringing Pow Wow Pitch to Hawai’i through Mana Up marks a significant milestone in bridging Indigenous communities. This collaboration not only celebrates cultural unity but also amplifies Indigenous entrepreneurship on a broader scale. Together, Pow Wow Pitch and Mana Up have created a powerful synergy, opening new horizons for Indigenous business endeavors spanning borders.

“We’re honored to introduce Pow Wow Pitch to Hawai’i,” expressed Sunshine Tenasco, Founder of Pow Wow Pitch. “This expansion beyond our borders not only fosters unity among Indigenous communities but also enriches our collective entrepreneurial spirit. Our gratitude to Mana Up for joining hands with us on this remarkable journey is immeasurable.”

“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. We feel very fortunate that Pow Wow Pitch selected Hawai‘i as the location to debut its pitch competition within the US/Canada region, amplifying the message that Hawaiʻi’s entrepreneurs are part of a global movement that honors culture, sustainability and other shared values,” says Meli James, Mana Up co-founder. 

All entrepreneurs who pitch, regardless of whether they advance to the Top Six,  will have a chance to advance to the 2024 Pow Wow Pitch digital semi-finals and join the Pow Wow Pitch community. All pitchers will get access to a free Indigenous Startup Program, gain access to tools and support, and have the chance to have their products and services featured in the Pow Wow Pitch annual Mailer Box and on the Pow Wow Pitch Marketplace launching later this year for socially-conscious customers looking to ‘Buy Indigenous.’

The event’s local partner will be Vertaccount, a Hawai‘i-based accounting and bookkeeping services company. Mana Up Pow Wow Pitch is part of the Mana Up Showcase 2023 that is presented by King’s Hawaiian, and supported by Bank of Hawaii, Waiākea Hawaiian Volcanic Water, Shopify and Hawaiian Airlines. 

To learn more and pre-register for the Mana Up Pow Wow Pitch at the Mana Up Showcase, visit powwowpitch.org/manaup. To attend the Mana Up Pow Pow Pitch as a viewer, visit manaupshowcase.com. 

About Pow Wow Pitch

Pow Wow Pitch is an entrepreneurship program for emerging Indigenous entrepreneurs, which provides a safe, supportive, collaborative, empowering and culturally supportive environment that addresses the unique challenges of Indigenous entrepreneurs and aspiring Indigenous entrepreneurs. Pow Wow Pitch enhances, develops, and accelerates the growth for current and aspiring Indigenous entrepreneurs in a sustainable way through programs and resources. In addition, community leadership through volunteerism is promoted to reflect respect and reciprocity as the foundation of the Pow Wow Pitch. For more information, visit https://www.powwowpitch.org/.

About Mana Up

Mana Up is an accelerator and venture fund for Hawaiʻi-based products growing to markets globally, with the mission to increase economic opportunity and jobs for the people of Hawaiʻi. To date, 85 local companies have participated in the six-month accelerator program that provides expansion opportunities and helps solve business challenges. For more information about the accelerator program, visit www.manauphawaii.com, and to shop House of Mana Up, visit https://houseofmanaup.com.  

Mana Up is supported by Kamehameha Schools, Castle & Cooke Hawai’i, Bank of Hawaii, ALTRES, Hawaiian Airlines, Kaiser Permanente Hawai’i, Hawai’i Technology Development Corporation, Innovate Hawai’i, American Savings Bank, Ulupono Initiative, Young Brothers, UHA Health Insurance, Pineapple Tweed, Shopify, Foodland and Dole.

About Vertaccount

Vertaccount is a boutique Finance and Accounting Outsourcing provider with offices and affiliates in Hawaii, New York, Singapore, Australia, Philippines.

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