Maui Economic Development Board

Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) is a 501(c)3 non-profit, incorporated in Hawaii in 1982. STEMworks is its original signature program.

STEMworks Challenges & Solutions is built on the empirical knowledge that emerging STEM talent can use STEM tools and skills, along with innovative thinking and an entrepreneurial mindset to develop real solutions for challenges faced by companies across Hawaii. MEDB will leverage the STEM Talent Challenge grant to scale up a tested pilot to engage 280 participants (STEM talent) and 47 local companies, including startups, in need of STEM talent.

Goal 1: Bring real-world challenges from seven high-wage, high-growth sectors (renewable energy, health care, AI and machine learning, IT & cybersecurity, biosciences, aquaculture, agriculture) to local STEM talent to expose participants to the types of issues faced by local companies, and to provide participants with the opportunity to use their STEM knowledge and creativity to generate real solutions.

Goal 2: Create work-based learning apprenticeships for 28 participants (the challenge winners) to prototype or implement their proposed solutions within the host company, and to administer at least 80 statewide summer, work-based internships for challenge participants to gain on-the-job regional STEM experience.

Goal 3: Provide advanced training that leads to industry-valued certification opportunities to 280 participants.

Goal 4: Create pathways for participants to enter local accelerators, startups, and/or full-time industry positions.