Press Releases

(Washington, DC) - Congressman Ed Case (HI-01), a member of the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for all federal discretionary spending, announced today that H.R. 2471, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 signed into law by the President on March 15, 2022, included his request to provide $500,000 in federal funding for the Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture (INPEACE), a small business incubator program developed to assist small businesses and entrepreneurs.

“INPEACE’s Leeward Community Small Business Incubator Project provide critical assistance to small businesses and entrepreneurs directly in their community where they live and work and contribute and grow, rather than downtown Honolulu,” said Case. 

“With support from my Appropriations Committee, INPEACE will be able to expand its current business development program capacity, which primarily services Native Hawaiian and veteran communities, to meet the growing needs of our Leeward community.”

"We are incredibly grateful for this opportunity to serve our community,” said Lisa Pakele, INPEACE Program Director. “Our Ho'oulu Waiwai program is committed to providing entrepreneurs the support needed with technology access and business workshops for those who are starting or growing their business." INPEACE operates its program at the West O‘ahu Center for Entrepreneurship in Kapolei.

Those who have benefitted from the INPEACE program include Ariel Ani-Anguay with LEIRA Organics. “We purchased QuickBooks but didn’t know how to set it up,” said Ani-Anguay.

“We had a wonderful meeting set up by Ho'oulu Waiwai and received valuable information and support in setting up QuickBooks.  This will help us with next year’s tax season – which will be a breeze now.”

“Our small business journey began in 2017 with INPEACE,” said Wallace and Leimomi Ākau with Ākau Boards.  “We attended business development classes and have had business coaching which has been a great support in guiding our business where we want it to go.”

The Ākaus continued: “INPEACE has also supported our business by sponsoring us into events that were out of range of our capacity to pay and hard to get into. Enough can’t be said to show our gratitude to INPEACE for all the support they have provided and continue to provide. We will continue to support INPEACE by using the programs they have made available.”

This year the U.S. House incorporated CPF requests by individual Members of Congress for specific projects and purposes in their district into its annual appropriations process. CPF requests may only be directed to governments or non-profits, not for-profit businesses or individuals.

They must have demonstrated community support, and they are subject to audit by the independent Government Accountability Office. Finally, all Members must publicly disclose their CPF requests and signed required ethics certifications. Case’s disclosures are here: https://case.house.gov/media/funding-disclosures.htm.

Case made ten CPF requests, all of which were funded.

Attachments:       picture of Ariel Ani-Anguay with LEIRA Organics

                            picture of Leimomi and Wallace Ākau in black shirts standing with Lisa Pakele of INPEACE

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