About The Program

Join the Maker Movement

Did you know?—There’s more than two thousand locally owned maker-producer businesses on Hawaiʻi Island making everything from paddle boards to nut butters, ukuleles to vitamins, and boats to beer? By producing more things locally, we can create more diverse, living-wage jobs and opportunities for local entrepreneurs, reduce our
environmental impact, and rely less on foreign goods and tourism. A strong local economy means real prosperity and resilience for our island and protecting Hawaiʻi’s sense of place for the future.

Explore quality products
#craftedwithaloha on Hawaiʻi Island!

Explore all the quality products
lasercut formed fabricated sewn printed hammered ground squeezed built canned molded shaped painted welded pickled cast forged bottled fermented thrown baked rolled knit brewed stamped dyed milled carved chiseled etched woven spun blown farmed stitched sculpted on Hawaiʻi Island!

We're 99 members strong and growing!

Big Island Made is a membership-based marketing and business development program created in 2018 to support and promote Hawaiʻi Island makers and retailers of local products. We believe everyone should be able to make a comfortable living doing what they love—that’s why we want to help our community succeed!

Part of our inspiration to start Big Island Made came from the success of many regional programs to promote local makership like Seattle Made, SF Made, Portland Made, Localight Long Beach, and other Hawaiʻi-based programs like Kauai Made.

Big Island Made is also proudly LGBTQ-owned, Native-Hawaiian-owned, and Wahine (woman)-owned. You can click here to learn more about our Equity Program to support diverse-owned maker and retailer businesses.

Our Goals

Bring makers, retailers, partners, and sponsors together under one “digital roof” to bring more visibility to locally made products and to advocate for a more resilient maker-producer economy on Hawaiʻi Island.

Provide Big Island Made members with access to non-cost-prohibitive marketing tools, business resources, as well as networking and sales opportunities to help them get started, grow, and succeed.

Our Vision

We envision a connected, resilient island community and a thriving local economy based on strong relationships, equitable opportunity, and doing business the pono way—with honesty, integrity, and positivity in mind.

Our Members

Make and Sell Products on Hawaiʻi Island

Big Island Made Maker members make physical products on Hawaiʻi Island and offer their products through at least one retail outlet, like a farmers market, a brick-and-mortar store, or an online shop.

Are Based Here and Call Hawaiʻi Home

Big Island Made Makers and Retailers are incorporated and headquartered in Hawaiʻi and are at least 50% owned by one or more full-time Hawaiʻi residents (self reported).

Contribute to Our Island Economy

Our members have registered with the DCCA Hawaiʻi Business Registration Division as a domestic entity and have an active General Excise Tax License, ensuring they contribute to the local economy.