Embracing Equity: Portrait of the Filipina as an Entrepreneur
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Meet the entrepreneurs behind these trending products.
Made from selected islands in the Pacific,
most if not all these products were
created through teamwork, but for each, at its core is a woman
entrepreneur. Listen to their stories, their successes
and challenges, and their dreams for the future.
Join us via Zoom
Wednesday, March 1, 2023 • 4 p.m. Hawaii
Thursday, March. 2, 2023 • 10 a.m. Philippines
Event will also be streamed live via Facebook.
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Featured Products:
𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬’ 𝐁𝐮𝐤𝐨 𝐏𝐢𝐞
When an O’ahu-based chef got the cravings for buko pie, she made her own version and shared it with family and friends. Now it is in demand—by word of mouth only, or by phone. It is now the pasalubong of choice—not only for US Mainland destinations, but to the Philippines (where folks swear it is better than the original!)
𝐌𝐚𝐮𝐢 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢 𝐎𝐢𝐥
You can put this on anything—from a cup of noodles to avocado toast. Birthed during the pandemic, this is a “pivot” project that is made from natural spices and ingredients—that is cooked, assembled, and shipped from Maui. It is now available in three levels of spiciness and can now be bought statewide at one of your favorite supermarkets!
𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐲’𝐬 𝐇𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐢𝐚𝐧 is a coffee farm, mill and roastery in the district of Ka’u, in the Big Island. It’s called “one of the world’s most celebrated farms” by the New York Times. The farm supplies coffee to national barista champions. Its raw coffee is prized by leading roasters internationally. It roasts its own beans for local chefs like Alan Wong and stores like Whole Foods.
𝐀𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 began in August 2017 offering a wide variety of packed and fresh food items that are staples for households and restaurants. It is based in Cebu and strives not only to provide quality goods but also opportunities for people to better their lives. Among its products are Spanish sardines, fresh seafood and marine products, dried products such as boneless dilis and danggit, and peanut butter in a variety of flavors.
𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐚 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐚 which means “togetherness” in Filipino, began as a school-girl’s dream to own a boba café. It came to life in 2021. Each syrup of its boba tea is handcrafted with real fruit and ingredients and is environmentally packaged with the planet in mind. Awareness of Filipino culture is central to the company’s choice of flavors—such as leche flan, ube and calamansi flavored milk tea drinks, among others.
𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐦 & 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫, which is based on Kauai, is a modern vintage boutique that offers high-end, hand selected fashion wear and home goods for an eco-conscious lifestyle. Each purchase is a visible, active way to offset climate change, plastic pollution, habitat destruction, and resource scarcity and supports a sustainable lifestyle. Its vintage items are also shipped in eco-friendly packaging.
Can you guess which entrepreneur owns which company?
• Joan Obra
• Ma. Petra Nunez
• Gloria Sumibcay
• Lalaine Ignao
• Desirea A.Hirani
• Kit Z. Furukawa
This event is part of a monthly series called Talk Story Sessions presented by HPBEC. Organized for charitable and educational purposes, the HPBEC facilitates the exchange of information and direction between Hawaii and the Philippines to strengthen its business and economic development links.
We advocate for, and on behalf of, residents who consider both Hawaii and the Philippines as home.
