GETTING CERTIFIED AS A WOMAN, MINORITY, OR VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS (GEW Aloha State - City and County of Honolulu)

Are you a woman, veteran, or minority small business owner interested in growing by selling your goods or services to corporations and government entities? If so, tune in to this webinar to learn how you can leverage business certifications to unlock corporate and government contracts reserved exclusively for businesses like you! We will be joined by the MBDA EWOC Business Center at YWCA Oahu and Villa Business Consulting team members who will take the mystery out of the certifications process and help you get started on a path to success!

Guest presenters (bio below): Marla Musick, Mari Villa and José (Papi) Villa

Guest moderator (bio below): Vivian Pham

Grab your e-seat now - registration page

ABOUT THE GUEST PANELISTS

• Marla Momi Musick joined the YWCA in January 2021 as the MBDA EWOC Business Development Manager to ensure strategic deployment of services and resources for women of color entrepreneurs looking to expand their capabilities and grow their business endeavors. She has 20+ years of leadership experience in fund development, community outreach and communications in the non-profit sectors in New York City and Honolulu and managed her own consulting practice for 6 years before joining the YWCA. Ms. Musick has a BFA in Design from the University of Hawai'i, and a MA from New York University.

• Mari Villa has 20+ years of successful grant writing, fundraising, grant-compliance, and business development experience. She has a: Master’s certificate in Journalism from Michigan State University; a bachelor’s in Mass Communication from State University of New York Oswego, and two associate degrees in Journalism and Business Management from the University of Hawaii Leeward. She has been a radio, television, print, web, and social media journalist and news producer. As an adjunct professor and college instructor, she taught: Communication; writing; editing; photography; journalism; and reporting classes. She also served as the faculty media adviser at St. John Fisher College (Rochester, NY), and Hawaii Pacific University (Honolulu, HI) for over seven years. Mari is bilingual in Spanish and English and has worked as a Spanish language reporter for Univision Communications – the premier Spanish-speaking television network. In the non-profit arena, she has been a grant manager for several non-profits where she handled the writing, administering, and managing post-award compliance reporting.

• José (Papi) Villa has 30+ years as a non-profit and small business consultant. He has a bachelor’s in Marketing and double master’s in Political Science and Human Relations. He has served in various non-profit capacities, including: Executive Director; Deputy Director; Director of Marketing; Communications Director; and Senior Grant Writer. He has chaired, or served on, city, state, and federal grant evaluation committees. These experiences have given him a comprehensive understanding of the inner workings of non-profit enterprises. Thanks to being a long-time member of Toastmasters’ International, Papi is an accomplished professional speaker and former Hawai'i state speech competition champion. He served 23 years in the U.S. Air Force and completed his service as a Major. In addition to English, his alternate languages are Spanish (native speaker), and Mandarin Chinese (fairly fluent).

ABOUT THE GUEST MODERATOR

• Vivian Pham is the Small Business & Finance Program Manager for the City & County of Honolulu’s Office of Economic Revitalization where she manages various small business programs. Vivian has over 13 years of banking background in an assortment of roles with the majority of experience in Government & Community Relations for community development efforts. She helped launch CIELO: Communities for Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Opportunities located in Orange County, CA.; and, is Treasurer and Loan Committee Chair for Feed the Hunger Fund, a Community Development Financial Institution that provides microloans to small businesses in sustainable agriculture and food industries located in Hawai'i and California. Vivian received her BA and MA in Political Science at California State University, Fullerton and University of California, Riverside, respectively. She also attained her Project Management Professional certification established by the Project Management Institute where she serves as the Membership Director for Honolulu’s chapter. In her spare time, Vivian enjoys surfing, hiking, traveling, reading, cooking or eating delicious food.

SPONSORS , SUPPORTERS

• State of Hawai'i - Office of the Governor David Y. Ige
• County of Hawai'i - Office of the Mayor Mitchell D. Roth
• City and County of Honolulu - Office of the Mayor Rick Blangiardi
• County of Kaua'i - Office of the Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami
• County of Maui - Office of the Mayor Michael P. Victorino
• HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union (HawaiiUSA FCU)
• Entrepreneurs SANDBOX
• Pacific Gateway Center
• RJK LLC (Richard Kehoe, MBA, CPA)
• Hāna Community Association
• Maui Economic Opportunity (MEO)
• Pacific Business News (PBN)
• Hawai'i Technology Development Corporation (HTDC)
• Office of Economic Revitalization (OER) of the City and County of Honolulu
• Kūpa'a Kaua'i
• Maui County Business Resource Center (MCBRC)
• Hawai'i Small Business Development Center (HI SBDC)
• Maui Business Brainstormers (MBB)
• Global Entrepreneurship Week (G.E.W)
• Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN)
• Grants Central Station (GCS)
• Kauaʻi Community College
• Rice Street Business Association
• Lady Entrepreneurs and Innovators L.E.I.
• Kauaʻi Filipino Chamber of Commerce
• Kauaʻi Chamber of Commerce
• Kauaʻi Economic Development Board (KEDB)
• Technology Readiness User Evaluation (TRUE)