Nine University of Hawaiʻi faculty members were celebrated for transforming their classrooms through entrepreneurial thinking at a May 16 showcase hosted at the Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center.
The event marked the culmination of the inaugural season of the EL3vate program, a year-long professional development initiative designed to help faculty integrate experiential learning, entrepreneurship and engineering design into their curricula.
“These frameworks are designed to help students develop critical skills for the modern workplace, preparing them to grow into innovative, problem-solving contributors to society,” Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship (PACE) Executive Director Sandra Fujiyama said.
The faculty members in the inaugural cohort—from disciplines such as architecture, business, esports and nutrition—were awarded digital badges, certificates and stipends in recognition of their efforts to reshape how UH students learn.
Student wins reflect faculty impact
EL3vate participants Associate Professor Kacie Ho (College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience), Assistant Professor Yasushi Ishida (School of Architecture) and Assistant Professor Xiaodan Mao-Clark (School of Travel Industry Management in the Shidler College of Business) introduced their students to PACE business and innovation competitions. Ho and Ishida’s students were among the awardees in the Innovate 808 competition with their kimchee and marinara flavor chip seasonings and an architectural storefront makeover, respectively.
“I’ve had the privilege of coaching Kalo Grants student entrepreneurs for over a year now, and their creativity, expertise and passion for their community continue to inspire me,” Mao-Clark said. “Their projects not only drive my teaching to foster an entrepreneurial mindset in the classroom but also propel my research to improve community sustainability.”
Collaborations spark cross-campus creativity
In addition, Ishida partnered with a UH Maui College faculty member on a Lahaina-focused course initiative, blending design and business perspectives. In a separate collaboration, Mao-Clark worked with a UH Hilo faculty member on an initiative where students engaged with the community, strengthening their learning experience through real-world connections.
“From using the PACE 3D printer to create a scale model of Lahaina for my ‘Rebuilding Lahaina’ seminar, to students in the capstone studio clearly communicating their designs with printed models, hands-on tools make a significant impact,” Ishida said. “I’m eager for more opportunities like Innovate808 that allow our students to connect their unique skills outside the university setting.”
Gaming meets entrepreneurship
UH Esports students are gaining invaluable entrepreneurial skills and industry connections through a dynamic collaboration between Nyle Sky Kauweloa (UH Esports director and UH Mānoa specialist faculty for interdisciplinary studies) and PACE.
“Over the previous three years, PACE has been critical with expanding support for the UH Esports program by giving our esports players, student leaders and video game community a broader vision of how to align their interests in digital games and entrepreneurship,” Kauweloa said. “With our new UH Esports arena opening up soon (right across the street from PACE), there is more to come!”
PACE, housed in the Shidler College of Business, continues to lead systemwide efforts to foster entrepreneurship and innovation in education. Faculty interested in future opportunities, including the EL3vate program, can find more information at this website. The EL3vate program is a collaboration between PACE, UH Online Innovation Center and Maui Economic Development Board.
