Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce supports culture, values

LIHUE — To be successful in Hawaii, great business leaders must be grounded in the islands’ culture.

In 1974, an organization named the Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce was formed on Oahu to meet the needs of Native Hawaiians struggling to gain equal footing with leaders in business at the time.

Created to encourage and promote the interests of Native Hawaiians engaged in business, the not-for-profit organization was founded upon values of leadership, bravery, harmony, righteousness, success, humility, pride, knowledge, care for the environment and aloha.

“In the early ’70s, as we were turning the corner, it’s funny how we were part of that pre-renaissance,” said retired entrepreneur and founding president Ed Auld, in a video produced by Show and Tell Hawaii. “All of the sudden we were breaking out. It was time for us to be recognized.”

More than four decades later, the association continues to successfully organize the Hawaiian business community into a viable economic and social voice, providing facilities for educational advancement in business, industry and commerce.

Newly elected president for the affiliated Kauai Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce John Kaohelaulii has learned from his personal experience as a business owner.

In 2004, he and his wife opened a small mom-and-pop business in Kapaa, Sole Mates, that has been successfully selling island-style footwear to men and women.

“We took advantage of the Small Business Development Center, and that’s how we worked on getting our business plan,” Kaohelaulii said. “Then as time went on, we took advantage of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund, and that’s how we funded our business.”

The entrepreneur also hopes to revitalize aspects of Hawaiian culture through another business, HawaiianCheckers.com, with which he hopes to promote the ancient game of konane.

“This year we want to focus a little bit more on businesses and how we as an organization can support our member businesses,” Kaohelaulii said. “How can we encourage our businesses to collaborate and partner with other Hawaiian businesses so that we can all be successful? We also want our events to address our members’ business challenges.”

The Kauai Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce, which started in 2012, currently has 26 members. Its next meeting will take place on March 27.

The first three events of the year on Kauai will address social media and online presence to put businesses in better positions for success. Presenters will share their knowledge and experience and host networking events for Native Hawaiian business leaders.

“We want to promote a Hawaiian-style talk story amongst our members, not only to build relationships, but to learn from each other,” Kaohelaulii said.

Each year, the organization awards scholarships to Native Hawaiian students studying business administration at the university level.

The Kauai Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce is currently updating its website to include a Native Hawaiian business directory. Anyone can join as a member, as long as they are committed to advancing Native Hawaiian business and dedicated to Hawaiian values.

Info: www.knhcc.org