Hawai‘i Entrepreneurs Compete for Top Business Plan

2016 HIplan winners. Courtesy photo.

Fifteen Hawai‘i Island entrepreneurs will make a pitch for their business plans on Oct. 21 2017 to judges in the HIplan competition, in hopes of winning a prize of $25,000 in seed money. The 15 semi-finalists’ plans were selected from 39 plans submitted earlier this month.

The HIplan competition will be held in Hale Iako at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai‘i Authority (NELHA) in Kailua-Kona.

Competitors include Ahualoa Farms, Ai Pono Mushrooms LLC, Alaka’i Academy, Big Island Tiny Homes, Bokoa Farms, Cocoa Outlet & The Chocolate Guy Hawai‘i, Empi Empi Foods, The Hawai‘i Farmers Exchange, Kona Coco Farms, Lava Zone Lifestyle LLC, Namaka Algae, Renewable Ocean Energy, Inc., Spicy Ninja Sauce LLC, Sunshine Pediatric Clinic LLC and The Water Machine.

At the event, judges will narrow down the competition and select a smaller number of entrepreneurs as finalists. Finalists will then tweak their plans further and make another presentation, as well as a two-minute elevator pitch, at the final HIplan event on Nov.4 at NELHA.

The winner will receive $25,000, which has been donated to HIplan by a hui consisting of the Ulupono Initiative, Hawai‘i Technology Development Corporation, Hawai‘i Strategic Development Corporation, NELHA, Big Island Toyota, Reef Capital Venturesand Pacific Trial Attorneys.

This year’s HIplan competition is co-hosted by the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo and NELHA, administered by Hawai‘i Island Chamber of Commerce and is supported by the Hawai‘i Small Business Development Center Network.

More information can be found online or contact HIplan co-chairman Jim Wyman at jim@hiplan.biz.