Central Pacific Bank has selected its next cohort of women entrepreneurs for its WE by Rising Tide program, which kicked off earlier this month.
The cohort met for its first session on Aug. 7 and will run for 10 weeks, culminating Oct. 9.
According to CPB in a release announcing the cohort members, the program “includes 20 women entrepreneurs from around Hawaii and equips them with the knowledge and insights to accelerate their business operations to higher levels.” Programming will include what CPB called a “rigorous” curriculum that covers financial management, marketing and branding, and attracting and retaining talent, according to the CPB website. It also will feature networking opportunities.
The program is led by CPB and the aio Foundation, in partnership with the Patsy T. Mink Center for Business and Leadership.
“We are thrilled by the impressive pool of accomplished women entrepreneurs who applied to our program,” said Colleen McAluney, director of the Patsy T. Mink Center for Business and Leadership, in a statement. “We look forward to providing a supportive network for this cohort of inspiring women as they scale their enterprises.”
Here are the participants:
- Alexis Akiona, Lexbreezy Hawaii LLC
- Joy Bitonio, KOMO Studio
- Brandy Cajudoy, Cajudoy Construction LLC
- Jamie Champagne, Champagne Collaborations LLC
- Jessica Cole, Jess Cole Films
- Chelsea Deptula, Surfvivor Media Inc.
- Ashley Gundaker, State Farm - Ashley Gundaker LLC
- Cynthia Ishikawa, Masa Fujioka & Associates
- Kuulani Keohokalole, People Strategies Hawaii LLC
- Cheryl Kunimoto, Marie Hansen Properties Inc.
- Ramona Lariosa, Haloa Construction LLC
- Cori Nakamoto, Cori’s Cake Dreams LLC
- Cristina Nishioka, Beyond Pastry Studio
- Miriam Olivas, Barrio Café LLC
- Madeline Price, Sol Medical Wellness & Aesthetics LLC
- Jana Sasada, Haleola Essentials LLC
- Leilani Sills, The Keiki Dept
- Jasmine Silverstein, HeartBeet LLC
- Celeste Sison, The Wellnest LLC
- Mahina Tuteur, Surf Shack Puzzles LLC
“The talent and drive of Hawaii’s women-owned businesses continue to impress us, and we’re thrilled to offer this comprehensive program to help them expand and grow professionally,” said Susan Utsugi, CPB group senior vice president of Business Banking and a WE by Rising Tide founding member, in a statement.
For more information on the program, click here. Applications for the next cohort will open in spring 2025.
