T H E F U T U R E I S S U E / STARTUP AWARDS P. 7 1 / CONSTRUCTION ROBUST P .

1 9

L O C A L LY O W N E D ,
L O C A L LY C O M M I T T E D
SINCE 1955

2O
F OR
PROFILES OF
HAWAI‘I’S
EMERGING
LEADERS

T HE
P. 4 2

NE X T
2O
Rachel James
is an attorney
with the Hawai‘i
Public Utilities
Commission

MARCH 2021

HAWAIIBUSINESS.COM
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 Congratulations Aki and to all the
20 for the Next 20 – Class of 2021 Honorees
Helping Hawai‘i drive to
a greener future

“ I’m excited to be on a team advancing

Hawai‘i’s clean energy future through
electrification of transportation.”

Aki Marceau
Director, Electrification of Transportation

Supporting the use of EVs can make

a big difference for Hawai‘i, now and in the future.
Lower cost to drive
EV owners can save with less maintenance and lower cost per mile.
Congratulations,
Doug Johnstone, President of the Hawai‘i region for
More renewable energy
The Howard Hughes Corporation, and all of the
Charging of EVs, especially buses, trucks, fleets and other heavy equipment, allows for more
20 for the Next 20 honorees! Thank you for your
renewable energy on the grid. leadership and dedication to the vibrant Ward Village
neighborhood, and to the broader Hawai‘i community.
Fight climate change
More EVs help to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, noise pollution and particulates. discoverward.com

Learn more at hawaiianelectric.com/goev

 “
FEATURES
Khara Jabola-Carolus
leads the Hawai‘i State
Commission on the
03 . 21 Status of Women and
is among this year’s
20 for the Next 20.

19
Construction a Bright
I’m saving my
Spot for Local Economy
The broad mix of projects business

”
includes hotel renovations,
new and remodeled
homes, county and state
infrastructure efforts and
time and money.
military construction.

28
Hawai‘i’s Light Pollution
Harms Humans and Birds
Night workers, homeless
people and seabirds are
especially impacted. We
also look at how different
streetlight policies can
reduce the harm.

42
20 for the Next 20:
Local People to Watch
Their profiles describe
emerging leaders bringing
positive changes to
Hawai‘i and its people.
They come from all walks
of life: businesses of all
kinds, nonprofits and
government service.

71
2021’s Best of
Startup Paradise
Learn about the
innovative startups
and champions who
are the winners and
finalists of the Hawaii
Venture Capital
Association awards. ACH direct deposit saves your business from the time commitment and cost
of producing paper checks for payroll, reimbursements and more*. Plus, you
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©2021 American Savings Bank

*Credit approval is required. A valid ASB business checking account is required.
Some restrictions and additional fees may apply.
6 MARCH 2021 PH OTO BY A A R O N K . YO S H I N O
 CONTENTS FR OM TH E E D I TO R

SPECIAL
ADVERTISING
SECTIONS

HAWAI‘I
ENGINEERS
SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

HAWAI‘I
ENGINEERS
AN OPEN MI ND on Hawai‘i and its people. We consider people’s
careers and their public service. Obviously, these
DIRECTORY UH College of Engineering DIRECTORY
Dean Brennon Morioka emcees HAWAII COUNCIL OF

the plaque unveiling at the
ALOHAnet IEEE Milestone
Dedication Ceremony.
So Many
ENGINEERING SOCIETIES
OUTSTANDING ENGINEERS
HCES honored four outstanding Engineering student
individuals during National Engineers browses recruiters

are not objective measures, but judgment calls; I see

from engineering
Week, February 21-27, 2021. firms at UH College
of Engineering’s first
DAVID G. WALLER, P.E., virtual job fair.
(1948-2020), is posthu-
mously 2021’s HCES
Lifetime Achievement
Award recipient. This award
honors the achievements
of an outstanding retired

no way around that.

engineer who has contributed significantly to the
development of engineering in Hawaii. In his 46
year engineering career Mr. Waller has directed ALOHANET HONORED AS
his efforts to developing a resource essential for
ENGINEERING MILESTONE
our modern society, energy.

Good People
THE VIRTUAL YEAR AT STEVE BALDRIDGE,

UH MANOA’S COLLEGE P.E. , was selected by

the Hawaii Society of
OF ENGINEERING Professional Engineers,
as the 2021 Hawaii
ELEC T RIC A L EN GIN EERIN G
Honolulu, Oahu | Wailuku, Maui
Engineer of the Year. Mr.

E
Baldridge is founder and
VEN WITH THE ring worn on the fifth finger President of Baldrige & Associates Structural En- ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
COVID-19 PANDEMIC of the working hand that gineers, Inc. He and his firm have become leading
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
which struck the represents the engineer’s pro- designers in specialty areas and have served on DELIVERING A
fessional obligation. technical committees. BETTER WORLD PLANNING
College of Engineer- 1001 Bishop Street, Suite 1600
ing, University of Hawai’i at ENGINEERING

RIGOROUS, THOUGHTFUL PROCESS

Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
T (808) 521-3051

Mānoa since March 2020, we
transformed and survived…
VIRTUAL CONVOCATION
CEREMONY WELL ATTENDED
BANQUET VIRTUAL KAPIOLANI STREET, aecom.com ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
FUNDRAISER IS A SUCCESS P.E., was selected by the
Hawaii Society of
Like nearly all events since Professional Engineers, as COLLEGE’S FIRST VIRTUAL
the arrival of COVID-19, the the 2021 Hawaii Young CAREER DAY WELL
college’s 20th Annual Banquet Engineer of the Year. Ms. RECEIVED BY RECRUITERS

Students disappointed by the
cancellation of traditional con-
vocation and commencement
ceremonies were excited to
participate in a virtual Order
of the Engineer oath ceremo-
ny, a first for the college.
About three-quarters of the
that was to take place on April
22 never happened. The event
– the college’s largest event of
the year that typically draws
over 800 people – is tradition-
ally the primary fundraiser
for undergraduate student re-
search projects, so its cancel-
to Choose From
Street works as a Project AND STUDENTS
Engineer at the Limtiaco Consulting Group. Her
projects include stormwater erosion control
design, wastewater system design, site develop-
ment and utility design. She has served/is serving
in many engineering groups.
WILLY CHANG was

Each finalist is vetted before a final meeting attended

nearly 200 Spring and Sum-
mer 2020 graduates logged in
on May 15 to participate in a
Zoom ceremony that was also
streaming on YouTube Live to
roughly 400 viewers.
All participants in the
ceremony will receive the En-
gineer’s Ring, a stainless-steel
lation left students and staff
alike nervous about limited
funding and opportunities in
the year to come.
But social distancing did not
stop the college from taking its
fundraising efforts online with
a “virtual fundraiser.” The team
set a goal of $100,000.
selected as the 2021
Student Engineer of the
Year by a UHM College
of Engineering faculty
committee. Mr. Chang
is expected to graduate
with a BS in Computer Engineering and a minor
in Business Administration this spring 2021. He
will be continuing into the UHM COE Electrical

by every member of the HB team. Staff advocate for

Engineering Masters Program.

16 MARCH 2020 H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 17

T
and against each of the finalists and the discussions
Engineers Directory
Hawai‘i’s top can get passionate and nuanced. We vote on the 20
HE FOLKS AT HAWAII BUSINESS
engineering firms finalists, though afterward I may change one or two
MAGAZINE PUBLISHED AN ARTI-
16 of the selections based on further vetting.
CLE called “25 for the Next 25”
We seek a diversity of people, backgrounds and
in 2007 – 25 people they thought
experience. While most honorees over the years
SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

would have a major positive impact

have been men, women were the majority this year
on Hawai‘i for the next quarter cen-
and last. That was not intentional, but the outcome
tury. And they nailed it!
EDUCATION & of 20 individual decisions.
WORKFORCE
Among those who were on that list 14 years ago
Our 20 for the Next 20 coverage is one of our
DEVELOPMENT

– well before they reached the peaks of their careers

most popular features each year. This year’s cohort
and influence – were Brian Schatz, Peter Ho, Chris-
is an impressive group of people, and though I can-
tine Camp and Billy Kenoi (rest in peace).
Learn how these
institutions can help
you develop the
skills you need for a

not predict the future, I have no doubt they will have

successful career.

The vast majority of those selected hold promi-

37

a huge positive influence on the future of Hawai‘i.

nent positions today in local businesses, nonprofits
Education & Workforce See our coverage on page 42.
Development and government. A few, such as Hawai‘i tech entre-
These institutions can preneur Ho‘ala Greevy, founder of Paubox, continue SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS
to do great work, but on the Mainland sadly.

14
help you develop the
skills you need for a If you check all 25 people at tinyurl.com/25in2007,
successful career We are encountering a similar “problem” with our
37 I think you will be as impressed as I was at the Hawaii SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Awards: too many good
Business team’s prescience. local small businesses have been nominated. We
received 168 outside nominations and a couple of
SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

CONSTRUCTION REVIVING THE IDEA

INDUSTRY dozen in-house nominations for this year’s honorees.
OUTLOOK
A few years back, we would pick five honorees
I take no credit for those choices as I did not join HB
The only private industry in
Hawai‘i to add jobs in 2020, the
construction industry is holding

each year. Last year, as there were fewer winners in

its ground, but not without a new
set of challenges.

until two years later. When we decided to revive the

BY CHRISTINE HIT T

2021 the awards sponsored by the Hawai‘i office of the

Our Challenge is Too
Many Strong Candidates
Each year, there are more
deserving nominees for the 20
for the Next 20 than there are
openings. Here’s our process.
9 14
New Normal? How to Rethink
Your Store or Restaurant
Architect Grant Chang says
owners must think long-term to
balance health with effective use
of their limited space.
12
idea as an annual project starting in 2010, we down-
federal Small Business Administration, we increased
My Job is Saving Trees AND sized it to “20 for the Next 20 – Hawai‘i’s People
the Editor’s Choice cohort to nine honorees.
Ensuring Power Delivery to Watch.” That’s partly because writing insight-
This year, there are no Hawai‘i SBA awards,
Arborist for Hawaiian Electric Co. ful profiles of 20 emerging leaders and taking their
so we plan to select about 25 Editor’s Choice and
balances the need for trees and portraits is a huge investment of time and energy.
Construction Outlook Hawai‘i Small Business Hall of Fame honorees. We
tree canopies with the demand But I will be frank: The main reason is I worried we
for electricity. Experts share their are deep into the vetting process as I write this and
insight on Hawai‘i’s would struggle to find 20 worthy people year after
our reporters have started contacting finalists to
construction industry in year after year.
hear their stories.
2021 and beyond Boy, was I wrong! The bigger problem each year
Pandemic Creates New Work 64 See our May issue to read about the winners.
for 70-year-old Family Biz is narrowing it down to 20 people. We received
Parting Shot takes you into the almost 200 nominations for the 2021 cohort, plus
workroom at Min Plastics, as the we had at least a dozen strong candidates left over
company creates equipment to from last year’s nominations. And we nominate
in-house, too: Our staff, during their year’s work,
keep people safe.
82
ON THE COVER will frequently come across impressive individuals
PHOTO BY
AARON K. YOS HI N O
and put their names in the hat.
My apologies to those nominees who were not
PHOTO: CHRIS ROHRER

HAWAII BUSINESS (ISSN 0440-5056) IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY PACIFICBASIN COMMUNICATIONS. ©2021 PACIFICBASIN COMMUNICATIONS, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ANY UNAUTHORIZED COPYING,
chosen. I assure you that we thoughtfully consider STEVE PETRANIK
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HB EVENTS
CONNECT WITH HAWAII BUSINESS MAGAZINE
L O C A L LY OW N E D , L O C A L LY C O M M I T T E D
SINCE 1955.
Our goal is to strengthen the local economy
and help our communities thrive.

Publisher CHERYL ONCEA

cherylo@hawaiibusiness.com
Editorial
Editor STEVE PETRANIK
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Senior Writer BEVERLY CREAMER
Staff Writer NOELLE FUJII-ORIDE
Copy Editor ELROY GARCIA
Contributing Writers
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Staff Photographer AARON K. YOSHINO
Sales & Marketing
Associate Publisher KAREN LEE
BEST PLACES TO WORK WILL BE A UNIQUE For more information karenl@hawaiibusiness.com • 534−7536
EVENT FOR THIS UNIQUE YEAR. We will begin on our signature events Senior Account Manager CYD SHIZURU
the celebration week with a digital rollout of list visit hawaiibusiness. cyds@hawaiibusiness.com • 534−7164
makers in alphabetical order by category. Tune in com/events or contact Senior Account Manager DAVID SUR
Anthony Bagnoli, Director davids@hawaiibusiness.com • 534−7124
on Friday, April 2, 2021 at 4:00 p.m., when we’ll
of Events, at anthonyb@ Senior Account Manager PATTY VIGUERAS
unveil the 71 companies who have made the 2021 pattyv@hawaiibusiness.com • 534−7128
hawaiibusiness.com.
Best Places to Work in Hawai‘i list. This year’s hy- Advertising Project Manager MICHELLE OKADA
brid event will be a livestreamed, socially distanced
event from the rooftop of Dave & Buster’s.
michelleo@hawaiibusiness.com • 534−7560
Events Director ANTHONY BAGNOLI
CONGR ATUL ATIONS BlackSand Capital congratulates
anthonyb@hawaiibusiness.com • 534−7578 you on this recognition and
Circulation TO BENJAMIN WANG, applauds your achievements and
Circulation Manager KIM KOKI
kimk@pacificbasin.net • 534−7590
PRINCIPAL OF contributions within the firm, the
UPCOMING EVENTS: Connect with us on social media:
HawaiiBusiness commercial real estate industry,
This year we reprise our CHANGE Event Series and hear from voices
HawaiiBusinessmagazine
BL ACKSAND CAPITAL and Hawaii’s community.
across the Islands – from Kaua‘i to Hawai‘i Island, we are inviting change Hawaii Business is published by
makers to join us as attendees and panelists. CHANGE is our shared kuleana AND 20 FOR THE
throughout all of Hawai‘i. We salute all of the 20 For The
NEXT 20 HONOREE!
President SCOTT SCHUMAKER

THURSDAY, THURSDAY, THURSDAY,

scotts@pacificbasin.net • 534−7541
Next 20 honorees.
Audience Development Director CHUCK TINDLE
MARCH 18, 2021 JUNE 10, 2021 SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 chuckt@pacificbasin.net • 534−7521
4:00-5:00 P.M. 4:00-5:00 P.M. 4:00-5:00 P.M.
CHANGE: CHANGE: CHANGE:
Health & Wellness Natural Environment Education
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Virtual pau hana to follow Virtual pau hana to follow Virtual pau hana to follow DUANE KURISU
President and Chief Operating Officer
ILLUSTRATION: SHAR TUIASOA

THURSDAY, THURSDAY,
SUSAN EICHOR
APRIL 22, 2021 AUGUST 19, 2021
4:00-5:00 P.M. 4:00-5:00 P.M. Chief Financial Officer BONNY AMEMIYA
CHANGE: CHANGE: Director-Strategic Planning & Human Resources
Arts & Culture Government & Civics KEN MIYASATO

Virtual pau hana to follow Virtual pau hana to follow

10 MARCH 2021
 BIZX: EXPERT
How to
Reimagine
Your
Store or
Restaurant
Q:
HOW CAN
BUSINESSES
REDEFINE
SHOPPING AND
DINING TO
ENCOURAGE REPEAT LOCAL
CUSTOMERS AND DRAW
TOURISTS?
A: When the pandemic
first hit, there was a rapid
response to meet mandates.
Makeshift solutions such as
plexiglass barriers and tape
marking 6-foot increments
of separation turned shops
into scenes from an apoca-
lyptic movie.
Now that it’s evident the
fallout is long term, shops
and restaurants must adapt to
be relevant. Here are factors
to consider.
REPOSITION
Many owners have taken
advantage of the forced
downtime to rethink opera-
tions and their use of space.
Businesses that took
advantage of increased deliv-
ery channels have done bet-
ter. Space near the front of
the house is often needed
for customer fulfillment
and order-ahead options.
In dining, there is increased
demand for quick-service
restaurant pads with drive-
thrus that reduce unneces-
sary human interaction.
PRIORITIZE HEALTH
AND SAFETY
Retail and restaurant proj-
ects must prioritize the
12 MARCH 2021
ADVICE
health and wellness of con-
sumers and workers while
doing what they can to
attract customers. Among
the new design standards to
consider are:
• Ample space for people to
move around yet maintain
social distancing.
• Advanced HVAC systems
to clean the air.
• Contactless fixtures.
• Easy-clean surfaces.
• Outdoor/open-air seat-
ing options.
• Extending existing physi-
cal barriers for distancing.
OPERATIONAL PIVOTS
Creative design solutions that
can help include:
• Curbside services or
walk-up windows that
allow customers to buy
or collect merchandise
without entering the
store or restaurant.
• Pass-through stations at
restaurants that provide
the most direct route pos-
sible from kitchen to table.
• Digital menus with
QR codes.
• App-based technolo-
gies that allow for easier
preordering, contactless
pickup or “reserving” a
place in line.
• Single-use materials or
cardboard trays so cus-
tomers can eat in their
cars or at nearby parks.
• Considering the safety
of employees, as well
as guests.
LEADING
THROUGH
CHANGE
True leaders like Jamie Cheng
step up and seize opportunities
in times of hardship. As a
former small business owner,
Jamie spearheaded ASB’s
around-the-clock Paycheck
Protection Program efforts.
Thanks to her leadership, we
REPURPOSE helped thousands of local
businesses stay afloat when the
Among other progressive pandemic forced Hawaii’s
ideas are:
• Turning dormant retail or
economy to a screeching halt.
office spaces into residences
or hotels. It’s passionate and committed
• As more people work leaders like Jamie, and the 2021
remotely, the leash to down- Class of 20 for the Next 20, that
town and urban cores has give us hope for a brighter,
loosened and a greater pre-
mium is being placed on
more resilient future.
space and access to the out-
doors. Incorporating open- Congratulations and mahalo for
air environments makes making dreams possible, Jamie!
patrons feel safer and elevates
their overall experience.
PHOTO: DAVID CROXFORD
THIS MONTH’S EXPERT:
GRANT CHANG
DIRECTOR OF DESIGN,
LOWNEY ARCHITECTURE
WWW.LOWNEYARCH.COM Jamie Cheng
Director of Commercial Operations
Member FDIC
 MY JOB M Y J O B

The Tree START: “My dad was one

of the first hundred people
encompasses a lot more than
just pruning the trees. You’re
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: “For
pruning trees, technically, all
decaying wood inside a tree
that you can’t see outwardly.”

Advocate in Illinois to become a

certified arborist. When I
was 14, I started cleaning up
BY MA RT H A C H E N G
the ground while he was
climbing and trimming. And
NAME: then when I turned 17, I
DESIREE PAGE started actually climbing.”
After initially study-
JOB: ing to be a police officer, she
SYSTEM switched to agriculture sci-
ARBORIST FOR ence with an emphasis on
HAWAIIAN urban forest management as
ELECTRIC CO. her major.
MISCONCEPTIONS: “People
think you can either climb
into trees or be a consultant
to assess cutting the tree, but
there are so many other ways
planting spaces and planning
infrastructure.”
CHALLENGES: “We need can-
opy, we need trees. My big-
gest challenge as an arborist at
Hawaiian Electric is balanc-
ing what’s right for the canopy
– trying to advocate for the
right tree, right place – with
the safe delivery of power.
“When I was in commer-
cial arboriculture, one of my
biggest challenges was try-
ing to spread the knowledge,
understanding and love for
trees to everybody else. The
homeowners would have a
tree that they and all people
in the area benefit from, so
you need is a chain saw. And
if you’re climbing you need
personal protective equip-
ment. Depending on the
scale of your operation and
tree situation, we use cranes
for removing material away
from the tree. Aerial lifts are
pretty common. There are
utility clearance operations
that use helicopters with
saws hanging from them.
“We have things called
Port-A-Wraps, which pro-
duce friction to help han-
dle heavy loads. I can hold
an 800-pound log with one
hand, like it’s nothing, by
using this tiny little device.
“If you’re doing risk
PLANT HEALTH CARE: “We’re
fighting different diseases like
rapid ‘ōhi‘a death and a new
pest called the avocado lace
bug that’s taking out avocados
and it’s a terrifying concept,
but there are different mechan-
ical devices we use to deliver
pesticides and/or nutrition
directly into the vascular sys-
tem in the tree. We just drill a
little hole and inject it.”
PAY RANGE: “It’s so wide rang-
ing. Entry level, on the ground,
would probably be up to $15
an hour, a climber from $18 an
hour. And then from there, a lot
depends on your background,

PHOTO: CHRIS ROHRER

arborists help manage trees.
Arborists are also involved
with fire management, for-
est management and urban
forest management, which
it’s really hard for me when assessment, you use things your experience.”
they want to remove it just like resistographs or tomog-
because they don’t like to raphy to determine if there This interview was edited for clar-
rake leaves.” are cavities, weak spots or ity and conciseness.

A LEGACY OF LEADERSHIP
CONTINUES.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR VERY OWN

20 FOR THE NEXT 20 HONOREE SUMMER H. KAIAWE

Summer is a skilled advisor and advocate experienced in resolving real estate, land use, business,
and intellectual property disputes. Summer is committed to meeting the needs of each client, no matter
how big or small. She is also committed to serving the local community and does so in her capacity as a
past President of the HSBA Young Lawyers Division, as a director on the board of Aloha Harvest,
a local non-profit, and through her involvement with other legal industry initiatives.

999 Bishop Street, Suite 1250 • Honolulu, HI 96813

Phone: (808) 544-8300 • www.wik.com
Jonathan W.Y. Lai, Managing Partner

14 MARCH 2021 WI_HB_Summer_halfpage_20210112_FINAL.indd 1 H AWA I I B U1/15/21 15

S I N ES S1:45 PM

HAWAI‘I
ENGINEERS
DIRECTORY
THE VIRTUAL YEAR AT
UH MANOA’S COLLEGE
OF ENGINEERING
E
VEN WITH THE
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
which struck the
College of Engineer-
ing, University of Hawai‘i at
Mānoa since March 2020, we
transformed and survived…
VIRTUAL CONVOCATION
CEREMONY WELL ATTENDED
Students disappointed by the
cancellation of traditional con-
vocation and commencement
ceremonies were excited to
participate in a virtual Order
of the Engineer oath ceremo-
ny, a first for the college.
About three-quarters of the
nearly 200 Spring and Sum-
mer 2020 graduates logged in
on May 15 to participate in a
Zoom ceremony that was also
streaming on YouTube Live to
roughly 400 viewers.
All participants in the
ceremony will receive the En-
gineer’s Ring, a stainless-steel
16 MARCH 2021
SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION
UH College of Engineering
Dean Brennon Morioka emcees
the plaque unveiling at the
ALOHAnet IEEE Milestone
Dedication Ceremony.
ring worn on the fifth finger
of the working hand that
represents the engineer’s pro-
fessional obligation.
BANQUET VIRTUAL
FUNDRAISER IS A SUCCESS
Like nearly all events since
the arrival of COVID-19, the
college’s 20th Annual Banquet
that was to take place on April
22 never happened. The event
– the college’s largest event of
the year that typically draws
over 800 people – is tradition-
ally the primary fundraiser
for undergraduate student re-
search projects, so its cancel-
lation left students and staff
alike nervous about limited
funding and opportunities in
the year to come.
But social distancing did not
stop the college from taking its
fundraising efforts online with
a “virtual fundraiser.” The team
set a goal of $100,000.
SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION
HAWAI‘I
ENGINEERS
HAWAII COUNCIL OF DIRECTORY
ENGINEERING SOCIETIES
OUTSTANDING ENGINEERS
HCES honored four outstanding
individuals during National Engineers Engineering student
Week, February 21-27, 2021. browses recruiters
from engineering
firms at UH College
DAVID G. WALLER, of Engineering’s first
P.E., (1948-2020), is virtual job fair.
posthumously 2021’s
HCES Lifetime
Achievement Award Thanks to the college’s Overwhelmingly with hopes to supplement need to transition to fully
recipient. This award dedicated community of positive feedback has it with a face-to-face ele- virtual or semi-virtual
honors the achievements
supporters, fundraising prompted the college to ment if conditions allow. ceremonies and gather-
of an outstanding retired engineer who has
contributed significantly to the development of
efforts exceeded this goal by already begin planning All in all, it was a pret- ings; but we eagerly look
engineering in Hawai‘i. In his 46 year engineering bringing in $119,850. for another virtual fair ty steady year, even with forward to returning to
career Mr. Waller has directed his efforts to in Spring (Feb. 24, 2021), the pandemic and the our in-person norm!
developing a resource essential for our modern ALOHANET HONORED AS
society, energy. ENGINEERING MILESTONE
STEVE BALDRIDGE,
The University of Hawai‘i at
Mānoa College of Engineering www.atahawaii.com
P.E. , was selected by
the Hawaii Society of
was the birthplace of a revo-
lutionary wireless communi-
Professional Engineers,
as the 2021 Hawaii
cation technology nearly 50
years ago, and the project that
ELEC TRIC A L EN GIN EERIN G
Engineer of the Year. Honolulu, Oahu | Wailuku, Maui
Mr. Baldridge is founder started it, ALOHAnet, has
and President of Baldrige & Associates Structural received a major international
Engineers, Inc. He and his firm have become lead- engineering honor. ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
Suite 1500, Pacific Park Plaza
ing designers in specialty areas and have served Governor David Ige, CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT 711 Kapiolani Boulevard
on technical committees. a UH Mānoa electrical DELIVERING A Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Phone: 593-1676; Fax: 593-1607
BETTER WORLD PLANNING
engineering alumnus, said 1001 Bishop Street, Suite 1600
ENGINEERING
ALOHAnet is an example Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
T (808) 521-3051 w w w. p a r e n i n c . c o m
KAPIOLANI STREET, of how UH has shaped the aecom.com ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
P.E., was selected by future of Hawai‘i.
the Hawaii Society of
Professional Engineers, COLLEGE’S FIRST VIRTUAL
as the 2021 Hawaii Young CAREER DAY WELL
Engineer of the Year. Ms.
RECEIVED BY RECRUITERS
Street works as a Project
AND STUDENTS
Engineer at the Limtiaco Consulting Group. Her
projects include stormwater erosion control
design, wastewater system design, site develop- The college held its first
ment and utility design. She has served/is serving virtual Career Day on
in many engineering groups. September 23rd, and by all
accounts, it was a smashing
success. This semi-annual
WILLY CHANG was career fair for engineer-
selected as the 2021 ing-related recruiters and
Student Engineer of the students attracted over 450
Year by a UHM College
students and 300 recruiters
of Engineering faculty
from 81 organizations. Over
committee. Mr. Chang
the course of the day, 2,000+
is expected to graduate
with a BS in Computer Engineering and a minor one-on-one chats were com-
in Business Administration this spring 2021. He pleted via text, audio, and
will be continuing into the UHM COE Electrical video chats over the Brazen
Engineering Masters Program. online platform.
H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 17
 “
L
I
F
E
WE’RE PROUD TO HAVE NEILL L
ON OUR TEAM. AND IT’S OUR
CUSTOMERS WHO TRULY BENEFIT. I
Entrusted with the leadership of our Commercial Banking Group, N
Neill and his team are creating a more personalized, customer-centric
approach to helping businesses navigate challenges and achieve their
goals. On behalf of our First Hawaiian Bank family, we’re honored
E
to celebrate Neill Char as one of Hawaii’s “20 for the Next 20.”
” CONSTRUCTION
INDUSTRY STILL A
BRIGHT SPOT FOR
HAWAI‘I ECONOMY
NEILL CHAR DURING PANDEMIC
Executive Vice President,
fhb.com Commercial Banking Group SEE WHAT
PROJECTS ARE
PROCEEDING OR
PLANNED ON YOUR
ISLAND, PAGE 24

BY NOELLE FUJII-ORIDE

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 19
Diverse projects are the street, and seeing it’s mov-
ing forward. And I think there’s
tinue during the pandemic, when
other industries had to shut down,
nership, a not-for-profit that represents
the Hawaii Regional Council of Carpen-
Harbor-Hickam, the new Kihei High
School and some resort projects.

keeping Hawai‘i’s something emotionally important

about this.”
and that construction workers
quickly implemented safety mea-
ters and over 240 contractors. He says
there was a slight pause in construction
He adds that most of these projects
were under construction, with financial

construction industry busy sures on job sites.

Hawaiian Dredging Construc-
activity when the state first shut down
in March 2020. Activity picked up again
commitments already in place, when
the pandemic started, so there was plen-

and offering much-needed RESILIENT INDUSTRY

tion Co. requires employees to so-
cial distance, wear face coverings
once the industry was deemed essential,
and many of the projects slated to start
ty of momentum to keep going.
“The State of Hawai‘i and federal

support for the state’s Economist Paul Brewbaker says

Hawai‘i’s construction industry has
when not actively eating or drink-
ing, and regularly clean and disin-
or continue in 2020 proceeded through-
out the rest of the year.
military projects had the funding allo-
cation to proceed into construction,”

fractured economy. been “remarkably resilient” during

the pandemic. The number of natu-
ral resources, mining and construc-
fect work areas, Mardi Miyamoto,
the company’s health, safety and
environment manager, writes in
tion jobs in the Islands between an email. Anyone entering a work
Hawaiian Dredging, for example,
has been working on such projects as
the Kapa‘a Stream Bridge replacement,
Kaneshige writes. “The private proj-
ects that started during the pandemic
shutdown were not dependent on op-
the Nanakuli Health Care Center, erational revenues in order to secure
financing for construction. The large

T
March and November 2020 has site has to complete a daily well- phase two of the Hale Moena Kupu-
HOSE PROJECTS in- the state’s largest architecture firms. been relatively stable, fluctuating ness checklist. na apartment complex in Kapolei, the projects will take many months if not
clude hotel renova- “We’re hiring. It’s not just our firm, it’s between roughly 36,000 and 38,000 The company has been diligent Kō‘ula luxury condo at Ward Village, years to complete, so the owners or
tions, new and remod- our competition as well. It’s our indus- positions, according to state De- about these measures, she writes, and The Central Ala Moana residential developers were willing to take the
eled homes, county try right now that is able to continue to partment of Business, Economic because there are tasks where so- tower, writes Gerry Majkut, president risk of starting their projects in antici-

PHOTO: PREVIOUS PAGE, AARON K. YOSHINO

and state infrastruc-
ture efforts and mili-
tary construction. Some architecture
firms and contractors are even adding
staff to keep up with the steady – and
sometimes increased – workload.
“We are, I believe currently, a bit
of a lifeline for the economy,” says
Bettina Mehnert, CEO of AHL, one of
keep our employees and provide that
backbone, that financial backbone, to
many families. And that’s important.”
Another benefit of a healthy con-
struction industry: Ongoing projects
give people hope during this challeng-
ing time.
“People see it,” she says. “There’s
something there, going on down
Development and Tourism month- cial distancing is impossible, such of Hawaiian Dredging, in an email. pation that the pandemic will be gone
ly data. By comparison, the number as concrete pours and working in Nordic PCL has also been “surpris- when completed.”
of jobs in that sector dropped dra- tight areas like elevator cores, man- ingly busy,” writes Glen Kaneshige, Despite the economic turmoil and
matically as a result of the last re- holes and electrical rooms. Con- the construction company’s president, uncertainty caused by the pandemic,
cession: from a peak of 40,000 at struction crews can range in size in an email. Its projects include the Kaneshige’s company and others, like
the end of 2007 to a low of 28,000 in from two people to 400, depending first-phase renovation of Central Pa- G70 and AHL, have been hiring to keep
early 2011. on the activity and type of project. cific Bank’s main branch, the Hawai‘i up with their workloads.
Brewbaker says it helped that Josh Magno is the director of Air National Guard’s new F-22 Fight- “We’re thankful for how things
construction was allowed to con- programs at Pacific Resource Part- er Alert Facility at Joint Base Pearl at least panned out through the year,”

Number of Jobs Construction jobs are included in a larger category that also includes jobs in natural resources and mining. Source: “Monthly Economic Indicators Through December 2020,” Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

41000 Apr 2020

Nov 2007
40,650 jobs 36,300 jobs

39250 Dec
2020
37,900
37500 jobs

35750 Jan 2011

28,200 jobs

34000

32250

30500

28750

27000
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Jan-Dec Jan-Dec Jan-Dec Jan-Dec Jan-Dec Jan-Dec Jan-Dec Jan-Dec Jan-Dec Jan-Dec Jan-Dec Jan-Dec Jan-Dec Jan-Dec

20 MARCH 2021 H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 21

says Charles Kaneshiro, president and
COO of G70, a Honolulu-based firm of
architects, civil engineers, interior de-
signers and planners. “And I know it’s
not probably everybody’s story but that
was what happened for G70.”
Brewbaker says it’s important that
construction continued largely unabat-
ed, but it’s also not the only industry
keeping Hawai‘i’s economy afloat. In
the first three quarters of 2020, con-
struction – including mining, quarry-
ing, and oil and gas extraction – made
up 6.2% of the state’s GDP. That’s al-
most the same size as health care and
military, he says.
“Those are equally resilient and re-
spectable shares of the economy,” he
says. “They stepped up. Health care
definitely stepped up over the last year.
And everything is related to everything.
The point is it’s important that you
still were there, you were able to keep
on going, you carried weight in a time
when a lot of people couldn’t.”
HOUSING REMAINS STRONG
Residential construction has
long been the core of the state’s con-
struction industry and has continued
strong during the pandemic, PRP’s
Magno says. He cites residential build-
ing activity in Kaka‘ako, along the Ka-
pi‘olani Boulevard corridor and in
West O‘ahu.
“You look at the need for more not
just affordable housing, affordable rent-
als, but just housing in general across
the spectrum,” he says. “We can’t keep
up and so I think in terms of residential
being sort of that bright spot for us, it’s
an area of the industry where we can
continue to rely on for work.”
Even affordable housing proj-
ects have continued statewide. One of
AHL’s projects, Hale Makana O Ma‘ili,
a low-income rental housing complex,
welcomed its first tenants in January,
Mehnert says. The firm is also work-
ing on Hale Makana O Moiliili, which
will provide 105 affordable rental units
for kūpuna, and on the Halawa View
On Kaua‘i, the Kealaula on Pua Loke
supportive housing project, which pro-
vides stable housing and support ser-
vices for formerly homeless people, in
Līhu‘e welcomed its first families at the
end of 2020, and construction began
on 75 acres of affordable housing in
‘Ele‘ele, writes Michael Dahilig, man-
aging director, in an email.
G70’s Kaneshiro says his firm also
has several large affordable housing
projects either in the planning stages
or getting ready for design. He adds
that transit-oriented development on
O‘ahu has been a game changer be-
cause it supports higher density devel-
opment along the rail line. The afford-
able housing projects, he says, will be
“great for the construction industry,”
as well as provide the community with
affordable choices.
The continuation of residential con-
struction also trickles down to lumber
and building supply companies. Mark
The organization has about 30 be an extraordinarily strong resort
members, including construction destination for both Asia as well as
companies, lumber and building domestic U.S. travel,” he says.
material suppliers, wood vendors, Kaneshige writes that his com-
architects and designers. pany started seeing requests for
Michael Fujimoto, executive proposals from several hotels
chairman of HPM Building Sup- once the 15-day trans-Pacific
ply, thinks the combination of quarantine lifted in October. One
the shut down and federal stim- of Nordic PCL’s projects is a new
ulus money gave people the time four-story, 58,000-square-foot ho-
and opportunity to improve their tel for Host Hotels at the Andaz
homes. He adds that the home im- Maui at Wailea Resort, Kaneshige
provement sector nationally saw writes. The new building will have
an increase in demand during the 19 luxury units. Another project
second half of 2020. is the redevelopment of the Kona
Village Resort, which involves
clearing the site for new con-
struction of over 150 hale, support
RESORT, INSTITUTIONAL, buildings and other amenities.
COMMERCIAL PROJECTS The expansion of Ko Olina led
Hospitality projects are also mov- by China Oceanwide Holdings,
ing forward. Kaneshiro says larger a Chinese conglomerate, is also
resort clients are pursuing renova- moving forward. The plan is to
tions while their hotels are empty develop 2,500 homes in Kapolei
PHOTO: COURTESY OF G70
KIHEI HIGH in phase two, which is
SCHOOL IS valued at $103 million
BEING BUILT
ON NEARLY and involves pouring
80 ACRES the foundations and
AND WILL
EVENTUALLY constructing the ad-
SERVE 1,600 ministration building,
STUDENTS. a library and cafeteria
building, two class-
room buildings and more. Nordic PCL
is the contractor, and the school is de-
signed to be the first net zero energy
public high school in Hawai‘i.
“It’s a substantial enterprise that
the state is undertaking, supporting
a lot of subcontractors and vendors
throughout the state with this work,”
Kaneshiro says.
AHL is also working on projects at
Farrington and Moanalua high schools.
Farrington is undergoing a nine-phase
renovation, and Moanalua just com-
pleted its $30 million performing arts
center, Mehnert says. She adds in an
email that the Farrington project was
placed on hold pending funding for the
remaining design, permitting and con-
struction administration.
One area that saw a decline was
commercial projects, Magno says, with
restaurant and retail renovations and
sion applications. China Oceanwide expansions on hold.
also has plans to build a 1,400-room At-
lantis Hotel in Ko Olina. DPP approved
a sewer connection permit for that
project in September 2019. INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
Demand also increased for health Public works projects continued
care projects, Magno says. Kaiser Per- to provide a lot of opportunities for the
manente is building additional facilities construction industry, Magno says.
in Kapolei and The Queen’s Medical “We have also not stopped push-
Center is expanding its West O‘ahu fa- ing out public works improvements
cilities. Majkut writes in an email that during the pandemic, with a number
Hawaiian Dredging worked on the of infrastructure projects moving at
emergency construction of a COVID-19 a fast clip,” writes Kaua‘i County’s
dedicated infectious disease facility at Dahilig in an email. One of its larg-
The Queen’s Medical Center in down- er projects is the infrastructure work
town Honolulu. That unit houses 24 for phase 1 of the Lima Ola affordable
single-patient rooms and features neg- housing project in ‘Ele‘ele. The $15.8
ative pressure technologies, continuous million project includes complex grad-
UV disinfection capability and double ing and road, water, sewer and electri-
filter entrances and exits. cal infrastructure work, which will set
There’s also ongoing construction the groundwork for about 150 future
work on new and existing school fa- homes, he writes.
cilities. One of G70’s larger projects is On O‘ahu, the county is upgrading
Kihei High School, which is being built secondary treatment at the Honouliuli

Apartments. The second and third
phases of the Halawa View project will
add 302 affordable rental units, an in-
ternal courtyard and park space, and a
pedestrian and bicycle path.
Schwinn, president of the Hawaii Lum-
ber Products Association, says demand
for lumber has increased statewide
during the pandemic largely because
people are reinvesting in their homes.
or have fewer guests.
“A number of our resort clients
are thinking out in the future, and
I think they, as well as we, believe
that Hawai‘i is going to continue to
West. Dean Uchida, director-des-
ignate of Honolulu’s Department
of Planning and Permitting, says
his department is processing the
company’s grading and subdivi-
on nearly 80 acres and will eventually
serve 1,600 students. G70 worked on the
environmental impact statement, coun-
ty entitlements, infrastructure and in-
terior designs. The project is currently
and Sand Island wastewater treatment
plants. Uchida says the City and Coun-
ty of Honolulu’s Department of En-
vironmental Services has advertised
$260 million for major construction

22 MARCH 2021 H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 23

 Ongoing and This list is a sample of significant construction projects completed in 2020, plus ongoing and future
projects. It was compiled by Pacific Resource Partnership, with additional research by Hawaii Business
Future Projects Magazine. The information does not include all projects statewide.

Date Completed Total Units Date Completed Total Units

or Expected to [Affordable or Expected to [Affordable
Name Description Value* Status Contractor be Completed Units] Name Description Value Status Contractor be Completed Units]

O‘AHU 41-Story Condo w/ 20,000 SF

Azure Ala Moana Ongoing Albert C. Kobayashi Fall 2021 410 [78]
Commercial Space
Rail 20-mile rail w/ 21 stations $9.13B Ongoing
Victoria Place, Kaka‘ako New Condo Ongoing Hawaiian Dredging 2024 350
11,750 New Homes & Vertical Construction
Ho‘opili $4.6B Ongoing 11750 [3525]
Commercial Space Corp. Hale Moena Kupuna
Phase 2 Hawaiian Dredging
Homes, Commercial Space,
Koa Ridge $2B Ongoing Castle & Cooke 3500 [1050] The Central Ala Moana Hawaiian Dredging
Elementary School, Hospital
168 Acres Affordable Housing Moanalua High School
East Kapolei $1.8B Future Performing Arts Center Hawaiian Dredging
& Commercial Space
36-Story Condo & Hotel near 99 Condo, MAUI COUNTY
Mandarin Oriental $1B Ongoing Hawaiian Dredging Late 2023
Ala Moana Center 125 Hotel
Makena Development 53 Condo Lots $128M Future
New Condo w/ 37,000 SF
Kō‘ula, Kaka‘ako $487M Ongoing Hawaiian Dredging 2022 565 Ph 2: 2 Classroom Bldgs,
Commercial Space Kīhei High School $103M Ongoing Nordic PCL Mid 2022
Admin, Cafeteria/Library Bldgs
Condo w/ 11,000 SF
‘A‘ali‘i $411.9M Ongoing Albert C Kobayashi 2021 751 [150] Westin Maui Resort,
Commercial Space Hotel Renovations, Ph 3 $64M Completed Swinerton Builders Dec 2020
Ka‘anapali
Aloha Stadium New Stadium $350M Future
Kā‘anapali Beach Hotel Hotel Renovations, Restaurant $53.6M Ongoing Swinerton Builders April 2021
2nd Ph, Waterside Construction Kiewit Infrastructure
Kapalama Terminal $350M Future Winter 2023 Kaiwahine Village, Kīhei Affordable Rentals $45.4M Completed Moss & Associates June 2020 120 [120]
at Piers 40-43 West Co.
Honouliuli Wastewater Kahului Lani Ph 1 Senior Affordable Rental $34.1M Completed Mitsunaga Construction 2020 82 [82]
Treatment Plant Secondary Treatment Facility $267.2M Ongoing Nan End 2024
New Admin Bldg, Vehicle Storage,
Molokai Base Yard $7.5M Completed F & H Construction April 2020
28 Story Mixed-Use Tower Maintenance Shop
Līlia Waikīkī $200M Ongoing Nordic PCL Early 2022 401 [93]
w/ Rentals Hokuao, Lāna‘i Affordable Housing Future 150 [150]
Kapolei Parkway Affordable Units, Preschool, Retail $180.6M Future Aug 2022 404 [404] Kahului Lani Ph 2 Ongoing Mitsunaga Construction 2022 83 [83]
1st Ph, Landside Construction, Kiewit Infrastructure New Headqtrs Kehalani
Kapalama Terminal $174M Completed Dec 2020 Maui County FCU, Wailuku Ongoing NewGround International Mid 2022
Additional Container Yard Space West Co. Village Center
Hawai‘i State Hospital New Hospital $140M Ongoing Hensel Phelps Feb 2021 Pulelehua, West Maui Mixed-Use Housing Project Future
Affordable Rentals, Community Unlimited Construction KAUA‘I
Keahumoa Place, Kapolei $98.4M Completed April 2020 320 [320]
Ctr, Playground, Pet Park Services Inc
Creation of a New Wellness Ctr;
The Element, ‘Ewa Beach Rental Apt $85M Ongoing Moss & Associates 4 Q, 2021
th
318 [64] 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay Renovation of Lobby, $162.6M Ongoing Layton Construction Co. Q1 2022 251
Hawai‘i State Veteran's Guest Rooms & Pool Area
Home, Kapolei 120-Bed Facility $75M Ongoing Nan 2022
Koa‘e Workforce 23 Low Rise Multiplex Apt Bldgs
$31M Completed Shioi Construction July 2020 134 [134]
Halewai‘olu Senior Affordable Rentals, Unlimited Construction Housing, Kōloa w/ Community Ctr
$65.6M Future Feb 2023 156 [156]
Residences, Chinatown Multipurpose Community Ctr Services Inc Kōloa Village Rentals & Commercial Space $16.3M Ongoing Shioi Construction July 2021 14 [14]
UH Life Science
3-Story 70,000 SF Facility $65M Completed Layton Construction Co. June 2020 Single- and Multi-Family
Bldg, Mānoa Lima Ola, ‘Ele‘ele $15.6M Ongoing Earthworks Pacific 2022 550 [550]
Dwellings, Affordable Housing
Ola Ka ‘Ilima Artspace Affordable Rentals for Artists, Unlimited Construction
$42.7M Completed Aug 2019 84 [84] Affordable Multi-Family Units,
Lofts, Kaka‘ako Pa‘i Cultural Center Services Unlimited Construction
Waimea Huaka‘i Community Ctr, Common Laundry $8.4M Completed Sept 2020 35 [35]
Services
Gentry, Kapolei & New Homes in Keali‘i, North Park $37.3M & Mgmt Office
Ongoing Gentry Builders 390
‘Ewa Beach and Makamae Developments (Permits) Kealaula on Pua Loke, Līhu‘e Supportive Housing $7.4M Completed Shioi Construction Dec 2020 30 [30]
91-150 Hanua St, Kapolei New Warehouses $24.2M Completed Honolulu Builders March 2020 Timbers Hōkūala 12 Additional Townhomes Future
Hale Makana O Ma‘ili Affordable Housing $23M Completed Moss & Associates Nov 2020 52 [51] HAWAI‘I COUNTY
Queen Emma Apts,
Downtown Honolulu Affordable Rentals $22.3M Completed Swinerton Builders 2020 71 [71] Kona Village Resort Hotel Renovations $300M Ongoing Nordic PCL Mid 2023

Honouliuli Middle School Phase 2 $21.1M Ongoing Nan Oct 2022

Four Seasons Hualālai Hotel Renovations $61M Ongoing Hensel Phelps March 2021

803 Waimanu, Kaka‘ako New Condo $13.5M Ongoing Layton Construction Co. 2021 153 [134]
Niumalu Marketplace, 205,000 SF Grocery-Anchored Unlimited Construction
$45M Ongoing 2021
Kailua-Kona Shopping Center Services
Turtle Bay Resort Hotel Renovations Ongoing Albert C Kobayashi Summer 2021
Mohouli Heights
Senior Neighborhood Final Phase Sr Housing In Hilo $29M Completed Coastal Construction Co. May 2020 92 [92]
474 [84]
Mixed-Used Residential Tower
Sky Ala Moana Ongoing Albert C Kobayashi 2023 Residential,
w/ 300-Room Hotel Kaloko Heights, Kailua-Kona Affordable Housing Future 100 [99]
300 Hotel
Kaiaulu O Waikoloa Affordable Housing Future 60 [59]
*Construction costs are based on various sources, including PRP, building permits, contractors, and news articles. Actual costs may vary and change over time.

24 MARCH 2021 H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 25


Projects List
Breakdown
15 28
COMPLETED ONGOING
PROJECTS PROJECTS
11 17
FUTURE AFFORDABLE
PROJECTS HOUSING
PROJECTS
9 57
HOTEL/RESORT TOTAL
PROJECTS PROJECTS
projects during the second half of 2020
and plans to release another $550 mil-
lion by April, he says.
Rail also continues to move for-
ward. Much of the ongoing construc-
tion work focuses on the segment
between Aloha Stadium and Middle
Street. HART’s contractor, Shimmick/
Traylor/Granite, will have about 4.3
miles out of its contracted 5.12 miles of
guideway installed by March, writes
Lori Kahikina, interim executive di-
rector of the Honolulu Authority for
Rapid Transportation, in an email.
Work also continues on the four sta-
tions in this segment.
She adds that construction hasn’t
necessarily stalled, but the pandem-
ic does impact the project from time
to time, slowing reviews and signoffs
from HART’s partners in some cases
and adding to uncertainty about the
availability of off-island staff who have
to fly in to work. HART has also expe-
rienced some delays in the delivery of
materials from off-island.
AHL has several public works proj-
ects on the books, including the reloca-
tion and expansion of the O‘ahu Com-
munity Correctional Center, which
in 2018 was estimated to cost roughly
$500 million; the $350 million New
Aloha Stadium Entertainment District;
and the $52 million Wahiawā Civic
26 MARCH 2021
Center, which is expected to begin con-
struction in June 2022.
The firm has also been busy with
work outside of Hawai‘i. AHL is part of
a joint venture working on a new Ma-
rine Corps base in Guam. The contract
is for up to five years and a maximum of
$100 million.
THE FUTURE Kaneshiro
says he is optimistic about the future.
“If you asked me six months ago,
I was kind of nervous coming into
2021,” he says. “When we were pro-
jecting (the next) six months, it was
like, ‘OK there’s nothing in the cup-
board now.’ But between then and now
there’s been an extraordinary amount
of activity and interest in affordable
housing, multifamily market. There’s
been new resort interest both in ren-
ovation and new construction, there’s
been new federal work coming down.”
Cyrus Johnasen, communications
director for Hawai‘i County, writes in an
email that the county is focused on get-
ting projects ready to bid so that they’re
set to go if or when federal stimulus
money is received. Kaua‘i County is also
focusing on infusing much-needed dol-
lars into the economy this year through
capital improvement projects. Another challenge is that
“We hope that this will help construction might continue
to bolster the momentum gained to be impacted by supply chain
by the construction industry disruptions, Kaneshige writes. CONGRATULATIONS
over the last year,” Dahilig writes He also anticipates the pandem-
in an email. ic will complicate construction NATHAN SAINT CLARE
The pandemic has caused
the state government to grapple
contracting because lawyers will
craft language to reallocate the
with an anticipated $1.4 billion risks of costly delays if there’s a
shortfall per year for the next future outbreak. HAWAII BUSINESS MAGAZINE
four years. Gov. David Ige’s bud- “Furthermore, the standard
get proposal, which was released
in December, includes reductions
force majeure clauses in con-
tracts provide time extensions
in both the operating and capital to the contractor’s performance
improvement budgets for the without additional compensation
next two fiscal years. while the owner would waive the
Brewbaker says public con- right to claim damages for de-
struction has typically been a
source of resilience, and he would
lays caused by neither party” and
that could not have been known
increase capital improvement or reasonably anticipated, he
spending, not decrease it, while writes. But now that a pandemic
borrowing costs are so low. is a known risk on projects, new
He anticipates there may be contracts may not provide sim-
some challenges on the private ilar relief to contractors under
side, such as for new housing proj- a force majeure clause, he says.
ects. Hawai‘i’s population has de- That would leave contractors ex-
clined for three consecutive years, posed to potential delay damages.
and if that trend continues, the (To read our past coverage on
state won’t need as many homes as force majeure, go to tinyurl.com/
it originally projected. In addition, voidcontracts.)
homebuilding on the Neighbor Is-
lands had already been trending
down for several years.
Here is another future pos-
sibility: Brewbaker says the
pandemic accelerated changes
Congratulations,
in how people work and shop
and that it might result in more
renovations as people add home
Jessica Munoz
offices and convert office and Founder and President of Ho‘ōla Nā Pua
retail space into other uses. 20 for the Next 20 Honoree
Magno thinks the local con-
struction industry will play a As a clinical nurse practitioner, Jessica recognized
large role in pulling Hawai‘i out the brutality and traumatizing effects of sex
of its recession. trafficking on children and young women.
“We’re fortunate that con- Her passion to create a comprehensive system to
struction was deemed essen- care for victims and engage a movement inspired
tial, and from what we’ve seen
the creation of Ho‘ōla Nā Pua, “new life for our
in past recessions, construction
children,” in 2009. Since then, Jessica has
has always been this stabilizing
transformed a small volunteer operation into a
PHOTO: COURTESY OF HART
engine in terms of producing
tax revenue for the state,” he powerful locally based non-profit organization.
says. “I think the construction Mahalo, Jessica, for your tireless dedication and
industry will continue to be sort truly making a positive difference!
of the silver lining during this
pandemic recession.”
THE FIRST STAGE OF THE
PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE AT
KAHAUIKI STATION (MIDDLE
STREET TRANSIT CENTER)
WAS ERECTED IN JANUARY.
cpb.bank
Where People Like Banking. Member FDIC
H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 27
Honolulu’s city
lights from the
Hawai‘i Kai Lookout.

H O W H AW A I ‘ I ’ S L I G H T P O L L U T I O N A F F E C T S W I L D L I F E A N D H U M A N S LIGHT AND ITS SHADOW

by S T E R L I NG H IG A

PH OTO G R A PH Y BY A A R O N K . YO S H I N O
 These two streetlights, along a section of Kalaniana‘ole Highway near Waimānalo Beach Park and not far from Mānana (Rabbit Island), are hazardous to young
seabirds. Mānana is covered with seabird nests and research shows 27% of this area’s “fallout” occurs around these two light poles. “Fallout is the event of a
bird falling to the ground, and that typically occurs after fledging, when seabirds take flight from their nesting colony for the first time,” says Brooke Friswold, a
wildlife conservation biologist who worked on the research.
P A R T I : and barn owls. Cats are the worst, says
Raine. “Cats can wipe out colonies quickly

SEABIRDS AND if left to their own devices.”

Raine says science can be used to
help guide policymakers. For example,

STREETLIGHTS researchers know that seabird fallout is

“ FA LLOUT IS TH E EV ENT OF A BIR D
FA LLING TO TH E GROU N D, and that
typically occurs after fledging, when sea-
birds take flight from their nesting colony
for the first time,” says Brooke Friswold,
a wildlife conservation biologist whose
research focuses on the wedge-tailed
shearwater, Ardenna pacifica.
Wedge-tailed shearwater fledging
season runs from early November to
late December. That’s when hundreds of
grounded birds are found on roads and in
people’s yards in Hawai‘i each year.
Friswold says wedge-tailed shearwa-
ters tend to fly toward light after fledging.
Marine ornithologists have competing
theories explaining why seabirds do this.
One theory is that birds are attracted to
the moon’s reflection off the surface of
the water, an instinct that would lead
them from their nests toward the ocean,
says Micah Brodsky, a wildlife veterinari-
an who works with the nonprofit Hawaii
Marine Animal Response.
This moonlight theory may also ex-
plain the behavior of sea turtles, which
hatch on shore, then make their way to the
ocean and swim to deeper water. Artificial
light causes sea turtle hatchlings to spend
more time in nearshore waters, where
newelli, a threatened species.
Hyrenbach helped Swindle collect
data on the incidence of seabird fallout in
East O‘ahu, where species like the wedge-
tailed shearwater predominate. The East
O‘ahu dataset runs from 2011 to 2020
and covers the 10 miles of Kalaniana‘ole
Highway from Olomana Golf Course in
the north to Koko Marina in the south.
An analysis of the data by one of
Hyrenbach’s graduate students, Jennifer
Urmston, found no significant difference
in shearwater fallout numbers following
the recent switch from high-pressure so-
dium bulbs to light-emitting diode high-
way lights. This was a relief for Hyren-
bach, who was concerned the new lights
might attract more birds than the ones
they replaced.
He says the brighter light from the
new LEDs was offset by shielding that
directs light downward, reducing the
overall spread of light. He adds that
studies of lighting and seabirds on O‘ahu
can help inform policy on Kaua‘i, where
the wrong kind of lighting could be dire
for threatened populations of two
native seabirds.
The Newell’s shearwater pop-
ulation on Kaua‘i declined by 94%
higher when the fledging period coin-
cides with the new moon because arti-
ficial light from human settlement over-
powers the dim moonlight. That’s when
additional precautions are warranted.
JUST 2 STREETLIGHTS
R ISWOLD ’S R ECENT R E -
F SE A RCH FOCUSED on the
area surrounding the seabird
nesting area on Rabbit Island
(Mānana) just off Makapu‘u on O‘ahu.
In a paper – co-authored with Swindle,
Hyrenbach and Melissa Price and pub-
lished last year in the journal Marine Or-
nithology – Friswold reports that most
fallout in the area occurred within 3 miles
of the Mānana colony, with 60% of all
fallout occurring along just 1 mile of Kala-
niana‘ole Highway, and 27% of all fallout
occurring around only two light poles.
Because of the concentrated fallout,
Friswold recommends targeted manage-
ment in areas that surround seabird nest-
ing areas. Lights out initiatives can help
during fledging season. When lights need
to be used, they can be shielded to direct
light downward and reduce scattering.
Motion sensors and timers can further
reduce the light emitted. Hyrenbach says
birds. As top order predators, seabirds RESCUING DOWNED SEABIRDS ran from Nov. 11 to Dec. 9.
help regulate coral reef ecosystems by The center coordinates the pickup

they are easy prey for reef fish and sharks.
Artificial light can confuse or disori-
ent birds so they cannot navigate. In some
cases, Friswold says, “they can collide
with objects, or sometimes they’ll circle
until they become exhausted and fall to
the ground.” Downed birds are easy prey
for dogs, cats and mongoose and can be
crushed by cars.
TARGETING SPECIFIC AREAS
AV ID H Y R EN BACH, A PRO -
between 1993 and 2013. In that same
period, the population of Hawaiian
petrels, Pterodroma sandwichensis,
declined by 74%, according to re-
search conducted by André Raine,
a conservationist and ornithologist
who coordinates the Kaua‘i Endan-
gered Seabird Recovery Project.
Raine says that in addition to
artificial light, Kaua‘i’s shearwa-
ters and petrels are vulnerable to
power line collisions and nonnative
predators. His team works with the
“
hunting lower order fish colonies. Sea-
ARTIFICIAL LIG HT
bird guano, which contains nitrogen and
phosphorus, nourishes nearshore inver-
tebrates and fish. Guano also fertilizes the
POLLUTION IS A watersheds, says Raine. “Seabirds helped
bring seeds to these islands before hu-
FAIRLY S IMPLE
mans,” he says. “They are the architects
PROBLE M TO SOLVE .” of our islands.”
“Some of our conservation issues are
— B R O O K E F R I S WO L D,
W I L D L I F E C O N S E R VAT I O N B I O L O G I S T extremely complex and hard to solve,
such as overfishing, climate change and
plastic pollution. These are all heavily
affecting seabird populations,” says Fris-
H E NON PROFIT H AWA I‘ I
W ILDLIFE CENTER coordi-
T nates the O‘ahu Seabird Aid
Program, rescuing and reha-
bilitating downed seabirds. The program
is a public-private partnership, bringing to-
gether nonprofits (Hawai‘i Wildlife Center,
Hawaii Marine Animal Response, Hawai-
ian Humane Society, Freeman Seabird Pre-
serve), government agencies and programs
(Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural
Resources’ Division of Forestry and Wild-
life, Honolulu Zoo, City and County of Ho-
and transport of birds to and from part-
ners like the Hawaiian Humane Society,
Honolulu Zoo, and Fur and Feather An-
imal Hospital in Kailua. On the ground,
program manager Alexis Wessels eval-
uates the health of rescued birds and
coordinates their release. According to
Hawai‘i Wildlife Center’s founder and
president, Linda Elliott, more than 80%
of rescued seabirds are stabilized and re-
leased within 24 hours.
If birds aren’t ready to fledge, they are
housed at the Freeman Seabird Preserve

D FESSOR OF OCE A NOGR A-

PH Y at Hawai‘i Pacific Uni-
versity, began collecting data
on shearwater fallout when he met Keith
Swindle, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
employee who at the time was focused
on the conservation and recovery of the
Newell’s shearwater, Puffinus auricularis
Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative,
sometimes to create laser fences
around lines to deter collision, other times
to divert lines away from areas where bird
collisions are likely or to place key lines
underground. His team also works with
state land managers to reduce nonnative
predators including rats, cats, dogs, pigs
the Makai Research Pier is a perfect can-
didate for motion sensors because there’s
no need to light the whole facility all night.
Friswold says that if people care about
fishing or water activities or the health of
coral reefs, they should care about sea-
wold. “However, artificial light pollution
is a fairly simple problem to solve. It
has tangible solutions, whereas some of
these other issues are a lot more tricky. If
we can focus and solve these really easy
problems, it will buffer against some of
the bigger issues we’re working on that
take more time.”
nolulu Grant-in-Aid) and private donors
(Feather and Fur Animal Hospital, Hawai-
ian Electric Co. and Young Brothers).
The Hawai‘i Wildlife Center works
with field biologists to estimate when the
fledging season will start and when sea-
bird fallout will peak. Because of those
estimates, the 2020 seabird aid program
at Black Point on O‘ahu. Severely injured
birds are transferred to Hawai‘i Wild-
life Center’s Hawai‘i Island hospital for
treatment. Volunteer pilots from the U.S.
Coast Guard Auxiliary and commercial
shippers provide interisland transport.
In 2020, 618 birds were rescued by
the program.

30 MARCH 2021 H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 31

 P A R T I I : LED lights are much more ener- INTERFERES WITH SLEEP
gy-efficient than the bulbs they replace,

SLEEPLESS NIGHTS so governments save money and energy.

LED lights also offer more control over
directionality if properly shielded, and
B
LU E LIGHT M IM ICS TH E
WAV ELENGTHS OF DAY-
LIGHT, resets the human cir-

AND HONOLULU’S because they don’t run as hot as older lu-

minaries, LEDs can be brighter.
Hawai‘i Island’s County Council ap-
cadian rhythm and promotes
wakefulness. The negative effects of blue
light on sleep have become widely recog-

CITY LIGHTS proved a measure in 2011 to replace its

R ECENT STU DIES SUG GEST TH AT
LIGHT POLLUTION M AY CONTR IB -
UTE to insomnia and mental illness
among humans. And this effect is most
pronounced in large cities, where light
is so bright that it blocks out the stars in
the nighttime sky. Homeless people liv-
ing on the streets are among those most
affected by light pollution.
In parts of Honolulu, the nighttime
sky can be 20 times brighter than the
natural nighttime sky seen on Hawai‘i Is-
land, says Richard Wainscoat, an astron-
omer at UH’s Institute for Astronomy.
Light pollution from the city interferes
with the work of astronomers like Wains-
coat, whose research focuses on identify-
ing near-Earth objects that could collide
with Earth.
O‘ahu’s large population is to blame for
the city’s bright nights, but lighting policy
also plays a role. In the past decade, cities
worldwide have switched to LED street-
lights, says Kevin Jim, a senior scientist
and astronomer at the Honolulu-based
tech and innovation company Oceanit.
low-pressure sodium streetlights with
LEDs. The measure amended the county
lighting code to require that new street-
lights emit less than 2% blue light. It
also required that lights be directionally
shielded to aim light down.
“It’s just unfortunate physics in the
atmosphere that blue light scatters back
down to the ground more efficiently
than green, yellow and red light,” says
Wainscoat. Before the adoption of LED
light, “most of the street lighting was so-
dium-based – kind of an orange-colored
light – that didn’t have a lot of blue light.”
“The biggest problem is that the tech-
nology used to produce what we call
white light requires the use of blue light,”
says Jim.
nized, says Jim, and some sleep research-
ers now advocate reducing nighttime ex-
posure to blue light.
“That’s why, for instance, if you have
an iPhone, you can set it to automatically
shift and produce less blue light in the eve-
ning and it’s why you’ll hear people talking
about wearing blue-blocker glasses.”
Laboratory studies have found that
exposure to artificial light at night in-
creases alertness and delays the onset
of sleep, perhaps by suppressing mela-
tonin secretion.
Among night shift workers, chronic
exposure to artificial light results in cir-
cadian rhythm disruption and elevated
rates of insomnia. The UCLA Sleep Dis-
Intersection of Nu‘uanu Avenue and Pau‘oa Road where there are both the new blue light LED orders Center reports that night shift
streetlights and the old (yellow) sodium streetlights. workers “get a daily average of two to four

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32 MARCH 2021 Where People Like Banking. Member FDIC H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 33

 hours less (sleep) than normal” and “they
are less likely to feel well rested when
they wake up.”
Sleepiness can have a negative effect
on attention, concentration, reaction
time, memory and mood. And insomnia
may contribute to the risk of developing
depression, bipolar disorder and anxi-
ety disorders.
Some countries, such as Denmark,
Norway and Sweden, have banned night
work except for workers who request
an exemption. Other countries, like Sin-
gapore, prohibit pregnant women from
working at night unless they provide
written consent and receive clearance
from a doctor. The U.S. does not have spe-
cial regulations on night shift work. Ac-
cording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,
roughly 15% of American workers are as-
signed to the night shift.
First-generation LED bulbs favored
blue wavelengths far more than the
bulbs they replaced. Manufacturers say
newer models emit less blue light, but
Jim says that blue light can still leak
through their filters.
DIFFERENT POLICIES
AINSCOAT SAYS THAT LIGHT
W
POLLUTION is even coming
from space: Companies like
SpaceX are putting satellites
into low Earth orbit to provide high-
speed internet access for remote areas.
“It’s conceivable that if you’re in a very
dark place, you would see more satellites
in the early evening than you would see
stars,” he says. However, most light pollu-
tion comes from human settlement, and
O‘ahu is much brighter than Hawai‘i Is-
land, which Wainscoat and Jim both cite
as a good example for its lighting policy.
“It’s a beautiful place at night,” says
Jim. “They seem to have a general philos-
ophy that you shouldn’t use lights unless
you need them.”
In 2019, O‘ahu finished converting
more than 53,000 streetlights to LEDs,
which Mayor Kirk Caldwell touted as
more energy-efficient and brighter than
the lights they replaced.
Jim credits Honolulu county for prop-
erly shielding lights and installing dim-
mers, but he believes the lights should be
dimmed further at night and that existing
LEDs should be phased out in favor of
“
warmer, 2,700-kelvin lights. Right now,
most lights are 3,000 K, and some are a
cool 4,000 K.
HONOLULU COULD
“Hawai‘i could be internationally
BE ABSOLUTE LY known as the very best place to see the
stars, and it should be,” he says. “Honolu-
BE AUTIFUL AT
lu could be absolutely beautiful at night –
NIG HT – NOT JUST not just for people who like to look down
at the Honolulu city lights – but why not
FOR PEOPLE WHO
for the lights in the sky, too?”
LIKE TO LOOK DOWN
AT THE HONOLULU HOMELESS PEOPLE AT RISK
CIT Y LIG HTS – BUT OR HOMELESS PEOPLE IN
WHY NOT FOR THE
F URBAN HONOLULU, ceaseless
light may contribute to mental
LIG HTS IN THE illness. The effects are gradual
SK Y, TOO? ” – less dramatic than seabirds plummeting
from the sky, but equally alarming.
—KEVIN JIM,
SENIOR SCIENTIST AND Researchers have not yet investigat-
ASTRONOMER, OCEANIT ed the effects of artificial light on home-
less people, but current research on
night shift workers suggests that living
and sleeping under streetlights all the
time could have a major impact.
The Institute for Human Services’
Sumner Street men’s shelter provides
respite from artificial light along with
bedding, toiletries and meals. At night,
with the lights off, the first floor and
second floor dormitories on Sumner
Street are much darker than the LED-il-
luminated sidewalks outside on nearby
Nimitz Highway.
The shelter has reduced capacity –
from 112 to 76 bunks – to ensure safety
during the pandemic. The top bunk of
each bed has been removed, and remain-
ing beds are socially distanced. The shel-
ter operates near capacity every night.
Shelter manager Taumaoe Atuata-
si says shelter staff celebrate frequent
successes in connecting homeless peo-
ple with service providers and transi-
tioning them into permanent housing,
but rates of substance abuse and men-
tal illness remain elevated among the
homeless, and “they need more than we
can give here.”
Jill Wright, director of communi-
ty relations for IHS, agrees that mental
health and substance abuse are major
issues among the homeless population.
In the 2020 O‘ahu Point in Time Count
survey, 33% of unsheltered adults indi-
cated a mental health problem, and 27%
indicated a substance use problem. The
study relied on survey responses, and
Atuatasi says the data on mental illness-
es could be an underestimate, as some
homeless people have never received a
diagnosis, so they don’t believe they are
mentally ill.
It’s unlikely that researchers will
investigate the effects of light pollution
on the homeless in the near future be-
cause of ethical and logistical issues. In-
centives to participate in studies can be
perceived as bribes. And light exposure
can’t be metered on the streets like it is
in a lab.
But it stands to reason that months
and years of exposure to artificial light
on the streets would be at least as harm-
ful to the homeless as a few hours of
light are to participants in lab studies.
The homeless might benefit from a dark
night sky most of all.

A wArm congrAtulAtions to
FOR THE NEXT

Sondra Leiggi-Brandon—Systems Director for Behavioral

Health for The Queen’s Medical Center and all 20 for the
Next 20 honorees. Each brings hope for the future of
Hawai‘i with their passion and excellence in their fields.

Thanks to all of this year’s nominees,

HAWAII’S FUTURE IS IN
VERY GOOD HANDS.
Congratulations to Ruth Erickson for leading
Bank of Hawaii’s digital transformation and all
www.queens.org
of this year’s exceptional honorees.

The Queen's Health Systems is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit family of companies.

34 MARCH 2021 H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 35

2021
 SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION
COVID-19: WHAT
SMALL BUSINESS
OWNERS CAN DO
AS THEY REOPEN
THEIR DOORS
Provided by Geal Talbert and Brandon
Park, The Business Succession Group,
UBS Financial Services Inc.
T
HE EFFECTS OF CORONAVIRUS
HAVE BEEN FAR-REACHING,
impacting people and businesses
of all sizes worldwide. Many
small business owners have
been negatively affected by this
pandemic; many wonder when
this virus will finally end. The degree of
difficulty varies significantly, depend-
ing primarily on the amount of physical
proximity and interaction required for
the business to be functional.
As small businesses reopen, there are
several actionable steps business owners
can implement to build long-term success:
1. LONG-TERM STRATEGIC PLANNING:
If liquidity is sufficient, business own-
ers can focus on longer-term strategic
planning. During “normal times” this
activity is frequently postponed as time-
sensitive operations take priority. Now
(Left to right) Geal Talbert, First Vice
President-Wealth Manager and Brandon
Park, Senior Vice President - Wealth
Management, both with the Business
Succession Group of UBS Financial
Services Inc.in Honolulu.
733 Bishop Street, Suite 1600, Honolulu, HI 96813
Geal Talbert, CFP®, CEPA: (808) 526-6992
Brandon Park, CFP®, CPWA®, CIMA®, CEPA®: (808) 526-6950
www.ubs.com
36 MARCH 2021
SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION
is a great time to review and adjust the 2021, three- and five-year business
plans. If budget allows creation of new hires, it could prove to be reward-
ing and timely over the long haul.
2. EMPLOYEE CARE: It’s critical now to go the extra mile for employees.
Let them know both you and the company are available for support. Video
conferencing with employees maintains essential human connection while
EDUCATION &
social distancing. Do not underestimate the value of personal connections
with employees; when times are difficult, they need to know you’re acces-
sible. Employees will always remember how you made them feel; you want
WORKFORCE
to be known as the one who lifted them up when they were low.
3. MARKET SHARE: There has never been a better time to put your business
on offense. If survival and maintenance of your business are under control,
DEVELOPMENT
powerful marketing campaigns can expand your brand. Your competitors
may be on their heels, unprepared for turmoil. If their customers sense
that, they may be open to new relationships.
4. CHECK IN WITH CLIENTS: Every client needs to know you’re optimistic
and ready to assist them. Conference calls, webinars, educational con-
tent, and promotions can all be effective touch points. Staying visible and
engaged is the key.
5. REMEMBER TO LAUGH. It’s important to laugh and understand that
difficult times can also be unifying. This must be done in good taste, of
course, because many people are destitute and have lost loved ones. A
lack of sensitivity is unacceptable. But finding humor during unconven-
tional times, amidst massive uncertainty and divisive opinions, can bring
people together.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, Certified Financial Planner™
in the U.S. CIMA® is a registered certification mark of the Investments and Wealth Institute in the United States
of America and worldwide. For designation disclosures visit https://www.ubs.com/us/en/designation-disclosures.
This article has been written and provided by UBS Financial Services Inc. for use by its Financial Advisors.
UBS does not provide legal or tax advice and this does not constitute such advice. UBS strongly recommends that
persons obtain appropriate independent legal, tax, and other professional advice.
As a firm providing wealth management services to clients, UBS Financial Services Inc. offers investment advisory
services in its capacity as an SEC-registered investment adviser and brokerage services in its capacity as an SEC-
registered broker-dealer. Investment advisory services and brokerage services are separate and distinct, differ in
material ways and are governed by different laws and separate arrangements. It is important that clients understand
the ways in which we conduct business, that they carefully read the agreements and disclosures that we provide to
them about the products or services we offer. For more information, please review the PDF document at ubs.com/
relationshipsummary. © UBS 1998 - 2021. All rights reserved. IS2006376 Expiration: 10/31/2021
Learn how these
institutions can
help develop the
skills you need for a
successful career.
37
 SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION
E D U C AT I O N &
WORKFORCE
DEVE LOPM E NT
Chaminade
University
TH E WO R LD has seen its fair share of
disruption and upheaval recently.
Chaminade University wants to make
sure it also sees more change for the better.
With its slate of forward-looking
programs, including advanced degrees
geared toward working professionals,
Chaminade is on a mission to help its
students make a positive impact in
their communities with an emphasis
on leadership, personal growth and
career development.
Working with stakeholders, the
University seeks to deliver academic
programming informed by community
needs. And those same relationships
allow Chaminade to develop strong
partnerships that benefit students,
including internships and career
advancement opportunities.
“Chaminade believes in challenging
students to drive solutions in their
communities and make a difference in the
lives of others,” said University President
Dr. Lynn Babington. “Our programs
Dr. Lynn Babington
President, Chaminade University
Chaminade University of Honolulu
3140 Wai‘alae Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 735-4711
chaminade.edu
38 MARCH 2021
are innovative, incorporating state-of-the-art learning
techniques that are built to give students opportunities to
flex their leadership muscles and serve in new, innovative
and exciting ways.”
A D I F F E R E NT KI N D O F M BA P ROG R AM
Chaminade’s Master of Business Administration
program includes robust, flexible course offerings
designed to fit into busy schedules—all taught by faculty
members who are leaders in their fields. But what really
sets Chaminade’s MBA program apart is its commitment
to helping students become changemakers by seeking out
community solutions through dialogue and action.
Incoming students can pursue a general MBA or choose
from one of five degree concentrations, including Science and
Technology Innovation, Healthcare Administration and Island
Business. Whatever their path, Babington says, students will
get supportive mentorship every step of the way.
A D E G R E E TO D R IVE C HAN G E
Chaminade’s advanced degree offerings also include the
newly launched Doctorate of Education in Organizational
Leadership for Adaptation and Change, a program built to
equip students with the tools and knowledge they need to
galvanize organizations around projects for positive change.
The interdisciplinary program is open to professionals
across sectors, including education, business, healthcare
and psychology, and emphasizes adaptation for evolving
organizations. Working in cohorts, students learn the art
and science of leadership, build on their foundational
knowledge across a wide number of fields and pursue
action research projects they’re passionate about.
SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION
E D U C AT I O N &
WORKFORCE
DEVE LOPM E NT
M I N K LEAD E R
“The PTMLA sisterhood
bonds you for life not
just with your cohort,
but with all the women
who’ve come before us.
The Leadership Alliance
has given me the oppor-
tunity to connect, to learn self-compassion, to
stand up for equality and most importantly to
pay it forward. To be able to have learned from
strong, intelligent and brave women was the
highlight for me! Because of them, I’ve learned
to be brave enough to stop striving for perfec-
tionism and strive for self-improvement; to get
comfortable with being uncomfortable; and to
lead with vulnerability.”
Shauna Cabel
VP Manager, Enterprise Project Management
Office, Bank of Hawaii
Patsy T. Mink FAC I LITATO R
“It has been a pleasure
Leadership Alliance
and privilege to work with
these committed and
talented women as they
discover their unique gifts
Now accepting applications for emerging and full potential to serve
as leaders in their homes,
women leaders organizations and community. It is inspiring to
see them build courage, confidence, and the
collective will to make a meaningful difference.”
TH E PATSY T. M I N K LEAD E RS H I P ALLIAN C E was launched in 2016 to
increase the representation of women executives in Hawai‘i. This 10-month Wendy Nakamura
Leadership Development Coach and Consultant
program is designed for professional women leaders and entrepreneurs who are
FORESIGHT Leadership Development
committed to personal growth, professional impact, and community leadership.
Participants will further develop their management and leadership skills in an FO U N D I N G S PO N SO R
effort to increase the representation of women executives in Hawai‘i. Through “We are proud to sup-
facilitated sessions, the cohort will have the opportunity to engage directly with port the Leadership
established business professionals and build alliances with fellow Mink Leaders. Alliance and its mission
“After a very challenging year, we are thrilled to launch Cohort 6 of the Patsy of empowering women
leaders to create im-
T. Mink Leadership Alliance,” said Colleen McAluney, Director of the Patsy T. pactful change in our
Mink Center for Business & Leadership at YWCA O‘ahu. “Our curriculum has community. This is a
shifted to address the immediate, relevant needs of our women leaders, support- trailblazing opportunity for organizations
ing them as they guide their teams through this unprecedented time. The Lead- to develop female leaders to shift towards a
more diverse, balanced and resilient way of
ership Alliance continues to receive a great amount of community support as the achieving business results.”
current cohort graduates in May, bringing our alumnae to a robust 91 Mink Lead-
ers who continue to leap forward in representing women in executive positions.” Sherri Okinaga
The Patsy T. Mink Leadership Alliance is looking for a diverse group of SVP, Organizational Effectiveness
women professionals representing a variety of industries, including nonprofit, First Hawaiian Bank
corporate, government sectors and entrepreneurs. Our sixth cohort will begin
I N FO R MATI O N S E SS I O N O N :
in August 2021 and end with a Mink Leader Graduation Ceremony in May 2022. April 8th from 5:30 - 7:30pm
The 2021-2022 Program Application will be available from April 3 through Register here: www.mcblhawaii.org/
May 31, 2021. upcoming-events
Patsy T. Mink Center for Business and Leadership
1040 Richards Street #105, Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 695-2635 | mcbl@ywcaoahu.org
www.mcblhawaii.org
H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 39
 I N PA R T N E R S H I P W I T H T H E S O C I E T Y F O R I N PA R T N E R S H I P W I T H T H E S O C I E T Y F O R
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Did you know there
are HR specialty
credentials?
Many Human Resource
Professionals at one point in their
career look at the advantages
of certification – SHRM-CP or
the SHRM-SCP. Have you given
any consideration in obtaining a
SHRM Specialty Credential? The
SHRM Specialty Credential gives
you an opportunity to focus on
specific areas that will increase
your knowledge base while
enhancing your technical abilities.
The areas of focus for the SHRM
Specialty Credentials are:
• California Law
• HR Department of One
•
•
Inclusive Workplace Culture
People Analytics
Lunalilo Home is situated on the western slopes of Kohelepelepe (Koko Crater) in Hawaii Kai
The Strong Pilina between
foundation for fun and effective problem solving. “That
pilina, that relationship, helps open the door to very frank,
very candid conversations about, ‘How do we get this work
done?’” Paloma says.
Lunalilo also uses HR Symphony®, a locally developed and
nationally recognized cloud-based HR information system that
streamlines processes like payroll and HR tasks. Beyond those
basics, Lunalilo has worked with simplicityHR to successfully
implement HR Symphony to meet their unique needs. Paloma
says that level of service is not what many companies, local
or national, provide and it led to the creation of one-click PPP
application and forgiveness support.
When the pandemic hit, just two people on staff at
Lunalilo were responsible for garnering economic relief. The
simplicityHR team provided PPP loan help by interpreting
the complex guidance handed down by the federal
government. For Ian Heilbron, Director of Finance, HR
Symphony made it easy to gather the information necessary
for the PPP loan application. “It was really easy to take our
“The advice I
total FTE numbers, all of the data that is required for that
application, and just pull it down from HR symphony and
then drop it into the PPP loan application,” says Heilbron.
Once approved for a loan, Lunalilo turned to the
simplicityHR team for help staying compliant. HR Symphony
again proved valuable as a tool for keeping essential PPP
forgiveness information organized and accessible.
“The advice I would give to other companies
contemplating simplicityHR is— what are you waiting for?”
Paloma says. “Do it now.”
simplicityHR by ALTRES
(808) 791-4900
www.simplicityhr.com
Dr. Diane Paloma, Chief

would give to Executive Officer,

•
•
Talent Acquisition
U.S. Employment Immigration Lunalilo Home and other companies
Lunalilo Home

• Workplace Investigations
If you already have your
SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP, the
SHRM Specialty Credentials can
complement your certifications.
For more information,
visit shrm.org/learning
To learn more about the
role of human resource
management professionals
and how to improve
HR competency, go to
www.shrmhawaii.org.
simplicityHR by ALTRES contemplating
simplicityHR
is—what are you
W
HEN BUSINESS CAME TO A SCREECHING HALT FOR MANY IN
SPRING 2020, the work at Lunalilo Home only intensified. The
kupuna care home needed to keep its vulnerable residents safe
waiting for?
while also juggling financial turmoil and regulatory uncertainty. To Do it now.”
help ease those burdens, Lunalilo had a partner in simplicityHR by ALTRES,
–Dr. Diane Paloma,
Hawaii’s trusted leader in outsourcing HR needs. The team of experts at Chief Executive Officer, Lunalilo Home
simplicityHR was on hand to provide PPP loan help and risk management
support as Lunalilo Home’s staff faced long hours and frontline healthcare
uncertainty. ALTRES President and CEO Barron Guss, meanwhile, was at bat for
Hawaii’s employers as a consultant on federal coronavirus relief legislation.
“Knowing that, I think, gives me great confidence that this company has got our
“It was really easy
back no matter what, and this company is able to help us achieve our mission,” to take our total FTE
says Dr. Diane Paloma, CEO of Lunalilo Home. numbers, all of the data
Lunalilo Home’s mission has remained the same for nearly 150 years. When
King William Charles Lunalilo died in 1874, his will established a trust with a that is required for that
mandate to care for Hawaii’s elderly. Being an employer in the 21st century also application, and then
means providing health insurance, workers compensation, and a 401k. When
navigating that intricate terrain became overwhelming for a small in-house
drop it into the PPP
team, Lunalilo turned to the simplicityHR by ALTRES team. Ian Heilbron,
loan application.”
For the past decade, the relationship between Lunalilo and simplicityHR has Director of Finance,
Lunalilo Home –Ian Heilbron,
flourished. Staff at both local companies understand and care about Hawaii Director of Finance, Lunalilo Home
and our unique needs as a community. It’s a commonality that provides a solid

[CONTINUED ON PG. 74]

40 FEBRUARY 2018 · HAWAII BUSINESS H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 41

2O
B Y B E V E R LY C R E A M E R , R O B B I E D I N G E M A N , C A R I N E N O V I J A S , N O E L L E F U J I I - O R I D E ,
S T E R L I N G H I G A , M AYA M C D O U G A L L , C Y N T H I A W E S S E N D O R F A N D C H R I S T I Y O U N G
N E I L L C H A R P. 4 7 B E N J A M I N J .
PHOTOGRAPHY BY AARON K. YOSHINO, MICHELLE MISHINA AND JORDAN MURPH

W A N G P. 5 4 S O N D R A L E I G G I -

B R A N D O N P. 5 9 J O S I E H O WA R D P. 4 8

FO R
TH E D O U G J O H N S T O N E P. 6 3 J A M I E
N E X T
C H E N G P. 4 4 V I N C E N T K I M U R A P. 5 8

2O
J O N T E R A I Z U M I P. 5 2 J E S S I C A

M U N O Z P. 4 6 K Ū H I Ō L E W I S P. 6 2 A K I

MARCEAU P. 4 6 RUTH ERICKSON P. 5 8

C A R I S S A M O O R E P. 6 0 R A C H E L
HAWAI ‘I’S
PEOPLE
T O WAT C H
2021
J A M E S P. 5 6 S U M M E R K A I AW E P. 5 2

K H A R A J A B O L A - C A R O L U S P. 5 0

N A T H A N S A I N T C L A R E P. 5 3

Each year, Hawaii Business Magazine honors 20 people who N O M I N AT E A N E M E R G I N G

we believe will have a major positive impact on Hawai‘i over

L E A D E R : Know someone
who belongs on next year’s
M A K E N A C O F F M A N P. 5 1 A A R O N
the next two decades. They have already proven themselves, list of the 20 for the Next 20?
but we expect even more from them in the future. Turn the Nominate them for the Class

page and learn about the 2021 cohort.

of 2022 at hawaiibusiness.
com/nominations. S C H O R N P. 5 7 D A N YA H A K E E M P. 4 5

4 2
 H EN CONGR ESS PA SSED the
W Paycheck Protection Program in
March 2020, Jamie Cheng’s team
of a dozen commercial bankers
at American Savings Bank was ready.
ors. That includes two years as an entre- soil carbon sequestration. That gather-
preneur launching a salon and day spa
business, and her work as an attorney
ing brought together Hawai‘i’s leading
ranchers and food activists – two groups
after graduating from UH’s Richardson normally on opposing sides when it
School of Law. comes to environmental policy. She says

JA MIE
Working in shifts, they and the bank’s
credit team handled 4,100 loans, secured
$370 million in federal funds and saved
an estimated 40,000 Hawai‘i jobs, says
CHENG Ann Teranishi, her ASB manager.
“The first time around it was mad-
ness,” Cheng remembers. “We worked
seven days a week, often around the
clock, to take as many applications as we
DIRECTOR OF
C O M M E R C I A L O P E R AT I O N S , could. It was truly all hands on deck.”
AM E R I CAN SAVI N G S BAN K Her shift was often 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.,
a commitment she calls exhilarating.
“What motivates me is I just always want
to do good in what I’m doing,” she says.
Cheng has brought that commitment
and energy to all of her career endeav-
“Whenever something scares me I that meeting started with a lot of ten-
know I just have to do it,” says Cheng. sion, but after leading an honest con-
“One of the most frightening things was versation and giving everyone a chance
leaving law the first time and starting my to share what they cared about, they left
own business. But I said, ‘If I don’t do it
I’ll never do it, and I will look back and
with a profound new understanding of
each other’s motivations and commit-
be sorry.’ ” ments. That later led to legislation that
Keith Desaki, ASB’s commercial cred- created what is now the Greenhouse Gas
it policy manager, says “Jamie’s greatest Sequestration Task Force.
strength is her ability to build and foster Rob Barreca, CEO and founder of
teamwork by creating an atmosphere Farm Link Hawai‘i, an Elemental Excel-
where everyone feels respected and part erator portfolio company, says Hakeem
of a greater goal.” has a deep understanding of the local food
After joining the bank in 2011 as in- system and proactively looks for ways his
house counsel, Cheng has risen rapidly. company can create strong partnerships.
She was selected for the second cohort “She’s just gone above and beyond
of the bank’s leadership academy in 2017, what I even think an excellent advisor,
and in 2018 graduated from Pacific Coast coach, director of innovation would be,”
Banking School after an intensive three- he says.
year program that included three two- Hakeem, who is from Washington,
week resident sessions at the University D.C., has a bachelor’s degree in commu-
of Washington. nications and business management, a
“She’s one of those people who can fig- master’s in conflict analysis and reso-
ure things out – whether a people, process lution, and a professional certificate in
or technology issue – and then develop a impact investing and social enterprise
sensible path forward that people want to management. She also worked in doc-
be part of,” says Teranishi. “Teammates umentary filmmaking at National Geo-
love working with and on Jamie’s team.” graphic and the Discovery Channel and
Cheng supports the community in continues that passion for storytelling
other ways, too, including frequently through freelance video production
volunteering for ASB’s Seeds of Service and graphic design. And she serves on

PHOTOS: AARON K. YOSHINO

program. She’s also judged ASB’s Keiki- the boards of Sustainable Coastlines
Co business plan competition. Hawaii and local baby food company
“She exemplifies the kind of leadership Punahele Provisions.
that will create a more diverse, sustainable She joined Elemental Excelerator in
and better Hawai‘i for future generations,” 2018 to build its agriculture, water and cir-
Teranishi says. — BEV ER LY C R EA M E R cular economy sectors and has since tri-
pled the applicant pool for those sectors.
Hakeem currently manages the
A N YA H A K EEM TA K ES A accelerator’s agriculture and circular

DANYA
H A K E E M
D I R E C T O R O F I N N O VAT I O N ,
A G R I C U LT U R E &
C I R C U L A R E C O N O M Y,
E L E M E N TA L E X C E L E R AT O R
D U N IQU E A PPROACH TO H ER
WOR K : She’s always looking
for ways to build bridges.
Whether through documentary film-
making, policy, legislation, community
organizing or impact investing, Hakeem
says she’s passionate about creating
“a more equitable, sustainable world
through conflict resolution and produc-
tive communication, and then bridge
building: How do we connect people in
different ways?”
While at the Center for Food Safety’s
Hawai‘i office, she helped host a dis-
cussion on regenerative agriculture and
economy companies – a $7.5 million
funding portfolio. She determines which
agriculture and circular economy-relat-
ed problems the accelerator wants to
solve and works with the team to bring
in companies with the best solutions.
“There’s no time to waste when it
comes to stopping climate disaster and
diversifying our economy and building a
more equitable, just world. So I’m really
energized to do that and I think Elemen-
tal Excelerator is an incredible platform
for me to be able to support … those solu-
tions and facilitate those conversations.”
— NOELLE FUJII- ORIDE

44 MARCH 2021 H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 45

 A K I
M A RC E AU
DIRECTOR OF
E L E C T R I F I C AT I O N O F
T R A N S P O R TAT I O N ,
HAWAIIAN E LECTRIC CO.
AKI MARCEAU HAS BEEN CHIP-
PING AWAY at the same problem
throughout her career: how to pro-
vide clean, affordable and efficient
transportation and living options.
Born in Japan and raised on
the East Coast, Marceau devel-
oped a passion for urban plan-
ning after moving so much as a
child. By age 18, she and her fam-
ily had moved eight times. What
stands out, she says, is visiting
her cousins in Japan and being
jealous that they had more free-
dom because their built environ-
ment was designed so they could
safely bike or walk everywhere.
“I learned at a young age that
this built environment isn’t a fixed
reality but it’s really a result of de-
cisions that normal people make
every day,” she says. “We have
agency in the design and the de-
velopment of it.”
She studied the growth and
structure of cities and East Asian
studies at Haverford College,
received a master’s in city and
regional planning from Cornell
University, and has spent most of
her career in Hawai‘i in planning
and policy roles.
At Hawaiian Electric, she over-
sees the strategy, design and
deployment of electric vehicle
infrastructure. She took on the
role in March 2020 and has since
helped publish a charger network
study, engaged the community in
a series of virtual “Drive Electric
Dialogues,” and worked on regu-
latory proposals for the compa-
ny’s electric vehicle infrastructure
pilot program.
Jim Alberts, senior VP of busi-
ness development and strategic
planning at Hawaiian Electric,
says Marceau faces several big
challenges. One is getting people
to consider alternative fuel when
they are comfortable with fossil
46 MARCH 2021
fuel-powered cars. The other is
figuring out how to replace exist-
ing cars. Marceau, he says, looks
at this challenge through com-
munity design, so existing cars
can be replaced mostly with bi-
cycles, walking and shared trans-
portation. Electric vehicles would
fill in any gaps, he says.
Marceau oversees a team
of seven, but her role touches
almost everyone at Hawaiian
Electric. Alberts says Marceau’s
passion for clean transportation
excites everyone around her.
“She has this way of making
connections and bringing the
right people together to execute
on a plan that fits this electrifi-
cation of transportation drive so
well,” he says. “Because it takes
everybody. And that’s the hard
part. With a big initiative like this,
you need the infrastructure in
place, you count on many part-
ners, you count on the state hav-
ing the right goals and incentives.
All of that has to come together.
“She’s uniquely suited for this
role.” — NO E L L E F UJI I - O R I DE
J E S SIC A
MUNOZ
PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER,
HO‘ŌL A NĀ PUA
NURSE PR ACTITIONER,
US ACUTE CARE SOLUTIONS
FIFTEEN YEARS AGO, nursing
brought Jessica Munoz from
California to Hawai‘i, where she
planned to do a brief stint and
plenty of surfing. But her work
as a trauma nurse at Kapi‘ola-
ni Medical Center for Women &
Children convinced her to stay.
Munoz says she saw signs of
sex trafficking and exploitation
among young patients, but little
acknowledgment of the problem
from colleagues. She refused to
look away, instead launching a
campaign to root out abuse and
bring hope to victims.
“When I first started doing this
work, youth were often misla-
beled as delinquents, runaways
or substance users. But the core
issue was that they were being
sexually exploited,” she says. Vul-
nerable adolescents are forced or
tricked into sex work by family or
“boyfriends,” she explains, and it
happens across the Islands and
socioeconomic spectrum.
She started Ho‘ōla Nā Pua
as an all-volunteer operation in
2009. Incorporated in 2013, the
nonprofit now employs 12 full-
time staff and helps hundreds of
young people each year. It does
outreach in schools, trains health
care and social services organi-
zations, supports the police in
protecting victims, operates a
24-hour help line, works with
youth in shelters and juvenile
Pearl Haven capital campaign
committee. By the end of 2020,
the campaign had reached its
$9 million fundraising goal and
construction crews were nearly
done restoring a formerly dere-
lict property.
“We believe it will be a nation-
al model,” says Jackson. “Jessica
is so well-versed in this issue,
and she’s relentless, optimistic
and persuasive.”
Munoz, who still works part
time as a nurse practitioner, says:
“I have a justice gene in my DNA,
which is what drives me. I am also
somewhat of a disruptive leader. If
I see that the status quo isn’t work-
ing, I’m not afraid to say we need to
make a change, and help lead that
change, even when it’s uncomfort-
able.” — CY N TH I A W E S S E N D O R F
NEILL
CHAR
EXECUTIVE VP -
COMMERCIAL
B A N K I N G G R O U P,
FIRST HAWAIIAN BANK
AS A 28-YEAR- OLD BRANCH
MANAGER for Bank of Hawaii,
Neill Char had an epiphany. “In
my first leadership role, I found
centers, and runs a mentoring my purpose in life and that is to
and advocacy program. help people realize their fullest
In recent years, Munoz spear- potential,” he says. It’s been his
headed her most ambitious North Star ever since, both pro-
project yet: Pearl Haven, a fessionally and as an advocate
20,000-square-foot facility in for people in need.
rural O‘ahu. Before taking his current job
“One of the big gaping holes as executive VP of commercial
in the continuum of care was a banking, he was responsible for
residential treatment program,” private banking and wealth ad-
says Munoz. “These youth suffer vising, which he revamped to
from complex trauma, so the re- be more customer-focused. “We
covery time is different.” When now apply a financial planning
the facility opens in 2021, girls mindset and methodology to
11 to 18 will get the long-term taking care of our clients at all
PHOTOS: AARON K. YOSHINO
therapeutic services they need, levels, from building a rainy day
she says. fund to leaving a legacy,” he says.
“If anyone can do it, Jessica Char has been immersed in
can,” says Mel Jackson, a philan- the nonprofit world. Among other
thropist with the Zilber Family roles, he served on the boards of
Foundation and a member of the Hawaii Foodbank, the Jean Char-
lot Foundation and Big Broth-
ers Big Sisters Hawai‘i, where he
spent 12 years as chair. His efforts
helped secure funding and stabil-
ity for the organization.
“People always say you need
to leave an organization better
than when you come in. But Neill
really lives that,” says Dennis
Brown, president and CEO of Big
Brothers Big Sisters Hawai‘i and
a “little brother” in the inaugural
1964 cohort. “He never wavered,
he never backed away from chal-
lenges. Neill is always looking
at how we can expand or build
something to a greater level.”
One young person served by
BBBS was news producer Victo-
ria Cuba, a former Waipahu High
School student who was home-
less. Char met her while tour-
ing the school as a 2014 Pacific
Century Fellow and was deeply
moved by her story. He launched
a scholarship fund through BBBS
to pay her tuition to UH Mānoa,
his alma mater, and continues to
support the college ambitions of
public school students who need
financial help and someone to
believe in them.
Mentors have guided him
throughout his own life, he
says. A high school math teach-
er at Mid-Pacific Institute, Carl
Wheeler, instilled lessons he lives
by still, such as “look at the forest
before you look at the trees.”
He was paired with a mentor at
the UH Shidler College of Busi-
ness, Jon Murakami, who steered
him toward banking. Mentors
have helped him rise in banking,
and it’s a role he relishes for him-
self. “You don’t know what life has
in store for you, but the right in-
fluences can help you do things
you would never have fathomed.”
— CY NT H IA WES S EN DOR F
H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 47
 JOSIE
H O W A R D
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
WE ARE OCEANIA
U R ING SU RGES OF COV ID -19
D IN TH E ISL A N DS L A ST Y E A R ,
JOCELY N “JOSIE” HOWA R D
and another We Are Oceania
staff member took food, masks, dignity
bags and other personal necessities to
more than 100 Pacific Islander families
every month.
Then the nonprofit added staff and in-
creased donations to more than 200 food
boxes and 600 hot meals every week.
The efforts were just Howard’s lat-
est in a lifetime spent supporting her
fellow Micronesians in Hawai‘i – who
at times throughout last year suffered
more than a quarter of all confirmed
coronavirus cases while being just 4%
of the local population.
“I believe this is my calling and my
purpose,” Howard says. “From a young
age I left home and sacrificed a lot to be
educated so that I can learn how to care
for my community.”
Howard says she left her Chuuk
home on Onoun Island, in the Namon-
weito Atoll, at 13 for high school on
another Micronesian island; at 20 she
came to Hawai‘i for advanced college,
hoping to train as a physician and then
take her expertise home.
But with no hospital or electricity
on her island, she rethought her plan
and decided to focus on making life bet-
ter for Micronesians who had come to
48 MARCH 2021
Hawai‘i seeking better jobs, health care
and lives.
“There was such a great need for
service providers to understand how to
work specifically with our people, and we
realized at the same time that our people
needed help to navigate the system.”
Howard has also worked in Depart-
ment of Education schools as a cultural
resource for Pacific Islander students
and families, and also at Goodwill In-
dustries. Her community often turns to
her for help.
“Navigation is not only for the ocean,
it’s for life,” she explains. “You navigate
the currents of life. My grandfather told
me that to be home, and to be able to be
whole, you have to be palu: a master nav-
igator in navigating life. At home they
know how to navigate, but when they
come here they don’t, so having a one-
stop is a start.”
That’s what We Are Oceania has be-
come: a one-stop center that guides Pa-
cific Islanders through whatever needs
or concerns they have.
Lillian Segal, who serves on We Are
Oceania’s board, says Howard is a con-
PHOTO: MICHELLE MISHINA
stant source of inspiration.
“I’m always learning from Josie,”
writes Segal in an email. “Josie is a strong,
compassionate and dedicated leader who
works tirelessly for her community on a
daily basis.” — BEV ER LY C R EA M ER
H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 49
 KHARA their convictions vacated if they meet
certain requirements.
She led efforts during the pandemic

JABOLA-CAROLUS to distribute laptops to single mothers

and created a state feminist econom-
ic recovery plan in collaboration with
community members.
Jabola-Carolus says the response
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, to the feminist economic recovery
H AWA I ‘ I S TAT E C O M M I S S I O N O N T H E S TAT U S O F W O M E N plan has been positively overwhelm-
ing. She says other states have contact-
ed the commission to replicate it, and
the YWCA Canada and University of
Toronto created their own version for
Canada. Locally, the counties of Maui,
Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i passed resolutions
supporting the plan.
“They are the first counties in the
U.S. to pass explicit feminist recoveries,
which really just means we’re going to
pay attention to how gender equality
has been impacted by the crisis and mit-
igate the damage,” she says.
Jabola-Carolus grew up in an im-
migrant family in Southern California.
She studied international politics at
New York University and received a law
degree from UH. She says her decision
to study law was partly influenced by
her uncle being deported to the Philip-
pines. That experience, she says, made
clear the importance of understanding

how policy works, fighting bad policy
and lawyering for the community.
She worked as director of the Ha-
wai‘i Coalition for Immigrant Rights
and as public affairs director for the Ha-
wai‘i office of Strategies 360, a research,
public affairs and communications firm.
In those roles, she helped pass state leg-
islation that extended driver’s licenses
to undocumented immigrants and cre-
ated a subsidy for family caregivers.
Mykie Ozoa-Aglugub, a junior advi-
sor in UH’s Office of Institutional Equi-
ty, met Jabola-Carolus while attending
UH’s law school. She says Jabola-Car-
olus is one of the top three most amaz-
ing people she knows.
“She’s always been this incredible
pioneer for women’s rights” and help-
ing women succeed in the economy
H A R A JA BOL A- CA ROLUS IS A FIERCE A DVOCATE while not having to give up their capac-
for women and girls. ity for caregiving, Ozoa-Aglugub says.
K
PHOTOS: AARON K. YOSHINO
MAKENA
COFFMAN
D I R E C TO R O F U H M Ā N OA’ S
I N S T I T U T E F O R S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
AND RESILIENCE
A K ENA COFFM A N H A S BE -
M COM E A G O -TO PER SON
on local environmental is-
sues: everything from climate
change and sea level rise to electric vehi-
cles and emission standards.
She is director of UH Mānoa’s Institute
en’t easy, otherwise we would have taken
them,” Coffman says in an email.
“In Hawai‘i, we developed so totally
around vehicle dependence that” it will
be difficult to embrace walkable/bike-
able spaces, as is being done worldwide,
she says.
“But there are (local) neighborhoods
where this has been increasingly em-
braced. It’s definitely not for everyone,
and accessibility to all must be a priority.
And more walking/biking is also not a
panacea for addressing climate change.
But nothing is. All the tools matter.”
A recent paper co-authored with
fellow UHERO research economists
Sumner La Croix and Sherilyn Wee an-
alyzed whether and how state policies
and subsidies, along with peer pressure,
increase sales of electric vehicles.
Among their findings: A $1,000 in-
how a carbon tax would impact Hawai‘i’s
economy and greenhouse gas emissions.
La Croix greatly admires Coffman.
“She is the rare person who is able to
listen carefully to others and to tell you
exactly what she thinks,” La Croix writes
in an email. “Makena has exactly the
breadth of knowledge on economics, the
environment, and urban planning needed
to analyze critical climate change issues
facing Hawai‘i.”
Coffman studied international rela-
tions at Stanford but an internship at the
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
for the Environment showed her how
government policy leads to global and lo-
cal environmental outcomes. Her first job
after returning home to Hawai‘i was as a
recorder for community meetings involv-
ing siting new power lines.
“In Hawai‘i we should be focusing on

As leader of the State Commission on the Status “I think people often underestimate for Sustainability and Resilience; chair of crease in the value of model-specific state the things that we can impact,” writes Coff-
of Women, she has helped pass legislation to pro- Khara because she’s a woman, she’s Fil- Honolulu’s Climate Change Commission; policy instruments on electric vehicles man, “like transitioning our electrical grid
hibit employers from asking about applicants’ pay histories ipina, she’s young. But I think her pow- and a member of UHERO, the universi- results in an additional 5–11% increase in to renewable sources (and doing it well,
and to codify Title IX into state law. She’s also worked to al- er is really in that she gives so much to ty’s economics research organization. state registrations of that model. minimizing other land use and community
low individuals to designate their gender as “X” on their driv- people who are rarely even given a seat “Reducing greenhouse gases is going A team led by Coffman just completed a impacts), and supporting less car-depen-
er’s licenses, and for people convicted of prostitution to have at the table.” — N OELLE F UJ I I - OR I DE to be hard work. The paths forward ar- report for the state Energy Office analyzing dent communities.” — B EV ER LY C R EA MER

50 MARCH 2021 H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 51

 SUMMER
KAIAWE
AT T O R N E Y A N D PA R T N E R ,
WATA N A B E I N G
“I VIEW AN ATTORNEY AS SOME-
ONE WHO CAN solve problems
and help people and companies
to find solutions,” says Summer
Kaiawe. “It’s a rewarding career.”
Jonathan Lai is managing
partner at Watanabe Ing, where
he’s seen Kaiawe grow in the
last eight years. “Because of
her skill set, she’s fantastic,” he
says. Kaiawe’s accounting back-
ground – she earned a master’s
degree in accounting before
attending law school – is a big
asset on the transaction end of
law, he says. “She’s also built up
her practice in multiple areas,
which is very impressive.”
Kaiawe has a mixed practice
with focuses on business litiga-
tion, land use and intellectual
property. Most of her work is in
litigation. “I enjoy the variety of
this work,” she says. “It all relates.
It all comes together.”
Kaiawe’s work has attracted
outside attention. Super Law-
yers named her to its Rising Stars
list each year from 2017 to 2020.
She’s also served in multiple po-
sitions for the Hawaii State Bar
Association, Young Lawyers Di-
vision, including as secretary, VP
and president.
Kaiawe serves on the board
of directors for Helping Hands
Hawai‘i and Aloha Harvest, a
nonprofit focused on collecting
and redistributing food to those
in need. She’s also a new moth-
er: Her daughter, Stella, was
born in February 2020.
“Our firm was very support-
ive of people working remotely,”
she says. “With that support and
encouragement from the firm
and my husband, I’ve been able
to spend so much more time
with my daughter.” Working from
home is not without challenge,
though. Kaiawe says that Stella
occasionally makes an appear-
52 MARCH 2021
ance on Zoom calls with clients model to my daughter, my fam- slipped easily into a quieter life,
or in court, but her colleagues ily,” he says. “And also just being in part because he grew up on
have been understanding. able to see people get back on 30 acres of woods in southwest
Michael Bird, a partner at their feet and thrive: It’s kind of Missouri, miles from a one-stop-
Watanabe Ing, met Kaiawe when what inspires me. … I just want to light town. That shaped him into
she was a student at UH’s Rich- give back and be a small part of a person with patience, Midwest-
ardson School of Law. He was their success.” ern optimism and a “solar-pow-
serving as a master of the bench Murakami thinks Teraizumi ered” disposition on the hunt for
with the American Inns of Court, will always support local busi- better winters.
an organization that promotes nesses and communities. Saint Clare’s focus at AHL is
the ethical practice of litigation. “I think Hawai‘i will be a bet- now health and wellness proj-
“I noticed early on that she ter place because of somebody ects, a move prompted by the
was a hard worker, intelligent and like Jon,” she says. — N O E L L E birth of his sons, now 2 and 3.
would be a good lawyer,” he says. FUJ I I - O R I D E “When you have kids, your hori-
Bird led the effort to recruit her zon changes, your timeline of
to the firm as an associate, and what’s important changes. It
NATHAN
his intuition has been validated really takes on a generational
with time. Kaiawe made partner scale,” he says. He seeks projects
in March 2019. “that will be used by the commu-
“She puts in a lot of extra nity and make their lives better.”
time that helps improve oth- A recent one was the Kali-
ers as well as herself. All that is hi-Palama Health Center. “He’s
commendable, and we all wish S A I N T proud of that building,” says Bet-
that we could be like that,” Bird C L A R E tina Mehnert, president and CEO
says. — ST E RL I NG HI GA of AHL. “You can measure suc-
cess by awards or pleasing a cli-
ent, but it can also be measured
JON PR I N C I PA L , A H L
by how well a project meets a
community need.” On that mea-
sure, the center is a huge suc-
TERAIZUMI NATHAN SAINT CL ARE IS A
GIFTED ARCHITECT with an in-
cess, she says.
Saint Clare is helping The
ternational portfolio who prides Queen’s Health System plan its
himself on never being predict- long-term growth across the
able. He thinks of design as a Islands. It’s an ambitious proj-
SENIOR VP & constantly evolving process, “a ect, in part because each hos-
SENIOR COMMERCIAL moving, living thing” that chang- pital resembles a mini-city. He
BANKING MANAGER, es with every project and client. also plans to help Hawai‘i meet
C E NTR A L PAC I FI C BA N K “Good design solves a prob- its clean energy goals through
lem,” he says, “but great design “smart design, smart buildings
JON TERAIZUMI IS A STRONG, tells a story. And that’s what I’m and smart decisions.”
SELFLESS TEAM LEADER WHO really interested in: What’s the “Nathan’s a visionary,” says
IS ALWAYS WILLING TO STEP UP story that this project is saying Mehnert. “It’s easy to get ab-
to a challenge, says his boss, Di- Teraizumi was born in Japan that’s really a great feeling.” about the community, about the sorbed in day-to-day details or
ane Murakami. and raised in Hilo and on O‘ahu. He serves as first VP on the clients and stakeholders?” big projects, but he always sees
Teraizumi is one of 200 bank He majored in finance at UH board of the Moiliili Community In Hawai‘i, he notes, projects it in context. For him, a success-
employees who helped process Mānoa and joined Central Pa- Center, where programs serve must also reflect the land and its ful solution means that every-
Paycheck Protection Program cific Bank as a part-time teller about 400 keiki and 650 kūpu- history, which is different from one his project touches, in any
loan applications during the when he was 20. He’s been with na. Mō‘ili‘ili is his old stomping other places he’s worked. way, will be positively impacted.”
pandemic. That meant working the bank ever since, working in grounds and where his grand- Saint Clare has designed — CY NT H IA WES S EN DOR F
lots of extra hours as the bank credit underwriting and com- parents ran a grocery store. buildings on five continents, in-
originated 7,200 loans totaling mercial banking. Today, he and Teraizumi also helps with cluding the Tokyo Disneyland Ho-
more than $550 million. his team of eight help business two of the bank’s community tel, the Torre Macro Bank Tower in
“He had a day job, he man- customers with loans, deposits programs. Keep Hawaii Cooking Buenos Aires and the Emeryville
aged a team, yet he would con- and other needs. started by reimbursing half the Public Market in the Bay area. He
tinue to willingly raise his hand” He says it’s fulfilling to help price of meals at participating has architecture degrees from
to help out, knowing that he businesspeople. local restaurants and continues Kansas State and Yale, and has
PHOTOS: AARON K. YOSHINO
could get the job done quickly “When you first help them is to financially incentivize people lived in the U.S. Midwest, on the
even if it meant working in the when they’re usually just starting to patronize restaurants. Anoth- East and West coasts, Austra-
wee hours of the morning, says out. Now, they’re this growing, er program, Rising Tide, is an lia, Singapore and now Hawai‘i,
Murakami, senior VP and com- awesome business, so you feel online hub for local businesses where his wife has family.
mercial banking division man- like you had a little part to do to connect and find resources. In his small house overlook-
ager at Central Pacific Bank. in helping them get there and … “I want to be a good role ing Kāne‘ohe Bay, Saint Clare
H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 53
 “I’ve watched Ben devel-
op into a gifted real estate
investor with a steady hand,”
Kobayashi says. “He possess-
es an aptitude for deal-mak-
ing and is admired by his col-
leagues for his ability to work
collaboratively. I expect great
things from Ben in the years

BENJAMIN J.
to come and I am exceeding-
ly proud of his accomplish-
ments to date.”
Wang, a board member
at Re-use Hawai‘i, says he
hopes to combine his enthu-
siasm for historic restoration

WANG
– highlighting iconic archi-
tecture and design – with the
use of recycled materials to
keep construction waste out
of local landfills.
Today, Wang says, the proj-
PR I N C I PA L , ect he is “most excited about”
B L A C K S A N D C A P I TA L is BlackSand’s acquisition of
the Kaimana Beach Hotel next
to the Waikīkī Natatorium.
Acquisition of the land and
buildings has been ongoing
since 2014, with the official
takeover on Dec. 1, 2020.
He says he’s eager to see
the property fully restored to
“the Waikīkī icon that it used
to be,” and that much of the
restoration is already com-
plete. “In a relatively short
period of time we have com-
pletely refreshed the lobby,”
he says.
ENJA M IN J. WA NG IN ITI A LLY MOV ED TO TH E “It’s a beautifully con-
ISL A N DS in 2004 to indulge his passion for surfing, structed building. When you
B then added a passion for the culture and community. set foot into the building it’s
“I just fell in love with Hawai‘i,” says Wang. open-air and it just feels like
He went back to California to complete his MBA at the old Hawai‘i. It goes back to
University of Southern California but was back here in 2006. that process of place-making,
He worked at the Shidler Group for four years before joining making a place special, a place
BlackSand Capital. where people want to be and
As a member of BlackSand’s acquisitions and asset manage- spend time.” — CARIN ENOVIJAS
ment team and investment committee, Wang truly made his
mark with a unique deal: Park Lane Ala Moana.
“I was very fortunate to be involved in that,” says Wang,
who helped structure and negotiate the deal, and raise the fi-
nancing for what BlackSand calls its “premier luxury property
in Hawai‘i.”
“We sold over a billion dollars’ worth of condos there,”
PHOTO: AARON K. YOSHINO

Wang says. “We broke a bunch of records for total sales as well
as individual penthouse sales.”
Chairman and CEO of BlackSand Capital B.J. Kobayashi
says Wang’s recent promotion to principal “is a direct result of
his very strong work ethic and his ingenuity.”

54 MARCH 2021 H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 55

 R ACHEL
high school students each summer on
Hawai‘i Island and O‘ahu. Experienced

A A R O N entrepreneurs serve as consultants, and

J A M E S
AT T O R N E Y,
HAWAI ‘ I PUB LIC UTILITIES
COMMISSION
ACH EL JA M ES DIDN’T A L -
R WAYS WA NT TO BE A L AW-
Y ER . But in 2015, with a mas-
ter’s degree in global leadership
and sustainable development and a one-
year position in U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s
Hawai‘i office, she realized the legal pro-
fession was her best bet to create lasting
change. Four years later, she received
her degree in environmental law, with a
certificate in Native Hawaiian law, from
UH’s Richardson School of Law.
“That was one of the more challeng-
ing things that I’ve done,” says James. A
single mother, she worked full time as a
project manager with the Hawai‘i Cen-
ter for Advanced Transportation Tech-
nologies while pursuing her law degree
part time in the evenings. (HCATT was
established by the Air Force and the
state to advance fuel-efficient and ze-
ro-emission transportation technologies
for military and commercial needs.)
Walt Kaneakua, a retired Air Force
colonel and strategist at the Asia Pacif-
ic Center for Security Studies, where
James also studied, says he’s rarely met
anyone who pursues excellence like
James does. “When Rachel decides to
develop expertise in an area, she gets on
it – she’s focused, she has an optimism
that can be disarming, and a joy that is
uncommon,” he says.
SCHORN
D I R E C T O R , N A L U K A I A C A D E M Y S TA R T U P C A M P
C A P S T O N E C O O R D I N AT O R ,
H AWA I ‘ I P R E PA R AT O R Y A C A D E M Y
EING A GR E AT TE ACH ER IN THIS WOR LD is being
a jazz musician. You know your standards, you know
“B how to perform, and then you just free form it based
on your student population,” says Aaron Schorn.
The Nalukai Academy Startup Camp is a free 10-day tech-
nology, entrepreneurship and design boarding camp offered to
is an important step to a cleaner environment.” As the
state transitions to renewable energy, James is focused
on sharing the cost benefits in an equitable way – not
just among homeowners with solar panels.
Beyond her legal work, James serves as VP of the Ha-
wai‘i People’s Fund board and is deeply invested in vol-
unteer coaching for the Center for Tomorrow’s Leaders,
where she works with high schoolers to develop com-
munity projects and mentors them to become “leaders
PHOTOS: AARON K. YOSHINO; JORDAN MURPH
students develop products, business
plans and investor pitches.
Schorn’s job is to maintain flexibility.
“We change everything based on the co-
hort. Day 4 we’re going to go over min-
imum viable product and lean startup
stuff – and then we’re like no, we’ve got to
bring that into Day 2; they’re ready for it.”
Nick Wong met Schorn while at-
tending what was then called Nalukai
Hacker Camp.
“At the time, the camp was tailored to
teaching kids how to program, and then
along comes Mr. Schorn,” says Wong.
Schorn proceeded to “hijack” the camp,
focusing instruction on what students
were interested in: entrepreneurship,
technology and media creation.
“It’s so on brand for Aaron to have
me do this interview,” says Wong. “Tra-
ditionally, it’s an older mentor, but it’s
Aaron’s way to empower the youth and
trust them.” Wong is now studying com-
puter science and entrepreneurship at
UC Berkeley and helps Nalukai students
manage their projects.
Schorn stumbled into his career as an
educator. After college, Schorn worked in
international development and for a law
firm. He met his wife, Sarah, while work-
ing in Israel. Sarah is from Mililani and
they moved to O‘ahu – without jobs – and
drained their bank accounts. Sarah got a
job at Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy on
Hawai‘i Island and Aaron followed.
He started subbing and helping with
the school website and evolved into his
current role as capstone coordinator.
HPA students produce a capstone project
at the end of fifth, eighth and 12th grades,
choosing their projects and engaging in
real-world problem solving with the sup-
port of peers, teachers and mentors.
“He was very driven to succeed. He
was passionate and excited,” says War-
ren Doi, a member of the HPA board,
recalling his first impression of Schorn.
He says over time, Schorn has tem-

In her new role as an attorney with
the Hawai‘i Public Utilities Commis-
sion, James helps guide the agency in
regulating local utilities and pushing
them to meet the state’s clean energy
goals for 2045.
“The energy industry is a pretty big
contributor to greenhouse gas emis-
sions,” she says, “so cleaning that up
with character and compassion and critical thinking.” pered his excitement and become more
Mentors are essential to growth as they open up new practical, with an eye toward what can
experiences and insights, and help connect generations, be accomplished with sustained effort.
she says. She’s cultivated a close mentor relationship The word entrepreneur is central to
with Kaneakua, and credits him with helping her launch Schorn’s approach to life and teaching.
and thrive in a legal career. The admiration is mutual. “I define an entrepreneur as someone
“She’s a very creative and critical thinker,” Kaneakua who owns their educational journey
says. “People gravitate toward Rachel because of her in- and their professional journey,” he says.
tellect, but her heart drives her.” — CYN T H I A W ES S EN DOR F — STE R L I N G H I GA

56 MARCH 2021 H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 57


V I NCEN T
K I M U R A
FOUNDER AND CEO,
SMART YIELDS
VINCENT KIMURA’S LIFE HAS
BEEN SHAPED BY MENTORS at
every turn: a professor, a college
internship manager, a genera-
tional farmer.
Kimura was born on O‘ahu,
the grandson of a Japanese
sugar plantation worker, but his
parents’ careers in the hotel in-
dustry took the family through-
out Asia. As an elementary
school student in China, he first
visited farms and the roots of his
future were planted.
Kimura focused on environ-
mental studies at Oregon State
University – aiming to return
to Asia and especially China
to help clean up its soil, water
and air pollution – and interned
at the Pacific Basin Economic
Council where mentors guided
him toward consulting on proj-
ects in Asia. After earning his
MBA at the Thunderbird School
of Global Management in Arizo-
na, he joined one of the mentors
he met at the council, Bernice
Glenn, to start Inovi Green, a
Hawai‘i-based company fo-
cused on renewable energy and
sustainable technology. Smart
Yields followed five years later.
“There’s some really scary
articles that cause you to won-
der what is the future of food?”
Kimura says. “My wife (Aloha
United Way Vice President Lisa
Kimura) and I are huge foodies.
And so, being a technology guy,
I said, ‘Well, how can we empow-
er these small farmers with more
of a platform that could com-
pete with the big, big farms, but
in a cost-effective way?’ ”
Smart Yields connects
small farmers in several states
with tools to help them make
data-driven decisions for ev-
erything from soil health to
58 MARCH 2021
avoiding frost. It means Kimura
is always listening to and learn-
ing from farmers or attending
meetings as an executive board
member of the Hawai‘i Farmers
Union United.
“I had to really understand
the challenges and the simple
statement is, as long as you put
farmers’ financial success and
future first, no matter what, then
they will be open to trusting you.”
Glenn says Kimura is ex-
tremely supportive and shows a
tremendous amount of respect
“for everyone, whether they’re
a child, or an elder, or a CEO, or
a student.”
When Kimura is asked where
he would like to see Hawai‘i in 20
years, he has a list of ideas: 100%
food self-sufficiency, 20 farm-
ers in the state Legislature, the
Islands as hub for growers from
around the globe and farm work
as part of school curricula and
an experiential moment in every-
one’s lives. — CHRI ST I YO UN G
RU T H
ERICKSON
EXECUTIVE VP OF
E-COMMERCE AND
M A R K E T I N G O P E R AT I O N S ,
BANK OF HAWAII
BANK OF HAWAII PRESIDENT
PETER HO KNEW the bank need-
ed someone with digital media
expertise to connect with cus-
tomers. So the bank launched a
nationwide search by a national
firm that found former Microsoft
exec Ruth Erickson “in our own
backyard,” working at ProSer-
vice Hawaii.
“She brings a really im-
portant set of skills to us and
she gets Hawai‘i,” Ho says. At
the bank since July 2019, she
oversees content marketing,
digital advertising, search en-
gine optimization, social media,
email and direct mail as well as
marketing responsibilities for
e-commerce, boh.com and on-
line banking.
While Erickson is new to
banking, Ho says her perspec-
tive combined with her exper-
tise makes her stand out. “She’s
kind of accepting of all of the
good things in the (bank’s) cul-
ture and also kind of question-
ing some of the things that are
maybe not as positive, which I
think is healthy.”
Erickson’s work includes ex-
panding what the bank offers to
customers through emails and
personalized content on the
website based on a customer’s
unique financial situation. She
sees her role as “not just ac-
cepting the status quo, but re-
ally pushing others to do their funny but she feels Hawai‘i
best and to kind of be curious, called to her. When she worked
that there might be another
way, a different way.”
in tech on the Mainland, Erick-
son traveled to O‘ahu frequently
Erickson says the bank’s au- to surf and enjoy time off. On
tomated system is the “brain” a 2015 trip, mutual friends in-
that targets communications to troduced her to the man she
customers. Because it’s based married. They maintained a
on specific information provid- long-distance relationship be-
ed to the bank by each cus- fore she moved to Honolulu
tomer, it’s different from the in 2017 to be closer to her Is-
computer cookie that somewhat land-born husband and to shift
creepily prompts ads for cat gears professionally.
food to pop up right after you “I grew up in a small town
search for animal shelters. “It’s a in North Dakota, which is very
way for us to improve effective- community-oriented, very you
ness,” Erickson says, responding know your neighbors and you
to studies that show people are take care of your neighbors,”
more likely to engage with and she says. She felt those same
find value in programs tailored values in the Islands. “This is
to their needs. more where I want to be spend-
Erickson says it may sound ing my time and living the rest of
my life.” — R O B B I E D I N G E M A N
SONDRA
L E I G G I -
B R A N D O N
SYSTEMS DIRECTOR OF
B E H A V I O R A L H E A LT H ,
THE QUEEN’S MEDICAL
CENTER
“WE’VE SEEN AN UPTICK IN THE
NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN CRI-
SIS DURING THE PANDEMIC,”
says Sondra Leiggi-Brandon,
who served as systems direc-
tor of behavioral health at The
Queen’s Medical Center last
year. “Normally there are lulls in
the summer and holidays, but
not this year.”
Leiggi-Brandon led the be-
havioral health team at Queen’s
for three years. She’s helped
them go beyond inpatient
needs to address community
PHOTOS: AARON K. YOSHINO
needs and emphasize a preven-
tive, wellness-based approach
to mental health.
“We were looking for some-
one dynamic to come in and
lead behavioral health for us,”
says Jason Chang, president
of The Queen’s Medical Center
and COO of both the center and
The Queen’s Health Systems.
“She’s been fantastic,
whether it’s rebuilding the re-
lationship with the department
of psychiatry at JABSOM or
taking on state initiatives like
the MH-1 (health evaluation
and involuntary hospitalization)
task force. She’s also led our
partnership with the (Honolulu)
Police Department, making sure
that officers get enough clinical
support so they know where a
person should go.”
Leiggi-Brandon advises
aspiring health care workers
to “be open to all opportuni-
ties because they never know
where their career will take
them.” She started in 2009,
working as a graduate nurse in
psychiatry at Kahi Mohala while
finishing her second master’s
degree, in nursing. (Her first is
in public health.)
Leiggi-Brandon says any
success she’s achieved has
been with the help of her in-
credible team of staff and ad-
vanced practice registered
nurses, and that she’s grateful
for the support of her husband
and family.
She serves on the board of
directors for UH Mānoa’s Nurs-
ing Alumni Association and the
board of Hālau Kū Māna, a public
charter school.
In 2020, Leiggi-Brandon was
accepted to a doctor of nursing
practice executive track/MBA
dual-degree program at Johns
Hopkins University.
“She has a bright future
ahead of her,” Chang says, “We
love her and don’t want her to
ever go away.”— ST ER LIN G H IGA
H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 59
 CARISSA
M O O R E
PROFESSIONAL SURFER
H E SU R FING CA R EER OF
CA R ISSA MOOR E – four-time
T World Surfing League wom-
en’s champion – can be traced
back to Irish dancing in her living room.
Her father, Chris Moore, remembers her
avidly watching an Irish dance troupe on
TV and mimicking the moves surpris-
ingly well.
“Did someone help you with that?”
he asked, and she replied, “No, I just
watched.”
Her dad found that Moore’s innate
sense of movement “translated really
well to the ocean.” Although he had no
way of predicting her four world titles at
that early age, it was already clear to him
that she would be a pro surfer. He recalls
thinking, “Either I’m crazy, or this is
rather obvious.”
Surfing was something fun that
Moore did with her dad since before the
age of 5. Then at 10 or 12 she says she
remembers having a conversation with
him “about commitment and sacrifice.”
A “where do you want to go with this?”
kind of talk.
Moore began competing as an am-
ateur in middle school, and continued
through most of high school while at
Punahou School. She competed on the
WSL Championship Tour as a profes-
60 MARCH 2021
sional during her senior year and ever
since, coming away with world titles in
2011, ’13, ’15 and ’19.
Being a woman in a historically
male-dominated sport is something
Moore certainly remembers affecting
her early days as a surfer. “There are a lot
of guys out there, there’s a lot of testos-
terone. In the early days, before I kind
of earned my respect, I think there were
times where I was not always welcome.”
Her experience as one of the only
young girls at surf lineups is part of
what prompted her in 2018 to start her
foundation, Moore Aloha. Although the
foundation is on a hiatus due to the pan-
demic, it has spearheaded a number of
surfing-geared events, including interme-
diate and beginner training sessions, an in-
ternational exchange and beach cleanup.
Moore got the idea for her organiza-
tion in 2018 at a surf camp run by Hurley,
one of her sponsors. “There were like 30
PHOTO: BEN THOUARD, COURTESY OF REDBULL
little girls that showed up and they were
all just like eyes wide open and so ex-
cited to just absorb anything you threw
their way.”
She says she remembers thinking, “I
would love to use surfing as a platform
to bring young girls together – to inspire
them, help them to chase their passions.”
— MAYA MCDOUGA LL

Ū HIŌ LEW IS BEGA N NAV-
K IGATING OBSTACLES AT A
YOU NG AGE and found the
motivation to overcome them.
“Who I am is always pushing the bar,
KŪ HIŌ always raising the bar, always trying to
push the limits and make a difference,” he
says. “That’s what really motivates me is
LEWIS the ability to help people, especially those
in need because I was in that boat. And if
it weren’t for people helping me through
that, I wouldn’t have been able to get out
of the hole I was in.”
PRESIDENT AND CEO, Lewis was raised by his grandparents
C O U N C I L F O R N AT I V E
in ‘Ālewa Heights. He got into drugs and
HAWAI IAN ADVAN C E M E NT
alcohol, fathered two children by age 18
and dropped out of high school.
“I was making all kinds of terrible
choices and ended up with two babies (as
a single father). I was at a crossroads: Am
62 MARCH 2021
I going to subject them to the lifestyle that
I was subjected to when I was younger, or
am I going to give them a shot at life?”
DOUG execute on it was the chance of a lifetime.”
He has helped transform the 60-acre
neighborhood into a vibrant community
up with some pretty interesting reuses or
upgrades to them that not only add use-
ful life but make them a special part of
He returned to high school and got JOH N STONE with new residences, retailers and open the neighborhood they’re in.”
his diploma at 21 and later graduated spaces. Its fifth tower, ‘A‘ali‘i, is expected Bob Harrison, CEO and chairman of
from Honolulu Community College and to be complete this year with 750 units First Hawaiian Bank, has known John-
UH West O‘ahu. – 150 units reserved for buyers earning stone for several years and says he will
Lewis has spent his career helping H AWA I ‘ I P R E S I D E N T, less than 140% of Honolulu’s median continue to have a positive impact.
others. He managed a student support T H E H O W A R D H U G H E S C O R P. income. Another tower, Kō‘ula, is under “From a business perspective, he’s
services program at UH, led the Office construction. Ward Village was the first very focused on providing housing for
of Hawaiian Affairs’ community out- project in Hawai‘i to receive the presti- Hawai‘i’s community,” Harrison says.
reach and engagement division, and led OUG JOHNSTON E JOIN ED gious Leadership in Energy and Envi- “And while I think a lot of people mistak-
the Kapolei Community Development WA R D V ILL AGE before the ronmental Design platinum certification enly say, ‘Oh that’s for people from some-
Corp., a nonprofit supporting the Kapo- D property had a name. for neighborhood development, he says. where else,’ really what they’re mostly
lei homesteads. “When I joined, we were The Punahou grad majored in eco- developing is for Hawai‘i residents and
Since taking the helm at the Coun- starting to get our arms around the de- nomics at Stanford University and began giving so many Hawai‘i residents a place
cil for Native Hawaiian Advancement in velopment opportunities that it present- his career in California before returning to live. … We need as much housing as we
2018, Lewis has helped the nonprofit – a ed,” he says. home to help run Kamehameha Schools’ can build, for many years.”
community development financial in- “And obviously being from here, you commercial real estate portfolio. While Johnstone, Harrison says, is “really one
stitution – grow its revolving loan fund know the specialness of not just the com- there, he worked on projects at Six of those people we need to keep an eye on
from $3.5 million to $6 million. He’s mercial properties that are there, but also Eighty Ala Moana, the Kapalama Shop- because he’s going to do a lot, both in the
also helped create a program that pre- 60 acres in the middle of Honolulu along ping Center and the Hale‘iwa Store Lots. business and the broader community.”
pares people for careers in carpentry, the coast and where there’s been a lot of “A lot of these are taking existing He serves on the boards of the Outrig-
firefighting, police, solar and electricity. smart growth planned for decades, is pret- facilities and rethinking how they can ger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation, USS
And he’s assisted over 100 businesses and ty unparalleled. And the chance to be part be relevant in today’s environment,” he Missouri Memorial Association and Ho-
launched an online marketplace called of that and start putting together a team to says. “And I think in the process you end meAid Hawaii. — N OELLE F UJII-OR IDE
the Pop-Up Mākeke.
The marketplace sold 102,000 prod-
ucts in 2020 from 370 local small and
micro businesses. At the same time,
CNHA distributed over $14 million to
O‘ahu families in need through its Ho‘āla
Assistance Program.
Lewis credits his team for CNHA’s
success. “What I love about my staff is
they are community driven, they do it for
the reasons of helping others,” he says.
Michelle Kauhane led CNHA before
Lewis and is now senior VP of commu-
nity grants and initiatives at the Hawai‘i
Community Foundation. She says Lewis
PHOTOS: AARON K. YOSHINO
is an entrepreneur at heart who inspires
his team and thinks outside the box.
“I think that he’s making tremendous
progress and as I watch his growth I do
so with much pride,” she says. — N O E L L E
F UJ I I - OR I DE
 SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

CONSTRUCTION
INDUSTRY
OUTLOOK
The only private industry in
Hawai‘i to add jobs in 2020, the
construction industry is holding
its ground, but not without a new
set of challenges.
BY CHRISTINE HIT T

2021
 SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION
SITECH Hawai‘i
provides construction
technology solutions
A
A YEAR FOLLOWING THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC that has impacted much of
Hawai‘i’s economy, the construction
industry has actually fared well. Desig-
nated an essential industry, it’s the only
private sector industry that added jobs
in 2020.
“Every other industry is declining
– it’s declining a lot in tourism – so
increasing jobs by 100, it’s a big deal,”
says Dr. Eugene Tian, chief economist
at the Hawai‘i State Department of
Business, Economic Development &
Tourism. The only other exception is
government, which increased by 200
jobs to help with the 2020 Census.
Other positive news: the construc-
tion permit value increased 1.9% in
2020. “Usually it takes a half-year to
one year from the time the permit is
issued or approved to the start of the
66 MARCH 2021
construction project,” says Tian. This
means projects that received permits
last year will start or continue construc-
tion into 2021.
There’s also going to be an increase
in government construction, according
to Tian. “For the fiscal year 2021, the
state has budgeted $2.7 billion for state
government projects. Part of that is in
2020, but another half year is in 2021.”
This is good news for the industry,
considering the ongoing effects of the
pandemic on all industries. “We expect
that in 2021, the construction industry
will be level, or the same, as 2020,”
says Tian.
NEW C HALLEN GES
W
HILE THE INDUSTRY AS A
WHOLE has held steady
during the pandemic, it
doesn’t mean its many businesses ha-
ven’t incurred additional costs or de-
lays. The past year, it’s had to address
challenges and shift its operations,
much like other industries, in order to
fulfill its commitments to clients.
RIGHT SERVICE
RIGHT SUPPORT
RIGHT PARTNER
A MESSAGE FROM
IBEW LOCAL 1186
Through the pandemic, our federal
workers, who work on various military
bases to keep the country safe, saw an
increase in work and demand. Many of
Service
our other members continued to work
throughout the pandemic in 2020, as
our members were deemed essential.
rtifed Pre
Representing electricians, telecommu- Ce -
nication, cable, civil service workers,
ow
motor/marine, and some private
Rental
n
school teachers, IBEW Local 1186
ed
members worked diligently to ensure
that Hawai‘i’s critical communication
infrastructure was operational and
running smoothly.
Some jobs were shut down or
ing
slowed down drastically because of no ain
revenue coming in for the projects, but
Tr
in comparison to many other industries
in our state, IBEW Local 1186 mem- Suppor
t
bers were, for the most part, fortunate
enough to continue working through
some of the most challenging periods lu tions from
So Tr
in Hawai‘i’s history, with just some i
m
members being out of work.
Ne
ble
As the state slowly continues
to open up under new leadership in
different parts of the state, there are Trimble Pr
different issues that may pose to o
© Trimble Inc. All rights reseverd. PNTC-283 (0919)
te
be a challenge throughout 2021. In
cted
2020, shipping materials for jobsites
to Hawai‘i was not considered priority,
some manufacturers were shut down,
and even when they opened, flights
were reduced and/or grounded. All of
the difficulties in getting materials to
Hawai‘i resulted in an overall slowdown
of finished projects.
As we maneuver through 2021, we
are hopeful and optimistic that herd
immunity as a result of the COVID
vaccines, help to slow down the new
cases and spread of coronavirus
PHOTO: COURTESY OF SITECH
throughout Hawai‘i. That, in addition
to slow regrowth of our economy, will
SITECH Hawai’i
hopefully bring some normalcy back to
the Islands. 91-220 Kalaeloa Blvd., Suite B
Kapolei, HI 96707
844.774.2924 www.sitechhawaii.com
H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 67
 SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

system,” adds Terrance Arashiro,
president of Austin, Tsutsumi &
Associates, Inc. “Given work-from-
home trends, ridership in a few
years may be interesting to observe,
and HART is probably revising their
estimates as we speak. Rail is still
a critical component to O‘ahu’s
smart-growth, but its current and
future funding are still an issue.
Overall, the state and counties have
rallied to keep projects progressing,
especially those that have partici-
pating federal funds attached to it.”
MAKIN G PRO GRES S
Kukui‘ula on Kaua‘i’s
ments are embracing innovation
and looking to harnessing tech-
nology to improve their facilities,
becoming a revenue driver versus a
gatekeeper,” says Arashiro. “Having
government develop, rather than
just maintain infrastructure, will
help private industry and boost the
economy, increase the tax base and
potentially lower the cost of hous-
ing, transportation and education.”
At SITECH Hawai‘i, its team
has created a new initiative to help
construction projects that may be
struggling. “This year, our team has
stepped up and taken initiative on
more classes to better turn around
equipment that was turned in for
A MESSAGE FROM
AUSTIN, TSUTSUMI
& ASSOCIATES, INC.
Established in 1934, Austin, Tsutsumi &
Associates, Inc. is an early pioneer of the engi-
neering industry, and is recognized by Hawaii
Business Magazine as a Best Place to Work
and a Top 250 Company in the State. ATA’s
primary business is consulting in the areas of
civil engineering, environmental engineering and
land surveying, and has the largest local traffic
engineering group in Hawai‘i. “As a kama‘āina
company, we have deep roots in the Islands and
have worked tremendously hard to be a thought-
ful and trustworthy partner,” says Terrance

south shore
A MESSAGE FROM
SITECH
SITECH, the leader in
construction technology
solutions, delivers an
outstanding portfolio of
easy-to-use and reliable
construction technology
systems. From the Trimble®
Site Positioning System
to real-time equipment
management software,
we provide comprehensive
technology solutions for heavy
“The pandemic has definitely had
far-reaching impacts on the construction
industry,” says Gerry Majkut, president of
Hawaiian Dredging. “This has taken place
in how we do our work, as we needed to
immediately implement the CDC and
local guidelines. Construction was listed
as essential, which enabled construction
projects to continue. At Hawaiian Dredg-
ing, we responded quickly by developing a
COVID-19 task force and working togeth-
er to put a plan in place, and continuing
to develop and monitor the plan.”
Shutdowns and travel bans have also
had a widespread effect on the industry,
which has caused commuting between
Islands or out of state to take more time
and preparation. It’s also taken longer
to ship and receive supplies needed for
I
N THE WAKE OF THE CUR- repair,” says the SITECH Team. Arashiro, president. “2020 was a tough year for
RENT HEALTH CRISIS, the “We have signed up for drone class- all and the struggle has given us a deeper resolve
construction industry has es, model building, SPS repairs, and to lift and strengthen our communities and
been able to use the time to catch up Mesh networking diagnostics to industry. Relationships have been a touchstone
construction technology solutions, travel on some of its renovation and road better support what we are selling. of our practice throughout the years, and we will
bans have made it more challenging to repair work, and it has made some We have hired new personnel to continue.” ATA looks forward to serving Hawai‘i
reach clients. “Just like a lot of compa- strides in the area of innovation. expand our support effort in hopes in 2021 as we collectively recover.
nies, we have taken precautions and a “Some state and county depart- of reaching as many as possible.”
lot of preventative measures,” says the
SITECH Team. “A handful of things that
have caused strain during the pandemic
that’s unique to us is that, since our ter-
ritory covers a huge portion of the Pacific
Ocean and our customers are based on
different Islands, the only way to reach
those customers is through air travel,
which demanded more than the usual
planning and coordinating with our cus-
tomers.” Due to manufacturers operating
at a lower capacity, fulfilling orders has
also been a struggle for them, which in
turn affects clients’ businesses.
Additionally, the pandemic creat-

civil construction customers
throughout Hawai‘i and the
Pacific Region.
Our experienced team
of technology experts can
help you stay competitive
construction.
“Two things that are challenging the
construction industry right now – first,
being the economy and second, getting
materials here to Hawai‘i,” says Damien
Kim, IBEW Local 1186 business manager
for the
ed unique impacts to transportation
construction and planning. With the
shutdown and as more employers choose
Next Generation
the work-from-home model, the lack of
commuter traffic has changed the way
transportation planners operate. It’s ac-
PHOTO: COURTESY OF AUSTIN, TSUTSUMI & ASSOCIATES, INC.

in a business environment
where you need both high
productivity and a high return
on your investment. With
our unparalleled support,
technical expertise, and
proven experience, SITECH
Hawai‘i can help you increase
productivity and maximize
returns through advanced
worksite solutions.
and financial secretary. The IBEW Local
1186 represents electricians, telecommu-
nication, cable, civil service workers, mo-
tor/marine, and private school teachers.
“Manufacturers were either closed for
a while or with reduced staffing, flights
were reduced or grounded, and shipping
of essential products such as PPE and
food took priority over anything else.
That resulted in construction slowing
down and thus creating a reduced work-
force with a longer finish time.”
For SITECH Hawai‘i, a provider of
celerated roadway construction, but it has
also fixed some traffic problems.
“By some estimates, current traffic
reductions have improved our roadways
to a degree equivalent to adding more
than one lane of travel through the most
congested corridors such as the H-1
through Waipahu-Pearl City, from pre-
COVID conditions.” says Matt Nakamoto,
vice president and chief transportation
engineer of Austin, Tsutsumi & Associ-
ates, Inc.
“There will also be impacts to the rail

68 MARCH 2021 H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 69

 SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

HVCA
AWA R D S
2021

The
A MESSAGE FROM

HAWAIIAN DREDGING
CONSTRUCTION
COMPANY, INC. Profiles
of the
winners and
With a legacy dating back to 1902, Hawaiian Dredging
Construction Company, Inc. (Hawaiian Dredging) has

PHOTO: COURTESY OF HAWAIIAN DREDGING CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INC.

played an integral role in building the face of Hawai‘i. Our
beginnings include dredging Pearl Harbor’s main channel
and, subsequently, constructing the Ala Wai Canal to
finalists of
enable the development of world renowned Waikīkī.
the annual

Best
Today, we are the most diversified and largest general
Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. construction of Hale Moena Kupuna in Kapolei contractor in Hawai‘i with over 800 employees and
annual revenues well exceeding $500M. Our experience Hawaii
The industry has made some try,” says Majkut. “The current
and resources accumulated over the years are reflected
Venture

steps in a positive direction while
increasing jobs during a chal-
lenging time, but all eyes are still
of
through our company’s five divisions - Building, Commer-
stimulus packages address a lot
Capital
cial, Heavy (Civil), Waterfront & Foundation, and Power
of immediate needs, so it will be
& Industrial, spanning the gamut of major construction in
important to have a strong re-

on the pandemic in determining
what the future may hold.
“The future economy as
we go into the post COVID-19
period will be key to our indus-
Association
Hawai‘i. With a portfolio that includes many of Hawai‘i’s
covery. The continued develop-
most iconic buildings and infrastructure projects, Hawai-
ment of the future workforce in
ian Dredging performs across the spectrum of hospitality,
construction is very important.
We always need to be looking
towards the future.”
retail/entertainment, commercial, residential, healthcare,
educational, and infrastructure projects.
awards

Startup
In this Time of Change,
We remain

Rooted in Trust. VC
A AWAR
D

Guided by Principle.

S
2021
2020

ARDS

HV
CA A
CIVIL ENGINEERING | ENVIRONMENTAL | TRAFFIC | LAND SURVEYING

AW
The ATA Difference

W
A

Paradise
RD
in the New Normal
C
HV S
Fluid | Steadfast | Positive
We pour ourselves into understanding our clients’ interests and objectives.
Provide solutions that are community-minded and focused on sustainability.
Create approaches to project challenges with positivity and perspective.

Profiles by

CREATING CAR IN
SOLUTIONS
SINCE 1934 ENOVIJAS

70 M Honolulu,
ARCH 2021 Oahu | Wailuku, Maui www.atahawaii.com H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 71
HVCA
AWA R D S
2021
Thriving in
Challenging
Times
By STEVE PETRANIK
In
accelerator for local compa-
nies that sell consumer goods.
She says HVCA supports
buying local and the diver-
sification of Hawai‘i’s econ-
omy, and helping entrepre-
neurs and innovators succeed
through education and build-
ing important connections.
THE BEST OF TIMES, start-
ups face long odds of success.
A pandemic makes mere sur-
vival even harder.
Yet many of Hawai‘i’s
startups are not only sur-
viving the pandemic but are
continuing to move ahead,
gaining customers and in-
vestors, innovating and di-
versifying. A few have even
leveraged the pandemic it-
self to flourish.
That’s why Hawaii Busi-
ness Magazine is honored
to again profile the finalists
and winners of the annual
Hawaii Venture Capital As-
sociation awards in the fol-
lowing pages.
The HVCA’s president is
Meli James, who is also the
co-founder of Mana Up, the
72 MARCH 2021
“We strive to serve as a
catalyst for entrepreneur-
ship, venture capital activity
and growth. We host an an-
nual awards gala, which is an
amazing opportunity for us
to shine the spotlight on key
individuals and businesses
that champion the expan-
Meli James
sion of our economic future,”
James says.
The virtual gala for the
21st annual Hawai‘i Entre-
preneur Awards was broad-
cast live for the first time, on
KHON2 on the evening of
Feb. 20. It was aptly themed
“Thriving Through Change.”
And despite the challeng-
es, entrepreneurship and in-
novation are thriving in Ha-
wai‘i, says Keoni Lee, CEO
of Hawai‘i Investment Ready
and HVCA’s Investor of the
Year award winner along
with Lisa Kleissner.
“We need not look else-
where to attract cutting
edge industries or world-
class talent to seed Hawai‘i
with the next wave of op-
portunities,” Lee says. “We
have the innovations that we
need right here, right now.
We just need to recognize it
and invest in ourselves.”
Another HVCA award
winner, Jason Cutinella,
agrees that the entrepre-
neurial spirit is flourishing in
the Islands.
“While pivot was the
buzzword of 2020, my word
has always been ‘evolve.’
If you’re always evolving
you will always be ahead of
the curve,” says Cutinella,
founder and CEO of NMG
Network and this year’s
Entrepreneur of the Year
award winner.
“We have the
innovations
that we need
right here,
right now.
We just need
to recognize
it and invest
in ourselves.”
KEONI LEE, CEO of
Hawai‘i Investment Ready
INNER
W
W
NNE
INNER
2021
WI
STARTUP PARADISE
CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
LEN HIGASHI,
ACTING EX ECUTIVE DIR ECTOR
T
HE HAWAII TECHNOL-
OGY DEVELOPMENT
CORP. is a state agency
that works to develop
and accelerate the local
technology industry.
“In the field we are in, entre-
preneurship and innovation, we are
taught to adapt. Everything we do is
on the fly,” says Len Higashi, HTDC’s
acting executive director. “The pace
of innovation doesn’t allow you to
look too far ahead because that target
is always going to change.”
In the local business community,
“the pandemic really put an empha-
sis on going digital and being able to
connect with others beyond physical
contact,” he says. And that idea ap-
pears to be paying off: Larger com-
panies report that their projects are
accelerating more rapidly because of
the new emphasis, and many busi-
nesses are flourishing as new virtual
environments and collaborations be-
come more mainstream.
SOMEONE WHO CONSISTENTLY CONTRIBUTES TO THE SUCCESS OF HAWAI‘I’S
INNOVATION COMMUNITY.
HAWAII TECHNOLOGY
DEVELOPMENT COR P.
“Almost overnight we learned
that we can remote learn, distance
learn, use telehealth,” says Higashi.
“These technologies have always
been there, but now we’re starting
to get a little more comfortable on a
community scale.”
Higashi says HTDC awarded
$10.4 million to 180 companies and
entrepreneurs in 2020. The agen-
cy also hosted 55 virtual events and
provided 13,000 hours of workforce
training and certifications through
3,800 online courses and webinars
aimed at helping people find new jobs
or to “upskill” and move into tech-re-
lated jobs within their companies.
The many HTDC initiatives in-
cluded administering CARES Act
funding for e-commerce, digital mar-
keting and other training; helping
local manufacturers create personal
protective equipment supply chains;
and consulting and sharing best prac-
tices for COVID-related food safety
and sanitation.
HVCA
AWA R D S
2021
Deal of the Year
INNER
SCOT T MER CER
W
W
NNE
AND CHR IS WENDEL
INNER
2021
WI
VOLTA CHAR G IN G
HAWAI‘I STARTUP VOLTA
CHARGING is poised to expand
globally, says co-founder and CEO
Scott Mercer, following the company’s
January announcement of $125 million in new
Series D financing.
Volta has attracted more than $200 mil-
lion in equity capital since its humble begin-
nings in 2011, when Mercer and co-founder
Chris Wendel, working out of a Honolulu
garage, first pitched their idea for a network
of free electric-vehicle charging stations. It
now has charging stations in 23 states and
over 200 municipalities.
“The reason we succeeded is because
we were able to sit down and really focus and
starve for a couple of years to prove that we
had an idea that could really make money,
and more importantly, to prove that we had
the kind of grit and determination to see it
through,” Mercer says.
Each of Volta’s free Hawai‘i-based
charging stations are used an average of
about 11 hours a day, he says. That equates to
6.7 million miles driven. A gasoline-powered
vehicle traveling those same miles would
pump 3 million pounds of carbon dioxide into
the environment.
Wendel says Volta’s ad-supported busi-
ness model brings value to the company’s
real estate partners. “By bringing charging
stations to essential businesses, our end user
will increase their dwell time, engagement
and spending.”
Mercer says high interest and market pen-
etration for EVs in Hawai‘i provided Volta with a
“petri dish for learning how to build a business
that really requires ownership of a market.”
RECOGNIZES THE STARTUP PARADISE
COMPANY THAT RECEIVED THE
LARGEST FINANCIAL DEAL IN THE
PAST YEAR.
H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 73
HVCA HVCA
AWA R D S AWA R D S
2021 2021

NALIST
FI
Ag/Clean Tech

NALIST

FI
NALIS
Entrepreneur SOCIAL IMPACT
2021

FI

T
of the Year ENTREPRENEUR
AG/CLEAN TECH
ENTREPRENEUR J OAN S ALW EN B LU E O C EAN BAR NS OF THE YEAR
OF THE YEAR
DANA SHAPIR O HAWAI‘ I ‘ ULU COOPERATI VE
L AUR E N R OT H VEN U

3R WAT E R THE HAWAI‘I ‘ULU COOPERATIVE processes

about 100,000 pounds of breadfruit a year and
its many customers include public schools and
Chef Hui’s ‘Ulu Ambassador Program, says GM Dana
LAUREN ROTH offers green infra- ture designed for less Shapiro, who founded the co-op in 2016.
INNER
VENU, founder of 3R structure solutions intense storm events
W ‘Ulu, one of Hawai‘i’s original “canoe crops,” could

W
provide a sustainable and more nutritious alternative to

NNE
Water, has developed

INNER
to capture the water. and more people
software for munic- That includes “both equals more flooding imported starches like rice, wheat and potatoes, but its
2021

WI
ipalities and utilities top-down and bot- and pollution.” fresh form is not stable. That’s where the co-op comes
challenged by storm- tom-up solutions to Responsibly in, Shapiro says. “Just by steaming and freezing it, we’re
water pollution result- capture stormwater,” managing storm- creating a readily acceptable, convenient, year-round
ing from the rise in Venu says. Utilities water pollution and
AN ENTREPRENEUR OR COMPANY THAT SUBSTANTIALLY
available form of the fruit.
severe storms. can also share the app “capturing much of
CONTRIBUTES TO HELPING SOLVE SOME OF HAWAI‘I’S “Over the next five years we are expecting our
3R’s mobile app with customers. our stormwater leads
collects data about
TOUGHEST PROBLEMS. production to increase to about 1 million pounds a year.”
While rural areas to an abundance of
what happens to can better absorb green growth, local
stormwater on a prop- runoff, she says, food and beauty,”
erty or area, and then “urban infrastruc- Venu says.
INNER NALIST
W NALIST FI
FI
R

NALIST

FI
NALIST
NNE

FI
INNER

NALIS
NALIS
2021 2021
WI

2021

FI
FI

T
T
A
AG/CLEAN TECH LAND -BASED RED ALGAE FARM on
SOCIAL IMPACT SOCIAL IMPACT
Hawai‘i Island could help reduce the
ENTREPRENEUR greenhouse gas emissions that con- ENTREPRENEUR OF ENTREPRENEUR OF
OF THE YEAR tribute to climate change, says Joan THE YEAR THE YEAR
Salwen, CEO of Blue Ocean Barns.
STEVE SAKALA, Red algae is the active ingredient in a livestock KŪHI Ō LEWI S AND
FO UNDER L
INA IST food additive capable of preventing up to 80% MAR K NOG UCHI THE COUNCI L FOR
F
of the methane created by the world’s 1.5 billion AND AMANDA NATI VE HAWAI I AN
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cows, she says. Carbon dioxide emissions from COR BY -NOG UCHI ADVANCEMENT
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MA NA ARTISAN
cows are equivalent to emissions from all the cars
2021
BOTANICS
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on the planet. POP-UP MĀKEKE

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CHEF HUI/PILI G R OUP

Blue Ocean Barns, a portfolio company of Ha-
wai‘i’s Elemental Excelerator program, will have
STEVE SAKALA, help create diver- hemp or cannabis CHEF HUI WAS tax-exempt dona- Corby-Nogu- WHEN THE 2020 started investing helped 367 vendors
its first algae farm on Hawai‘i Island fully opera- CREATED “to con-
founder of Mana sified, value-added business in the world tions and federal chi also praised an MERRIE MON- their life savings sell merchandise
Artisan Botanics on revenue sources for to go “plastic neg- tional by the fall of 2021, says Salwen, adding, “and nect chefs who pre- funds “to support existing program ARCH FESTIVAL into their startups,” from across Hawai‘i,
Hawai‘i Island, is pas- local farmers. ative,” Sakala says. within four years, the business will create thou- pare food with the our local chefs that did valuable was canceled due says Lewis, CEO including Ni‘ihau.
sionate about model- People are using With every Mana sands of jobs in technology innovation and the cul- farmers who grow and farmers and pandemic work: to the pandemic, of the Council for Pop-Up Mākeke
ing the regenerative CBD to treat ail- product purchased, tivation and processing of seaweed.” it” by husband and to feed people in “Aloha Harvest, run Kūhiō Lewis says he Native Hawaiian relaunched on Oct.
agriculture practices ments like pain, the nonprofit “That kind of job creation is really satisfying. It wife Mark Noguchi need,” Corby-Nogu- by chefs and farm- and his team brain- Advancement. 1 and ran through
that he says are key inflammation, anxiety removes 1 pound helps diversify the economy and it produces a real and Amanda Cor- chi says. Among the ers, distributed stormed for a way The solution: Dec. 31, with close
to healing the planet. and sleeplessness. of plastic from the public good.” by-Noguchi, found- Hui’s programs is boxes containing to help local arti- Pop-Up Mākeke to $2 million in total
He says a grow- A partnership ocean or other parts ers of the Pili Group. Give and Go, which hundreds of thou- sans and entrepre- – mākeke means sales. Kūhiō says
ing market for prod- with the nonprofit of nature to be They turned pays local restau- sands of pounds neurs who lost an “marketplace” it will be back in
ucts like Mana’s rePurpose Global recycled or properly AN ENTREPRENEUR AND COMPANY WHOSE TECHNOLOGY
Chef Hui into a non- rants to produce of produce that economic lifeline. in Hawaiian – an the spring.
organic hemp-based means Mana has disposed. SUPPORTS A GREENER FUTURE OR HELPS FARMERS WITH profit in April 2020, takeout meals for would otherwise “These are e-commerce plat-
CBD products can become the first INNOVATIVE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES. allowing it to accept families in need. go to waste.” the guys that just form that eventually

74 MARCH 2021 H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 75

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AWA R D S
2021
Corporate
Intrapreneur
of the Year
BARRON GU SS A LT R E S
W Olin Lagon.
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THIS AWARD HONORS SOMEONE WHO
WORKS IN A LARGE ORGANIZATION
BUT ADVOCATES FOR INNOVATION AND
ENTREPRENEURIAL THINKING.
HAKU COLLECTIVE,
a Native Hawaiian bou-
tique music produc-
tion and talent company,
was co-founded by sing-
er-songwriter Kimié Miner
and businessman Scotty
Wilks back in 2016. But
its innovative character
became especially evident
as live performances
were shut down during
the pandemic.
“It afforded an incred-
ible opportunity for artists
like me and our Haku Art-
ists to connect with fans in
the most personal, authen-
tic way: offering the sound,
heart and healing of local
music in a time of need,”
Miner says. “Our ‘Mele in
Hawaii Series’ became the
first and longest running
CELEBRATING INNOVATIONS THAT HELP ISLANDS LIKE HAWAI‘I’S, SOLVE A
MAJOR PROBLEM IN COMMUNITIES, THE OCEAN OR THE ‘ĀINA.
76 MARCH 2021
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“I
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T USED TO TAKE A GEN- and empowering community leaders to
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ERATION TO MAKE REAL meet the changing needs of Hawai‘i’s di-
CHANGE HAPPEN. In this verse populations.
2021
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case, I think it took a pan- Among the examples he cites was
T
demic,” says Barron Guss, a partnership with Chef Hui and many TECH
president and CEO of the Altres family of other volunteers and organizations. The ENTREPRENEUR
companies, a local leader in staffing and foundation donated $250,000, helping fa- OF THE YEAR
HR outsourcing since 1969. cilitate the delivery of more than 24,000
“We’ve all used words like pivot and family-size boxes of fresh food to under-
the new normal. The one thing I think served communities statewide. OLIN LAG ON
everybody should emphasize in their own Guss says he personally advised
lives and businesses is that we don’t want Congress on aspects of the CARES Act K AHANU ( B R IDG E
VENTILATOR PR OJECT)
to go back,” he says. and formulated proprietary software to
Guss says the widespread use of new simplify clients’ financial reporting for
technologies in 2020 by Hawai‘i’s busi- Paycheck Protection Program. He adds
nesses improved communication and that the company’s proprietary employ- KAHANU, MEANING “THE Drug Administration moves
organization and helped form new and ee “Wellness Tracker” software worked
TECH
BREATH” IN HAWAIIAN, is a more slowly; final approval for
effective community partnerships. so well for employers that it was adapt- community project that designed medical use is still pending.
“Traditional conventions and issues ed for community use to minimize the
ENTREPRENEUR
and built 300 ventilators for Lagon hopes the machines
of trust” surrounding productivity often spread of COVID-19. Hawai‘i hospitals, says software are never required but will be
OF THE YEAR
hindered innovation, he says. “It was “Through our foundation, we have engineer and serial entrepreneur deployed quickly if needed.
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unheard of and even frowned upon to created demonstrations and curriculum INNER He and his core team were
W
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The project began in Feb-
helped by hundreds of other
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have people working outside the office. to show you that you can achieve any-
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ruary 2020 just as COVID-19
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people, he says. “Everything was
People are now starting to truly be mea- thing. You can sit on a board. You can start
LIZA R ODEWALD AND ER ICA MCMANNES infections began rising world- a volunteer effort,” with parts
2021
WI
sured on performance.” a movement. You can start a revolution. wide. “We worked nonstop and and fabrication paid by the
Over the past year, the nonprofit It may be in your child’s school, or your in six weeks, the prototype was Hawai‘i Community Foundation’s
Altres Foundation has focused on the INSTANT TEAMS
church, or your neighborhood. What we being tested in an ICU room,” Resilience Fund.
performance of its community service can do is raise up our community by cre- says Lagon. The U.S. Food and
programs. Guss believes a true measure ating leaders and leadership.” INSTANT TEAMS leveraged $1.5 million of new in-
of success lies in building relationships vestment capital last year into huge growth for its
platform that provides businesses with teams of
remote workers, says CEO and co-founder Liza Rodewald.
She says 2020’s revenue was five times greater than be- AS GRADUATE STU-
fore, noting with excitement “the crazy amount of growth DENTS AT UH MĀNOA,
Stefan Opsal and Alberto
in this space.”
Gonzales created Rendez-
virtual entertainment series Convention Bureau. Instant Teams was launched in Hawai‘i in 2016, em-
View, an online platform
that now has a new global “To be honest, day to ploying mostly military spouses and veterans to do re- that lets teams communi-
reach and new demand. day operations at Haku mote work for clients globally. Rodewald and co-founder cate remotely while col-
“As a company built Collective are just that, day Erica McMannes have expanded to add many others who laborating on and sharing
and led by artists for art- to day as we vet opportu- want the flexibility and safety of working from home – all types of documents
ists, our mission will always nities, deadlines, partner- and to meet the pandemic-driven demand for a qualified and file formats.
be to find a way through ships, and of course all are
remote workforce. Users can start from
any adversity so that short lead – regardless of
music always has a voice.” being in my final trimester
Instant Teams offers online training and certifica- scratch or select from cat-
tions for remote workers to meet “a huge need for re- egories including recur-
She says that despite for my third keiki,” she says.
skilling and upskilling in remote work and remote work ring meetings, product
the pandemic, Haku Col- “The pandemic has INNER launches, war rooms,
lective continued pro- forced each of us to
W
roles,” says Rodewald.
post-mortems and “God
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In addition to finding employment for many who lost NALIST
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ducing full-length albums, become creative in our
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its ready-to-wear clothes solutions when monetary jobs in 2020, Rodewald says, Instant Teams has also brought
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collections and new sin- resources are not read- more than 200 women into the workforce. “I’m pretty ect updates. Each work-
2021
gles in time for the holi- ily available. It reveals that proud of that,” she says, noting that statistics show women space “is like their own
FI
ISLAND
T
day season. Its community the heart of what we do is suffered the majority of COVID-19-related job losses, while personal conference room
outreach also continued, first and foremost about
many also added responsibilities for home schooling. where no one erases the
INNOVATOR
including free and safe the music we love, but our
programs for keiki, support hope is to see artists thrive
Rodewald says companies previously resistant to whiteboard,” says the com-
building remote teams are now helping to accelerate TECH ENTREPRENEUR pany’s website.
OF THE YEAR
for food drives and pro- again as essential and well “The way we organize
viding artist voices to key compensated contributors industry trends, especially in health care, government OF THE YEAR our online files and organi-
messaging to tourists from to Hawai‘i’s multi-faceted and education.
zation of how we do online
the Hawai‘i Visitors and economic industry.” ALB ERTO G ONZALEZ
K I M I É M I N ER AN D S COT T Y W I L K S business hasn’t really been
AND STEFAN OPSAL innovated in over 20 years.
HONORING THE ENTREPRENEUR WHO HAS CREATED … We built an innovative
H AKU CO L L EC T I VE TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION TO MAKE OUR LIVES BETTER. R ENDEZVIEW solution to that,” Opsal says.
H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 77
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INVESTOR OF THE YEAR
KEO NI LEE AND LISA KL E IS S N E R
H
AWAI‘I INVESTMENT
is a 501(c)(3)
READY
nonprofit that sup-
ports and invests in lo-
cal enterprises and the
entrepreneurs who lead them.
“Our three flagship programs are
our Impact Business Accelerator,
WI
CONSUMER
H AWA I ‘I IN V EST M EN T R EADY
PACKAGED GOODS
ENTREPRENEUR
OF THE YEAR
novative for-profit and nonprofit
enterprises have been among Ha-
wai‘i’s first responders, providing THE IDEA FOR a Hawai‘i-inspired baby
essential services and products to COCO MOON HA- blanket,” which was later
address the impacts of COVID,” says WAII was “born” designed by master quil-
Kleissner. “Investors, government in 2015 as Amber Thibault ter Patricia Lei Murray
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and philanthropy are recognizing W held her infant son, swad- and based on the tradi-
the role these businesses play in
Entrepreneur

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dled in a favorite pink pareo tional Hawaiian ulu pat-

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our Impact Fund and our Leveraging building a resilient Hawai‘i.” that evoked warm memo- tern. “I thought it was so
of the Year 2021

Hawai‘i Capital,” a series of quar-
terly workshops focusing on impact
investing and soon to be transformed
into the Funder Hui, says HIR CEO
Keoni Lee. “Our programs serve
mission-driven enterprises and mis-
sion-driven decision-makers.”
Graduates of HIR’s accelerator
program include the Hawai‘i ‘Ulu
Cooperative, which HIR co-founder
Lisa Kleissner describes as “a viable
co-op model that has the potential to
secure Hawai‘i’s food futures.”
WI
Locally owned impact businesses ries of growing up on Maui. wonderful for a family
and nonprofits not only help build a Thibault says she realized welcoming a new baby to
resilient Hawai‘i economy, they pro- then she lacked connection have all of that aloha spirit
vide community leadership, create JAS O N C U T I N EL L A to her stack of unused baby and energy.”
jobs, build meaningful career path- AMB ER THIBAULT COCO MOON HAWAII blankets featuring “generic The company has since
ways, and attract outside investment, N M G N ET WO R K animals” and “touristy” Ha- added crib sheets, baby
says Lee. waiian prints. clothing and matching
PRESENTED TO THE ENTREPRENEUR WHOSE CPG COMPANY
“The future is bright for im- HAS CONSISTENTLY SEEN MONTH OVER MONTH GROWTH IN “That moment gave “Mommy and Me” pareos
“EVOLUTION IS SOMETHING
pact investments in Hawai‘i,” says REVENUE AND CUSTOMERS. me the spark to create and robes.
THAT I’M ADDICTED TO. And if
Lee. “When COVID hit, local, small we’re not evolving every year, we’re
for-profit and not-for-profit busi- doing something wrong,” says Jason Cutinella,
nesses stepped up to provide es- founder and CEO of NMG Network, a marketing
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Another graduate is Hawai‘i many remotely owned business- Cutinella held PR and advertising posi-

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Community Lending, which focuses es went dark. Investing in locally tions in New York City before coming to Hawai‘i,

2021
where he acquired a small tabloid in Honolulu’s DRAWING ON Nui’s products are which is really
“on the economically underserved owned, culturally informed for-prof- CONSUMER

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Chinatown in 2009. He has evolved what was MORE THAN made in Hawai‘i revolutionary.”
to build a bridge for families to the its and nonprofits is Hawai‘i’s first
mainstream financial system and af- line of defense as well as our path-
previously called the Nella Media Group into a PACKAGED GOODS 20 YEARS with 100% natural “The clean,
fordable housing,” says Kleissner. way to a resilient economic future.”
variety of platforms: video, digital, social media
and print. He says his target markets are global
ENTREPRENEUR OF PRIVATE
PRACTICE
ingredients.
“The magic
green beauty
movement is really
“In the last 12 months, local in- lifestyle, luxury and leisure travel industries. OF THE YEAR IN WOMEN’S to our system taking off because
“We treat every brand like a child and HEALTH, the is the patented people are starting
INNER every child needs attention,” says Cutinella. DR . LY N LAM founders of Kapa base and top to become more
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He says he offers clients “a 360-solution” for AND TER RY LAM Nui Nails say they coat that actually conscientious –
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diverse, culturally driven content that engages partnered with an seals the water- not just of the
audiences with “cinematic storytelling.” NMG, organic chemist to based polish,” says health of our
2021
WI

K APA NUI NAILS create their toxin- Terry Lam, adding bodies, but also
he says, focuses on passionate people making
distinctive, performative contributions to their free, eco-friendly, that “it will last as the environment,”
own communities through art, music, sports, water-based nail long as lacquer, says Lam.
education and more. care system. Kapa
NMG, competing in the Northern California
regional competition, won its first two Emmy
Awards in 2020 for short films produced for the
Halekulani Hotel and Hawaiian Airlines.
“You’ve heard in 2020 the word ‘pivot’ over CONSUMER WHILE MANAGING
HER FATHER’S GAS
thinner to create their
flavorful Maui Crisps.
“We’ve also
added a new line
and over and over,” says Cutinella. “This might
sound ambitious, but I’m doing it. I want to take
PACKAGED GOODS STATION IN 2016, The Apo family of crispy fruit prod-
what I’ve learned here and spread the love ENTREPRENEUR Blaine and Beth Apo
experimented with a
and seven employ- ucts featuring li hing
ees now distribute pineapple and Maui
globally. And by 2023, I want to be the leader
in our space.”
OF THE YEAR recipe for pipikaula, a Maui Crisps products Gold bananas,” says
NALIST chewy Hawaiian-style to about 70 retail Blaine Apo, who adds
FI
NALIST beef jerky. When the locations across that “we use all local

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B LAINE APO
beef came out of the state, includ- fruits from Maui’s

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INDIVIDUAL OR TEAM THAT HAS GONE
the dehydrator with ing Foodland, ABC farmers located

2021
AN OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL OR ENTITY THAT HAS INVESTED SUBSTANTIALLY IN ABOVE EXPECTATIONS WITH THEIR
MAUI CR ISPS crispy edges, they Stores, Don Quijote across the island.”
FI

THE HAWAI‘I STARTUP ECOSYSTEM – WITH TIME, TALENT, MONEY, INSPIRATION AND COMPANY, A CLEAR EXAMPLE TO OTHER
PUBLIC SERVICE. ENTREPRENEURS. T sliced the beef even and Hawaiian Airlines.

78 MARCH 2021 H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 79

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AWA R D S
2021
PEOPLE’S CHOICE FINALISTS
STARTUP OF THE YEAR
Chosen by our local community via an online poll conducted by Hawaii Business Magazine.
Online voting to choose the winner of this category ran Jan. 18 to Feb. 7.
REYN MU K AWA
AND MALIA
KA‘A I HU E
ALO HA M OD ERN
FRIENDS REYN
MUKAWA AND
MALIA KA‘AIHUE
launched Aloha Modern
five years ago while “talking
story” over pau hana drinks.
The ocean inspired lifestyle
company is known for a
design esthetic grounded
in Native Hawaiian culture
and mo‘olelo – the
Hawaiian art of storytelling.
After tripling sales over
three consecutive years, it
now produces a full line of
towels, beach bags, swim-
wear and other apparel,
blankets and home goods.
“We started Aloha
Modern as a way to tell sto-
ries through design in a
way that we were already
doing but on more con-
sumable products,” says
Mukawa, an architect for
WCIT Architecture. Ka‘ai-
hue’s advanced degrees
in Hawaiian studies and
language complement
Mukawa’s “global design
perspective.”
80 MARCH 2021
C H E L S A DAV IS
AO O R GA N IC S
CHELSA DAVIS
LAUNCHED HER
SKINCARE BUSINESS,
Ao Organics, in 2017 from
her kitchen table.
“It all started with my
kids. We were always in
the ocean, and I wanted to
find safer sunscreen,” says
Davis, who was born and
raised on Hawai‘i Island.
“When I learned about the
harmful chemicals in most
sunscreens, I decided to
make my own.”
Ao, meaning earth in
Hawaiian, reflects Davis’
commitment to the envi-
ronment, which she says is
rooted in her Native Hawai-
ian culture – as are the
locally sourced ingredients
she uses for her products,
which were among those
featured in a December
article titled “Hawaii’s Next
Wave of Natural Skin-Care
Brands” in the New York
Times Style Magazine.
B R OO K EM AN U EL ,
M A R C U S S O U Z A,
G U S M ELO AN D
DA R A TAR AWAH AR A
H E L E FI T N ES S
HELE FITNESS
BEGAN AS A
“PASSION PROJECT”
for three former pro athletes,
coaches and fitness
professionals who shared a
commitment “to educate,
empower and elevate
lives through movement
and community.” That
commitment became
their company’s ethos.
Founding partners Brook
Emanuel, Marcus Souza
and Gus Melo started sell-
ing home and commercial
gym equipment in Hawai‘i in
2017. In 2018 they expanded
internationally, with partners
now in Brazil, Guam, South
Korea, Japan, Turkey, Para-
guay and South Africa. Later,
they added Dara Tarawahara
as a partner.
Emanuel says Hele will
always be a “local first com-
pany” seeking to “build an
empowered community of
individuals creating a health-
ier Hawai‘i.”
P W
L AN A G R O N WAL D
J U L ES + G EM H AWAI I
JULES + GEM
HAWAII LAUNCHED
IN 2017, with founder
Lana Gronwald creating
environmentally safe,
hand-poured candles from
wax made with virgin
coconut oil and soy.
The candles evoke
the aromas she loved as a
child growing up in Hawai‘i:
fresh, ripe mango; the
sweet, juicy pineapple she
enjoyed cold on the beach
after splashing in the warm
surf; fragrant guava and lil-
iko‘i picked off the vine
while hiking to a hidden
waterfall with friends. She
soon added a floral line,
including the signature
scents of white gardenia,
pakalana and puakenikeni.
“We are really work-
ing hard to make the fra-
grances as authentic as
possible, not just for the
fragrance, but for Hawai‘i,”
Gronwald says.
PLE’S
EO C
OI
CE STA
R
T
UP
M EL I S S A B OW
VI A G EL ATO
VIA GELATO IS
KNOWN FOR
ARTISANAL GELATO
AND SORBETTO
CREATIONS featuring
distinct Island flavors like
haupia, mango, Okinawan
sweet potato, Japanese
shiso, black sesame and
other “local nostalgic
foods,” says owner
Melissa Bow.
“I think Hawai‘i is spe-
cial in the way people feel
so close with their small
businesses,” says Bow.
“When they choose to
trust us with their busi-
ness, I think that’s such a
huge privilege.”
Bow opened her
store in Kaimukī in 2014
and eventually became
president of the Kaimuki
Business & Professional
Association, where she
advocates on behalf of
struggling local businesses.
She helped persuade the
Honolulu City Council to
create a landlord/tenant
grant program to provide
rent relief and forgive-
ness to businesses hurt by
COVID-19.
HVCA
AWA R D S
2021
INNER
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Student Entrepreneur
2021
WI
of the Year
PETER HESSLER PONO POTIONS
A
s a UH Mānoa senior in 2020, Peter Hessler
launched Pono Potions, a line of artisanal fla-
vored syrups made with locally sourced ingredi-
ents. The company won first prize in last year’s
UH Venture Competition, collecting cash and
business support services worth more than $33,000.
Hessler had worked for his family’s catering business in
Oregon. But his mother was born and raised on O‘ahu, so
when Hessler and his sister came to UH, they were reunited
with ‘ohana and their Native Hawaiian culture.
Pono Potions uses traditional Hawaiian herbs and roots
and local ingredients to create distinctive flavors, including
Maika‘i Mac Nut, Alaea salted Caramel, Ko‘olau Coconut, Ali‘i
Lavender and more. “I love the creativity of the culinary field,”
Hessler says.
HONORING A YOUNGER MEMBER OF THE INNOVATIVE COMMUNITY
WITH A PASSION FOR LEARNING AND THE TENACIOUS SPIRIT OF
AN ENTREPRENEUR.
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2021 2021
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STUDENT
STUDENT ENTREPRENEUR
ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
OF THE YEAR
R HEMA AND
TATE CASTILLO R AINA WONG
POLŪ ENER GY R PLANET
TATE CASTILLO, a law student the large and costly permeable BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, high sible disposal, natural ingredients,
at UH’s Richardson School of equipment that now produces school friends would often ask twin plastic-free packaging, and sup-
Law, partnered with David Ma, power via osmosis. sisters Rhema and Raina Wong to porting small local businesses,”
associate dean of engineering “One of our 40-foot ship- share their tips for zero-waste liv- says Rhema Wong. R Planet now
at UH, to form Polū Energy. Polū ping container power units ing. The climate change activ- also crafts its own line of soap, lip
means blue in Hawaiian, mirror- could produce enough elec- ists responded by hosting 10-15 balm, lotion sticks and dry sham-
ing the company’s mission “to tricity for over 4,000 homes per monthly pop-up events to sell poo tablets.
preserve the blue in our sky and year,” says Castillo. items they used. Wong says she is taking a “gap
our ocean.” Polū received $10,000 as In 2020, the twins launched R year” to focus on R Planet while
Castillo says Ma’s ground- a Purple Prize 2020 finalist and Planet as an online shop for “earth- her sister studies travel industry
breaking technology cre- a National Science Founda- friendly home and lifestyle essentials.” management at UH Mānoa.
ates energy using the pressure tion grant that funds progress “We carefully curate and cre-
resulting from a mix of fresh toward a scaled prototype. ate the products we carry with the
and salt water, but bypasses values of ethical sourcing, respon-
H AWA I I B U S I N ES S 81

PA RT I N G S H OT TIME: LOCATION: PHOTOGRAPHER:
WEDNESDAY, 9:04 AM MIN PLASTICS & SUPPLY, INC AARON K. YOSHINO
Three
Generations
in Plastics
BY CYNTHIA WESSEN DO RF
MAX INFIEL USES A
FLAME TORCH to polish the
edges of a protective barrier
– one of the many orders for
sneeze guards and partitions
that Min Plastics & Supply
received this year and last.
“We hired two new people
and invested in equipment
to help with the creative side
and faster turnaround,” says
Andrew Min, GM of the 70-year-
old family business in Iwilei. His
grandparents, Frank and Elaine
Min, launched Min’s Workshop
after Frank developed a
fascination with the then-
innovative plexiglass used
in airplane cockpits while he
was stationed on Guadalcanal
during World War II.
Today, “we build retail
displays, boat windows,
aquariums, podiums, museum
cases,” says Andrew Min. “Our
customers have brought us this
far. We couldn’t have made it
without local support.”
82 MARCH 2021
SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION
Project Vision Hawai‘i Uses Mobile
Clinics to Bring COVID-19 Medical
Services to Remote Communities
(Left) Project Vision Hawai‘i’s nurse Toni administering a
COVID-19 vaccination.
leads the way for other services like
housing placement.
The nonprofit now has its sights
set on helping with vaccine distri-
bution, including via their mobile
clinics. In January, Project Vision
Hawai‘i received a grant admin-
istered from Hawai‘i Community
Foundation’s Hawai‘i Resilience
Fund to help support the vaccination
of the houseless in partnership with
the Department of Health. In the
fi rst five weeks, they have vaccinat-
ed 8,000 people on O‘ahu with the
W
HE N COVID 19 HIT HAWAI‘I With their fleet of 10 vehicles, Department of Health’s Behavioral
LATE IN THE WINTER OF 2020, including mobile clinics and hygiene Health Administration, including
everyone had to adapt. Proj- trailers, the organization took their homeless service partners, prison
ect Vision Hawai‘i was no exception. mission-driven work of providing guards, and mentally ill kūpuna in
Due to pandemic restrictions, the access to quality vision care and ex- group homes where outbreaks have
ophthalmology-focused nonprofit could panded their scope to reach rural and been most rampant.
no longer offer its statewide sight-sav- remote communities, as well as the “It’s been a true honor to serve
ing services directly—in houseless, for COVID-19 during this time,” Kauhane says. “It’s
schools, prisons or the “We’re invested tests. “We have the a blessing to be part of that solution.”
community in gener- capacity to disperse and Project Vision Hawai‘i’s COVID
so we can be
al—so the team explored mobilize, that’s what sets work spans across the state: On
alternatives. How could
advocates for Project Vision Hawai‘i O‘ahu, they’ve been doing COVID
they contribute their communities that apart,” executive direc- testing and vaccinations for the
medical resources and are unable to speak tor Darrah Kauhane says. houseless and kūpuna; Hawai‘i
expertise to combat the for themselves” By June, Project Island also needed COVID testing
COVID-19 pandemic for  DA RR A H K AU H A N E ,
Vision Hawai‘i began support; Maui families needed help
Hawai‘i’s most vulnera- EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COVID testing in shel- registering for Supplemental Nutri-
ble populations, includ- P R O J E C T V I S I O N H AWA I ‘ I ters, encampments, pris- tion Assistance Program (SNAP); for
ing those who are house- ons and remote commu- Kaua‘i, it’s a mobile hygiene program
less, isolated, low-income nities; in eight months, and work on outreach in partnership
or incarcerated? Project Vision Hawai‘i tested nearly with eight other organizations.
Ready with doctors and nurses on ten thousand of Hawai‘i’s houseless. The nonprofit won’t forget their
staff, as well as PPE, the organization The organization received funding roots in ophthalmology, but 2020
swiftly partnered with state agencies from the Hawai‘i Community Founda- solidified a shift to move closer to
including the departments of Health, tion by way of CARES Act dollars. mobile health and social services
Public Safety, Community Services and This frequent cadence of testing for Project Vision Hawai‘i. “We’re
Human Services as well as other nonprof- has helped Project Vision Hawai‘i and invested so we can be advocates for
its like the Institute for Human Services, their partner organizations to form communities that are unable to speak
Family Promise and ALEA Bridge. bonds of trust with their clients, which for themselves,” Kauhane says.
T O L E A R N M O R E A B O U T H A W A I ‘ I C O M M U N I T Y F O U N D A T I O N ’ S C O V I D 19 R E S P O N S E A N D D O N A T E T O T H E
H A W A I ‘ I R E S I L I E N C E F U N D , P L E A S E V I S I T H A W A I I C O M M U N I T Y F O U N D A T I O N . O R G/C O R O N A V I R U S
Introducing our ‘Ohana Class

The new M/V George III and M/V Janet Marie will mark three
generations of service to Hawaii, while representing the most
technologically advanced and environmentally friendly vessels to
serve the Hawaii/Mainland trade lane. Both vessels will operate
fully on natural gas from day one in service, surpassing the
International Maritime Organization (IMO) 2030 emission standards
for ocean vessels.