By: Miranda Canniff
This past summer was the 10th iteration of Nalukai Academy’s Summer Startup Camp for Hawai’i high school students. Every year since its inception, the camp has evolved––driven by feedback from Nalukai alumni, facilitators, and community members––from its beginnings as a technology focused “hacker camp” to a culturally-grounded entrepreneurship learning lab.
Over the course of 10 days, Nalukai Startup Camp Founders explore problem spaces, develop solutions, create business models, and present to their community at a final Hōʻike (celebration of learning). With the guidance of industry professionals, educators, and cultural practitioners, Nalukai adopts an approach to learning that embraces constant iteration and prioritizes a culture of belonging and trust-focused team building.
In the ten iterations of the program, Nalukai facilitators have learned that a comprehensive problem identification phase yields solutions that are grounded deeper in community values and needs. This “problem epicycle” phase has evolved to become a cornerstone of the program.
Aaron Schorn has been a facilitator and curriculum designer since Nalukai’s inception in 2016. After a decade of iteration, he remarks, “What we realized over 10 years is that we didn’t stay in the problem place long enough. Shifting to solutions too quickly makes it less of a tangible and applicable experience for Founders, since often the first solution in any venture will be pivoted from. We needed our Founders to fall in love with the problems they’re trying to solve”. Lead curriculum designer Carlo Liquido builds on this sentiment, saying “When commercial entrepreneurship shifts to prioritize social and cultural values, problems are reframed as ʻkuleanaʼ—a concept that emphasizes the privilege and responsibility of serving one’s community. By framing problems this way, founders create solutions that remain grounded in a clear and shared purpose, no matter how many times they pivot.”
The problem epicycle is constructed on the foundation of holistic exercises that start before Founders even arrive at camp in person. In two virtual sessions held prior to their official 10 days at Nalukai Startup Camp, Founders identify values that they resonate with and practice DEI/communication skills to enable deeper conversations. In these pre-work sessions, participants are primed with essential tools that build an understanding of themselves, each other, and the issues they tackle in their 10 days at camp.
Days 1 & 2
The problem epicycle itself begins on Day 2 of the program following a day of teamwork activities and community building. In an activity led by long time facilitator Allen Murabyashi called “Four Corners”, Founders learn how to express their opinions through prompts ranging from “SPAM is disgusting” to “Some beaches should be off-limits to tourists”. Nalukai facilitators then lead Founders through thought-provoking discussions on local issues and provide an introduction to the general theories of problem-based entrepreneurship.
Photo Credit: Jack Solomon, Nalukai Academy
Among these theories is the double diamond method, introduced in tandem with the idea of hanu mai (breathing in) and hanu aku (breathing out) in morning piko (centering) exercises. Echoing one another, the double diamond and hanu mai/hanu aku teach Founders to look broadly, then closer to pinpoint problems and their underlying causes.
In approaching problem identification this way, Nalukai emphasizes looking at problems through an indigenous lens. As curriculum developer Pomai Bertelmann often says: “island people need island solutions”. Integrating discussion on identity, values, and place allows for Founders to become invested in problem spaces they truly care about and eventually develop solutions that are cognizant of the unique cultural landscape of Hawaiʻi.
Following an introduction to these frameworks, Founders conduct preliminary research to look into problems they want to solve. Many already have an idea of what problem spaces interest them. These topics include problem spaces like healthcare, technology, education, homelessness, local immigrant-owned businesses, and Native Hawaiian rights. When first looking at issues within these problem spaces, Founders are guided to keep three core questions in mind: “What issues affect me?”, “Who else does it affect?”, and “Do I care enough about the problem?”
Founders are then asked to make a list of problem spaces they’ve identified through their research that they want to explore, and are grouped into teams of 3-4 with similar interests. These affinity groups prioritize Founders solving problems that they are passionate about. In their teams, Founders choose a problem space through dot voting and begin to brainstorm problem statements using “problem tree” exercises. In contrast to entrepreneurship’s traditional connotation of dropshippers and warehouses fueled by mass consumerism, these issues typically lean towards social ventures––redefining entrepreneurship as a tool for change and positive impact.
Day 3
Day 3 is all about problem validation, and Founders begin to peel back the layers of their problem spaces to investigate the root causes of the issues they want to address. Teams interview stakeholders and use their insights to help frame their problems. These interviews include conversations with industry experts to get first-hand accounts and understanding of the problem space.
Supported by secondary research and data, these insights help Founders expand on their problem tree and gain a more nuanced understanding of the problems they want to solve. Then, in a “problem iceberg” activity, Founders look beneath the surface to examine the complexities of their problem spaces.
As many are often drawn to go straight into solutions when solving problems, Founders are asked to take a step back. Focusing on problems first without diving into solutions allows for objective views of these issues, and encourages Founders to look deeper.
At the end of Day 3. Founders present their problems to the cohort and receive live feedback from Nalukai facilitators (a mix of teachers and industry subject matter experts). Feedback group sessions are an essential part of Nalukai- allowing Founders to learn from one another and operate in a collaborative mindset. Although their problem spaces are different, they often bounce ideas off of each other. Our goal is for the learning to be visible and for founders to teach each other.
Day 4
Day 4 is when Founders begin to look at solutions. Problem statements and feedback guide the entire process. By looking deeper into issues in their communities that they resonate with, Founders are able to take ownership of their education and envision a world where the big problems they face in their lives can be tackled.
Photo Credit: Jack Solomon, Nalukai Academy
Each year we’ve run Nalukai we have built more time for problem space exploration. Now we have our Founders think about what problems they want to focus on in their application, in their research, and in their newly formed teams. Of course, we want the ventures and businesses our founders create to be successful and exist long after the camp, but we care more about them falling in love with the process of entrepreneurship and its many iterations. That is why we stay in the problem epicycle longer each year.
Case Study: A Rent Subsidy Program for Native Hawaiians
One group in the 2024 Summer cohort––Hale Kōkua––chose to address the issue of Hawaiʻiʻs high cost of living and lack of affordable housing for Native Hawaiians. Through problem space research and validation, the team of four found that there are currently more Native Hawaiians residing outside of Hawai’i than there are in Hawai’i, and 3 in 10 homeless individuals in Hawai’i identify as Native Hawaiian.
Photo Credit: Jack Solomon, Nalukai Academy
The root causes of this issue are complex and varied. The group dived into research to determine which of these causes they wanted to address and found that they wanted to specifically help the 28,000 Native Hawaiians currently on the Department of Hawaiian Homelands waiting list––many of whom will go their entire lives without receiving the affordable housing promised to them. As their Team Leader Lily Mitchell states, “Their research reflected the deep inadequacies of our current systems, and that it is more important than ever to find solutions based in aloha ʻāina and Hawaiian culture”
Following their research, Hale Kōkua dived into solution ideation and validation through a series of ideation activities. Using artifacts, share-outs, and retrospectives, the team ideated solutions with the feedback of mentors and their cohort. Their solution: a rent subsidy program for Native Hawaiians on the Department of Hawaiian Homelands list to get support to find housing funded by community cultural events organized by the Hale Kōkua team.
The team then put together a business plan for their proposed solution and created a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in the form of a website and digital media presence to share their solution with the community, gauge support, and validate interest in their organization.
In this process, cohort support was essential. As team member Kaleo Yuen remarks, “I was surrounded by a community that made me feel safe and unique and pushed me to do more – to be more.”
Tying the problem space to community and identity was an essential part of the process for Hale Kōkua. It was clear for Kaleo and his group that they were passionate about solving the problem of Native Hawaiian access to affordable housing. In a topic such as this, the solution may not be straightforward. By falling in love with the problem space, Hale Kōkua learned tools to thrive in uncertainty, strengthen their resolve, and leave Nalukai knowing that they were now equipped with resources to create real change.
When we provide learners with entrepreneurial experiences in schools, it’s critical that we linger in the problem space and create conditions conducive to helping young people fall in love with a problem they are trying to solve. By approaching entrepreneurial mindset with this holistic approach, we can ensure generations of agentic and passionate learners.
Miranda Canniff is the Director of Communications for Nalukai Academy
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