The award is intended to honor an entrepreneur or entrepreneurial company that makes a substantial contribution to Hawaiʻi. The award recipient will have contributed to non-profit organizations or community volunteer efforts. This award celebrates those entrepreneurs and companies that have shown leadership, innovation and commitment to being a part of efforts to solve our state’s toughest problems. Our 2024 Social Impact Entrepreneur of the Year finalists are Carlo Liquido of Circular Design Internship, Julie Morikawa of ClimbHI, and Jeff Gilbreath of Hawaiʻi Community Lending.
Circular Design Internship is an organization and community dedicated to fostering economic sovereignty in Hawai'i. Our 'circular' design program matches aspiring designers with experienced mentors and places these teams with local companies to work on challenging design opportunities in order to build up the local tech talent pipeline as well as the Hawai'i design and technology community.
Hawaiʻi Community Lending is a nonprofit community development financial institution that provides affordable loans and free financial education to Native Hawaiians and local families shut out from the mainstream financial system. Over the last 21 years we have funded the affordable housing ecosystem from the home buyer to the home builder to the home owner, helping 4,331 Native Hawaiian and local ʻohana secure or sustain housing.