Author: Jolyn Okimoto Rosa

Instrument of Aloha

Since the ukulele arrived in the Islands late in the 19th century, it has been a symbol of Hawaii and the aloha spirit. That aloha is shared widely and generously by ukulele makers, performers and teachers, both locally and around…

Helping Plan Hawaii Opera Future

“If you find the right organization – someone whose work you admire – (volunteering) does not feel like a lot of work,” says Leighton Yuen. For attorney Yuen and banker Cori Weston, that organization is the Hawaii Opera Theatre, and…

Engineer Helps Youth Learn and Grow

Robert Nichols spends his workdays focused on modernizing the interisland terminal at Honolulu International Airport as program manager for Parsons Corp. On many Saturdays, the engineer’s focus shifts to the Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii’s Youth of the Year…

Focus on the Moment

Online marketing and meditation are not an obvious combination, but Kit Wynkoop incorporates both into his life. As CEO of Hoi ka Ha LLC (“breathing life back into”), he helps clients, such as Honolulu Community College, the Hawaii Restaurant Association…

Pathway to Service

Randi Song had just begun working in the nonprofit world when she started looking for ways to get more involved as a volunteer. “I surfed the ’Net and landed on HIHO’s Facebook page,” she says. It was just what she…

Nurturing Seeds & Kupuna

Managing fields to produce high- yield seed corn for U.S. and foreign farmers is no small task. Yet Alika Napier, field operations manager at DuPont Pioneer, still finds time to volunteer at Lanakila Meals on Wheels. He is part of…

If You Can Read This, You Can Help

Attorney Nancy Youngren was looking for a volunteer opportunity that would really make a difference in an individual’s life when an ad for Hawaii Literacy caught her eye. She looked no further. Starting in early 2011, for almost three years,…

Trust is No. 1

Earning trust is absolutely crucial if nonprofits are going to succeed, says a national expert who will be speaking at a Hawaii conference on National Philanthropy Day James M. Greenfield, a national expert on fundraising, says the most important best…

Pau Hana With Ashley Gadow and Walter Villalba

Volunteering Is Fun For Ashley Gadow, volunteering is often a family affair, as she tries to include her 11-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter. “They’re water babies,” Gadow says, so one of their favorite causes is Malama Maunalua, which aims to…

Ulukau Serves Many Roles

The home page of www.ulukau.org has few words in English, but a click on “English Text” reveals this translation: Ulukau: “In the same way that unexplained supernatural interpretive powers can be divinely given to a person, so knowledge and understanding can…

Preserving Ancient Fishponds

Massive fishponds in the areas now called the Wailupe and Niu penninsulas once helped feed many people, but they are gone. Chris Cramer, who teaches Spanish at the Honolulu Waldorf School, is dedicating his free time to preserving the remaining…

The Art of Surfing

Matt Luttrell and business partner Chance Carpenter have added a new publication to the crowded field of surf magazines. The title, nude, is sure to turn heads. “It is supposed to be provocative,” says Luttrell, the editor. He says the name also reflects that the…

These Kids Needed Them

Young professionals often think volunteering is something they’ll do later in their careers because they’re too busy now. But James Chan, a Realtor, a partner at Prudential Locations and a Big Brother, says, “Do it!” and he means now. “Maybe…

Opera Company Blends Old and New

If “opera” brings to mind a tuxedo or a black dress and pearls, Hawaii Opera Theatre has a date for you: opening nights on Fridays. But if you feel younger or edgier than black tie, new executive director Simon Crookall suggests…

Need a Prototype? 3D Printing May Be the Answer

Collin Kobayashi plans to make a paddleboard with his 3D printer. Some people, including his wife, may chuckle at the idea, but the president and chief 3D officer of 3D Innovations LLC has the expertise and technology to do it. He’s already…

Vintage Cave Serves "Perfect" Food and Fine Art

What was formerly a storage area under Shirokiya has become Vintage Cave Honolulu, a venue for food and fine art. Membership in the “private society” ranges from $500,000 for charter members to $50,000 for special members; member benefits include discounts…

Chaminade Team Wins Ethics Competition

Chaminade University has long emphasized the study of ethics in its business programs, so it was gratifying when a group of Chaminade students took first place in an international business ethics competition. “We knew that the students worked really hard on the competition and they were ready, but it was a very…

Professional Videos sell Real Estate

Imagine buying a home without visiting it. That’s what a California buyer did to a Waikiki penthouse listed by Realtor Margaret Murchie, thanks in part to a video the buyer first saw on YouTube. Such videos, unlike a virtual tour,…

5 Steps to Starting an eCommerce Business

Maui-based Jennifer Varner is an ecommerce veteran. She started BellaBluMaternity.com, which grew into one of the largest online maternity stores. She sold it in 2006 and, six years ago, founded Pure-Ecommerce.com, which helps people start their own ecommerce businesses and offers ready-to-go…

Local Incubator Wins Hong Kong Award

Steve Sue, founder of BizGym, a cloud-based rapid-development application for startups and entrepreneurs, can’t say enough about Bee Leng Chua’s program, Hawaii Tech Asia. Below: Bee Leng Chua, HiBEAM and K.O. Chia, president of the Hong…

Microloans Change Lives in Hawaii

Clinton Kala of Waianae is a thankful man. With the help of Kuleana, a local nonprofit that partners with a global microfinancing organization, he is starting his own vehicle-cleaning business. “The things I used to do, I’m surprised I’m where…

The New HiDef

The XBR 4K LED TV is the largest high-resolution TV ever made by Sony. Also known as the XBR-84X900, it has a diagonal measurement of 84 inches – that’s seven feet. The “4K” in the name comes from the horizontal…

From Mars to the Streets of Honolulu

Sam O. Hirota Inc. has a high-tech answer to Oahu’s pothole problems. The local company has contracted with the city of Honolulu to create 3D images of thousands of miles of city streets using technology derived from NASA’s Mars Rover.…

Lessons Learned: Finding Partners

Volta Industries has established a network of free-to-use charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) across Oahu. Scott Mercer, Volta’s co-founder and CEO, talks about finding partners and expanding the business. Who are your partners? Mercer: We provide our stations to shopping…