Born and raised on Oʻahu, Taylor Yuen was in elementary school the first time she attended the Made in Hawaiʻi Festival in 2012. She was there to help with the family business, PorkGrinds Hawaiʻi, and worked the booth passing out samples to shoppers and would rearrange the boxes of products into forts during downtime, she recalls.
Fourteen years later, her startup Mākia Market, which aims to bolster opportunities for local student entrepreneurs, will debut at this year’s festival on Aug. 20 to 23 at the Hawai‘i Convention Center.
“This is a full circle moment for me,” says Yuen, who has a design and marketing company, Amataya, and is headed into her senior year at Chapman University in California, where she's pursuing a degree in business administration with an emphasis in entrepreneurship and marketing and a minor in graphic design.
She graduated from Punahou School in 2023, the same year she launched Keiki Makers Market in the spring as “a passion project,” Yuen says; it has since grown to include more than 130 student makers from kindergarten through undergraduate university.
Her overall goal is “to make youth entrepreneurship, education, mentorship and resources accessible to students across the state of Hawaiʻi.”
“My journey as an entrepreneur began at the height of the [Covid-19] pandemic when social entrepreneurship became especially powerful. After joining a student-led initiative to support our school's financial aid fund, my eyes were opened to a world in which my passions for art and creativity could make a tangible impact,” she told Aloha State Daily. “Participating in various student markets on my school's campus, I realized just how many students were searching for similar opportunities and wanted to bring that concept into the community. This led me to explore and educate others about owning their passions, eventually resulting in the start of what would become Mākia.”
As part of the Chamber of Commerce Hawaiʻi’s Impact SmallBiz Accelerator program in 2025, Yuen decided that rebranding Keiki Makers Market to include adults would allow for future growth.
She landed on the name Mākia, which means purpose in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, she said, adding that all the makers “are asked to think about what their mākia is, or their purpose, whether that’s art, animals, environmental studies, etc.”
“It’s about connecting that passion to a greater purpose that can impact community,” Yuen continued.
Mākia Market was originally hosted at Hawai’i Children’s Discovery Center and now takes place on select dates at The Barn at SALT at Our Kaka’ako. Its last event there was held on Aug. 8.
“Each market is different and themed. We’re onto our 18th market and the bulk of them do happen in the summer,” she said, noting that student vendors sell various products such as jewelry, crochet keychains and plushies, art, baked goods and more, some of which donate a portion of their proceeds to local organizations.
When asked how the company is funded, Yuen said “boot-strapped,” with some personal investment.
“It’s all reinvested back into the business to support the students,” she said, noting that decreasing barriers to entry for student makers is a core value. “They get a discounted student vendor rate, which goes to support participation in our events.”
The market's Alakaʻi Student Ambassador Program “elevates seasoned Mākia student makers to step into leadership positions within the wider Mākia ecosystem,” according to Yuen.
“I have had the privilege of witnessing these women grow from first-time market participants into confident, influential leaders who now drive innovation and inspire peers in Mākia and beyond. Seeing that transformation is incredibly powerful and has definitely been the most memorable moment throughout this journey for me.”
Yuen is working on creating an entrepreneurship curriculum she hopes to deploy by next summer.
“While our workshops and courses build the foundation for early entrepreneurial thinking and long-term leadership, our markets provide the platform for students to actively apply those skills that are best learned in practice — like pitching themselves and their businesses, engaging with customers and adapting in real time,” she said. “But beyond technical skills, we love witnessing students step into their identity as founders, take initiative and support their peers.”
In gearing up for the 2026 Made in Hawaiʻi Festival, Yuen has offered marketing and presentation crash courses to seven student makers, who will be “surrounded by very established businesses at one of the busiest markets on the island.”
“It has helped build their confidence, and now I think they’re more excited than nervous,” she said.
Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs? “One mentor would challenge me to ‘Get out of the way!” ... Don’t limit yourself and acknowledge when your mindset is holding you back. Believe in your ideas. Ask for help from your community.”
Check out Mākia Market at booth No. 106 at the four-day MIHF festival. Here is their planned schedule:
Thursday, Aug. 20 (6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.)
Made for Kūpuna,, Abigail Yang & Leila Toma '28 (Mākia Student Ambassadors)
Paige's Pretty Patterns, Paige Hijirida ʻ33
Friday, Aug. 21 (6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.)
Minigirl Studios, Katia Dela Cruz '28 (Mākia Student Ambassador)
Wee Little Things, Audrey Wee '28 (Mākia Student Ambassador)
Saturday, Aug. 22 (8 a.m. to 10 p.m.)
Kahakai HI Jewelry, Kaela Yasuhara '26 (Univeristy)
Little Loops Crochet Co, Megan Ing '27 (Mākia Student Ambassador)
Sunday, Aug. 23 (8 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
Dango Cat Designs, Risa '31 & Quinn '33 Togashi
Kahakai HI Jewelry, Kaela Yasuhara '26 (Univeristy)
For updates, follow Mākia Market and MIHF on Instagram.
Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
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