Empowering local entrepreneurs to thrive through culturally-rooted business strategies.

These hands-on courses guide ʻĀinapreneurs in developing resilient business models, marketing rooted in moʻomeheu (culture), and operations that honor community and land. Participants learn practical tools while staying grounded in the values of kuleana, aloha, and mālama ʻāina.

Normalizing Hawaiian language as a living tool for commerce, culture, and connection.

This program helps businesses incorporate ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi into branding, customer engagement, and daily operations—strengthening cultural identity and deepening ties to local communities. A modern expression of ʻike kupuna in the business world.

Catalyzing access to capital through culturally-aligned financial empowerment.

Our CDFI initiative offers funding opportunities, financial literacy, and technical assistance tailored for Native Hawaiian and local entrepreneurs. We ensure ʻĀinapreneurs receive the support needed to build economic resilience while honoring collective abundance.

Purpose: Capital Financing

Borrowers can request up to $50,000 for capital-intensive projects or purchases. Instead of charging interest, ChangeMakers applies a transparent, flat administrative service fee to cover the costs of processing and servicing the loan.
● Fee is not tied to loan balance or time.
● Borrower knows the total cost upfront: “Borrow $10,000; service fee $750; repay $10,750.”
● Reflects fairness and balance: fee covers real stewardship costs, not profit extraction.

Example: A local canoe-building cooperative borrows $40,000 to upgrade tools and workspace. Under SFO, they repay $42,000 total — a cost they can plan for with certainty. Unlike traditional loans, their repayment isn’t inflated by compounding debt, ensuring sustainability.

Purpose: Asset Financing

ChangeMakers co-designs financing with the borrower by assessing how much a new asset will advance their business (through efficiency, productivity, or reduced costs). This measure, the Percentage of Progress Potential (PPP), determines the markup.
● ChangeMakers purchases the asset and resells it at Purchase Price + PPP, payable over time.
● Example: A bakery oven costs $6,000. With a 12% PPP productivity gain, repayment is $6,720 over 3 years.
● Markup is fixed and asset-based, not compounding, avoiding interest while reflecting tangible value.
● Ideal for ʻāina-based entrepreneurs such as farmers, fishers, and food producers.

Example: A coffee farmer invests in a $15,000 processing machine projected to improve efficiency by 15%. Repayment is $17,250 over time. Instead of unpredictable interest costs, the repayment is directly tied to the measurable value created by the new machine.

Purpose: Small Expense Funding

Designed for micro-enterprise and social ventures, CEP blends financial and social capital.
● Funders/donors invest in a revolving equity pool.
● Borrowers may access up to $3,600, repaid at a flat $100/month, plus a giveback of 10 volunteer hours toward community development (mentorship, training, project work).
● Builds a circle of sustainability: capital and community service continuously recirculate.
● Perfect for small businesses needing operating expense support without debt burden.

Example: A youth-led food truck collective borrows $2,400 to cover licensing and initial supply costs. In addition to repayment, they contribute 10 hours of mentorship to other young entrepreneurs. The community gains not only from their business but also from their shared knowledge and service.