Earth/Sky/Mauka/Makai
Shanah Trevenna
Business interests and environmental concerns often seem incompatible. ProtoHUB Honolulu co-founder and director Shanah Trevenna is trying to change that perception.
“I’m really interested in how we can rethink our economy to work in a way that creates a more just society and more consideration of the environment — essentially, so we have the triple bottom line of people, planet and profits all benefiting from our decisions,” she explains.
Trevenna is specifically describing her Ph.D. dissertation in political science at University of Hawaii at Manoa (which she’ll finish this year), but it’s an overarching philosophy that applies to just about every project she has a hand in — including ProtoHUB.
It began back when Trevenna was starting up her own firm, Smart Sustainability Consulting. She and her team would visit other companies and offer recommendations as to how they could save money and promote sustainable practices in the work-place.
But Trevenna quickly realized she would need her own workspace to do this.
“We needed dedicated space to meet and work out of in between projects. When you’re a startup, you never know how long you’re going to need 10 people. We’d flex between two and 10 people, depending on our contracts. All of that required that I have some different type of office solution.
Shanah Trevenna (second from left) was named HVCA’s Social Impact Entrepreneur of the Year. Also pictured (from left) are Melialani James, Ikaika Soo and Liz Gregg. PHOTO COURTESY MELIALANI JAMES
“That’s how I discovered the Impact HUB model.”
ProtoHUB’s co-working space is open to everyone, from students to small business owners to nonprofits, with monthly fees depending on degree of use. ProtoHUB also hosts workshops, trainings and other events for members and the community.
Recent examples include a legislative testimony-writing workshop for energy bills, a screening of the documentary Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies and a meeting of the ProtoHUB Energy Hui.
“We’ve actually made ProtoHUB to be focused on work-life balance,” explains Trevenna. “We have meditation and yoga and dance classes here, so I can do those just as part of my day, and everybody else here can, too.”
And, on top of all that, ProtoHUB announced at the end of March that it is changing its name: It’s graduating to become a full-fledged Impact HUB in May, one of just 63 in the world, with an expanded role as business incubator and access to a network of 11,000 members.
Impact HUB Honolulu also will be moving to a new space in Kakaako that is three to four times the size of the current ProtoHUB.
“I’m most proud of having a community that wants a larger space,” Trevenna says. “There’s so much demand for what we’re doing. We gain one to two co-workers every day.”
Given all this, it’s little wonder that Hawaii Venture Capital Association named Trevenna its Social Impact Entrepreneur of the Year for her work with ProtoHUB.
“More exciting for me was to have ProtoHUB recognized as something valuable to the entrepreneurial and startup ecosystem in Hawaii. There are just so many incredible leaders who were in the category of that award — like Street Grindz, Lemonade Alley — it was inspiring just to be in the same category as them.”
But Trevenna emphasizes that the award is not her own, crediting the success to Proto-HUB’s co-founding team, partner circle and membership.
“A lot of entrepreneurs just go it on their own, but what we’re doing, it’s such a collaborative effort. It’s so interconnected to what already exists within the ecosystem.”
LIVE SMARTER
How does someone balance work, grad school and daily life without running into the ground? ProtoHUB’s Shanah Trevenna has a few tips for a greener, healthier lifestyle.
ON BALANCING WORK AND PLAY:
It’s easier than it looks, Trevenna says.
Just pencil it in.
“I build everything that’s valuable to me into my schedule. So I schedule in lunches and yoga classes, and I treat those as important as my other meetings. Once it’s in my calendar, no matter what it is, I don’t waver on it, I don’t move it around.”
ON GREEN LIVING:
Single-use plastics are deceptively devastating to the environment. So, Trevenna says, just avoid them.
“Carry your own utensils instead of getting chopsticks or plastic cutlery,” recommends Trevenna. “I always keep two or three little bags rolled up in the bottom of my purse so I rarely have to take plastic bags.
“That’s so important when we live surrounded by the ocean. Everything we drop or throw away could eventually end up there.”
A WEEK IN THE LIFE OF PROTOHUB
What does the average week at ProtoHUB look like? Find out for yourself. Here are a few things going down at ProtoHUB next week.
MONDAY, APRIL 13
>> 5:15 p.m.
COMMUNITY YOGA
Stretch into some yoga after a long workday. Recommended donation is $10, or $5 for students. Bring your own mat.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15
>> 2 p.m.
LOCAL PRODUCTS AND PRODUCE FROM OAHU FRESH
Community-supported agricultural delivery service Oahu Fresh makes a weekly produce drop-off for subscribers. Weekly bags can include local grass-fed beef, cheese, eggs and more.
>> 6 p.m.
WORDPRESS WORKSHOP WEDNESDAYS
Learn to build your own Word-Press website, with topics including template customization, e-commerce and more, from John LeBlanc. Single class fee is $25.
THURSDAY, APRIL 16
>> 5 p.m. ‘WINE DOWN’ PAU HANA
Thursday is basically Friday, right? Start the weekend early with wine, beer and light pupu. Admission costs $5.
SATURDAY, APRIL 18
>> 8:30 a.m.
HOOPONOPONO FOR SUSTAINABILITY LEADERS
Kumu Ramsay Taum leads sustainability-minded individuals to learn how the traditional “hooponopono” can improve workplace and team relations. Pre-registration required. Tickets cost $145 until April 10.
For more information, visit www.protohubhonolulu.net.
