MEDIA RELEASE

HONOLULU – The Business Development & Support Division (BDSD) of the State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) is supporting the intensive executive education of 70 Hawaii small business owners by partnering with Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC), a national program designed by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) to help small businesses in economically-distressed areas. Kaiser Permanente Hawaii Region is generously providing sponsorship of the ICCC program to help Hawaii’s small businesses build capacity for sustainable growth in revenue, profitability, and employment.

Kaiser Permanente has invited ICCC to Hawaii to build on their recent success achieved in California. BDSD, along with other support agencies, was invited to nominate eligible small businesses to be considered for ICCC’s executive education program that is offered at no charge. Selected business owners will gain knowledge from the following program components:

• A full-day Opening Seminar that offers classes led by nationally recognized business school professors, providing practical content that is actionable;
• Webinars that are led by experienced practitioners to help participants overcome growth challenges;
• One-on-one coaching that gives participants individualized feedback and helps them position for long-term success. Coaching helps business owners refine their pitch for capital and/or tackle specific business challenges; and
• The culminating National Conference that focuses on business owners refining their capital pitch and gaining access to capital providers. Participants ultimately gain from the program a clear understanding of capital alternatives, a sharpened strategic focus, a vibrant business network, and several new capital connections.

“DBEDT is sincerely grateful to ICIC for providing the ICCC program to Hawaii’s small business owners,” said Dennis Ling, administrator, BDSD. “We are especially thankful to Kaiser Permanente Hawaii Region for their sponsorship. Through our export promotion activities, we know the diverse products offered by our nominated companies are in great demand throughout the world. We are excited to see the ICCC program’s impact on these Hawaii businesses to help them gain access to more capital and achieve sustainable growth.”

“ICIC is proud to partner with Kaiser Permanente and DBEDT to bring this transformative initiative to Hawaii’s small business community for the first time,” said Steve Grossman, CEO of ICIC. “Participants will be well-positioned for accelerated growth, job creation, and access to capital. We hope that Hawaii’s small business ecosystem will benefit from this pioneering investment for years to come.”

“When small businesses thrive, our communities thrive. By giving our small business owners opportunities to succeed, the entire community reaps the benefits of job growth, economic stability, improved access to services, and healthier residents,” said Dave Underriner, president of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals, Hawaii Region. “We’re proud to support the hardworking entrepreneurs who are committed to improving the health of their own organization and contributing to economic vitality across Hawaii.”