Business

Iconic Imports Gift Shop Closing Down

Friday, January 16th, 2026

By Léo Azambuja

After almost five decades serving the needs of Molokai residents and visitors, Imports Gift Shop is gearing up toward closing its doors for good. With everything on sale at 50% off — aside from consignment art — the store will fold when the inventory is gone.

“I’m closing the store, but we’ll still remain open until we sell everything,” said Maria Watanabe, who first opened Imports Gift Shop in 1979. “It’s time to slow down; I have two more stores to take care of.”

Originally from Philippines, Watanabe arrived on Molokai in 1971, and worked at her family’s business, C.…

New Nail Bar Highlights a Family’s Resilience 

Wednesday, February 26th, 2025

By Jack Kiyonaga, Editor 

For Chisa Kalani, Molokai represented a new start. After having “pretty much lost everything” in the 2023 Lahaina fires, Chisa and her husband Eha decided to send their kids over to stay with Eha’s family in Ho’olehua to start the school year. 

Like many affected Lahaina families, the Kalanis ended up living in a hotel post-fires, but weren’t happy with it. 

“We were living in a hotel room,” explained Chisa. “It was really bad. The vibe was so bad.” 

So, the Kalanis packed up their lives in Lahaina, and followed their kids to Molokai. …

Small Businesses, Big Ideas

Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024

Now in its second year, the Pulauhala small business intelligence program has helped over 25 Molokai entrepreneurs in their creative and business paths. The second cohort for the program celebrated their graduation on Sept. 19 at Kulana ‘Oiwi.

“You have to have self-confidence…and the skill set to believe in who you are,” said Kanoe Davis, executive director of nonprofit Ho’aka Mana, which runs the Pulauhala program, at the graduation ceremony.

The 12 fellows in this second cohort displayed products ranging from nails to education tools for keiki to agriculture. Throughout the nine-month program, fellows met twice a month for discussions, workshops, mentor talks, and more.…

Molokai Designer Featured at Hawaii Swim Show

Thursday, September 19th, 2024

In her first year showcasing at the Hawaii Swim Show, Lesley Escobar’s Hoku ili Kinis from Molokai made a splash.

“[Escobar’s] prints were very unique,” said Kali’a Wasson, cofounder of Hawaii Swim Week. “She is very, very passionate about her representation of Hawaii and Molokai.”

Escobar showcased 15 different outfits at the runway event, which ran Aug. 30 through Sept. 1. Her collection drew inspiration from the colors, styles and images of May Day.

“This collection captures the essence of Hawaii’s vibrant culture and stunning landscapes” explains a description of Escobar’s collection, “embodying the spirit of May Day…where fashion meets tradition.”…

Small Businesses Work on Identity Rights

Wednesday, September 4th, 2024

By Jack Kiyonaga | Editor 

From creating profitable ideas, to accounting for overhead costs, to filing taxes, running a small business anywhere is difficult, but it can be especially hard to do so from Molokai. As part of a nationwide initiative, representatives from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) made the trip to Molokai to help business owners and local entrepreneurs navigate the world of trademarks and patents. 

Beyond protecting your ideas, running a business also means keeping a close eye on day-to-day operations—especially payroll. For many small businesses on Molokai, managing employee pay can be just as challenging as securing a trademark.…

Small Business Boost

Wednesday, November 1st, 2023

By Jack Kiyonaga, Editor 

Running a small business on Molokai can be challenging – but a business training program has given entrepreneurs a boost to excel. Twelve Molokai residents recently proved they have what it takes, graduating from the Pulauhala program on Oct. 25. In this program, they may learn of tactics like business intelligence consulting services.

This first cohort of the Pulauhala program, run by Ho’aka Mana Native Hawaiian Organization, completed 14 workshops as part of their year-long class. 

Pulauhala is an accelerator program whereby participants develop the concepts, brands and logistics behind their business ideas. Graduates from the program ranged from established companies to people just starting out with an idea.…

Molokai Small Business Cohort Launches Entrepreneurs

Wednesday, May 31st, 2023

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

Molokai’s Kanoelani Davis has built her culturally-inspired fashion business, PōMahina Designs, from the ground up to a global reach. As a Native Hawaiian single mother of four girls living on a rural island, it has been a long and challenging journey. Now, she’s created a small business accelerator program that helps other entrepreneurs from Molokai to attain success and bypass some of the struggle. 

“Being a small business owner, I had to learn all aspects of building a business, and the way I built Pūlauhala was so that other small businesses can bypass all that work and find their resources easier, and be accessible to capital, to funding, to knowledge, to mentorships, so that’s been super successful and I’m so proud of our small businesses that we have right now,” said Davis.…

Boost for Molokai Auto Parts

Wednesday, May 31st, 2023

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

Molokai Auto Parts, which has helped the island fill its automotive supply needs for the past four years in Kaunakakai, just got a boost to its financial engine. The business was awarded as a recipient of a $10,000 grant from American Savings Bank and Fiserve’s Back2Business program. 

“[They were] selected as the distinguished recipient of this grant for their remarkable business and community contributions, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” stated an ASB press release. 

The Back2Business program supports minority-owned small businesses through grants, coaching, networking opportunities and access to technology. The program has made a $50 million commitment, and since 2020, has awarded more than 1,600 grants to diverse-owned small businesses in the U.S.…