The Hawaiian business caucus

Improving access to capital will be among the key focuses of a new caucus tailored to Native Hawaiian small-business owners, scheduled for Oct. 1 at the 13th Annual Native Hawaiian Convention in Honolulu.

Called the “Native Hawaiian Business Caucus,” the meeting will be hosted by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), joining forces with the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement to hold for the first time ever a caucus designed to provide Native Hawaiian small businesses with opportunities to expand and grow.

“This caucus is designed to provide a meaningful and productive opportunity for Native Hawaiian businesses to learn and build their capacity to expand and grow,” said OHA Ka Pouhana (Chief Executive Officer) Kamana`opono Crabbe. “It also provides an unprecedented opportunity for business owners and other stakeholders to come together to discuss the challenges, opportunities and policy priorities for Native Hawaiian busineses.”

The caucus comes at a time when national reports show that small-business lending has been stuck in a slow, grinding recovery behind most other types of business and consumer loans.

To help support the economic vitality of Native Hawaiian small-businesses, OHA is bringing together an array of speakers, including representatives from the Native American Contractors Association, to provide useful information and assistance to participants at the caucus who are looking to improve access to capital as well as expand their network of contacts.

OHA is covering the cost for nearly two dozen Native Hawaiian businesses to attend. Register for the meeting here.