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Meli James is a cofounder at Mana Up, an initiative to expand economic opportunity, business infrastructure, and higher wage jobs in Hawai'i. Its six-month accelerator program enables Hawaiʻi product entrepreneurs to scale their businesses globally. Mana Up operates a retail business, House of Mana Up, to connect people to local brands.

Additionally, she is president of the Hawaii Venture Capital Association, an organization that seeks to foster entrepreneurial development through education, networking, and access to capital.

Previously, James brought her Silicon Valley startup experience to Hawaii accelerators Blue Startups and the University of Hawaii's Venture Accelerator. James founded her first company, Nirvino, a #1 ranked wine app, an Apple Platform Top 100 App, and Top Ten Lifestyles App in 2007. In 2016, she was recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of five Women to Watch. In 2017, she was recognized again by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of eight Women Leaders Who Are Disrupting Entrepreneurship. 

James is a graduate of The School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University.

Abe Ng is the founder and CEO of Sushi Maki - South Florida's award-winning leader in innovative Japanese cuisine serving fresh, premium quality fare in a relaxed, modern and out-of-the-box environments (restaurants, airports, sports arenas, universities and gourmet markets) throughout Miami Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County.  In this role, he oversees the strategic development and management of the 22 locations owned and operated under the Sushi Maki and Canton Chinese brand names, and is a partner with Whole Foods Markets for sushi stations in the South Florida Region stores.

A Miami native, Ng (pronounced "ing") serves on various boards, including the Greater Miami Convention and Visitor Bureau, National Christian Foundation, Baptist Health Foundation, the Cornell University Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship Advisory Board and the Florida Restaurant Association.  Abe was recognized as one of the Miami Herald's 2011 20 Under 40 and the South Florida Business Journal's 2010 40 Under 40.  Abe was recently honored as Ultimate CEO by the South Florida Business Journal and in 2015 was a regional finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.  

Abe, the former chapter chair for YPO Miami, is a graduate of the Cornell University, School of Hotel Administration ('95) and the Owner/President Manager program at the Harvard Business School.  He currently lives in Miami with his wife Christina (Cornell University, College of Arts and Sciences, '96) and their three children ages.