Taste, shop, celebrate, repeat! Inside the 2026 UH Alumni Makers' Market
VIDEO NEWS RELEASE
University of Hawaiʻi
Raelee Takayesu, Owner, KCCAKESS (Hawaiʻi CC alumna)
Carlos Peñaloza (getting a haircut) and Wendy Hensel
Take One Music
Alumni vendors
The event sold out for the second year in a row.
Link to video and sound (details below): https://go.hawaii.edu/t3R
WHAT: Dozens of alumni-owned businesses showcased their innovative treats, goods and services at the 5th annual University of Hawaiʻi Alumni Makers' Market, which sold out for the second year in a row.
WHEN: July 29, 2026, 6–9 p.m.
WHERE: The Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikīkī
HOW: The signature event showcased food, drinks and products from alumni-owned and led small businesses. Attendees enjoyed unlimited access to food and drink stations, as well as the opportunity to purchase merchandise.
WHY: The UH Alumni Makers' Market celebrates UH alumni small businesses and their impact. Presented by the UH Office of Alumni Relations, in partnership with the UH Alumni Association, a portion of the proceeds will go toward benefiting student needs across the 10-campus UH system.
WHO: Approximately 500 attendees, alumni business owners, and UH community members.
Participating food and beverage vendors included:
- BeerLab Hawaii
- Bite Logic
- KCCAKESS
- Kai Vodka
- Kapa Hale
- Kapiʻolani Community College Culinary/Jason Peel
- Little Plum/Uncle Paul's Corner Store
- Makanai
- PILI Group
- Pono Potions
- Pop Culture Artisan Pops
- Rainbow Drive-In
- Summer Club
- The Lei Stand
- The Pau Hana Co.
Participating marketplace vendors included:
- Arii Jewelry
- Art by Sachiko
- Aunty Kendra's
- Choco Leʻa
- Churro's Fish Market
- Chyler’s
- David Shepard Hawaiʻi
- Hawaii Confectionery
- Hawaiian Pie Co.
- Huff n Puff
- Kailua Honey
- Kaululani Florals
- Mari's Garden
- Okonokai
- Old Queen Street Stadium
- Ports + Paws
- Premier Barbershop
- Red Thread Artistry
- Sweet Enemy Clothing
- Ten Tomorrow
- Touch A Heart
- Urban Cowboy
- Wailana Hawaiʻi Art
- Welo Creations
VIDEO: TRT 2:10
BROLL: 1:27
:0-:10 SOT Take One Music playing: Kamahaʻo Yamashiro (UH Mānoa), KC Bell (UH Mānoa) and Kilinahe Wong (UH Mānoa)
Shots of the 5th annual UH Alumni Makers' Market at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel
SOUND:
Josh Green, Hawaiʻi Governor (:09)
ʻ”Supporting UH is supporting our whole state. The economic driver of our state is often UH itself. It also produces incredible people going forward.”
Raelee Takayesu, Owner, KCCAKESS (Hawaiʻi CC alumna) (:14)
“Hawaiʻi Community College has definitely helped me a lot with pricing and inventory. I learned a lot of background things other than culinary. We learned things such as how to make larger batches and how to be more prepared so it's more efficient.“
Kamahaʻo Yamashiro, Take One Music (UH Mānoa alumnus) (:15)
"“What I liked about UH is that the camaraderie is there and it's what you do outside of school is what makes it so special, because we're, we're all local boys born and raised here."