Ka‘ana Mana‘o: Maui’s New Food Innovators
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By Lui Hokoana
Len Gonzales is on a sweet mission. He founded Galleon Chocolate in 2021 "to shine a spotlight on the rich and diverse cultures of the Philippines, its impact on Hawai'i and the rest of the world." To that end, he took all three food manufacturing courses offered at our Maui Food Innovation Center. He says they helped him "optimize the development" of his first product line, ube chocolate bars. The courses are designed to help budding food entrepreneurs understand good manufacturing practices, learn the basics of launching a successful business, and perhaps most important of all, to discover how to take a food product idea all the way to market.
"The state-of-the-art kitchen coupled with the curriculum helped our business development tremendously," says Len. "The entire staff is always positive and super supportive regardless of what stage of development we were in. The networking was invaluable as it helped us create relationships with suppliers."
Learning how to pitch their products to potential buyers was the focus of a student showcase held last month. "Five students spent weeks mastering their pitch presentations, including a live pitch prep session with MFIC alum and HISpice founder Justin Orr," says Instructor Melissa Kaufman. "The secret to a winning pitch is lots of practice and feedback."
In addition to Len Gonzalez and his Galleon Chocolate, Saman Maydani (Aziz Granola), Janice Leilani LaFontaine (Farm to Fudge), Kathy Kahele Tsark (Maui Cocktail Kits), and Manu Baisa-Gomes (Manu's Munchies) pitched their companies' delicious products. All were awarded cash prizes to support the growth of their businesses.
"Starting with just an idea for a value-added food product, these dedicated students have transformed their food concepts into successful products now available in local stores," says MFIC Chef Instructor Douglas Paul. "It was inspiring to see the five students of the Pitch Class present their products, which they have diligently developed over the past nine to twelve months at the MFIC facility. Despite their initial nervousness about speaking in front of an audience, they did an outstanding job overcoming their fears. I am excited to see where their entrepreneurial spirit will take them next."
Manu Baisa-Gomes hopes Chef Douglas and the rest of Maui will one day soon find her baking delectable Manu's Munchies in her own commercial kitchen or brick and mortar store. She says she was quite nervous about presenting her pitch but, in the end, she did very well and got excellent feedback.
Although her company will celebrate its official one-year anniversary as an LLC next month, she has a few years of experience under her belt. "We started baking cookies and other munchies in 2021 to sell at pop-up events under the 'cottage law'," she explains. "My cousin, who also makes the homemade jams I use in our best-selling Guava and Liliko'i Shortbread, got me started. I didn't intend to become an entrepreneur. I was working an office job and before that I did bookkeeping for almost 20 years. But when I missed a pop-up and heard that people were asking for the cookies, I felt the need to do more. Numerous calls with questions to the Department of Health led me to UHMC and the MFIC program."
It took Manu only one call to our Director of Extended Learning and Workforce Development (ELWD) Karen Hanada to get signed up for classes AND supported with a scholarship. "The instructors are there for you from start to finish," says Manu. "All the classes are online, which makes it easier for those who still need to work a full-time job like I did. In September 2023, I was able to quit my job and pursue my business full force. Although a little scary, I must admit it was by far the best decision for myself and my family. Yes, it's a bit more work being an entrepreneur, however the freedom of being your own boss is priceless," she says.
If you dream of starting your own food business, we can help you achieve your goal. Karen Hanada sums it up best. "MFIC is committed to supporting meaningful economic diversification for Maui County in the food space."
In addition to classes, MFIC's facilities are available for rent to established food entrepreneurs hoping to expand their businesses. For everything on offer at our state-of-the-art Maui Food Innovation Center, please visit https://maui.hawaii.edu/foodinnovation/ For complete information about UH Maui College, please visit http://maui.hawaii.edu/
Dr. Lui K. Hokoana is Chancellor of the University of Hawai'i Maui College. Ka'ana Mana'o, which means "sharing thoughts," is scheduled to appear on the fourth Sunday of each month. It is prepared with assistance from UH-Maui College staff and is intended to provide the community of Maui County information about opportunities available through the college at its Kahului campus and its education centers.