Indigenous Women’s Incubator. Grounded in culture from day 1.
Applications for IWI Cohort 6 are open!
A true incubator for Native Hawaiian-owned Businesses.
Most programs expect you to arrive with your business already baked - with a business plan, a revenue stream, and a polished pitch. IWI starts from wherever you actually are. From the idea that's still just a feeling, an inner knowing, an inkling from your kupuna. From the business that's been running on instinct and hustle, and the pivot you're trying to figure out how to execute.
We created this program because we kept seeing the same gap: Native Hawaiian and Indigenous women with extraordinary potential and no place that was truly built for them. Not culturally, not relationally, not practically. So we built one.
IWI is cohort-based, deeply relational, and delivered in person on every island. We don't expect you to travel to us. We come to you — because presence is part of the work, and showing up in your community sends a message that no Zoom call ever could.
IWI Program Impact
This year, Cohort III and Cohort Maui graduated from the Kūkolu Indigenous Women’s Incubator, a major milestone in uplifting Native Hawaiian wāhine entrepreneurs. These graduates engaged deeply in workshops, mentorship, and peer learning rooted in Native Hawaiian values, and left with new tools, strengthened purpose, and the confidence to grow their culturally grounded businesses.
37
Cohort Members
24
Work Sessions
05
Cohort Retreats
27
Cohort Workshops
68
1:1 Design Sessions
98
Retreat Hours
01
Discovery & Foundation
We start by exploring who you are as a Native Hawaiian, as someone who carries generational kuleana. Beyond business fundamentals, the IWI program supports not just your business, but the cultural lens that makes your work yours.
Experience IWI
02
Build & Structure
Business planning, legal setup, pricing models, financial foundations, and the operational infrastructure your business needs to grow with intention and not just by accident.
Every IWI cohort is built around the kind of space where your voice matters, where confidence and the understanding of self, culture, and community are treated as seriously as business plans, and where you feel welcomed and encouraged to show up as you are.
03
Brand & Market
Bringing your brand to life, building your online presence, understanding your audience, and learning how to communicate what you do in a way that attracts the right people and opportunities.
04
Growth & Kuleana
Exit planning, scaling strategies, mentorship, and the mindset shift from building a business for yourself to building one that contributes to the strength and abundance of the whole lāhui.
Building More Than Businesses:
A Community That Gives Back
"Kūkolu didn't just help me build my business—it also gave me the confidence to believe owning a home was possible."
- Emily States, founder of Kaulumaika
Cohort Manaʻo
Karlee Brown
Trustworthy Cleaning Maui
Karlee Brown started Trustworthy Cleaning Maui nine years ago at the age of 19. Today, Trustworthy Cleaning is a large-scale commercial and janitorial operation on Maui, taking care of offices, private schools, and strip malls all over the island. Karlee will be the first to tell you it didn't start out looking anything like this.
Every IWI graduate carries a story. These are just a few of the experiences from women who showed up, did the work, and walked away with something they will carry with them into the future of their businesses and their lives.
Kecia Littman
Lei Wai
For years, Kecia carried the vision of creating her own beauty brand. Although the idea began in 2016, it wasn't until joining Kūkolu's Indigenous Women's Incubator in 2023 that she gained the mentorship, strategic guidance, and community support needed to transform that vision into a viable business.
Read Her Story →
Lauren Melendez
Piko Therapy
When Lauren joined Kūkolu's Indigenous Women's Incubator, Piko Therapy was only a few months old. At the same time, she was earning her clinical licensure while working full-time. Like many early-stage entrepreneurs, she often questioned whether she was making meaningful progress toward the practice she envisioned.
Read Her Story →
Growing Capacity to Steward ʻĀina
As the founder of Kāpuna Farms, Mikiʻala Puaʻa-Freitas has always been committed to restoring ʻāina and stewarding the natural resources of Waiheʻe Valley. Through Kūkolu, she found a strategic partner who helped transform that vision into sustainable growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The Indigenous Women’s Incubator (IWI) is a comprehensive business development program designed to empower Native Hawaiian and Indigenous female entrepreneurs. It provides a culturally grounded space to build, refine, and scale sustainable early-stage or existing small businesses by integrating traditional community values with modern business tools.
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The cohort journey spans two years, providing an immersive and intentional timeline for participants to deeply develop their business strategies, leadership skills, and community network without feeling rushed.
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No, there is no cost to participate. The program is fully dedicated to investing in the success and economic empowerment of Native Hawaiian and Indigenous women entrepreneurs.
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The program is tailored for Native Hawaiian and Indigenous women entrepreneurs. It welcomes both early-stage visionaries looking to launch and existing business owners wanting to scale their operations sustainably.
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Participants gain access to a robust ecosystem of support, which includes:
Collaborative community workspaces designed for innovation and connection.
Strategic network development with leaders, mentors, and an extensive peer network.
Indigenous leadership training rooted in ancestral values to help you lead with cultural integrity and sharp business acumen.
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Rather than forcing businesses into a standard corporate mold, Kūkolu ensures that traditional community values, relationship-building, and cultural practices form the core of each participant's business model, championing economic abundance while honoring cultural identity.
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Keep an eye on our website for announcements when our next cohort application opens!
Cohort 6 applications are currently open - click here to apply.
IWI Cohorts
Cohort V
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BIG ISLAND SMOKEHOUSE
Kainoelani Lee | Hilo, Hawaiʻi | Native Hawaiian
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HUI COME EAT TRAILER
Leiani Delatorre-Ganon | Hilo, Hawaiʻi | Native Hawaiian
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KW HAIR DESIGNS. HILO BAE
Kristina Lewis | Honolulu & Hilo | Native Hawaiian
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PŪʻĀ ANIMAL SERVICES
Sariah Ani Kaakimaka | Oʻahu | Native Hawaiian
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WEHILANI LYMPHATICS
Brigitte Wehilani McInerny | O'ahu | Native Hawaiian
Cohort IV
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ECHO
Nicole Velasco | Honolulu, O'ahu | Native Hawaiian
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KAULUMAIKA
Emily States | Honolulu, O'ahu | Native Hawaiian
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LO'IHI DESIGN & PHOTOGRAPHY
Alyssa Rodrigues | Kona, Moku O Keawe | Native Hawaiian
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MAIAVA MANAGEMENT
Litea Maiava | Lahaina, Maui | Native Hawaiian
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RBL MEDIA
Pualena Pakele & Cabot | Oʻahu | Native Hawaiian
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TRUSTWORTHY CLEANING MAUI
Karlee Brown | Maui | Native Hawaiian
Cohort Maui
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HAPA HOUR
Halli Marie Ancheta | Wai’ehu, Maui | Native Hawaiian
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HERE IN THE SUN
Pomaika’i Marmolejos | Kula, Maui | Native Hawaiian
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KAPUNA FARMS
Miki’ala Pua’a-Freitas | Waihe’e, Maui | Native Hawaiian
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WAIWAOLANI
Roselani Aiwohi | Wai’ehu, Maui | Native Hawaiian
Cohort III
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'AU 'AU HI
Deneen Dwyer Hesia | Kane’ohe, O’ahu | Native Hawaiian & Puerto Rican
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HULALEI DESIGNS
Lehua Greenwell | Moloka’i Island | Native Hawaiian
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KŪLEʻA KOLLECTIVE
Iolani Morikami | Honolulu, O’ahu | Native Hawaiian
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ISLAND SWIM
Lilinoe Wedemeyer | Kealakekua, Hawai’i | Native Hawaiian & Chamorro
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PIKO THERAPY HAWAI'I
Lauren Melendez | Kapolei, O’ahu | Native Hawaiian & Filipina
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SOULÉ
Kecia Littman | Honolulu, O’ahu | Native Hawaiian
Cohort II
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B.ALIA
Brandy Alia Serikaku | Hilo, Hawai’i | Native Hawaiian
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FOUNDRY SALON
Mahina Ho | Kailua, O’ahu | Native Hawaiian
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GENUINE GUAVA
Kawehi Hopkins | Kaimuki, O’ahu | Native Hawaiian
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HUAKA'I HONEY
Teleise Scanlan | Hilo, Hawai’i | Native Hawaiian and Samoan
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NĀ'OHU / UNION PASIFIKA
Marissa Kihoi | Waimea, Hawai’i | Native Hawaiian
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NŌHIE
Sweetheart Eleneki | Wailuku, Maui | Native Hawaiian
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SLK CONSULTING
Summer Kapanui | Kaimuki, O’ahu | Native Hawaiian
Cohort I
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HOOKED UP HAWAI'I
Kehaunani Reis | Kane’ohe, O’ahu | Native Hawaiian
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KAHIKOLU
Brytni Kalei K-Aloha | Punalu’u, O’ahu | Native Hawaiian
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KA MOANA BOUTIQUE
Moana Noa | Nanakuli, O’ahu | Native Hawaiian
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KAMAILEAULI'IL'I
Kim Scott | Kailua, O’ahu | Native Hawaiian
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SIMPLY HEALTHY WITH ESTEE
Estee Shizuru | Kuli’ou’ou, O’ahu | Maori
Meet the Mentors
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Crissy Gayagas
Colonel (US Army, Ret.) and Business Consultant
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Dani Aiu
EVP, Consumer Banking, American Savings Bank
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Debbi Eleneki
Honolulu Fire Department Battalion Chief (Ret.)
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Donalyn Dela Cruz
Principal, DDC Consulting
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Kelly Dukelow
Assistant Head of School, Kamehameha Schools Maui
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Kimberly Lord
Senior Managing Director, CB Richard Ellis Hawai’i (Ret.)
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Lisa Kracher
VP, Array Corp. and President, Staffing Solutions of Hawai’i and Kahu Malama Nurses
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Nalani Simpson
Business Consultant