Seeds of Innovation: A Puna Rising Entrepreneur Hub Gathering

By Maria Sherow

March 21st, 2026, started with a bright, sunny Puna morning, a welcome sight just a week after a big storm rolled through the state of Hawai‘i. But as the day wore on, and with whispers of another weather system on the horizon, the sky began to turn. Still, no amount of gathering clouds could dim what was happening inside the Leilani Community Center. A special mix of excitement filled the air as participants and other friendly faces began to arrive. This wasn’t just any get-together; it was a real Puna moment, showing the resilience of our community.

It was the very first in-person meet and greet for the second-year group of the Puna Rising Entrepreneur Hub. You could feel that immediate sense of ohana as “Zoom avatars” transformed into real faces with warm smiles. Friendly greetings helped build camaraderie amongst people who had only known each other through screens. As one participant put it so beautifully, “Seeing everyone in person, after weeks on Zoom, feels like finally connecting.”

The highlight of the day was hearing directly from the entrepreneurs themselves. Each took a moment to share their journey, their vision, and what the Puna Rising Entrepreneur Hub meant to them. It was truly inspiring to witness their passion and commitment.

First up was JaNeal Sovereign.

JaNeal is a Transformational Life Coach, facilitator, and community leader who has made Hawai‘i Island her home for the past 13 years. Prior to settling there, she resided on Maui and completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology on O‘ahu. As a certified Firewalk Instructor and trained Energy Healer, JaNeal draws upon decades of experience in service, leadership, and personal development. She supports clients through a blend of transformational and spiritual coaching offered in private sessions, women’s circles, workshops, and ceremonies. Her approach integrates deep listening, experiential learning, and meaningful reflection with practices such as ancestral healing, soul integration, and intuitive guidance, all aimed at helping individuals create a thriving life. JaNeal is deeply passionate about empowering people to free themselves.

In Puna, where community and healing go hand in hand, JaNeal’s work feels right at home. This is a land that has weathered eruptions, pandemics, and the quiet grief born from watching a beloved place transform almost overnight. Healing here isn’t abstract. It’s personal and collective. The kind of transformational work JaNeal offers, helping people shed what no longer serves them and step into their own power, speaks directly to that need. Whether someone is rebuilding a life or a sense of purpose, having a guide like JaNeal in the community is a quiet but profound gift.

Next, we heard from Rose Racheal Tefft.

Rose is a passionate community leader driven by a vision to foster creativity and connection. She took on the challenge of building free, accessible art, music, and craft classes in local parks, using networking and social media to launch her dream. So far, Rose has successfully started a Facebook page, promoted the initiative online, and gathered essential materials through donations and purchases. Her motivation is to provide a free space where families can be creative, explore writing, music, and dance, and enjoy themselves without worrying about cost or cleanup. Rose is committed to learning and collaborating with other creatives to grow these valuable community programs.

In a community still finding its footing, that gift of a free, joyful space means more than Rose might even realize. After years of disruption, what Puna families often need is a reason to gather, to laugh, to make something with their hands alongside their neighbors. Rose’s vision of art and music in the parks is simple, but its roots run deep. Creativity has always been part of how communities heal. By removing the barriers of cost and logistics, Rose is quietly doing something radical. She’s saying that joy belongs to everyone here, not just those who can afford it.

Not all ten of this year’s entrepreneurs were able to attend, but JaNeal and Rose gave everyone in the room a heartfelt taste of what this cohort is made of. We look forward to introducing the rest of the group in the months ahead.

That energy was felt by everyone in the room that day, a feeling that extended even to the Hub’s own leaders. 

Sylvia Dolena, the head of the Entrepreneur Hub, captured it beautifully, saying, “This meet and greet is more than just an introduction; it’s the catalyst of a powerful new community.”

Steven Kai Manner, the technical manager, added his own grounded perspective: “The technical groundwork is important, but these face-to-face connections are where the real magic of mentorship and collaboration truly begins.” Being together in the Leilani Community Center, right here in the heart of Puna, really connected these new businesses to our land and the spirit of our community.

This journey began last fall with a rigorous selection process. Many Puna residents signed up online, hoping to be part of something special. Out of many applicants, only ten dedicated individuals were chosen. Only those with a real passion for starting a business and the persistence it takes to push through tough times were considered.

The ten selected dove headfirst into a demanding six-month program of two-hour Zoom sessions, twice a week. That kind of dedication says everything about who these ten people are. Through all those hours, they’ve been building solid foundations, learning everything from business modeling and planning to crucial professional business skills, collaboration, leadership, communication, and team building. It’s all about equipping them not just to get by, but to thrive and make their dreams a reality here in Puna.

With the support of a Waiwai Grant from the County of Hawai‘i, the Entrepreneur Hub is all about lifting Native Hawaiian and local entrepreneurs here in Puna. The goal is to launch ten new businesses by July. This is especially important because of the back-to-back hits of the 2018 volcanic eruption and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic that shook Puna. So many small businesses had to close. The Puna Rising Entrepreneur Hub is a big part of our community’s recovery, helping to rebuild that local economy, one business and resilient entrepreneur at a time. It’s Puna’s spirit, reflected right here in these efforts.

The spirit in that room didn’t happen by accident. Behind the Puna Rising Entrepreneur Hub are two incredible leaders who made it all possible, Sylvia Dolena and Steven Kai Manner.

First up, there’s Sylvia Dolena, the Hub’s project/operations manager and director. If you’re looking for someone with serious business savvy, Sylvia’s your person. She cut her teeth in the high-tech world, managing multi-million-dollar businesses for Hewlett-Packard Enterprise. We’re talking about global program management, launching new business strategies across Europe, Asia, and the US. Basically, she’s seen and done it all. As she puts it so perfectly, “I received a million-dollar education and experience in a Fortune 100 company, and I am sharing it with you.” She’s pouring all that world-class knowledge right into Puna, helping our local entrepreneurs build businesses that are not just strong, but truly strategic.

Then, complementing Sylvia’s global expertise, we have Steven Kai Manner, the technical manager, whose roots run deep in Puna soil. Kai was raised right here, steeped in his Hawaiian heritage and the vital values of Aloha ʻĀina (love for the land) and Kuleana (responsibility). His journey is all about fostering community resilience. After graduating from Hawai‘i Academy of Arts and Science in Pahoa, he saw a big gap in tech literacy, which inspired him to start his own AI Web Development company, Olono Web Solutions. His mission? To bridge that digital divide and empower businesses right here at home. He shared how this experience in the Entrepreneur Hub has been invaluable as he prepares to transition from Assistant Director to Executive Director of Puna Rising, stepping up to ensure Puna Rising continues to provide needed community resources.

Together, Sylvia and Kai perfectly embody the spirit of Puna Rising Ohana. Founded by Robert Golden in 2024 with support from the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, this 501(c)(3) organization is all about community recovery and renewal. Their mission is to connect, inform, and inspire the people of Puna to work collaboratively, identify markets, explore new opportunities, and ultimately build a stronger, more robust community ethos for all. It’s a beautiful blend of seasoned expertise and heartfelt local commitment, all for the benefit of Puna. Their combined strengths create a powerful engine, truly bringing that “million-dollar education” to our community.

So, what’s next for these incredible entrepreneurs and the Puna Rising Entrepreneur Hub? The ultimate vision is to keep fostering innovation, creating a supportive environment where ideas can flourish, and truly contributing to the economic and cultural vitality of Puna. We’re talking about a thriving economy and abundance for all who call this beautiful place home.

The journey continues, but with the support of the Hub, these 10 entrepreneurs are ready to put down roots and rise. Their collective impact will reach far and wide, fostering growth and ensuring Puna’s resilience for generations to come. This isn’t just about launching businesses. It’s about nurturing the future of Puna, one entrepreneur at a time. The seeds sown here are set to blossom, bringing new life and prosperity to our community.