About Us

About Maui Food Innovation Center

A Community Effort

The Maui Food Innovation Center (MFIC) is a unique first in-state incubator fostering Agribusiness and Foodpreneurs x-celeration and education. Part of the University of Hawai’i Maui College, located in Kahului, Hawai’i, MFIC is helping build a stronger, economically diverse, and sustainable Maui by supporting the value-added food industry. MFIC assists its community by providing technological expertise, innovative training, consultation, a manufacturing facility, and a Resource Hub for new and established food entrepreneur’s endeavoring to bring their products to market locally, regionally and nationally.

We are committed to a broad array of individuals within the community and assisting them take their food products to market and advancing Maui County foods.

  • Agribusinesses
  • New and established food entrepreneurs
  • Food service business
  • UHMC – Culinary, Business, Science students interested in food manufacturing
  • Workforce development
  • Women, Veteran, and minority-owned food businesses
  • Native Hawaiian food business owners

Our Mission The Maui Food Innovation Center (MFIC) is a business incubator designed to support local food producers through education and training, business incubation services, research, and the development of value-added food products. Our Value MFIC helps develop “cottage” size companies into medium-sized food manufacturers in the State of Hawai’i by providing education, access to industry leaders, and a shared-use food business incubator and processing facility with a vast array of resources and technologies to elevate and foster their growth. Our Facilities MFIC is currently located in the Laulima building, home of the Continuing Education and Training programs at UHMC (ELWD).

Our Mission

The Maui Food Innovation Center (MFIC) is a business incubator designed to support local food producers through education and training, business incubation services, research, and the development of value-added food products.

Our Vision

Our Value MFIC helps develop “cottage” size companies into medium-sized food manufacturers in the State of Hawai’i by providing education, access to industry leaders, and a shared-use food business incubator and processing facility with a vast array of resources and technologies to elevate and foster their growth.

Our Facilities

Laulima

Maui Food Innovation Center (MFIC) is currently located in the Laulima building home of the Office of Extended Learning and Workforce Development (ELWD).

MFIC Laulima Education, Research & Test Kitchen facility, is a dual space service the foodpreneurs, agribusinesses, restauranteurs, chefs, and farmers of Maui County. With an attached classroom, MFIC staff and instructors are providing training classes focused on the food and manufacturing industry. This 1,500 square foot space has $90,000 in specialized equipment, with plans to install a remote camera system that will like the facility to other UH campuses statewide to enable distance learning.

Pilina (December 2021)

In the late Fall of 2021, the Maui Food Innovation Center will open its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. Pilina, an existing building is located in the heart of the UH Maui College campus.

The renovation of the 4,000 square foot fully equipped food manufacturing and packaging facility, that will be County, FDA, and USDA compliant, is fully-funded by the State of Hawai’i. This $7 million investment recognizes the economic value the MFIC offers Hawai’i’s new and established food businesses, students, farmers, ranchers, chef’s, and restaurateurs.

MFIC FACILITY AT PILINA COMPRISES:

• Staff Offices
• Multi-purpose meeting and education room
• Processing areas (wet, dry, cold)
• Packaging area & Finished product storage area
• Sanitation | Pot wash area
• Raw material, Refrigeration, Dry goods area
• Maintenance area and equipment storage
• Shipping and receiving area

MFIC Advisory Board

Arnie Koss
Specialty Foods Association Hall of Fame
Consultant & Entrepreneur

Chad Miller
Grandpa Joe’s Candy Company
Owner & Entrepreneur

Chris Speere
UHMC Faculty (retired)

Colleen O’Shea Brady
Entrepreneur & Philanthropist

Darren Strand
Mahi Pono
VP of Agricultural Development & Business Outreach

Jason Smith
Raw Maui Honey
Owner & Entrepreneur

Joyce Miyamoto
Baldwin High School
Culinary and Food Innovation Teacher

JoAnn Inamasu
County of Maui Office of Economic Development
Director

Luana Mahi
Maui Food Technology Center
President

Lynn Nakamura-Tengan
Food Safety Specialist (Retired)

Martin Zorn
Kamakura Corporation
President and Chief Operating Officer

Mike Abrams
Flavors Waves, LLC
President & Entrepreneur

Mitzi Toro
The Maui Cookie Lady
Owner & Entrepreneur

Paula Hegele
Maui Wine
President

Rodrigo Balala
Haili’imaile Pineapple Company Limited
General Manager

Teena Rasmussen
Maui County Farm Bureau
President

Wailani Artates
Artistry 8
Owner & Graphic Designer

Wayne Wong
Hawaii Small Business Development Center Maui
Director

Ex Officio

Debasis Battacharya
UHMC Bachelors in ABIT Program Coordinator

Teresa "Cheech" Shurilla
UHMC Culinary Program Coordinator

A Community Effort

Kitchen Rental

The Maui Food Innovation Research and Development Kitchen, Laulima #106 is available for rental. Please contact speere@hawaii.edu or uhmcmfic@hawaii.edu for more information.

Recent Graduates