{"id":125803,"date":"2020-08-26T08:00:48","date_gmt":"2020-08-26T18:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=125803"},"modified":"2020-08-26T08:23:46","modified_gmt":"2020-08-26T18:23:46","slug":"hacking-4-recovery-complete","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2020\/08\/26\/hacking-4-recovery-complete\/","title":{"rendered":"<abbr title=\"University of Hawaii\">UH<\/abbr> entrepreneurship ideas geared toward diversifying Hawai\u02bbi\u2019s ailing economy"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 2<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/closed-sign-gnrc.jpg\" alt=\"permanently closed sign\" width=\"676\" height=\"381\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-125873\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/closed-sign-gnrc.jpg 676w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/closed-sign-gnrc-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/closed-sign-gnrc-130x73.jpg 130w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 676px) 100vw, 676px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The COVID-19 pandemic has pulled the rug out from under thousands of businesses in <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>. The crippled economy has plunged the state into a projected $2.3 billion shortfall, an economy that so heavily relies on the tourism industry. To help stabilize <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>\u2019s economic future, the University of <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/research\/oic\/\">Office of Innovation and Commercialization<\/a> (<abbr>OIC<\/abbr>) hosted a free program for current businesses, entrepreneurs, students and members of the community that encouraged the reimagination of workforce industries.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Whether it\u2019s engineering, ocean sciences, healthcare, agtech, these are all key sectors that differentiate <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>. They are going to help drive economic development and the ability to diversify our economy and get us back on a road towards recovery,\u201d said <abbr title=\"University of Hawaii\">UH<\/abbr> <abbr>OIC<\/abbr> Interim Director <strong>Steve Auerbach<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related <em><abbr>UH<\/abbr> News<\/em> story:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2020\/07\/07\/uh-covid19-economic-recovery-program\/\">Silicon Valley entrepreneur mentors <abbr>UH<\/abbr> COVID-19 economic recovery program<\/a>, July 7, 2020<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>More than 160 participants completed <a href=\"http:\/\/innovate2impact.hawaii.edu\/\">Hacking 4 Recovery<\/a> (<abbr>H4R<\/abbr>) with the goal of jump-starting their businesses. They broke up into 22 teams and were mentored by 41 community volunteers and business savvy guest speakers, including well-known Silicon Valley entrepreneur Steve Blank, creator of the lean startup approach. Participants proposed concepts that ranged from renewable electricity generation, smart occupancy sensors that reduce energy and even a technology company that helps customers achieve a healthier lifestyle by tying exercise routines to the wellbeing of a virtual animal.<\/p>\n<h2>Mobilizing pitch from dream to reality<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_125842\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-125842\" style=\"width: 381px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/system-hacking-4-recovery-3.jpg\" alt=\"two people on video call\" width=\"381\" height=\"196\" class=\"size-full wp-image-125842\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/system-hacking-4-recovery-3.jpg 381w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/system-hacking-4-recovery-3-300x154.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/system-hacking-4-recovery-3-130x67.jpg 130w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 381px) 100vw, 381px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-125842\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Takeda&#8217;s team hopes to kickoff the PurposePals service in the fall.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><abbr>UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa alumnus <strong>Colby Takeda<\/strong>\u2019s team conceptualized a virtual companionship service for senior citizens. PurposePals cultivates mutually-beneficial relationships between youth and kupuna, a concept he explains is needed now more than ever as many endure the realities of the COVID-19 era.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Our business is about helping older adults who may be lonely or could use some social support, and we take a population like young adults who are actively eager to give back and pair them up,&rdquo; Takeda explained.<\/p>\n<p>The Mililani native is a senior manager at Blue Zones Project <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> and developed the idea alongside <abbr>UH<\/abbr> gerontologist <strong>Christy Nishita<\/strong>. Other team members included <abbr>UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa alumnus <strong>Kris Kokame<\/strong> and Christian Higa, a 10th grader at Hawaii Technology Academy. They plan to launch the service this fall.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;<abbr>H4R<\/abbr> was about spreading the knowledge, developing an innovation\/entrepreneurial mindset and engaging our community during a time of crisis to develop an idea to support our recovery and take this knowledge with them and to pay it forward&#8212;mission accomplished,\u201d said <abbr>OIC<\/abbr> Innovation and Business Development Officer <strong>Sandra Fujiyama<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related <em><abbr>UH<\/abbr> News<\/em> story:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2020\/08\/18\/widespread-business-hardship-continues\/\">Widespread hardship continues for <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> businesses, <abbr title=\"University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization\">UHERO<\/abbr> reports<\/a>, August 18, 2020<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>According to the latest report from the <a href=\"https:\/\/uhero.hawaii.edu\/\"><abbr>UH<\/abbr> Economic Research Organization<\/a>, of the 464 business owners it surveyed, about 75 percent made staff cuts and other reductions, and roughly one-third anticipate deeper cuts in the months to come.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stemworkshawaii.org\/home\">Maui Economic Development Board <abbr title=\"science, technology, engineering and mathematics\">STEM<\/abbr>works<\/a> is one of the partner organizations for <abbr>H4R<\/abbr>. Program Manager Katie Taladay said, &ldquo;a community of volunteers came together from across the islands, simply to build capacity and hope during this time of economic uncertainty and distress. That in itself is such a powerful gesture. Recovery is going to be a long and difficult road, but we will get there together.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8212;By <span aria-label=\"Moanikeala\">Moanike&#699;ala<\/span> Nabarro<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_125845\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-125845\" style=\"width: 676px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/system-hacking-4-recovery-1.jpg\" alt=\"people on video call\" width=\"676\" height=\"381\" class=\"size-full wp-image-125845\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/system-hacking-4-recovery-1.jpg 676w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/system-hacking-4-recovery-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/system-hacking-4-recovery-1-130x73.jpg 130w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 676px) 100vw, 676px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-125845\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hacking 4 Recovery participants<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>More than 160 aspiring entrepreneurs completed <abbr title=\"University of Hawaii\">UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa\u2019s economic recovery program in an effort to reinvent workforce industries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[679,197,734,1432,9,947,603],"class_list":["post-125803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","tag-alumni-recognition","tag-economics","tag-entrepreneurship","tag-office-of-innovation-and-commercialization","tag-uh-manoa","tag-uh-system","tag-workforce-development","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125803","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=125803"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125803\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":125817,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125803\/revisions\/125817"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=125803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=125803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=125803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}