Between 2019 and 2025, Cocomo independently created and bootstrapped several community-driven “local-made” initiatives, including Big Island Made (which later evolved into Hawaiʻi Crafted) and Eugene Made. These were passion projects inspired by earlier work with Seattle Made and rooted in a genuine love for the maker, creative, and small-business community.
Each initiative centered around a custom WordPress directory website designed to showcase local producers, artisans, and small brands. At their peak, Hawaiʻi Crafted supported over 100 participating businesses, while Eugene Made grew to nearly 40 active members and had four impactful in-person networking mixers! The platforms required advanced website functionality, including membership management, directory listings, custom fields, portfolios, and search and filtering tools. In addition to development, I provided branding and visual direction, SEO and analytics to track growth and engagement, and software integrations with CRM and email platforms such as HubSpot and Mailchimp.
These initiatives were eventually phased out—partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and also lack of access to sustainable funding. While the programs themselves ended the impact did not disappear. Many participating businesses shared that the visibility, connections, and momentum created through these efforts made a real difference for them.
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