In the startup community we talk a lot about “the ecosystem.”
For some, that might conjure images of terrariums. For entrepreneurs, a strong startup ecosystem can be critical to success. Few entrepreneurs work in a vacuum. More often than not, they plug into a larger entrepreneurial community to find collaborators and resources.
It takes a lot of people devoting their time and efforts to keep Hawaii’s startup ecosystem pumping. Given the holidays are fast approaching, this seemed a good time to give thanks for their contributions.
Mahalo to our accelerator community for putting Hawaii on the map as a serious place to build a company. Accelerators are the cornerstones of entrepreneurial ecosystems, mobilizing global networks of mentors, capital and other resources. They compress years’ worth of business experience and learning into just a few months, putting young startups through an intense and immersive education.
In August three Hawaii accelerators won national awards from the U.S. Small Business Administration for their work supporting small-business job creation and growth. This was the third such award in three years for Kona-based GVS Transmedia Accelerator, which cultivates locally produced film and creative media projects. Two-time winner Maui Food Industry X-celerator in Kahului focuses on value-added agricultural products, while
the University of Hawaii’s XLR8UH program on Oahu also won for the second time. These accolades come on top of last year’s rating of tech accelerator Blue Startups as No. 17 in the U.S. by TechCrunch and the Energy Excelerator’s recognition as one of the leading clean-tech accelerators in the country.
Mahalo to groups like DevLeague, Hawaii’s first web developer coding program, for training the essential new workforce of Hawaii’s innovation economy. Whether you’re a T-shirt designer or an online travel concierge, an increasing number of businesses today rely on computer code, making coding one of the most in-demand skills across industries. DevLeague has turned out more than 100 graduates since it opened three years ago. DevLeague’s popularity and continuing expansion show that Hawaii could use even more efforts in this area.
Mahalo to Hawaii’s business community for supporting local entrepreneurial events. Verizon, for example, sponsors conferences like East Meets West and sent local executives to participate in Startup Paradise Demo Day earlier this year, judging presentations by accelerator graduates. On a broader level the Hawaii Business Roundtable, a public policy organization made up of CEOs and senior executives of large Hawaii companies, has been a strong advocate for the University of Hawaii’s efforts to foster an entrepreneurial culture at the university.
Mahalo to co-working pioneers like The Box Jelly, for creating Hawaii’s first flexible, cafelike collaboration space. ROC Chinatown has been the latest to jump into this growing scene, transforming a dilapidated building on Nuuanu Avenue into a multiuse co-working and restaurant space.
Last, a special mahalo to the many volunteers who spend countless hours putting on startup community events that pack the calendar year-round. From civic-minded hackathons working on traffic solutions to Startup Weekends that serve as a springboard to accelerator programs by launching new companies in 72 hours, these events would not happen without the enthusiasm and manpower from volunteers.
Only through everyone’s collective efforts supporting “the ecosystem” has Hawaii been able to put together this exciting, vibrant community that is bringing kamaaina back home and inspiring entrepreneurs to start new businesses.
Sara Lin, formerly a journalist in New York, Los Angeles and Honolulu, is now an associate with the Hawaii Strategic Development Corp. Reach her at sara.n.lin@hawaii.gov.
