Entrepreneurs Tina Fitch and Meli James Share Advice at WFN

Meli James, President of the Hawaii Venture Capital Association (HVCA), and Tina Fitch, CEO and Co-Founder of Hobnob, at the Wahine Forum Network luncheon on May 11 at YWCA O'ahu's Elizabeth Fuller Hall.

Meli James, President of the Hawaii Venture Capital Association (HVCA), and Tina Fitch, CEO and Co-Founder of Hobnob, at the Wahine Forum Network luncheon on May 11 at YWCA O'ahu's Elizabeth Fuller Hall.

By Kelli Namba, MCBL Program Coordinator

On May 11, over 60 attendees came together for MCBL’s first talk-story formatted Wahine Forum Network luncheon featuring Tina Fitch, CEO and Co-Founder of Hobnob, and Meli James, President of the Hawaii Venture Capital Association (HVCA).

James, who also serves on the MCBL Advisory Board, hosted the session and asked Fitch various questions about her background, career and insights. Some key takeaways from the women included:

  • Being the only woman in the room isn’t a disadvantage because there’s an expectation that you have of yourself to be 10 times as good.
  • Nonprofits are beginning to be treated as for-profits where it’s important to have sustainable models and measurable impact.
  • Diversity is needed in the tech industry.
  • Balance doesn’t mean 50-50; things are always in flux.

Save the date for MCBL’s next WFN on Thursday, August 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. featuring a poolside chat with Catherine Ngo, President and CEO of Central Pacific Financial Corp., the parent company of Central Pacific Bank. For updates, please visit www.mcblhawaii.org/wfn.

Subscription

Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. All MCBL events and services are provided on a nondiscriminatory basis.