Entrepreneur Mahealani Summerer, 12, nimbly worked to build a miniature couch last week.
It's all part of her business, Laniture, just one keiki-led businesses that will be featured in a market this weekend at Kāhala Mall.
More than a dozen young entrepreneurs have been getting a lesson in business and entrepreneurship through Vivistop Honolulu's Dream Incubator program, which culminates with The Future is Keiki Market. Set for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 19, at Kāhala Mall, the one-day pop-up is a showcase of the entrepreneurs, ages 10 to 18, who have developed their own small businesses and hand-crafted items.
Kāhala Mall is located at 4211 Wai‘alae Ave.
Seiya Yoshida is executive director of Vivistop Honolulu, which he says is a creative space for kids. Here, they curate activities for kids to build their own projects around their passions, offer a space for children to explore and discover things they're passionate about "and find confidence and find their voice through that as well," he told Aloha State Daily last week.
Vivistop Honolulu opened in August 2022 and primarily serves kids 10 to 19. It began as a for-profit company but has since pivoted become a nonprofit, according to Yoshida.
"This is just a safe space," he said — and a big one. There's a dance area where content can be shot, a flex maker space where he says a lot of creating happens, a woodworking area, tech mezzanine and music studio.
"We kind of do it all because you don't know what you like until you try it," Yoshida said. "It's a safe space to try a lot different creative activities. ... Then we started this program because we are wanting to create more value in the community as well. We saw that there is kind of a need for kids wanting to start their own projects."
The Dream Incubator program began earlier this year.
Yoshida said it started with two workshops that helped the kids create ideas and they were able to "figure out what they liked doing and we built businesses around their passions. That was kind of the theme for this version of the program."
The participating kids are now developing their brands. Some have been a part of Vivistop Honolulu programs before and are growing their businesses, while others are new and just starting, he said.
Mahealani said she started crafting cardboard houses at a young age, but has been working on this business since January. She hasn't sold anything before but said she's looking forward to doing so.
When asked what she likes most about the Dream Incubator program, Mahealani says, "just to create what you have in mind and put that into reality, to actually represent what you want to represent to people."
Sioux Marchisio's business is Desk Dudes, which sells items to put on your desk or shelves, magnets, key chains, stickers and laser-cut wooden figures of characters he created: Goober, Scant, Smiler and Ponderer.
For this market, Sioux, 15, said he added key chains and had to make more of the products he plans to sell. Each of the four characters also gets a QR code and animation.
His favorite part has been taking his drawings and characters and selling them.
Is this something he wants to keep doing in the future?
"I'll keep doing it for a while," Sioux says.
"This program is built to give kids the confidence and just the know-how to thrive in Hawai‘i too," Yoshida says.
Yoshida says they've participated in other markets where the young entrepreneurs were able to showcase their wares and see other vendors, but the Future is Keiki Market is the first time they've done their own.
"This one is exciting because it's just for showcasing the entrepreneurial spirit and the creativity of the youth," he said. "Kāhala Mall was gracious enough to let us host there. ... It's just a great way to support the community and the kids in the community as well, because the kids are the future. We're giving them the necessary skills to be an independent person, to be a creative person, to be a community leader and [help them to] give back, too."
More than a dozen young entrepreneurs 10 to 18 will participate in the market, and Yoshida says they'll be selling a variety of items — baked goods and desserts, miniature furniture, wooden figurines, jewelry and clothing.
"While we're getting closer to the date [of the market], kids are getting a little more stressed creating their products, but they're having fun while doing it too," Yoshida says, adding that many of the participants are thankful and want the program to continue. Even their friends want to join.
When asked whether another Dream Incubator session could be on the horizon, Yoshida says the organization is "kid-driven," and creates programs and workshops based on what they see and hear the keiki want to do.
"Because the kids are wanting to do it again, we are definitely wanting to do another Dream Incubator program," he said. "There might be a different theme. It might not be passion into a business."
How can someone get involved? Aside from supporting the young business owners this weekend, Yoshida says kids can apply for other workshops and programs. Vivistop will offer summer camps through June and July.
Others in the community can also donate to help the nonprofit. Yoshida says the organization is in danger of closing at the end of July.
"We're wanting to continue our programs, and we know that there's a need and that there's a value in it."
It currently is seeking new donors and partners to help continue programming, he said.
People can also become mentors, "so if they have a craft that they're passionate about and want to share with the community and the kids, they're able to come to us and pitch us a workshop idea or program ideas."
Those interested in supporting the organization can email aloha@vivita.us or visit vivita.us.
Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
