A lot has happened since our last update in September, but considering the year that's everyone's had, there's no hard feelings if you haven't checked in lately. But our community is growing by leaps and bounds, and right now is a great time to jump back in!

Although thousands of applications were received, only 50 people will be part of the first cohort. And this is not a free "workation" in paradise. All participants are committed to not only learning about Hawaii's unique and indigenous cultures, but also contribute their time and talents to the local community via volunteering, teaching, mentoring, and more.

Hawaii Slack is part of the Movers & Shakers network, and is welcoming program applicants to get to know each other and network with Hawaii's innovation and entrepreneurial community.

Over a hundred people have joined Hawaii Slack in the last month. (Our #introductions channel is not to be missed.) In fact, we've found a robust group of remote workers from companies all over the world who are already here and also eager to contribute and network.

We have already seen connections forged between San Francisco startups and local developers, and east coast VCs and local entrepreneurs. Remote work opportunities and tips are being shared. We've helped employees of large companies discover coworkers they didn't know where here, and we've helped newcomers find people with shared hobbies and passions, so they can feel less isolated in their temporary (or permanent) new home.

And this has all happened before the official launch of the first cohort, taking place within hours. We are excited to be ringing in the new year with this great new energy.

The "Movers & Shakas" program is also looking to bring former Hawaii residents back home, now that jobs are portable in this post-pandemic world. But we're going to need more than 50 roundtrip tickets to make meaningful progress in helping bring kamaʻaina back to the islands.

Whether you are someone who has ideas on how to make this happen, or are someone who left and is aching to return, join the #cominghome channel to connect, strategize, and feel a little less distant from Hawaii.

Members continue to share interesting job listings they find, post projects they'd like help with, and let people know when their own companies are hiring. Some recent posts:

Here are ten of the freshest faces who said hello in #introductions:

Victoria: I’m an occupational therapist, originally from Washington D.C.! I just moved to Maui with my partner. I will be working for Hawaii Public Schools starting next week! I was previously working for DC public schools.

Monk Funkster: I run Asia manufacturing operations for NJOY, and Hawaii seemed like the place to be since I don't have to be anywhere and have to be on a conference call with China as often as I'm on a conference call with New York.

Bob Allen: Independent contractor doing technical software coaching for software devs that code and need to learn to do it differently, i.e. incrementally, test-first, basically TDD, BDD, pair programming, mob programming, etc.

Swami: I moved here with my wife 2 months ago from Seattle. We both are in tech, I was working for Amazon as an engineer and she is a UX designer. I just quit my job and am looking to contribute to the community.

Vanessa: I'm on Maui for a few months from San Francisco. I organize tech educational events and communities. I would love to find local volunteer opportunities.

Angela Rose Whaley: Born and raised in Denver, CO. My background is nonprofit fundraising and marketing. I co-run a boutique digital marketing agency focused on B2B Lead Gen. I’m also a Mental Health First Aid instructor and co-founded Music Minds Matter, a nonprofit focused on the brain health and mental wellness of music communities everywhere,

Jessica: Recently moved from DC to Maui to live my best life. Work (remotely) in education technology for a district on the mainland. Would love to connect with others here on Maui and start building community here.

Mary: i've been nomading for the past few months through the west coast/mountain west states, so I say home is where the heart is! I spend my time and energy working at an online education startup, and volunteering at a bay area education nonprofit and a meditation group. I love to wind down and recharge in nature.

Isaac Tai: I’m a senior college student currently studying in Utah but will be living in Hawaii for four months starting end of this month! I’ll be living in Laie to be close to friends and some family in Kahuku. I’m a software engineer currently working at Qualtrics part-time as I finish up my last few semesters.

Kim Roth Howe: Currently based in Omaha Nebraska (possibly the MOST landlocked place in America) though I lived on the Big Island during high school. I run a company that does virtual and in-person group facilitation (strategic planning, product development, conflict resolution, etc.) and have gotten to work with Kamehameha schools in the past in that capacity.