Keiki Makers at Ala Moana

On December 21, a group of young entrepreneurs from Vivistop Honolulu took over a corner of the Honolulu Makers Market at Ala Moana Center, just in time for the holidays.

The Keiki Makers Market was the final showcase of our 5-week Entrepreneurship Hackathon, a fast-paced program where a small group of kids turned their ideas into real products and prepared to launch their very own businesses. It kicked off with an inspiring workshop featuring guest speakers Web from Web’s Banana Bread and Whitney from Kitt & Bunn Supply Co., who shared their personal stories and offered practical advice on what it really takes to grow something from scratch.

From there, our young makers dove into every part of the process from product design and branding to pricing, and booth setup, all with the support of Vivistop Mentors. What started as an idea turned into handcrafted goods, original jewelry, and one-of-a-kind gifts ready for the holiday season.

When market day arrived, these keiki entrepreneurs showed up with confidence and pride setting up alongside adult vendors, engaging with customers, and sharing their stories with shoppers who were amazed to learn they were buying from youth as young as 11 years old.

The response was beautiful: customers lingered, asked questions, took pictures, and walked away inspired. We also had a human sized Elf on the Shelf (Seiya, our Director dressed up).

We’re incredibly thankful to Honolulu Makers Market for welcoming our youth and giving them the space to shine at one of the busiest shopping spots in Hawai‘i. Opportunities like this remind us: when you trust young people with the real thing, they rise to meet it.