KAPAA — The Waiwai Collective at recently held their grand opening at the Kalukalu at 1624, an economic resilience center founded by Kauai Federal Credit Union to steward a cooperative economy that honors community, culture and climate.
KAPAA — The Waiwai Collective at recently held their grand opening at the Kalukalu at 1624, an economic resilience center founded by Kauai Federal Credit Union to steward a cooperative economy that honors community, culture and climate.
A restoration of the iconic Otsuka furniture building in Kapaa, it will serve as a hub for the community and investment in housing stability, small business innovation and entrepreneurship and non-profit capacity building.
Waiwai Collective is a group of Native Hawaiian entrepreneurs who share kuleana and a passion for uplifting the lahui and activating a new co-working and signature event space at Kalukalu at 1624 in partnership with Kauai Federal Credit Union.
At the core of Ka Waiwai is the belief that traditional Hawaiian ways of thinking and doing to create abundance and value on island can be repurposed in a contemporary context.
“It is possible only if we create the space,” said Mahina Paishon, co-founder of Waiwai Collective. “We invited your kupuna and the intelligence of your alii, and the amazing navigators, and all of you, the pillars of this community, those who are helping transform and cultivate our aina.”
”I am humbled,” Paishon said, as she thanked about 50 people who travelled from all over Kauai to help celebrate the Waiwai Collective grand opening.
“Kalukalu at 1624 does not feel like a financial institution. We wanted to be more open to the community. We knew we were not going to do it alone,” said Sean Kaley, interim CEO of Kauai Federal Credit Union. “Waiwai was an inspiration, and the synergy of this partnership will bring an exciting vision for economic transformation to life.”
According to Cyndi Ayonon, KFCU board member, “It is an exciting experience to see Native Hawaiian culture infused with the KFCU building.”
