WE by CPB Rising Tide Cohort 6

WE by CPB Rising Tide

2026 Application
Instructions: Please complete this application to be considered for the WE by CPB Rising Tide program.

WE by CPB Rising Tide is a Women Entrepreneurs program sponsored by Central Pacific Bank and aio Foundation, in partnership with the Patsy T. Mink Center for Business and Leadership and Rising Tide Hawaii. WE by CPB Rising Tide is an 11-session program designed for Women Entrepreneurs to hone financial management, marketing, and leadership skills, and provides a host of benefits including funded marketing consultation and access to established leaders to help selected participants grow their business. A cohort of 20 Women Entrepreneurs will be selected each year, helping to create a powerful community comprised of women business owners and women leaders in Hawaii that help each other rise.

The program will take place between August 26 and November 4, 2026 most Wednesday evenings. See the complete schedule towards the end of this application.

Questions? Contact Whitney Blandford at wblandford@ywcaoahu.org or (808) 695-2633

Deadline to apply: Sunday, June 7th, 2026
Applicant Name*

First NameLast Name
APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS:

Business must be a 51% woman owned, for-profit business

Business must be in operation for a minimum of 3 years and currently open for business

Minimum yearly gross revenue generation of $250,000 (FY2025)

Maximum yearly gross revenue generation of $5,000,000 (FY2025)

Business must be registered in the State of Hawai'i

Must be able to attend at least 10 of the 11 scheduled program sessions

See Terms and Conditions: Click Here
Name of Business*
Primary E-mail*
NOTE: This will be the email that we will be using to contact you.
Mobile Phone Number*

Area CodePhone Number
Business Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code
Website address*
Business start date*
Number of Employees, not including business owner/s*
Please fill in below the % of ownership you have in your company.*
% of ownership in your company
Sole-ProprietorshipCorportationS-CorporationLLCPartnershipOther
ConstructionAccommodation & Food ServiceRetail TradeManufacturingWholesale TradeFinance & InsuranceEducational ServicesHealthcare & Social AssistanceReal Estate & Rental & LeasingArts, Entertainment & RecreationTransportation & WarehousingProfessional, Scientific & Technical ServicesAgriculture, Forestry & HuntingAdministrative & SupportWaste Management & RemediationOther
Business yearly gross revenue generation for FY2025*
Total Revenue/Year
Projected gross revenue generation for FY2026*
Patsy T. Mink Center for Business & Leadership/YWCA OahuCentral Pacific BankWomen Entrepreneurs ConferenceSocial MediaWE by CPB Rising Tide AlumnaeOther
What are two goals you would like to achieve as a result of participating in the WE by CPB Rising Tide program?*
With 250 words or less, please describe your business operations.*
With 250 words or less, please describe what your biggest challenges are as a woman-owned small business?*
Important Dates:

March 18 .............. Application opens
May 18 .............. Interviews start
May 31 .............. Application closes
July 6 .............. Applicants Notified of Acceptance
2026 Program Schedule:

Aug 26 ............. Opening Session***
Sept 02 ............. Journeys to Success Panel

Sept 09 ............. Financial Mgmt. "Overview of Closely Held Businesses"
Sept 16 ............. Financial Mgmt. "Understanding Your Financial Statements"
Sept 23 ............. Financial Mgmt. "Financial Plan & Cash Budget"
Sept 30 ............. Financial Mgmt. "Strategies for Growth & Funding Sources"
Oct 07 ............. Resources for Growth: Speed Mentoring***
Oct 16 ............. Marketing***

Oct 17 ............. Marketing***
Oct 21 ............. Cohort Choice
Nov 4 ............... Graduation***

*** Neighbor Island cohort members attend in-person

The program sessions will take place between August 26 - November 4, most Wednesday evenings from either 5:00-7:30 pm or 5:30-8:00 pm, at Central Pacific Bank corporate headquarters in Downtown Honolulu. Exceptions include the following sessions: Marketing sessions taking place on Friday, Oct. 16, from 5:30-8:00 pm and Saturday, Oct. 17, from 9:00a-3:00p. Graduation will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 4, from 4:30-7:30 pm at YWCA O'ahu.

Disclaimer: The scheduled dates and times may be subject to change without prior notice. In-person attendance is required for Oahu based businesses and may be attended remotely for neighbor island attendees only.
What additional topic would you most like to learn about as a result of participating in the WE by CPB Rising Tide program?*
YesNo
Commitment to attend the program, if selected. Applicant Signature*
Terms and Conditions*
Upload Professional Headshot. If you do not have a professional headshot, please email wblandford@ywcaoahu.org as soon as possible.

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