Hawaii Entrepreneur Awards 2023: Ag/Clean Tech Entrepreneur of the Year
An entrepreneur and company whose technology supports a greener future or helps farmers with innovative agricultural practices.
Author: Cynthia Sweeney
Hawaii Entrepreneur Awards 2023: Corporate Intrapreneur of the year
Honors someone who works in a large organization but advocates for innovation and entrepreneurial thinking.
Hawaii Entrepreneur Awards 2023: Social Impact Entrepreneur of the Year
An entrepreneur and company that substantially contributes to helping solve some of Hawai‘i’s toughest problems.
This Big Island Startup Turns Degraded Land into Thriving Ecosystems
Terraformation started by planting 7,200 trees and plants. The ultimate goal: restoring 3 billion acres across the globe.
Mission to Mars via Mauna Loa
Faced with a problem that’s literally out of this world, scientists went looking for a solution on an isolated part of Mauna Loa. Astronauts who eat the same freeze-dried and dehydrated options day after day tend to suffer from “menu…
Tugboat Captain
Name: Ben Isabel Job: Tugboat captain for Young Brothers, the main shipper of cargo around the Hawaiian Islands. Experience: Started with YB in 1994. START: Isabel served as an E-5 second-class boatswain mate in the U.S. Navy. But, to work for Young Brothers,…
Making a living underwater
Name: Rob Hemsher Job: Scuba diving instructor and owner of Ocean Eco Tours Years of Experience: 17 years as a certified dive instructor Background: Hemsher made his first pool dive when he was 6 while growing up in Boynton…
Miles From the Telescope, He Watches the Stars
Name: Marc Kassis, Ph.D. Job: Support Astronomer for W.M. Keck Observatory Years of Experience: 9 Starting out: In high school, Kassis thought physics was “the coolest stuff ever” and went on to earn a Ph.D. in astronomy from Boston University.…
Buy A Coffee Farm in Kona
Kena Coffee Farm sits on a country lane that meanders through picturesque coffee and macadamia orchards. The 4.89-acre farm in Kealakekua includes 1,164 coffee trees, 39 macadamia trees and numerous producing fruit…
Tasty and Healthy Deliveries
The only thing Lark Willey likes to do better than grow vegetables is share them with her neighbors, which is why community-service agriculture is her perfect niche. “To be a CSA grower,…
25 People for the Next 25 Years
Thirty-year-old developer Adam Wong has an intoxicating vision for a vibrant — and affordable — Honolulu. Thirty-three-year-old James Koshiba dreams of a new generation of socially-conscious businesses that do as much for the community as they do their bottom lines.…
Ask SmallBiz: Dividing Family Stock
Q. What should the owners of a family business consider when dividing shares of stock among their children? I have been told never to give two children equal shares. -Monica Toguchi, VP, Administration and Planning, Highway Inn Inc. A. You’re right,…
Internet Transforms Home Sales, but Realtors Survive
Some say real estate professionals might be more important than ever Less than 20 years ago, prospective homebuyers could look at newspapers and drive around to find yard signs. However, most would call a Realtor because they alone had access…
