Andrea Bertoli, Author at Hub Coworking Hawaii

Healthy Living Cooking Classes at Impact Hub HNL with Down to Earth!

August 7, 2018

If you are interested in learning more about natural foods and healthy eating, Sisi and Maddie from DTE are hosting 2 more classes over the coming months (August 28 and September 25, both at 6pm). This free class gives the community an opportunity to explore simple vegetarian recipes that can be enjoyed as weeknight meals or shared at office potlucks. And there are always yummy samples!

The August 28 class will feature Rainbow Veggie Pinwheels, which are made by wrapping pretty rainbow salad in tortilla smothered with beautiful hot pink beet hummus! Upcoming classes are FREE but do require reservations. Please register in advance here.

Our Kakaako neighborhood is full of awesome places to eat, drink, and be merry. A few months ago we were happy to see that Hawaii-based company Down to Earth opened their largest Oahu store just a few blocks from us.

Down to Earth operates four stores on Oahu and one on Maui, offering a huge selection of organic and natural foods, local produce, and fresh deli offerings. The Kakaako location offers made-to-order sushi, pizza, sandwiches and more, great for a quick bite to eat before, during, or after work.

You can reach the DTE team for questions or to learn more: (808) 947-3249.

Zero-Waste Living Tips for a Plastic Free July

July 11, 2018

Impact Hub HNL is committed to making impact and building community. Each of the 102 Impact Hubs worldwide is committed to turning the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into reality. Plastic Free July addresses Goals 6 and 14 and we are proud to do our part in limiting use of single use plastics in our space, programs, and events.

Luckily, Hawaii is – in many ways – at the forefront of sustainable action. Not only did our plastic bag ban just go into effect in July, Hawaii has been one of the leaders in trying to ban styrofoam (polystyrene) and plastic straws for years. While it’s awesome to see so much action on the city and state level, it’s really important to understand the important role individuals have to play when it comes to reducing our consumption of single-use plastics.

This month is Plastic Free July and there is no time like the present to start taking action towards living a more plastic-free life, and our Hub team wants to help you reduce your impact this month (and every month!).

Here are some favorite tips from the Hub team about how to reduce plastic waste at work and at home:

Skip bottled water: Use a water filter (reverse osmosis, fridge filter, or even a Brita) to improve the taste and health of your tap water. At Impact Hub HNL we have filtered water on the fridge. Not only does bottled water have low ratings when it comes to safety and taste, Americans throw away about 38 billion plastic water bottles each year (that’s after accounting for recycling!).

BYO Cup & Mug: When you go to your favorite coffee shop, bring your own to-go mug. Not only does this keep your coffee warmer longer, it ensures that you’re not wasting the cup, the sleeve, and the lid for each cup you buy. At Impact Hub HNL, we have a huge collection of mugs and cups to use, so whether you’re drinking our free organic coffee & tea or getting it from the neighborhood cafes, we encourage you to use the mugs we have on the shelves. We also have kombucha and nitro cold-brew coffee on tap so you can sip sustainably all day long.

Skip the Straws: Unfortunately the straw ban just got kicked out of committee at the Hawaii Legislature, but the expanding ‘Straws Suck’ movement is gaining traction. Straws are unnecessary and often become waste littering our awesome beaches, so as much as possible, ask for NO straws at your next pau hana or lunch date. Remembering to say ‘no straw please’ is a conscious action that feels really good!

Support local advocacy groups! We have lots of awesome groups in the islands that are working really hard to reduce plastic waste. Check out beach cleanups from our friends at Surfrider Oahu, Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii, and Plastic Free Hawaii by Kokua Hawaii Foundation. And this weekend, July 14, from 12:30pm-5:30pm is the first Oahu Zero-Waste Summit at SALT Kakaako, hosted by Impact Hub HNL member organization Kanu Hawaii!

None of these options – avoiding plastic water bottles or banning straws – are necessarily going to solve our collective plastics pollution problem. But it helps! And knowing that each day you can make a conscious choice as a consumer to vote with your dollars and your actions to avoid single use plastic helps send a message to restaurants, shops, and yes, even government!

Built in Hawaii: A Unique Storytelling Experience

June 5, 2018

Impact Hub Honolulu hosted our first Built in Hawaii in partnership with Hawaii Public Radio’s GenListen, an entrepreneurial showcase and storytelling experience featuring three inspiring Hawaii-based entrepreneurs.

This pecha kucha-style event featured Kuha`o Zane of Sig Zane Designs, Zak Barry and Matthew Hong of Banán, and Mattson Davis of Kona Brewing Company. These folks came together to present their success stories and discuss how to sustain an idea. After the presentations, there was an Open Space Technology segment where crowdsourced ideas became discussion topics for both the presenters and the crowd the group divided into conversation groups to expand upon ideas that had been presented.

Watch a brief recap of the evening here from HNL Web Design:

More about the Event
PechaKucha (Japanese: ペチャクチャ, IPA: [petɕakɯ̥tɕa], chit-chat) is a presentation style in which 20 slides are shown for 20 seconds each (6 minutes and 40 seconds in total). The format, which keeps presentations concise and fast-paced, powers multiple-speaker events.

Open Space Technology (or facilitated Small Group Discussion)
Guests have the opportunity to pose questions and discuss ideas in a small group with the experts that brought their ideas to reality. This audience-driven facilitation methodology encourages deeper conversation and allows participants to opt into topics and conversation that creates richer dialog and encourages the growth of new ideas.

More about the Speakers:

Kona Brewing Company/Mattson Davis: Davis arrived in Kona in March of ’97 and directed KBC’s gargantuan growth over the next 15 years. Holding on to the spirit of Hawaii through “Liquid Aloha,” he led a team of exceptional individuals to take the brand from Kona, to the mainland, and internationally.

Sig Zane Designs/Kuha‘o Zane: Zane is a designer and artist. In his work he weaves together indigenous Hawaiian concepts into modern, street wear fashion pieces like an Aloha shirt, Vans or a New Era hat.

Banán/Zak Barry and Matthew Hong: Banán’s mission is to provide Hawai’i with a healthy, wholesome, and affordable meal made from fresh produce picked right from the islands. We strongly believe in supporting local farmers and boosting the local economy. Why? Because by consciously making the decision to buy local, people become more connected to themselves, their communities, and the land they live on. Banán strives to build a happier and healthier world by bettering these three spheres of our customers’ lives.

Impact Hub HNL Co-Founder George Yarbrough Selected as Omidyar Fellow

June 1, 2018

We are pleased to share that our very own George Yarbrough has been selected as a member of the sixth cohort of Omidyar Fellows. The cohort is comprised of cross-sector leaders and change makers who were selected through a rigorous application and selection process.

George Yarbrough is an entrepreneur dedicated to Impact Hub Honolulu and Laulea Engineering. Both companies strive to make a better Hawaii. His responsibilities for both include operations, marketing, strategic business development, network and business development, and getting done what needs to be done. His mission for Impact Hub Honolulu is to create a safe place where innovation, collaboration, and growth can happen for all sectors. George’s mission for Laulea Engineering is excel the level in which Hawaii treats and disposes its wastewater. His past professional experience is tied to the public health sector. First, he was with Operation Smile, a global charity that gives free surgeries to those who suffer with cleft lip and cleft palates. George started as a global coordinator and then moved into managing the Africa and Middle East programs. He then moved into the medical team response research field working with the US Department of Defense Center at the Center for Excellence. He graduated from the University of British Columbia with a focus on economic geography and a minor in economics.

The Omidyar Fellows program seeks to cultivate the conditions in which Hawaii thrives by equipping mid-career leaders with the skills and cross-sector relationships necessary to collectively affect societal change. Throughout the initial 15 months of structured curriculum, which begins in October 2018, Cohort VI Fellows participate in a monthly session, executive coaching, conversations with community, business, and government leaders, and more. Following this, the cohort becomes fully engaged in the Forum of Fellows, an active network of currently 70 leaders and change makers, all of whom are dedicated to making positive movement on Hawaii’s most pressing issues. For more about George Yarbrough and the Omidyar Fellows, please check their website: Omidyar Fellows.

Humans of Impact Hub HNL: Hawaiʻi Women in Filmmaking

May 23, 2018

You can support creative endeavors for young women and girls by supporting Hawaiʻi Women in Filmmaking’s Summer Programs crowdfunding campaign!

Hawaiʻi Women in Filmmaking (HWF) is a dynamic team of women that creates opportunities for creative expression and skill-building in film for young women and girls. Their work is focused on amplifying the voices of women, sharing their stories, and providing an opportunity to express their own unique identities through the powerful medium of film. We are so happy to have this passionate team based at Impact Hub HNL!

HWF is made up of Executive Director Vera Zambonelli, Daní Ortiz Padilla as Development & Community Relations, and Valerie Narte, their Filmmaker in Residence.

As a non-profit, ensuring funding for their projects is one of Vera’s primary – and most challenging – tasks. Their current crowdfunding campaign is called Amplify Their Voices.

This crowdfunding campaign is a way to raise funds to support HWF 2018 Summer Programs for Young Women – Making Media that Matters and Reel Camps for Girls. About 90% of the campaign funds will go to scholarships for deserving young women; “Registration fees should never be a barrier for entry for any girls for either of our summer programs,” Vera says.

Making Media that Matters is a filmmaking program where young women develop the technical and critical-thinking skills needed to create both narrative and documentary films. Each session explores and examines social justice issues that impact the lives and communities of these young women.

Reel Camps for Girls is an intensive basic filmmaking and animation programming intended to introduce technical filmmaking skills to produce a short film. The participants are organized in production crews and work together to create films that interrupt gender stereotypes and change the way women view themselves, each other and our future.

HWF is also really clear about their goal: they want to create a safe and creative space for girls and young women to learn valuable technical skills and the tools needed to tell their stories. Film industry statistics regarding women’s involvement in the filmmaking and creative process are pretty dire, and HWF works to redress that inequity. HWF believes that more female involvement in the creative process behind-the-scene affects what we see in front of the screen. Moreover, HWF offers production services for other nonprofits and local businesses and hires HWF graduates. The young women are always paid for their work, and HWF has a policy of never asking the girls to volunteer their time – this allows them to gain marketable skills and earn income, ensuring that even at a young age, they understand the value of their work, time, and brilliance!

These filmmaking programs for young women have been underway for seven years and many former attendees have gone on to become mentors, and mentors to become teachers leading to a virtuous cycle of creative peer-to-peer mentoring.

The crowdfunding campaign culminates on Saturday, May 26 with a Movie Trivia Benefit Night. Register for the event here, learn more about Hawaiʻi Women in Filmmaking here, and if you feel inspired, you can donate to their campaign here.