Business Development and Support Division

Originally posted on Pacific Business News by Sophia Compton.

The Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture, a nonprofit with the mission of improving the quality of life for Native Hawaiians, opened its Center for Entrepreneurship in Kapolei on March 31. The center, which primarily serves the west side of Oahu, supports “family-owned community-based businesses to increase their capacity to succeed,” Program Director Lisa Pakele told Pacific Business News.

“This location will provide a space to connect, engage, collaborate and inspire creativity and productivity to elevate our lahui,” Pakele said.

The center offers personal and business finance training, coaching, business microloans, peer networking, business equipment, mentors, and more, according to the INPEACE website.

Tell me about the reasoning behind opening the new INPEACE Center for Entrepreneurship.

The Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture is committed to improving the quality of life for Native Hawaiians through community partnerships that provide educational opportunities and promote self-sufficiency. One of the programs under INPEACE is focused on family economic capacity building through their Center for Entrepreneurship. … On March 31, the Center for Entrepreneurship celebrated the grand opening of its physical space in Kalaeloa. It was an evening to highlight several small businesses, connect with partners and let the community know the center is officially open!

In what ways does the center support local businesses?

The center will support local businesses by providing a variety of services online and in person that meet the unique needs of small businesses, which will include: workshops, one-on-one coaching, peer networking, specialized services like QuickBooks, access to a variety of expert mentors and equipment. The Center for Entrepreneurship will offer membership packages that meet the diverse needs of small business, ohana and community.

In addition, the Center for Entrepreneurship will offer membership subscriptions that will provide access to the physical location, which will include co-working space, privacy pods, a creative content studio, wi-fi and a variety of equipment and services to meet the diverse needs of small business, ohana and community. Options to rent the space to host a workshop or event will also be available based on space and availability.

What is your outlook for the center?

How do you hope to grow going forward, and what goals do you have this year? We are excited to have this physical location to be able to connect with the community in person! We look forward to strengthening partnerships to [support] entrepreneurs and ohana. One of the goals over the next few years is to expand the space, services, and resources with a commitment to elevating small businesses through education, connection and collaboration.