{"id":173366,"date":"2023-02-28T12:55:32","date_gmt":"2023-02-28T22:55:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=173366"},"modified":"2023-02-28T15:07:09","modified_gmt":"2023-03-01T01:07:09","slug":"hvca-entrepreneurship-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2023\/02\/28\/hvca-entrepreneurship-awards\/","title":{"rendered":"UH<\/abbr> innovators win state entrepreneurship awards"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"two
Lauren Pierce and Spencer VanDerKamp from Reeler. Reeler connects small-scale fishermen directly to consumers via its mobile app.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Innovation and entrepreneurship excellence at the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> were on full display as more than a dozen alumni and students received 2023 awards from the Hawaii Venture Capital Association<\/a>. The success of these entrepreneurs are examples of one of the goals in UH<\/abbr>\u2019s Â鶹´«Ã½ 2023–2029<\/a>: Diversify Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>\u2019s economy through UH<\/abbr> innovation and research.<\/p>\n

Five of the awardees are either current UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa students or recent graduates who have participated in a Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship<\/a> (PACE<\/abbr>) program in the Shidler College of Business<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Lauren Pierce<\/strong> and Spencer VanDerKamp<\/strong> were finalists for the Social Impact Entrepreneur of the Year award. The UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa alumni earned more than $30,000 in funding and services through PACE<\/abbr> programs: UH<\/abbr> Venture Competition<\/a>, Liftoff Advisors Program<\/a> and Calvin Shindo Student Venture Fund<\/a>. Their company called Reeler is a mobile app that connects small-scale fishermen directly to consumers.<\/p>\n