What we Do
Uplifting Our lāhui and Hawaiian businesses
Small Business Loans
We can lend to small businesses from any Island in Hawai'i
Financial Education
We're here to help clients and community members navigate finances
1-on-1 Guidance
We can walk clients through any part of the lending process
Our Purpose
What we are & Why were here
What is a Native CDFI?
A Native Community Development Financial Institution, or Native CDFI, is a nonprofit organization that specializes in providing affordable loans & financial education for people in Native communities. Lei Ho’olaha has been working in our Native Hawaiian community since 2011. Thanks to our 10 years of industry experience, we now specialize in the small business sector of Hawaii.
Our Purpose
To improve the educational and economic status of Native Hawaiians and low-income people by providing education, training, and financial products to community based organizations, public entities, and individuals in the State of Hawaii.
Testimonials
From consultants to Clothing Companies, No small business is out of the question
Out of a paper bag and the back of a truck, Kealopiko was founded in 2006. It startedout as three friends (Ane Bakutis, Jamie Makasobe and Hina Kneubuhl) with a vision to make t-shirts that broke the traditional mold of how Hawaiʻi has been portrayed for so long. We felt that what is truly and uniquely Hawaiian deserved to be the focus of designs transferred to clothing: our plants and animals, our language and practices, our aliʻi (royalty) and kūpuna (elders and ancestors), and our moʻolelo (stories and history) as the people of Hawaiʻi.
Kealopiko
Clothing Company
“Lei Ho’olaha was instrumental in providing us with the financial support we needed to grow and develop our small business. As a Native Hawaiian women-owned business, it was important for us to work with an organization that understood our needs and was able to provide us with flexible financial solutions. Lei Ho’olaha exceeded our expectations and, with their working capital loan, has been significant in our business journey”
Holomua Consulting Group
Federal Contracting Assistance
