L-R: Zonta Club of Hilo Pay It Forward Chair Laurie Higashi with 2023 recipients Michelle Reynolds, Adrean Floro, and Jamie Robertson.
The Zonta Club of Hilo presented $6,000 in microgrants for its 2023 “Pay It Forward” program. The award program supports women entrepreneurs on Hawai‘i Island who are starting a new business or working to expand an existing business.
The 2023 microgrant recipients were Michelle Reynolds of Hawaii Detection Dogs LLC, Adrean Floro of Ho’onani Harvests LLC, and Jamie Robertson of Hana Lima Cleaning Services LLC.
Based in Volcano, Reynolds’ Hawaii Detection Dogs LLC trains and deploys sniffer dogs to detect both invasive species in order to mitigate their impacts to ecosystems and endangered species for research and conservation purposes. She currently works with Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, the Pohakuloa Training Area, and the State of Hawai‘i with detection of endangered seabirds. She will use the grant to develop her website, purchase a new kennel, and to purchase training aids for both nosework classes and training her own detection dogs.
Floro’s Ho’onani Harvests LLC is a family farming business in Hilo that focuses on agroforestry, mamaki and honey production, and beekeeping education. The grant will go towards renting machinery to expand the agroforestry part of the farm, purchasing more mamaki starter plants, and developing a website. She also plans to ‘pay it forward’ by providing a beekeeping mentoring scholarship to a financially disadvantaged woman who has the drive and passion to learn about beekeeping.
Robertson, based in Kailua-Kona, established Hana Lima Cleaning Services LLC in July of 2023. Hana Lima offers office cleaning as well as specialty cleaning services such as deep cleaning, move in/move outs, and post-construction cleaning. The grant money will go towards new equipment that will make her operations more efficient, cleaning supplies, and training.
“We received a record number of applications this year from all around the island. It’s inspiring to see so many female entrepreneurs doing innovative and important work in the community,” said Laurie Higashi, chair of Pay It Forward. “The Zonta Club of Hilo is proud to provide a financial boost to these three well-deserving women-owned businesses.”
“Pay It Forward” microgrants are funded annually through the charitable Zonta Club of Hilo Foundation, donations to which are tax-deductible. For more information, visit zontahilo.org.