This fall, Punahou’s Case Accelerator for Student Entrepreneurship (CASE) relaunched the Project Accelerator. The Project Accelerator is a program that brings together student entrepreneurs for mentorship, guidance and community. Through the program, students have been learning from alumni and community entrepreneurs, leaders and change-makers while working with each other in small cohorts to develop their ventures.
One new aspect of the Project Accelerator is student-led workshops. Yolanda Lau, CASE director said “The workshops provide an invaluable opportunity for students to share their knowledge while growing as leaders. It’s inspiring to see students step forward to lead, mentor and share their insights with their peers.”
These student-led workshops have been led by Academy students in every grade level and have covered an assortment of topics, including how to start a podcast and how to get started with craft fairs.
Recently, Anna Sophia Dao ’25 presented “An Intro to Business” workshop to students and faculty. Her student-led workshop covered topics like entrepreneurship basics, developing a business idea, and creating a mission-driven brand, inspiring students to explore their own potential as future changemakers. She also shared her own entrepreneurial journey, which includes several different ventures and initiatives. In addition, she worked with students directly to help them brainstorm ideas for their own projects and showed students how to use the Business Model Canvas to identify an interesting problem and iterate unique solutions.
This workshop is one of several Dao has led as part of her efforts through Lokahi Collective, an initiative that she created with inspiration from CASE through the popular Art Of Entrepreneurship class and the Project Accelerator (which Dao participated in as a member of the inaugural cohort). The annual Aloha United Way drive, which allowed student businesses to sell their products and raise money for Lahaina, was another source of inspiration.
Ultimately, Dao created the Lokahi Collective to continue fundraising efforts for Maui via the Hawaii Community Foundation’s Maui Strong fund. Lokahi Collective, part of her nonprofit organization Next Wave Hawaii, aims to mentor teens with small businesses as well as provide students the opportunity to give back to the community. “The impact of the fires is still being felt and it’s now our responsibility to step in. Maui wildfire relief donation platforms have seen a decline in donations even though families and students on Maui still need help,” she said.
Today, Lokahi Collective aims to help the community while mentoring and educating teens interested in business. The organization shares a website, among the nine small businesses from both public and private schools, that showcases all of the products collectively.
Punahou students showcased on the website include Alexa Yee ’27, Anika Wida ’24, Jaqueline Kashimoto ’27, Jasmine Lau ’25, Lilinoe Wilson ’26 and Megan Ing ’27. Through workshops, teens with small businesses can learn to sell their products online and gain tips on running their business effectively. “I’m getting more exposure now that we’re all working together to market our products,” Wida said. During the workshops, mentors were available to help students answer any questions that might occur. “I got help brainstorming ideas for my logo. I love the design we came up with,” Yee said.
The relaunched Project Accelerator is making an impact – its mentorship, collaboration and student-led initiatives are equipping young entrepreneurs with the tools they need to thrive. Lau commented, “It’s been incredible to see our students, like Anna Sophia who participated in our first cohort of the Project Accelerator, grow and mentor other students. Anna Sophia is building on their experiences to inspire and lead others. The entrepreneurial mindset at Punahou is thriving, and our students are proving that when given the tools and support, they can create real impact — not just for themselves but for our entire community.”