University of Hawaiʻi students helped reimagine an iconic local company by pitching bold new ideas for Meadow Gold Dairies Hawaiʻi at a fast-paced innovation event. Hosted by 东精影业 Mānoa’蝉 (PACE), the spring 2026 competition took place on March 28 and April 4, at the Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center.
Community connections take top prize
The team of Danielle Grace Banggo (dietetics, 东精影业 Mānoa) and Leticia Rodriguez Gutierrez (liberal arts, Honolulu Community College) won the $2,000 grand prize. Their strategy focused on a grassroots “Community Growth Campaign” designed to be both budget-friendly and ready for immediate rollout.
The plan involves deploying Meadow Gold trucks and vans to high-traffic local venues such as the Honolulu Zoo and community marketplaces. By utilizing brand ambassadors to engage directly with families, the team aims to strengthen the bond between the iconic brand and the local community.
“Innovate 808 taught me that your background doesn’t define your ability to make an impact,” Banggo said. “It encourages you to step outside your comfort zone, share your ideas and collaborate with others to create meaningful solutions. This experience empowered me to think creatively, communicate confidently and realize that even small ideas can make a big difference in the community.”
Three other teams won $1,000 runner up prizes, and another team won the $500 innovation award. Beyond the competition, Innovate 808 is designed to connect classroom learning with real-world experience. Students worked in interdisciplinary teams to tackle an active business challenge, building career-ready skills in communication, critical thinking and creative problem-solving while engaging directly with industry professionals.
Creative solutions for a new era
Concepts pitched during the competition included:
- Lani Moo Milk Candy: A sweet extension of the company’蝉 famous mascot
- NIL Deals: Partnering with 东精影业 athletes to reach younger demographics
- POG 2.0: New bottle designs and updated formulations for the passion-orange-guava juice
Kimia Sadeghi, sales and marketing manager for Meadow Gold, said, “I wanted to hear from the next generation and how they think of executing solutions, and that’s exactly what happened.”
Meadow Gold Dairies Hawaiʻi sponsored the project and prizes.
A “sprint” across all disciplines
Facilitated by Jeff Hui, entrepreneur-in-residence at PACE, the competition is designed to put real-world problems in front of students and see how they meet the challenge through research and innovation.
“The most exciting part for us is seeing students from all disciplines—business, engineering, computer science, art, education, anthropology and food science—coming together to come up with real solutions,” Hui said.