//ENTREPRENEURSHIP Candes Meijide Gentry

Today, Candes is first and foremost an inspiring example to her 10-year old son, Poet, and dedicated partner to Big Island agricultural farmer and steward, Steve Shropshire.

With community service as a guiding life principle, Candes dedicated 2022 to launch EAT PONO with Poet. What started as a mother/son cookbook quickly blossomed into a budding community movement committed to Source Local, Eat Nutritiously and Live Sustainably. Highlighting the importance of supporting local farmers, questioning our food choices, making it hip to be healthy and trending at-home composting as cool again! And now, Candes is inviting you to support their family mission, by launching The Eat Pono Fund at The Hawaii Community Foundation, while also developing a keiki curriculum called The ‘Āina Guardian Program to be offered to schools throughout Hawai‘i, encouraging kids to take a simple pledge to better steward their ‘āina and their growing bodies with conscientious choices.

With endorsements from Blue Zones Projects Hawaii and HMSA’s Island Scene, EAT PONO, is committed to supporting community initiatives that are rooted in providing engaging, educational opportunities for keiki; empowering them to choose healthy alternatives for their families, steward the planet, and perpetuate time-honored farming, fishing and hunting practices for future generations to also live more sustainably.

So what inspires Candes to elevate each new day? Perhaps it’s her sunrise swims, or her S.M.A.R.T goal-setting mantra; perhaps it’s how she adapts The Power 9 philosophy by BZP Hawaii or the way she intentionally ends her days in the kitchen laughing, learning and nourishing alongside her family as the sun fades into the horizon. What is clear is that Candes is aware of her responsibility to teach her son Poet, and his peers alike, the importance of prioritizing sustainable stewardship with the hope that EAT PONO can inspire other families to do the same for their own ‘ohana.

“As parents, we do our best to raise our children with the best nutrition, but it’s inevitable that we default into rushed multitasking, often at the expense of our health. If the last two years have taught us anything, it’s the importance of intentional family time, immune- boosting wholesome meals, taking care of our community, sourcing local, exercise, and yes, rest,” said Candes Gentry. “EAT PONO was inspired by the relentless questions of my 9-year-old son Poet, who encouraged me to slow down and live mindfully when it comes to what we consume in our home and how we live our lives to protect culinary traditions and sustainable practices.”

So what can we expect from Candes in 2023? A vibrantly inspiring woman, mom, friend, executive, athlete, artist, author and, well, now a compost advocate!