HONOLULU (KHON2) -- A new museum is taking shape in downtown Honolulu and its mission is as ambitious as it is inspiring. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news The Inspiration Hawaii Museum is still under construction, but when it opens, it aims to rewrite the narrative about Hawaii's contributions to the world. Digitizing Hawaiʻi’s Past with Bishop Museum | Aloha Authentic Ep 502 Nestled inside the former Hawaiian Electric building on Richards Street, the Inspiration Hawaii Museum is going to be far more than a collection of exhibits. It's a challenge to the way the world sees Hawaii. "What is it about growing up in this place that creates world-class talent in all areas, be it politics, be it sports, be it entertainment, be it science," said Gloria Borland, Founder and President of the Inspiration Hawaii Museum. "There's something special about growing up in Hawaii, and no one talks about it, and that's the mission of this place." Borland said she came up with the idea for a museum in 2008 when within one week, Bryan Clay won an Olympic gold medal in the decathlon, the Waipio boys won the Little League World Series and Barack Obama received the Democratic nomination for president. While only a handful of displays are up so far, the vision is clear: to showcase the athletes, artists, scientists and leaders from Hawaii who have made a lasting impact on the nation and the world. "The Fender guitar, the Stratosphere, was invented by a native Hawaiian from Maui," explains Borland. "Freddie Tavares built Ray ham radio, and it was so powerful that it was able to pick up signals from New York and Maui, and he was only like 15 years old when he did that, so that's how talented he was. Then he and his brother joined a Hawaii musical group that toured California after the war, and Freddie didn't like the amps. So he made his own homemade amp, and it was great. Mr. Fender heard about this guy who had this great amp better than what he was making in his factory. So he visited him. He said, 'Let me see.' He took the back apart. He goes, 'I want to hire you come work for me at Fender.' So he did, and he improved their amp. Then he invented, in 1953 the Stratocaster electric guitar." ‘At a crisis point,’ Hundreds of animals overcrowd Oahu SPCA And there are others, such as the inventor of the Verifone. "Edward Berger, back in the late 70s, realized that when tourists come to Hawaii, there's no way to verify if their check or their credit card is any good because this is before the internet. And so he wanted to verify by phone," said Borland. The steel guitar was invented by an 11-year-old boarding student at Kamehameha Schools, Joseph Kekuku. "He was walking along the railroad tracks, and he saw a metal steak, you know, the little gigantic nails for railroad tracks, and he picked it up, and somehow he played around with his guitar, and it made a sound that he said, Oh, this is interesting," said Borland. "Then as an adult, he traveled throughout the United States and in Europe, bringing in the steel guitar sound. So country music picked it up. The Blues in Louisiana picked it up." Before the names Tagoviola and Mariota, there was Walter Achiu. "In 1927 they went to college, one tied in with St Louis was a college in Ohio. After they graduated college, they were recruited to play football, and they did. And Walter Achiu, they couldn't pronounce his last name, so they called him 'Sneeze.'" Other exhibits include the telephone recording of President Lyndon Johnson lobbying for Senator Daniel Inouye to run for vice president in 1968. Get Hawaii's latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You The museum has some financial backing from local foundations but is still trying to raise about half a million dollars to finish the project. An interesting aspect about this museum is that most of those people highlighted here all began with humble beginnings, adding to the stories of resilience and ingenuity and excellence and the name of this museum, inspiration. The museum is expected to open later this year.