Makaha Learning Center

What Makaha Learning Center does

Makaha Learning Center (legal name: Makaha Cultural Learning Center) is a Hawaii-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit trade school founded in Waianae, serving Native Hawaiians and residents of the Waianae Coast on the leeward side of Oahu. The organization operates from a single facility at 84-1170 Farrington Highway (Building C-2) in the Makaha Gateway Center and is described as the only non-union construction trade education provider west of Honolulu. Its core offering consists of three educational programs — Aloha Construction Foundations (80-hour core construction class), Grid Ready Solar Program/Solar PV 101 (15-week NABCEP-aligned solar installation course), and Solar Sales (13-week hybrid course) — delivered through a hybrid virtual + in-person lab format. The curriculum is differentiated by an integrated cultural framework built around three Hawaiian concepts: Ho'oponopono (philosophical awakening), Ho'omau (trade preservation through scholarships and training), and Ho'onua (community outreach).

The business model combines tuition and deposits, scholarship disbursements, and charitable donations. Pricing is tiered by age: ages 16-35 receive full scholarships, while adults 35+ pay reduced tuition ($500 for Solar PV 101, $500 for Construction Foundations). Required deposits include $50 for Solar PV 101 and $250 for Solar Sales, with community service hours substitutable for refundable deposits. The Ho'omau Scholarship provides $1,000 to students pursuing higher education in specialty trades. A material share of programmatic funding comes from a concentrated set of corporate and foundation sponsors — AES Hawaii and Harold K.L. Castle Foundation co-fund the Solar PV 101 launch at 100% grant level, while HEI Catalyst and Clearway serve as ongoing program sponsors. The organization is led by President Danielle Irwin with a small team (1-10 employees) and pursues community-led and direct-to-consumer enrollment via website waitlist applications, HUBZone eligibility screening, and grassroots outreach through Ho'onua programs.

Name

Makaha Learning Center

Legal name

Makaha Cultural Learning Center

Website

https://makahalearning.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Makaha Learning Center is a Hawaii-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit trade school providing construction, solar installation, and solar sales training to Native Hawaiians and Waianae Coast residents, integrating Hawaiian cultural frameworks with NABCEP-aligned vocational curricula and scholarship-funded tuition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Waianae

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Program Tuition and Fees: Revenue from student tuition including course deposits ($50 for Solar 101, $250 for Solar Sales) and reduced tuition fees ($500 for students 35+). Programs include Construction Foundations, Solar PV 101, and Solar Sales courses.
2. Scholarship Fund Disbursement: Ho'omau Scholarship providing $1,000 tuition assistance or tuition forgiveness for in-house programs, funded by generous funding partners for students pursuing vocational or college education in trades
3. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations accepted via PayPal and mail, with corporate gifting opportunities for organizations passionate about trades and Hawaii community opportunities

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Makaha Learning Center is a native 501(c)(3) trade school providing trade-based education programs for Native Hawaiians and residents of the Waianae Coast. It offers hybrid virtual and in-person training in general construction, solar PV installation, and solar sales, supplemented by cultural foundations (Ho'oponopono, Ho'omau, Ho'onua) and the Ho'omau Scholarship to support tuition access.

Product overview

Makaha Learning Center is a native 501(c)3 trade school offering trade-based education programs focused on Native Hawaiians and the Waianae Coast community. The organization provides three main educational programs: Aloha Construction Foundations (construction trade training), Grid Ready Solar Program/Solar PV 101 (solar installation certification), and Solar Sales (solar technology sales training). The Center also offers the Ho'omau Scholarship for students pursuing higher education in trade and construction fields. Programs include virtual classroom instruction combined with in-person labs and are designed to prepare students for careers in construction, renewable energy, HVAC-R, and electrical apprenticeship. The organization is the only non-union construction trade education provider west of the Honolulu area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aloha Construction Foundations An 80-hour core construction class paired with guided Aloha study providing a pathway into the skilled-trade workforce. Covers Field Safety, Construction Math, Hand Tools, Rigging, Communication, Employability Skills, and Materials Handling through virtual self-paced instruction with in-person labs.
• Grid Ready Solar Program (Solar PV 101) A 15-week solar installation course covering NABCEP Entry Level Learning Objectives including site analysis, system sizing, array configuration, electrical design, module/inverter specifications, mounting methods, and commissioning of grid-direct PV systems. Meets NABCEP educational standards for technicians, satisfying the formal classroom training requirement for Associate level testing.
• Solar Sales

Quantifiable outcome

• NABCEP Associate level exam eligibility upon completion of Solar PV 101
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NABCEP (North American Board of Energy Practitioners)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStandards body whose educational standards for technicians are met by Makaha Learning Center's Solar PV 101 curriculum. Completion satisfies NABCEP's formal classroom training requirement for Associate level testing.
• SBA (Small Business Administration)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides HUBZone certification map and eligibility framework that Makaha Learning Center uses to identify and serve qualifying students.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Solar Energy International: National NABCEP-aligned solar training provider offering PV installation, design, and sales courses. Directly comparable to Makaha Learning Center's Solar PV 101 and Solar Sales curriculum, with broader geographic reach and similar credential pathways.
• HeatSpring: Online training platform offering NABCEP-approved solar PV, solar sales, and heat pump courses. Comparable in curriculum (NABCEP-aligned) and delivery format (hybrid virtual instruction) to MLC's solar offerings.

Regional players

• Pacific Gateway Center: Honolulu-based nonprofit providing workforce training, job placement, and immigrant/refugee services in Hawaii. Comparable as a community-based workforce development organization serving underserved populations in the same state.
• ALU LIKE, Inc. Native Hawaiian nonprofit providing education, workforce development, and economic self-sufficiency services across Hawaii. Comparable in mission (Native Hawaiian community uplift) and target demographic, though broader in scope than trade-specific training.

Emerging players

• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1186: Hawaii union apprenticeship provider for electricians. Comparable in electrical trade training offering but takes the opposing (union) approach to MLC's non-union positioning; both compete for the same Oahu trade aspirants.

Others

• Workforce Development Council (Leeward): Regional workforce development entities on Oahu coordinating training and apprenticeship referrals. Adjacent to MLC's mission as they route residents to trade programs including MLC's construction and solar courses.

Broad incumbents

• Honolulu Community College: Public community college in Hawaii offering vocational and trade programs including construction, electrical, and renewable energy technology. Comparable as a Hawaiian trade education provider but broader in scope and union-aligned.
• Hawaii Community College: Public community college on Hawaii Island offering trade and technical programs. Comparable as a Hawaiian workforce training institution serving local residents, with a broader program catalog than MLC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/makahalearning
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/makaha-learning-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/makaha.learning.center

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Makaha Learning Center