Investing in a Different Kind of Paradise: Catalyzing Hawaii’s Sustainable Food System

by Keoni Lee, Hawaii Investment Ready (HIR)

Founded in 2013 as the first social enterprise accelerator in Hawaii and the first Native-led accelerator in the U.S., HIR has been at the forefront of place-based and culturally-grounded investment strategies in Hawaii. Since then, HIR has evolved into a field-building impact intermediary with a mission to accelerate Hawai’i’s economic transformation. Our holistic suite of strategies includes capacity building, network facilitation, capital deployment and navigation, research, and narrative shifting. These pillars work together to seed deeper relationships, trust and collaboration.

In 2021, we re-envisioned our core program as the Hawaii Food Systems Accelerator to deepen investment in food and move the needle by focusing on one sector. The enterprise cohort prioritizes frontline, rural and Native Hawaiian social entrepreneurs addressing key leverage points identified in a 2020 Transforming Hawaii’s Food Systems Together mapping project. The complementary funder cohort comprises 24 active food systems funders and investors across philanthropy, government and private capital. These networks are invaluable for activating and piloting innovative strategies and frameworks. By convening these diverse stakeholders, we increase our collective capacity to catalyze meaningful progress.

Earlier this year, HIR also partnered with Mission Driven Finance to launch Hawaii’s first catalytic capital debt fund designed to fill funding gaps and better leverage philanthropic resources. By fostering collaboration and pooling resources, we enable high-leverage solutions that address our food systems’ unique challenges. Emerging communities of practice in systems change investing and bioregional financing are gaining traction, with HIR at the forefront of this movement.

Read Keoni's full article here - https://greenmoney.com/investing-in-a-different-kind-of-paradise-catalyzing-hawaiis-sustainable-food-system/

=====