Mana Up brings small businesses from Hawaii to pop-up in New York City

Visitors to Hawaii often think of its fine sandy beaches and cultural sites, but this destination is also home to many locally owned businesses. At the end of April, an entrepreneur is bringing his products and services to New York City through a pop-up marketplace.

Mana Up, a Hawaii-based economic development initiative, will host a three-day retail boutique at Shopify NY in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. The dates for “Mana Up Aloha Market” are Friday, April 26 through Sunday, April 28.

“Mana Up Aloha Market” will highlight 40 Hawaiian businesses with unique island-made products to support and celebrate countless Maui small businesses that have weathered the devastating effects of the 2023 wildfires.

Among these companies, the “Mana Up Aloha Market” will highlight 10 Maui-based companies in a special area called “Aloha for Maui” and dedicated to the island’s products. These companies include Advance Wildlife Education; HI Herb; Maui Chili Chili Oil; Maui chips; Maui Kuia Estate; Maui Nui; Nāpili FLO Farm; Chef Sheldon Simeon, Vitalitea Hawaii; and Wrappily.

The three-day market will also host insightful educational sessions focused on Maui’s ongoing recovery efforts, along with other programs highlighting Hawaiian culture, foods and industries.

Co-founded by Hawaii residents, friends and entrepreneurs Meli James and Brittany Heyd and launched in 2018, Mana Up is an accelerator and venture fund with the goal of increasing economic opportunity and jobs for the people of Hawaii by promoting products through the local companies from the islands to the global markets.

The six-month accelerator program partners with participating companies in the Hawaiian Islands, selected through an application process, to provide results-oriented training. In addition to offering corporate training resources, Mana Up also operates a physical store, known as House of Mana, featuring these vendors’ products.

Over time, Mana Up has grown into a company with 30 employees and a retail footprint that now includes seven stores selling products from 100 percent Hawaiian entrepreneurs.

According to Heyd, Shopify, an e-commerce company, offered Mana Up the opportunity to bring this aspect of Hawaii to New York City.

“As our mission is to grow Hawaii brands globally, this is a perfect way for NYC – a hub for global brands – to experience the latest emerging products in Hawaii,” said Heyd. “We were pleasantly surprised that so many entrepreneurs wanted to travel with us, so we will have a great group of fantastic small business owners on site.”

In addition to these businesses, the “Mana Up Aloha Market” program will expand to include demonstrations, children’s activities, presentation discussions and tastings.

Meli James, co-founder of Mana Up, said the event will provide participants with an extraordinary weekend experience.

“It’s not just about shopping; it’s about embarking on a vibrant journey,” James explains. “This event offers New Yorkers a rare opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the richness of Hawaiian culture as the ‘Aloha Market’ will spotlight our talented entrepreneurs and their diverse range of innovative Hawaiian products. We hope attendees will enjoy the engaging demos, tastings and sessions – while discovering a new appreciation for all that Hawaii has to offer. “

“Mana Up Aloha Market” hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, April 26 and 27, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 28. Shopify NYC is located at 131 Greene St. General admission is free, while some events require tickets. For the full program and more information, please visit this website.