Hawaiʻi Ag & Culinary Alliance Offers Scholarship for Food Entrepreneurs

12-week program helps take value-added products from concept to business plan and pitch

Apr. 13, 2026 at 4:34pm

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A high-end, photorealistic studio still-life photograph featuring an arrangement of premium, polished objects representing the key elements of the Hawaiʻi Ag & Culinary Alliance program - a jar of local honey, a cutting board with fresh produce, a stack of business documents, and a laptop computer. The objects are elegantly arranged on a clean, monochromatic background using dramatic lighting to convey the program's focus on taking food products from concept to commercial success.The Hawaiʻi Ag & Culinary Alliance's scholarship program provides food entrepreneurs the resources and guidance to transform their cottage industry products into thriving commercial businesses.Wahiawa Today

The Hawaiʻi Ag & Culinary Alliance is offering a scholarship program for food product entrepreneurs using Hawaiʻi-grown, raised or caught ingredients. The 12-week 'Āina to Mākeke course provides expert guidance to help incubate and develop cottage industry, consumer packaged goods or value-added products into thriving food businesses. The program is a partnership with Leeward Community College and the Wahiawā Value-Added Product Development Center.

Why it matters

This program supports local food entrepreneurs in Hawaiʻi, helping them take their value-added products to the next level and get their businesses off the ground. It's an important initiative to grow the state's food and agriculture industry by providing resources, training, and connections to key industry players.

The details

The 'Āina to Mākeke course covers topics like product development, licensing and regulations, food science, business planning, marketing, and distribution. Participants receive a $1,000 partial scholarship toward the $1,500 tuition, as well as introductions to the Wahiawā Value-Added Product Development Center and a free consultation with their product development manager. The program also provides opportunities to showcase and pitch products to buyers, distributors, and industry leaders.

  • Applications for Cohort 8 are due by April 20, 2026.
  • Cohort 8 runs from June 15 to September 2, 2026, with classes on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The players

Hawaiʻi Ag & Culinary Alliance

A partnership organization that aims to support and grow Hawaiʻi's food and agriculture industry.

Leeward Community College

A community college in Honolulu that is a partner in the 'Āina to Mākeke course.

Wahiawā Value-Added Product Development Center

A center in Wahiawā that provides resources and expertise to help food entrepreneurs develop their products.

Hailey Zhou

The Product Development Manager at the Wahiawā Value-Added Product Development Center who provides free consultations to program participants.

Berklee Welsh

The founder of Shaka Butter and a participant in the Hawaiʻi Ag & Culinary Alliance's Cohort 7 program.

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What they’re saying

“It's been a really incredible experience learning from all the guest speakers, the instructor and most importantly the community that's just come from meeting other entrepreneurs like myself and really growing together as a group.”

— Berklee Welsh, Founder, Shaka Butter

What’s next

The deadline to apply for Cohort 8 of the Hawaiʻi Ag & Culinary Alliance's Cottage Industry to Commercial Enterprise Scholarship program is April 20, 2026.

The takeaway

This program provides a valuable opportunity for Hawaiʻi-based food entrepreneurs to take their value-added products to the next level, connect with industry resources and experts, and ultimately grow their businesses in the local food and agriculture sector.