E.P.I.C

The Empowering Pilina Incubator & Connector (EPIC) is a six-week freelance advancement lab offering targeted coaching, live collaborative workshops, and asynchronous coursework hosted in WFA’s Virtual Headquarters (HQ), a metaverse space designed for learning, creativity, and connection. Graduates are enrolled in WFA’s Freelance Database Connector, linking them to clients seeking freelance support across Hawaiʻi and beyond.

Fall Dates

Apply Today! Due September 12
  • October 6 to November 14: Virtual 6 Week Program
  • November 15: Hōʻike & Networking Pilina Mixer
Register September 4 Info Session
Download E.P.I.C. Flyer

Empowering

Wāhine freelancers to build toward long-term economic stability through 1:1 coaching, virtual learning, and tools grounded in culture and community.

Pilina

Building through insider interviews with clients and experienced freelancers, offering on-the-ground insight into what businesses look for. This phase culminates in an in-person hōʻike and networking mixer rooted in reciprocity.

Incubate

An individualized freelance strategy and finance map, paired with a “proof of service” project—a professional deliverable showcasing participant’s strengths, offerings, and client readiness.

Connect

Wāhine freelancers directly to potential clients and a supportive network with WFA’s business-to-business database connector.

E.P.I.C. Program Team

Misty Sanico

Fall E.P.I.C. Program Manager
Misty Sanico

About Misty
Marion Ano Headshot

Fall E.P.I.C. Kākoʻo
Marion Ano

About Marion

About Misty

Misty-Lynn Sanico is an ʻŌiwi writer and editor from Honolulu. She is the Communications Director for Bamboo Ridge Press, a local independent book publisher, and has been working with nonprofit literary organizations in Hawaiʻi for 15 years. She has organized and led numerous virtual literary events, as well as workshops in creative writing, blogging, and social media marketing.

About Marion

Marion Ano is the founder of Wahine Coder,a freelance design and development company. With over 13 years of experience as a mobile and web designer & developer serving Hawaiʻi-based clients, Marion specializes in building efficient workflow systems, streamlined project management flows, and well-organized digital solutions tailored to each client’s unique needs.

She also has a passion for copywriting and enjoys helping businesses shape their strategic communication, ensuring their messaging and online presence are both clear and compelling. A lifelong learner, Marion actively explores and integrates emerging technologies into her freelance workflows with intention and care.

In addition to serving her clients, Marion is a lecturer at the University of Hawaiʻi – West Oʻahu, where she has been teaching since 2012. Through the Academy of Creative Media, she teaches courses in coding, mobile app development, mobile app visual design, and web-based user experience (UX).

During the summers, she channels her creativity into writing children’s books with her son through their family-owned publishing company, Kilo Books Hawaiʻi.

Apply for EPIC Pods

EPIC + PODS is a collaborative, cohort-based experience designed to bring wāhine freelancers—both emerging and experienced—into shared practice through real client work.

Applications open on May 27

Learn More!