From Cottage Industry to Commercial Enterprise Entrepreneurs

Meet The Entrepreneurs

From Cottage Industry to Commercial Enterprise

These local value-added entrepreneurs were selected by application for Hawaii Ag & Culinary Alliance’s® (HACA) From Cottage Industry to Commercial Enterprise in partnership with Leeward Community College (Leeward CC) and the Wahiawa Value-Added Product Development Center (WVAPDC). Their innovative food products showcase the best of Hawaii-grown, raised and caught ingredients. Explore their delicious offerings below!

Cohort 7 - 2026

Hawaii's Only

Kale Afong

Chef Kale Afong, a Kanaka Maoli chef and entrepreneur proud to share Hawaiʻi’s culture through bold, everyday flavors. Hawai’i’s Only is rooted in ʻike kupuna and built as a local, business that transforms familiar staples into something exciting. From poke-inspired mixes to specialty salts and my signature spicy ahi furikake, He creates products that celebrate island ingredients. Chef Kale loves developing seasonings blends that bring life to rice, popcorn, french fries, and local-style dishes. By using Hawaiʻi-grown ingredients and partnering with producers like Dr. Sun for dried limu and sea asparagus, he keeps our flavors connected to place.

Honolulu Mochi

Yonglan Lin

Growing up in China, Elaine and her brother shared a deep love for mochi. The chewy, delicate texture and subtle sweetness always brought comfort and happiness. When they moved to Hawaii, they discovered that mochi had a rich cultural tradition of its own. Inspired by both their childhood favorites and the unique flavors of Hawaii, they started Honolulu Mochi in 2022. Their goals were simple: to create mochi inspired by local favorites with their own twist of creativity. They love experimenting with new combinations, blending familiar favorites with local ingredients like tropical fruits, taro, sweet potato, chocolate, macadamia nut, and coffee. Honolulu Mochi is their way of sharing their love for mochi with the community they call home.

Kahawai Farm

Colleen Pescaia

Located in Waialua, Kahawai Farms is an orchard-based farm focused on cultivating botanicals and fruit to develop thoughtful, functional food products. While the farm is in its initial stages, our established soursop grove serves as the foundation for everything we do. We are currently focused on learning the land, setting up our systems, and finding creative ways to use our orchard-grown ingredients sustainably and responsibly. The soursop orchard serves as the primary inspiration for the products we create. Soursop is an incredibly versatile crop that allows us to rethink how botanicals can fuel the body, with our primary goal being to utilize every part of the fruit as our concepts evolve.

Kauai Fresh Fish

Cadena Ragsdale

Kauai Fresh Fish was founded in 2022 to address a major gap in Hawai‘i’s food system: despite being surrounded by abundant fishing waters, most seafood consumed here is imported. Our purpose is to support local fishermen by paying a living wage for their catch, strengthen the local economy, and reduce Hawai‘i’s dependence on imported seafood. What began as a small farmers market operation has grown into a Kaua‘i-based wholesale and retail market offering exclusively local catch. We are committed to community, transparency, and sustainability, buying directly from fishermen and using responsible harvest practices. Our zero-waste approach ensures every part of the fish is utilized through fresh sales, custom cuts, and value-added products.

Kenny Boy Ice Cream

Kenny Tsuru

Kenny Boy Ice Cream was founded as a Hawaiʻi-based, mission-driven ice cream business built on quality, resilience, and community impact. Based in Pearl City and launched in 2025, the brand grew out of a challenging period of health problems, when ice cream-making began as a creative outlet and a way to move forward. What started as a small experiment quickly became a business opportunity, and today Kenny Boy Ice Cream is a fully operating, teen-founded and teen-run brand. The products focus on high-quality, creamy ice cream inspired by Hawaiʻi’s local flavors and family favorites.

Malama Bar

Benjamin Foster

Mālama Bar was started with a simple but powerful belief: when we take care of our community, our community takes care of us. Mālama Bar operates on a one-for-one model— for every bar purchased at retail price, one bar is donated to a local food shelter, school district, kūpuna home, nonprofit organization, or other charitable group across Hawaiʻi. Every purchase is an opportunity to directly support someone in need. Mālama Bar was created to bridge that gap. By transforming undesirable or excess local produce into a high-protein, shelf-stable bar, the life of Hawaiʻi-grown foods is extended while making them accessible.

Myna Trading Co.

Emily Terukina

Myna Trading Co. is a Hawaiʻi-based food company creating thoughtfully made pantry goods inspired by Southeast Asian culinary traditions. Rooted in the vibrant food culture of Singapore—where Malay, Chinese, Indian, and regional influences meet—we craft sauces, condiments, and shelf-stable foods that balance tradition with original products developed in Hawaiʻi using local ingredients. Our name reflects our approach: like mynah birds found in both Singapore and Hawaiʻi, we’re curious gatherers. We explore, taste, and experiment, bringing back flavors worth sharing and weaving them into everyday cooking.

Na Kalai Waa

Keala Kahuanui

Nā Kālai Waʻa is a Hawaiʻi-based nonprofit organization dedicated to perpetuating traditional Hawaiian canoe culture and the values that sustain it. Grounded in ʻike kūpuna (ancestral knowledge), the organization centers the waʻa as both a physical vessel and a living classroom—teaching leadership, collaboration, environmental stewardship, and cultural responsibility. Extending this work beyond the water, Nā Kālai Waʻa advances food sovereignty through Hanauna Mau, its food preservation and cultural foods program. Hanauna Mau revitalizes traditional methods of food preparation, preservation, and storage while addressing contemporary challenges of food security and access.

Nourish Your Soul

Vineeta Santoshi

Nourish Your Soul is a small-batch food business, rooted in the belief that nourishment is a sacred, everyday ritual—one that supports the mind, body, and spirit. Guided by Indian heritage, global upbringing, immersion in hospitality, and inspired by the mana and abundance of Kauaʻi, food is approached as a bridge between ancestral wisdom, intentional living, and care for the land. Locally grown ingredients such as ʻulu, kalo, ʻuala, ʻolena, awapuhi pake, and Hawaiian chilies are used, allowing seasonality and plant wisdom to guide each recipe. Nourish Your Soul is the edible expression of a culturally rooted apothecary vision devoted to thoughtful, healing, and sustainable products.

ReBran

Tatsuyoshi Omura

ReBran is a Hawaii based food brand born from a simple but powerful realization. Hawaii is one of the highest rice consuming states in the U.S., yet rice bran, the most nutrient dense part of the grain, has been discarded every single day. We saw something valuable being wasted, and we knew we had to do something about it. ReBran represents the rebirth of rice bran. Inspired by the Japanese concept of mottainai, meaning too good to waste, we give new life to this overlooked superfood by upcycling fresh, locally milled rice bran into handcrafted granola that supports gut health and honors the island. Our recipes use premium local ingredients including raw Hawaiian honey, Kona sea salt, and Hawaiian coffee beans.

Romu

Kimberly Haruki

rōmu is a savory sipping broth inspired by Japanese dashi and grounded in a strong sense of place. Created as the product its founder wished existed, rōmu transforms the subtle, satisfying umami of dashi into something designed for sipping, not cooking—meant to be enjoyed slowly and on its own. The flagship product is a single-serve sachet made with Hawaiʻi-sourced aku, limu pālahalaha, and aliʻi mushrooms, steeped in hot water like tea. Crafted with whole ingredients and careful seasoning, each cup offers warmth, clarity, and richness without needing anything added.

SAVA Provisions

Lily Nguyen

SAVA was inspired by the desire for a satisfying, balanced meal that can be eaten anywhere, drawn from everyday experiences: needing something substantial after a full workday and before a sunset surf session, at the summit of a hike, or during tiring travel days. Like many people balancing work, movement, and daily responsibilities, there was often a scramble to piece together something to eat, relying on protein bars or packaged snacks that never felt like enough. SAVA creates shelf-stable meal packs in a simple, bento-style format that deliver the substance of a real meal while removing the need for planning, preparation, or cleanup. Each SAVA Box provides protein, carbohydrates, and fats in a single package.

Shaka Butter

Berklee Welsh

Shaka Butter is a premium, super-chunky coconut peanut butter crafted on Oʻahu’s North Shore. A new take on a classic, Shaka Butter is bold in flavor, big on texture, and made with real ingredients. Our signature product line features three delicious, island-inspired flavors: Banana, Cacao, and Espresso. Shaka Butter delivers a one-of-a-kind crunch by combining lots of classic peanut pieces, just like you’d find in traditional crunchy peanut butter, along with toasted coconut flakes for an extra layer of texture and flavor in every bite. Unlike other spreads on the market, Shaka Butter only uses ingredients your body can recognize: no palm oil, no refined sugar, no artificial or “natural” flavors, and no added gums or emulsifiers.

Shaka Mex

Nicole Henderson

Shaka Mex’s mission is to forge meaningful connections by sharing soulful, intentional food that honors heritage while celebrating the local ingredients of the community it loves. The kitchen is a sanctuary where food acts as a common language—a powerful force with the potential to connect, heal, and uplift us all. Through every small-batch preparation and community event, Shaka Mex aims to build lasting bonds by balancing culinary innovation with sacred traditions and “Ono” flavors that have shaped the journey. Shaka Mex is dedicated to sharing that spirit of connection through private catering, public speaking, and intimate cooking classes.

Sol Food Kitchen

Kira Swope

Sol Food Kitchen represents the meeting point between fresh local produce, diverse global flavors, and gut-healthy fermented foods, all packaged in a way that is fun, approachable, and easy for anyone to enjoy. As a self-described fermentation enthusiast, the founder has been making a variety of pickles and kimchi in home and restaurant kitchens for over a decade. A concentrated kimchi-based seasoning was developed by dehydrating kimchi at a low temperature, preserving both its delicious flavor and beneficial compounds, then grinding it into a powder. It was discovered to be a perfect topping for popcorn, and seasoned bowls began to be shared with friends on movie nights.

Cohort 6 - 2025

CHEF DAVID PAUL

David Paul Johnson

Featured Product:
Gourmet Salad Dressings

DA TOMATO GUY

Danny Rudometkin

GINNIBERRIES, INC

Michelle Nakaya

HEALTHY BABY HAWAII

Alyson Akina

KEN’S KORNER

Kendra Wong

KUAWEHI FARM

Akil Kofi

LILIKOI VINEYARDS, LLC

Maureen Serverson

LOVEJOY CONFECTIONS

Jonny Kimbro

MALA-BE

Jonathan Cohen

MARI’S GARDENS

Tanya Candido

Featured Product:
Creamy Olena Powder Dressing

MME SAIGON

Kevin Nguyen

Featured Product:
Spicy-Savory Chili Sauce, Lemongrass Marinade

PURE AMBROSIA

Leslie Anne Nilo

Featured Product:
Adaptogenic Dragon Fruit Energy Balls

TENDIES

Stephen Nishihara

THIS LIL PIGGY

Toma Turner

Featured Product:
Pipi Kaula (Hawaiian-Style Beef Jerky), Fried He’e Chips

WAIU ‘ALA

Micheal Jensen

Cohort 5 - 2025

BAKE YOU A SMILE

Ashley Uahinui

CHEF FRIEND HAWAII / NAMI KAZE

Jason Peel

DAGUZAN CHARCUTERIE

Pierre Daguzan

Featured Product:
Waianae Pork Pâté and Rillettes, Molokai Venison Pâté and Rillettes, North Shore Chicken Liver Mousse

THE DOGGY KITCHEN

Karli Kurihara

Featured Product:
Hawaii Fresh Dog Food & Treats

GROK COFFEE

Shawn Steiman

HAPA HAWAIIAN SALTS

Lisa Strand

Featured Product:
Hawaiian Salt Seasonings

HULI HULI CHICKEN

Peter Castillo

Featured Product:
Waikiki Beach BBQ Seasoning

KII KII FARM PROVISIONS

Stephanie Shipton

Featured Product:
Frozen Mango Smoothie Packs

MADRES CHURROS

Janee Gutierrez

MANA-SU

Randy Kuba

NUI KEALOHA

Kealoha Domingo

ONOMEA FARM HUB

Kalisi Mausio

Featured Product:
Momona Ulu-Based Seasonings

PINEAPPLE ROAD BEVERAGE CO.

Caleigh Dillon

PURE HAWAII TEA

Negus Manna

UCOOK HAWAII

Sheryl Kahue

Featured Product:
Kau Orange Sauce, Lemongrass Sauce & Marinade

Cohort 4 - 2024

ALINA FARMS 808

Kanani Plunkett

Featured Product:
Hawaiian Farm Fresh Spirulina

ALOHAMADE BITES

Marshall Dumadag

Featured Product:
Hawaiian Macadamia Nut Pies, Tarts and Bites

BOUGIE DUMPLINGS

Justine Ma

Featured Product:
Banana Bread Dumplings

DONTBAJRK BEEF JERKY

Shaina Wright

Featured Product:
I’ll Shoyu Garlic, Holy Jalapeño, Pineapple Pepper

FARMING ALOHA

Christine Yuu-Suan

HOMETOWN BBQ

Charles Etsinger

Featured Product:
BBQ Sauces, Hot Sauces, Spice Blends

HONOBONO

Fred Ison

ISLAND AHI CANNERY

Matthew Carnes

Featured Product:
Fresh Canned Tuna and Ono

KALO & CREAM

Bethany Letoto

Featured Product:
Soda Syrups – Kulolo, Li Hing, Pickled Mango, Ume Shiso & more

MAKAHA MANGOES

Candy Suiso

Featured Product:
Mango Fruit Leather, Mango Cookies & more

MALA MAMA FARM

Natasha Gourlay

Featured Product:
Mamaki Tea, Healing Salves & more

Shop In-Store:
Aina Farm Stand, Homegrown Pearlridge

MAUI COCKTAIL KITS

Katy Tsark

Featured Product:
Craft Cocktail Infusion Kits

NAIKE

Jamesie Kahinu

Featured Product:
Hawaiian Chili Pepper Shoyu Sauce

Shop In-Store:
Kuilima Farm, Pop-Up Makeke, Pukalani Superette, Molokai Minimart, Misaki’s Grocery & more

PETITE SWEETS

Francesca Lee

Featured Product:
Dessert Bars – Lilikoi Shortbread, Guava Shortbread, Okinawan Sweet Potato Haupia Cheesecake

PUUIKI PICKLED VEGETABLES

Ann Casson

Featured Product:
Pickled Vegetables from Kalili Farms

Cohort 3 - 2024

ALOHA AINA FARMS HALEIWA

John Rust

Featured Product:
Smoked Habanero Hot Sauce

ALOHA RAW

Aloha Bugakova

Featured Product:
Pono Bread, Kraut & More

BIG ISLAND BITTERS

Summer Akuna

FOR J’S HAWAII

Janis Tanga

Featured Product:
Hawaiian Chili Oil Dressing & Hot Hawaiian Chili Oil

Shop In-Store:
ChefZone, Dean & Deluca, Farm Link Hawaii & more

HUMBLE FOOD DESIGN

Robert Kekoa

Featured Product:
Mr. Guava Lava Chili Pepper Water, Hot Shot Lilikoi Chili Pepper Water

Shop In-Store:
Aoki Shave Ice, Rajah Dat Snack Shop, Tasty Jerky Hawaii

ISLAND SAUSAGE

Terrence Enomoto

Featured Product:
Salami (Spanish Chorizo, Sea Salt Mac Nut, Finocchiona, Cacciatore)

Shop In-Store:
Island Sausage

KUPUNA KALO

Weston Yap

MAUNA KEA TRADING COMPANY

Gloria Ilagan

PALAMAN PURVEYORS

Randy Cortez

Featured Product:
Pandan Butter, Ube Halaya

OAHU GROWN MAMAKI

Jon Watase

POP CULTURE ARTISAN POPS

Justin Udom

Featured Product:
Coffee Cacao Nib Swirl, Matcha Honey Cream, Cookie Monster, Hibiscus Passion Punch, Strawberry Guava Creamsicle

Shop In-Store:
Hapa Market, Kalapawai Market, KualoaGrown Market, Navy Exchange, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum & more

OKONOKAI

Jina Wye

Featured Product:
Gluten-Free Seaweed Crackers, Hawaii-Grown Furikake

Shop In-Store: Bizia Coffee & Surf, House of Mana Up

SOULSUM

Raymond Trinh

Featured Product:
Tepache – Pineapple Powered Probiotic Soda

SUGARLESS BITES & DELITES

Brittany Egnew

Featured Product:
Guava Cheesecake with Guava Curd

3 SPOONFULS OF SUGAR

Jamie Cabuag

Featured Product:
Mango Raspberry Butter, Mango Lilikoi Butter (no added sugar), Strawberry Guava Butter, Lilikoi Butter

Cohort 2 - 2023

ANY KINE SNAX

Wendy Iwasaki

Featured Product:
Freeze Dried SNAX (Lilikoi and Lychee)

Shop In-Store:
ABC Stores, Foodland Farms, Island Country Markets, Noeau Designers, Sun Chong Grocery & more

BOXED UP COOKIES

Leea Kalilimoku

THE CORNER ROLLS

Philip Nguyen

Featured Product:
Handcrafted Spring Rolls

HAWAIIAN KRUNCH

Tootsie Davis

Featured Product:
Kalo Krunch, Uala Krunch, Ulu Krunch

Shop In-Store:
ChefZone, Farm Link Hawaii, Fairmont Kea Lani, Hawaiian Moons Natural Foods, Okoa Farms

HAWAIIAN SODA CO

Caesar Ho

Featured Product:
Sparkling Passion Orange Guava, Sparkling Lilikoi Lychee, Sparkling Pineapple Citrus

Shop In-Store:
7-Eleven Hawaii, ChefZone, Foodland, Don Quijote, Down To Earth, Times Supermarkets & more

HAWAII’S WÜRST

Micah Richards

Featured Product:
USDA Sausage Product with Hawaii-raised Livestock, Bone Broth, Mauka Meats

Shop In-Store:
ChefZone

MOCHI MOMMA HI

Stacey Robinol

MORNING GLASS COFFEE

Mahina Akimoto Reppun

MY SWEET WORLD 808

Trisha Kawakami

THE ORIGINAL ISLAND CEVICHE

Xiomara Guevara

Featured Product:
Salvadoran Style Ceviche

THE PAU HANA CO.

Alyssa Yafuso

SAKI’S ALOHAS LAB

Saki Kawanabe

Featured Product:
Fermented Fruit Syrups

TWISTED LUMPIA

Rhandi Ardona

Featured Product:
Pastele Lumpia, Uala Lumpia, Kulolo Lumpia

Shop In-Store:
ChefZone, The Friendly Market, Waianae Store

ULU & KALO BAKERY

Maile Kamisugi

Featured Product:
Sesame Garlic Ulu Crackers

Shop In-Store:
Bean About Town, Farm Link Hawaii, The Locavore Store, Nalu Health Bar, Poai by Pono Potions

Cohort 1 - 2023

BARRIO CAFE

Miriam Olivas

CHIBI CONFECTIONERY

Garrett Shiroma

Featured Product:
Lilikoi, Guava or POG Shortbread Cookies

THE DISCO FARMER

Jason Weintraub

Featured Product:
Hand-picked Tea Blends with Local Fruits

HALEIWA SALT CO

Scott Potter

Featured Product:
Hand-harvested Sea Salt

Shop In-Store:
The Local General Store, Ko Hana Distillers, Kuilima Farm Stand, Uncle Paul’s Corner Store & more

HAWAIIAN VINEGAR & SPICE CO

Poni Askew

Featured Product: Drinking Shrubs & Vinegars

Shop In-Store: Hawaiian Vinegar & Spice Co, Island Boy Shop, The Local General Store, The Vinegary & more

THE HOIO GUY

Brandon Chung

ISLAND RAYNE GOURMET

Becky Shuck

Featured Product:
Tropical Fruit Hot Sauces

LUAU BOMBS

Michael Yamauchi-Yamate

MAHINA MEA

Anuhea Sills

Featured Product:
Original Kimchi Cucumber Chips

MILO’S PASTELE STOP

Martha Lanoza

THE MOCHI BAR

Christina Peterson

MOSSY MOKES

Misty Sommo

Featured Product:
Premium Sea Moss Gels and Beverages

Shop In-Store:
Down To Earth, Good Health Food Store, Lanikai Juice, The Source

PATA PATA HAWAII

Queena Tahi

Featured Product:
Honey Lilikoi Protein Butter

POCKET BARS

Kaena Galdeira

Featured Product:
Mini Macadamia Snack Bars

SAKATA SWEETS

Mahealani Badua