Kauai-based hub Common Ground has cultivated Hawaii’s growth as a food destination since its launch in 2018.
As the company’s mission states, the 83-acre Common Ground campus in Kilauea, Kauai, helps invest in the state’s “circular economy of food and beverage businesses, by developing a media and policy platform, demonstrating regenerative farming practices, hosting events, and providing distribution channels for local products.”
Pillars of the business include farming; accelerator program for businesses that provides funding, training, and mentorship; its philanthropic arm CG Foundation and incubator program, which helps invest in early-stage companies furthering the development of agriculture, art and education in Hawaii; and distribution, including an e-commerce site for local companies to market products to a larger audience.
As Jennifer Luck, chief operating officer, describes it, “Common Ground is centered around food, and we use our campus to build and diversify the economy and Hawaii’s food and beverage community.”
She added, “values alignment” is crucial for locally sourced companies in Hawaii that provide food and products locally as exports.
“For me, what I bring is operational experience on Kauai, an in-depth understanding of the area, the land,” said Luck, who has lived on Kauai for nearly 15 years and joined Common Ground in 2018.
Committed to driving a lasting community impact, she brings more than 17 years of experience in program management, fundraising and land management to the for-profit company backed by investors.
Luck also sits on the boards of the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust, Namahana Charter School and Kipuka Kuleana, in addition to her leadership role, and over the CG Foundation.
How did the Covid-19 pandemic impact Common Ground?
The pandemic caught us off guard like everyone else, but brought a tremendous opportunity to do ‘proof of concept’, or to test and fine-tune ideas, for our business lines still running today, like our e-commerce platform, accelerator and incubator program.
We experienced construction delays to our campus renovation, so now the first phase is set to be completed by the end of 2023. Common Ground’s [10-12 member] team [of employees and consultants] is now very adept at weathering challenges, working together more cohesively to make us more successful.
What is Common Ground’s top service?
Primarily events and e-commerce, which we launched at the end of 2020. From 2021-22, sales have increased month-over-month. We launched events last summer and sold out within the first 48 hours tickets went live, and we hope to continue bringing people together through food.
What are your goals for the year ahead?
Next quarter priorities include relaunching farm tours, events, maintaining e-commerce, and supporting the second cohort of our incubator program. By year’s end, I’d like to see all those programs thriving month-after-month, raising company profiles of local people, or people with a Hawaii connection, and a passion for local food.
What advice would you give to other small businesses?
Be flexible, nimble and open to new ideas. Startup culture is meeting the needs of the market and customers and building from there.
How have you seen Hawaii’s startup culture grow since you first started?
The startup ecosystem in Hawaii, though young and small, is growing quickly – and thriving! The need is to support Hawaii’s entrepreneurs, innovators and companies that prioritize not just the financial bottom-line, but running a business that gives back to this place.
At Common Ground, we’re seeing the growth firsthand – Hawaii is growing as a food destination, which helps to diversify the economy, keep more dollars here, and in developing an export market. It’s an exciting rollercoaster, a lot of hard work. It is inspiring to see people working in food, and so many of these startups began during the pandemic.
Common Ground is taking the lessons of the past and innovating a way forward to redefine what agriculture in Hawaii could look like.
Common Ground
Jennifer Luck, chief operating officer
Address: 4900 Kuawa Rd., Kilauea, HI 96754
Website: commongroundkauai.com
