American Savings Bank (ASB) and aio have selected 11 Hawaii construction-related businesses for the third Hui Kapili Accelerator cohort. The 10-week program runs from September 15 through November 19, 2026, combining business training, expert guidance and peer support to help local contractors grow sustainably.
Who was selected for the 2026 Hui Kapili cohort?
The third cohort includes owners and leaders from construction, contracting and related trade businesses across Hawaii:
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- TC (Tyler Christian) Campbell — PDG Hawaii
- Lito Coloma — Cutting Edge Builders
- Elise Cudiamat — JC Construction
- Cheriese Flores — CKF Industrial Contractors
- Vanessa McMoore — HI State Construction
- Pono Nauka — Pacific Audio Communications
- Richard Orlando — Orlando Construction Island Builders
- Alyssa Palimoo — Showtyme Concrete Services
- Tony Shi — CAA Construction
- Uakea Street — Trades Construction Company
- David Tuipulotu — Mana Mechanical
American Savings Bank published the complete participant list in its September 22, 2026 announcement, “Eleven Local Construction Companies Selected for Third Business Accelerator Cohort.”
When does the third cohort run?
The 2026 cohort lasts 10 weeks, from September 15 to November 19, 2026. ASB and aio announced the selection during the cohort period; the schedule is specific to this third group and should not be assumed to apply to future classes.
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What is the Hui Kapili Accelerator?
Hui Kapili launched in 2024 as a business-acceleration program focused on Hawaii’s construction industry. ASB and aio created the partnership in response to the state’s construction labor shortage and the need for stronger, more sustainable local companies.
ASB says the program is intended to help construction businesses handle Hawaii’s operating challenges, create local jobs, build needed homes and reinforce state infrastructure. Participants also complete a meaningful community project instead of paying a program fee, according to ASB’s announcement.
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Why construction expertise alone may not be enough
Construction owners may be highly capable tradespeople but still need systems for hiring, marketing, financial controls and risk. Aloha State Daily quoted ASB commercial-banking director Billy Pieper describing the gap: “Where, OK, you’re great with the hammer. You’re great at putting up drywall. You’re great at being an electrician or a plumber, but you could probably use some help on the HR side or the marketing side or the risk management side.”
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The curriculum addresses the management functions that determine whether a technically strong contractor can scale reliably:
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- Strategic business planning and development: setting direction, evaluating opportunities and building a practical growth plan.
- Financial management and budget optimization: improving financial decision-making and making available funds work harder.
- Marketing and lead generation: developing ways to attract qualified customers and create a steadier pipeline of work.
- Workforce management and development: strengthening hiring, retention and employee development in a tight labor market.
- Community engagement: connecting business growth with local needs and service.
- Long-term business sustainability: creating operating practices that support durability beyond a single project or busy season.
Sessions bring participants together with subject-matter experts, construction-industry veterans and business leaders from across Hawaii. The format is designed for shared problem-solving as well as formal instruction.
What has the program achieved so far?
The third cohort brings the number of businesses selected across the first three groups to 33, while 22 businesses graduated from the first two cohorts. ASB and aio describe the earlier groups’ benefits in qualitative terms: participants learned from presenters and one another, shared practical experience and helped generate leads and business opportunities for peers.
Those published accounts do not include audited figures for revenue growth, jobs created, housing units built or participant survival. The available evidence therefore supports the program’s training, networking and opportunity-building activities, but not a quantified return-on-investment claim.
How can a Hawaii business apply for the next cohort?
The announcement of the 2026 class does not provide a future application deadline, eligibility checklist or confirmed date for a fourth cohort. Businesses interested in participating should monitor Hui Kapili’s official program information and ASB announcements for the next call for applications rather than relying on dates from the 2026 group.
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While waiting for an opening, a prospective applicant can prepare a concise description of its services, current workforce, growth priorities and the business-management challenges it wants to address. The published curriculum indicates that readiness to work on planning, finances, marketing, people management and sustainability will be more relevant than trade skill alone.
Why the third cohort matters to Hawaii’s construction sector
Hawaii’s housing and infrastructure goals depend on a construction workforce that can expand without losing financial and operational discipline. Hui Kapili’s approach targets that business capacity directly: it pairs industry-specific instruction with access to experienced advisers, a peer network and a community project. For the 11 selected companies, the 2026 cohort is a structured opportunity to improve the non-jobsite systems that support dependable growth.
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