PACE
PACE's mission
What is educating innovative problem solvers?
In 2015, this reality TV personality turned a $250,000 investment into a lip kit line that sold out in under a minute, later growing into a cosmetics empire.
Who is Kylie Jenner?
This matcha and coffee shop is located next to the Ten Tomorrow boutique in Kaimukī.
What is Daily Whisk Matcha?
This many programs fall under the PACE Leaders umbrella.
What is 8?
What is Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center?
What is 2000?
This entrepreneur dropped out of Harvard to co-found Microsoft with Paul Allen in 1975.
Who is Bill Gates?
This restaurant is known for hearty plate lunches served with two scoops of rice and macaroni salad.
What is Rainbow Drive-In?
In this 2-day weekend event, a local company presents a real-world problem for participants to pitch ideas and solutions to solve.
What is Innovate808?
Meaning "to sprout," this fern is often one of the first plants to return to barren lava fields, symbolized throughout PACE.
What is kupukupu fern?
Before RISE, this was PACE's former event space at Shidler.
What is Shidler E-402?
This PACE alum founded Pear Suite in 2021, a platform connecting community health workers with thousands of families — now serving over 50,000 members nationwide.
Who is Colby Takeda?
This business accelerator helps Hawai'i-based product companies scale globally, supporting local founders through retail platforms and storytelling rooted in culture and place.
What is Mana Up?
This cohort program supports student founders actively building their product, service, or company with funding, mentorship, and peer learning.
What is PACE Entrepreneurs?
This term refers to a company's most basic, stripped-down version of a product, released to gather user feedback early.
What is a minimum viable product (MVP)?
This center helps Hawaii family businesses survive across generations through education and seminars.
What is the Family Business Center of Hawai'i?
This PACE alum started out crafting artisanal syrups before expanding into a Chinatown cafe that features them.
Who is Peter Hessler?
Founded by PACE alum Rose Wong, who began selling jewelry at age 16, this luxury jewelry brand's name means "challenging norms" in Hawaiian.
What is Kolohe?
These two individuals serve as PACE's Entrepreneur-in-Residence, offering office hours for one-on-one startup guidance.
Who are Jeff Hui and David Hijirida?
This PACE award recognizes students who have made exceptional contributions to entrepreneurial activities at the university and in the community.
What is Entrepreneurship Student of the Year?
Before Sandra Fujiyama became PACE's current executive director, this person held the role.
Who is Peter Rowan?
Starting as a local news anchor, this media mogul built a talk show empire before launching her own cable network, OWN, in 2011.
Who is Oprah Winfrey?
Founded in 1985 by a surfer, fisherman, hula dancer, and cultural practitioner alongside his wife, this brand roots its designs in the plants, chants, and traditions of Hawai'i Island, now carried forward by their son.
What is Sig Zane Designs?
These three organizations serve as title sponsors for the UH Venture Competition offering large prize packages.
What are HEI, Hawaiian Electric, and American Savings Bank?
This term refers to a founder's initial investment of their own money, time, or resources into their startup before seeking outside funding.
What is bootstrapping?