Who Gets Seen in Hawaiʻi’s Economy: What It Means for Our Community

Aloha kākou,

Each month, our Executive Director shares insights in Ka Wai Ola, highlighting key issues shaping Native Hawaiian business, leadership, and community.

This month’s column, “Who Gets Seen in Hawaiʻi’s Economy Matters,” explores how visibility through media, storytelling, and leadership directly shapes economic opportunity for Native Hawaiian businesses and workforce development.

Key Takeaways

1. Visibility is economic infrastructure
When Native Hawaiian businesses are consistently seen and represented, it expands access to opportunity, capital, and partnerships. Visibility is not just storytelling. It directly influences economic outcomes.

2. Native Hawaiian businesses are essential to Hawaiʻi’s economy
They are not peripheral. They are employers, investors, and innovators contributing to the broader economic ecosystem. Recognizing this shifts how resources and opportunities are distributed.

3. There is untapped workforce potential
While many employers struggle to find talent, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander unemployment remains significantly higher. The issue is not just jobs. It is creating real pathways to sustainable careers.

What This Means

This month’s column highlights an important reality. What gets seen shapes what gets supported.

Across Hawaiʻi, leaders like Lei Pedro have emphasized the importance of elevating local voices and stories. Visibility is not just about recognition. It influences how businesses are perceived, how opportunities are created, and how leadership is developed.

For business owners, leaders, and decision makers, this means visibility is not optional. It is a lever for growth, investment, and long term opportunity. When Native Hawaiian businesses and workforce pathways are clearly represented, it helps shift narratives and open doors that might otherwise remain closed.

As Hawaiʻi continues to face workforce challenges and economic pressure, aligning visibility with real opportunity will be critical to building a more inclusive and sustainable economy.

How NHCC Supports This Work

At the Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce, we continue to support this work through:

• Workshops and business education

• Programs like Project Hoʻomana

• Building connections across our business community

👉 Continue reading Andrew’s full column in Ka Wai Ola:
https://kawaiola.news/columns/e-hoololi-i-ke-kulana/who-gets-seen-in-hawaiis-economy-matters/

About the Column

This monthly column in Ka Wai Ola, the newspaper of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, shares perspectives on economic development, leadership, and the future of Native Hawaiian enterprise.