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Love supporting local businesses? So do we! As the exclusive airline partner of Mana Up, we are proud to continue our Meet the Makers virtual monthly event series showcasing Hawaiʻi entrepreneurs and their products on the Hawaiian Airlines and Mana Up Facebook pages.

This month on Manaʻo, we’re proud to highlight Ao Organics Hawaii and Wai Meli.

Want to experience the local products made by Ao Organics Hawaii, Wai Meli and past Mana Up Makers, including Chef Sheldon Simeon, Mānoa Chocolate and Big Island Coffee Roasters? You can purchase their exclusive product sets at HouseofManaUp.com/Meet-the-Makers. Shoppers who use their Hawaiian Airlines® Bank of Hawaii World Elite Mastercard® earn two additional bonus HawaiianMiles per $1 spent on all purchases.*


Ao Organics Hawaii

When Ao Organics Hawaii Founder Chelsa Davis learned she would have her third child in 2016, she turned her attention to the ingredients in the household products her beach-loving family had been using, starting with their sunscreen. “Once I learned how toxic the sunscreens we were using were, [my family] completely stopped using them. But at the time, it was challenging to find a brand that was 100% organic,” she said.

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Photo credit: Ao Organics Hawaii
Davis pictured with her three children at the beach.

 

This gap in the market led to Davis formulating her organic sunscreen and becoming more aware of the impacts that everyday products were having on the environment.

“I took to learning more about reef safety and how these sunscreens were damaging our ocean ecosystems. As a native Hawaiian, ocean lover, and daughter of a surfer, learning how chemical sunscreens and most popular store-bought products harm our bodies and the environment inspired me to teach others. I wanted to empower and educate others to understand the impacts of the products they use on our wai (ocean) and the ‘āina (land)," she shared.

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Photo credit: Ao Organics Hawaii
Davis pictured in her Honokaʻa studio on the Island of Hawaiʻi.

 

Through this awareness, Ao Organics Hawaii took root. What started with Davis' homemade sunscreen grew to a full spectrum of all-natural, organic facial and body products. Each item, from ʻōlena (turmeric) and honey facial cleanser to coconut-mango lip balm, are crafted in her Honokaʻa studio on the Island of Hawaiʻi, and in small batches with local ingredients.

“Luckily, I have my husband who also works with me and helps me with daily tasks, like making our sunscreen batches and handling our deliveries,” Davis said. “Our work weeks are busy, and we’re usually prepping 100 or more orders a week on top of fulfilling wholesale orders. We do everything in our workshop.

"Owning your own business requires a lot of self-discipline and patience; it is nothing like a nine-to-five job, and there are many days that we work beyond that. However, I wouldn’t trade what I do for the world; it's worth every minute because I get to do what I love, spend time with my husband and children, and make an impact in the world,” she added.

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Photo credit: Ao Organics Hawaii
A lineup of select Ao Organics Hawaii products

 

Ao Organics Hawaii joined Mana Up’s business cohort in 2020. Davis has since rebranded her company, hired a marketing team, and expanded sales enough to invest in larger equipment for more efficient production.

“When shoppers support Ao Organics Hawaii, they support families and the community. Each purchase elevates a kanaka (native Hawaiian)-owned business that integrates core cultural values into its business to keep the health of the ‘āina and community a priority,” Davis shared.

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Photo credit: Ao Organics Hawaii/Mana Up
Shoppers can purchase Davis' Hawaiian spa facial kit prior to attending her live Meet the Makers event! Items in the kit include a face mask applicator brush, facial mixing bowl, and ʻAlaea detoxifying clay mask.

 

Our guests can create a relaxing oasis at home with Ao Organic Hawaii’s during its Meet the Makers virtual event on Sept. 22. Viewers can join Davis as she guides them through her at-home facial routine and Ao Organics Hawaii must-haves. RSVP here.

 


Wai Meli

If you ever wondered what it's like to be a beekeeper, Kawika Sebag, founder of Wai Meli honey, will tell you it's quite the demanding gig. 

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Photo credit: Wai Meli
Sebag pictured holding a thriving hive frame on his farm on the Island of Hawaiʻi.

 

"It's a whole lot of labor-intensive work […] requiring heavy lifting, sweating in a bee suit under the Hawaiian sun, and getting stung regularly," he explained. However, Sebag will also be the first to say his job is one of the most rewarding and hard work "is what it takes to produce the best honey in the world." 

Sebag picked up apiculture as a hobby in college and ran with it in 2011 when he co-found Wai Meli, a raw, organic honey venture on his farm in Pa‘auilo on the Island of Hawaiʻi. Sebag and his team spend their days caring for hundreds of beehives, staving off pests, relocating hives during seasonal changes, harvesting several tons of raw honey at a time, processing the yield and preparing it for kitchen pantries across the country. 

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Photo credit: Wai Meli
Sebag pictured in the distance, tending a hive on his farm on the Island of Hawaiʻi.

 

Sebag and his team’s passion and dedication led to Wai Meli becoming one of Hawaiʻi's premier honey brands, with its unique, rich flavor profiles attributed to its bee-first business model. 

"Honeybees are the backbone of agriculture, providing pollination for one in every three bites that humans consume," he explained. "At Wai Meli, we focus on the health and regeneration of the honeybee population with organic practices that ensure our honeybees' health is a top priority (which is not the standard across [the honey industry]). The way we keep our bees – and subsequently process our honey – ensures the full nutritive range and medicinal qualities inherently found in raw honey remain. In contrast, conventionally produced honey is stripped of those enzymes, amino acids and beneficial properties."

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Photo credit: Wai Meli
Wai Meli honey

 

Today, Wai Meli continues to grow, thanks in part to the guidance Sebag has received through Mana Up. Since Wai Meli joined the accelerator’s cohort of small businesses in 2018, it has seen steady growth in gross sales, streamlined management practices, and forged new and profitable relationships with corporate distributors. "The wealth of opportunity and guidance [provided by Mana Up] has been instrumental to our farm's growth,” Sebag said.

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Photo credit: Wai Meli/Mana Up
Shoppers can purchase the exclusive Wai Meli tasting set that will be featured in Sebag's Meet the Makers live event. Ranging from sweet and floral to deep and complex, this unique array of honey features these local varietals: Lehua Blossom from Pa‘auilo, Summer Blossom from Kapa‘au, and Christmas Berry Blossom from Kapa‘au.

 

Want to fully immerse yourself in the art of beekeeping and honey harvesting? Forget your generic store-bought honey and step into the world of Wai Meli during its live Meet the Makers event, set to air live on Sept. 29. RSVP here.

 


*Partner bonus miles earned through this offer are in addition to standard miles earned using your Hawaiian Airlines® Bank of Hawaii World Elite Mastercard®. No miles are awarded on cash back transactions. Please allow 4-6 weeks for miles to post to your HawaiianMiles account. HawaiianMiles standard terms and conditions apply. Additional restrictions may apply, see partner for details. Barclays Bank Delaware is not affiliated with Mana Up or the merchants participating in the Meet the Makers series or the HawaiianMiles Marketplace.

The Hawaiian Airlines® Bank of Hawaii World Elite Mastercard® is issued by Barclays Bank Delaware (Barclays) pursuant to a license by Mastercard International Incorporated. Mastercard, World Mastercard, and World Elite Mastercard are registered trademarks, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.