We were excited to host Julie Morikawa, CEO of ClimbHi as our featured speaker for the month of May.
Julie founded ClimbHi in 2011, with the goal of keeping our students (keiki) in Hawaii after school. Her engagement theme was ‘how can I help connect?’ and she outlined the many ways she, and her organization have created a Technology Bridge Program between the students of Hawaii and the local businesses who are so eager to mentor, connect and employ them.
Julie shared her roots from the Big Island, her schooling on Oahu and later, Cornell University. She had a successful career in the travel industry, and when Expedia brought her ‘back’ to Hawaii, she was able to blend her passion and knowledge of corporate America and her understanding of the ‘gaps’ for local students into a growing non-profit organization.
Her goal to help the underserved and reach families with children to make the connection between certifications, training and later, jobs is the fuel for her daily life. She outlined the ‘lack of access’ many families face, how we can look at things we can and cannot control (non-negotiables) and how we need to solve problems in a new way. She is governed by the Aloha Spirit Law* as a guide to operating her business, and feels strongly that the spirit of Aloha is infused in everything she does as a business owner, and ‘connector’ in our community.
ClimbHi has many hallmarks, but this growing organization is best-known for the skills-based training that culminates in an ‘excellence certification’ for students, and a platform that not only connects students to employers, but one that employers can use that document the amount of hours they have contributed to outreach by using the portal. She encouraged the business leaders in the room to engage, and together they can create robust, unique programs to build a pipeline of local talent for their organizations.
ClimbHi has impressive statistics. Since 2011 they have:
210 schools on board
4,700 educators
730 active opportunities (site inspections, internship, mentorship. Job shadowing)
2,300 requests received through the portal
110,000 students engaged
ClimbHi supports the keiki that want to stay in Hawaii. By offering support in the public and now private schools, this technology portal can help students receive training, mentorships, and education that can help them with lifeskills for employment. Learn more at: https://climbhi.org/
* "Aloha Spirit" is the coordination of mind and heart within each person. It brings each person to the self. Each person must think and emote good feelings to others.