Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike
Ma Ka Hana Ka 'Ike is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Hāna, Maui, delivering free hands-on vocational training in construction, sustainable agriculture, and Native Hawaiian cultural practices to youth and the broader East Maui community through school-embedded programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersHana, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike does
Ma Ka Hana Ka 'Ike is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2000 and headquartered on the Hāna High and Elementary School campus in East Maui, Hawai'i. The organization delivers place-based, hands-on vocational training to youth in three core disciplines — building trades (Hāna Build), sustainable organic agriculture (Mahele Farm, producing approximately 2,000 pounds of produce monthly for community distribution), and Native Hawaiian cultural preservation including kalo farming and ceremonial practices (Mālama Hāloa) — with a culinary arts pathway (Kahu 'Ai Pono) added in 2022. Across these programs, approximately 40 high school students and 10 graduate apprentices are engaged annually through in-school classes, after-school employment, and post-high apprenticeships.
The underlying "technology" is intentionally low-tech and embodied: a 288-square-foot solar wood-drying kiln reduces lumber drying time from 12 to 1 month, while program participants have constructed 39 kūpuna cottages and 41 educational spaces on the Hāna School campus over 25+ years. Cultural practices — ku'i 'ai (taro pounding), kapa making, Makahiki ceremonies, traditional Hawaiian food preparation, and canoe building — are core curriculum components. A 2024 I Kū Nā Loea Financial Assistance sub-program awards up to three $15,000 scholarships annually to graduating Hāna High School seniors.
The business model is grant-funded nonprofit operations: all programs are provided free of charge to participants, with operating support drawn from grants and private donations. Major funders include the Stupski Foundation ($4.6 million, 2025), MacKenzie Scott through Yield Giving ($2 million, 2024), the Office of Hawaiian Affairs ($520,000 combined in 2024), Kamehameha Schools, Hawai'i Community Foundation, Hawaiian Electric, and over 60 other partners. Distribution is direct: in-person delivery on the Hāna School campus and surrounding East Maui community, with no software product, app, or fee-for-service offering.
Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike
- Legal name
- Ma Ka Hana Ka 'Ike
- Website
- https://hanabuild.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Ma Ka Hana Ka 'Ike is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Hāna, Maui, delivering free hands-on vocational training in construction, sustainable agriculture, and Native Hawaiian cultural practices to youth and the broader East Maui community through school-embedded programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth vocational education and community-based nonprofit services
- NAICS
- Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Career Readiness & College Prep (In-School) (EDAJAFAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Instructional Delivery & Pedagogy (School-Led) (EDAJAFAB)
Keywords
Where Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hana
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Grants and Donations: Ma Ka Hana Ka 'Ike is a 501c3 nonprofit organization run solely by grants, private donations, and in-kind support. Programs are provided free of charge to participants.
- Foundational Support: Major grants from foundations like Stupski Foundation ($4.6 million), MacKenzie Scott ($2 million), and Hawaiian Electric ($20,000) support specific programs and capital improvements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Programs are free for qualifying youth and community members |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ma Ka Hana Ka 'Ike delivers hands-on, place-based vocational and cultural education programs to youth in East Maui through Hāna Build (building and construction training), Mahele Farm (organic farming producing ~2,000 lbs of produce monthly for community distribution), Mālama Hāloa (Native Hawaiian cultural preservation including traditional kalo farming, ku'i 'ai, and kapa making), and Kahu 'Ai Pono (culinary arts pathway). All programs are offered free of charge, operating on the Hāna School campus as a 'school within a school' model and serving approximately 400 K-12 students plus post-high graduate apprentices.
Product overview
Ma Ka Hana Ka 'Ike is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of place-based, hands-on educational programs for youth in East Maui, Hawai'i. The core offerings consist of four interconnected programs: Hāna Build (building and construction trades training), Mahele Farm (organic farming and food production), Mālama Hāloa (Native Hawaiian cultural preservation through traditional agriculture), and Kahu ʻAi Pono (culinary arts pathway). These programs work synergistically—farm produce feeds the culinary program, cultural practices inform agricultural methods, and building skills support farm infrastructure—creating a holistic educational continuum from K-12 through post-graduate apprenticeship. The organization also administers the I Kū Nā Loea Financial Assistance program for graduating seniors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Hāna Build Building and construction vocational training program providing in-school woodshop classes, after-school and intersession employment, and post-high graduate apprenticeships. Engages approximately 40 high school students and 10 graduate apprentices annually through hands-on training in construction projects including kūpuna cottages, handicap-accessibility improvements, alternative energy systems, and educational facilities for Hāna High and Elementary School and local nonprofits.
- Mahele Farm Community farm program that trains farm apprentices, assists the Hāna School Garden initiative, and hosts weekly and monthly community workdays. Operates as a fully functional organic farm producing approximately 2,000 pounds of produce each month, distributed 100% to the East Maui community. Teaches youth ʻāina wisdom from elders and creates intergenerational connection.
- Mālama Hāloa Cultural preservation program that reconnects youth and their ʻohana with traditional Native Hawaiian foods and cultural practices through kuʻi ʻai (taro pounding) sessions at Hāna School, kapa making, Makahiki season ceremonies and games, and poi board and stone carving workshops. Has restored over 30 wetland kalo patches in Wailua Nui under guidance of kūpuna and generational kalo farmers.
- Kahu ʻAi Pono Culinary arts pathway program that operates in tandem with Mahele Farm farming operations, Mālama Hāloa kuʻi ʻai activities, and on-campus gardens. Students and apprentices gain skills for processing ʻāina-based local foods and preparing value-added products, grounded in generations-old knowledge and Native Hawaiian culture, preparing them for careers supporting local agriculture.
- I Kū Nā Loea Financial Assistance Annual financial assistance award providing $15,000 to up to 3 graduating Hāna High School seniors each year for academic, vocational, and/or professional pursuits. Supports transition from high school into further education, careers, or professional training.
Quantifiable outcome
- Built 39 kūpuna cottages enabling elders to age in place in the community
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Hāna SchoolcorePrimary partner institution. Organization offices located at school; most classes held at school and occur as part of school day. 13 campus buildings constructed by program participants.
- Kahanu GardencoreNational Tropical Botanical Garden adjacent to Mahele Farm. Collaborative partner for farm operations, cultural programs, and Makahiki ceremonies. Built visitors' center for Kahanu Garden.
- Ala KukuicoreEast Maui organization collaborating on Makahiki festivities, hosting Wāhine Kai Camp, and community events.
- Hōlani HānacoreOceanside cultural campground partner for Wāhine Kai Camp and community programs.
- Conservation InternationalminorMarine biologists collaborate with Kai (Ocean) Program; provided expertise on sustainable fishing techniques and manini fish reproductive cycle studies.
- Nature ConservancyminorPartner in Lawai'a Camp ocean conservation activities.
- University of Hawai'iminorCollaboration on solar classroom energy monitoring and heat stratification research with UH Mānoa.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ALU LIKE, Inc. Native Hawaiian-led nonprofit providing vocational training, employment services, and education across Hawaiʻi. Shares both target population (Native Hawaiian youth/families) and core mission (workforce + cultural pathways), making it the closest operational peer.
- Pacific American Foundation: Community-based nonprofit serving Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander youth through culturally grounded education, leadership, and STEAM programs. Closely comparable on indigenous, place-based, youth-development mission.
Broad incumbents
- Bishop Museum: Hawaiian cultural and natural history institution providing cultural-education programming. Overlaps on Hawaiian cultural preservation and informal education for youth/families, but operates at much greater scale as a museum/research org.
- Year Up: National nonprofit providing workforce training and apprenticeship pathways for low-income young adults. Comparable on the vocational-training-plus-apprenticeship model and "earn-while-you-learn" thesis, but urban/U.S.-mainstream rather than rural/indigenous.
- Kamehameha Schools: Large, well-resourced Hawaiian K-12 educational institution serving the same target population. Comparable audience and cultural-preservation mission, but a broader, more institutionalized, residential-school model rather than community-embedded vocational training.
Others
- Habitat for Humanity Hawaiʻi Island: Operates Maui housing-building volunteer model with youth involvement. Overlaps on the construction-training-for-community-benefit approach that anchors Hāna Build, though funding/vision model differs.
- Conservation International Hawaiʻi: Documented partner contributing marine-biology expertise to the Kai/Ocean program. Adjacent environmental-education and conservation role that overlaps thematically but does not compete for participants or funding.
- National Tropical Botanical Garden (Kahanu Garden): Kahanu Garden in Hāna is a documented strategic partner co-located with Mahele Farm. Adjacent rather than competing; reflects comparable cultural-botanical-preservation and education activity in the same community.
Emerging players
- Pāʻi Foundation: Native Hawaiian nonprofit supporting arts, culture, and education through Kalo Paʻa Academy and cultural programs. Comparable on Hawaiian cultural-education focus and youth-serving mission, at smaller scale.
Regional players
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui: Maui-based youth-development nonprofit serving the same island community. Comparable in serving Maui youth with after-school and summer programming, though not vocationally specialized or culturally Hawaiian-centered.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike social profiles
Digital presenceMa Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike
What does Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike do?
Ma Ka Hana Ka 'Ike delivers hands-on, place-based vocational and cultural education programs to youth in East Maui through Hāna Build (building and construction training), Mahele Farm (organic farming producing ~2,000 lbs of produce monthly for community distribution), Mālama Hāloa (Native Hawaiian cultural preservation including traditional kalo farming, ku'i 'ai, and kapa making), and Kahu 'Ai Pono (culinary arts pathway). All programs are offered free of charge, operating on the Hāna School campus as a 'school within a school' model and serving approximately 400 K-12 students plus post-high graduate apprentices.
Is Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike a public or private company?
Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike founded?
Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike was founded in 2000. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike based?
Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike is headquartered in Hana, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Grants and Donations are the primary driver. The others are foundational Support.
Who are Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ALU LIKE, Inc. and Pacific American Foundation. Broad incumbents are Bishop Museum, Year Up and Kamehameha Schools. Others are Habitat for Humanity Hawaiʻi Island, Conservation International Hawaiʻi and National Tropical Botanical Garden (Kahanu Garden). Pāʻi Foundation is listed as an emerging player. Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui is listed as a regional player.
Does Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike.
What industry is Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike in?
Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike's product category is Youth vocational education and community-based nonprofit services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAFAM, Career Readiness & College Prep (In-School), with a secondary code of EDAJAFAB, Instructional Delivery & Pedagogy (School-Led). Its NAICS code is 61151 and its SIC code is 8200.