Gabbard Recognizes National Entrepreneurship Week

Representative Tulsi Gabbard spoke on the House floor Friday morning to recognize National Entrepreneurship Week and highlight small business owners in Hawai’i and across the country.

Below is Representative Gabbards speech:

“Small business owners make up over 90 percent of private employers in my home state of Hawaiʻi, and they are the backbone of our economy both there and across the country. Our close-knit community, built on generations of small business owners willing to lend a hand to a neighbor in need, is one of the things that makes our state so special, and that helps to bring the Aloha spirit alive for both our visitors, and kamaʻaina, alike.

“Last week, I had the chance to spend some time planting kale and beets at the Palaka Moon Farm with Waimānalo small business owners Malia Smith and Kevin Vaccarello. I then went and helped them open their ʻAi Love Nalo café, where they seek to improve the health and well-being of their community around them by feeding them delicious, locally grown food.

“It’s the hard work of people like Malia and Kevin, and the love that they put into their business and work, that are at the heart of our economy, in communities across the country and in Hawaiʻi. As we recognize National Entrepreneurship Week this week, I want to say thank you to all of our small business owners and entrepreneurs for their dedication and for what they do to strengthen and serve our communities every single day.”