Why Waikōloa Village’s Wildfire Risk Rivals — and May Exceed — Lahaina’s
With one road in and out and no ocean escape, residents are pushing for a second route before the next fire season.
Author: Michelle Okada
How One Man Turned His Disability Into Leadership at Tripler
With training and support from Lanakila Pacific, Eugene Lene went from job fair attendee to groundskeeping leader at Tripler Army Medical Center and a finalist for a national award honoring federal workers with disabilities.
Clash of Titans: Hawai‘i's Healthcare Leaders Disagree on Best Path Forward
Top executives at HMSA, HPH take on frank criticisms about their proposed combination, addressing specific community concerns over potential service cuts, staffing layoffs and a diminished focus on primary care.
$363K+ Raised to Support UH Mānoa Travel & Hospitality Leaders
Shidler College’s TIM School celebrates 60 years and secures critical scholarships for future travel, hospitality and tourism professionals.
Nominate Your Company for the Hawai‘i Excellence in Business Awards
Hawaii Business Magazine invites you to recognize the companies making a difference across the islands
A Great Place to Work, Because of the Work We Do
At Hawaiʻi Community Foundation (HCF), our people show up every day with a shared sense of purpose.
Rekindling Ancient Hawaiians' Sailing Skills Among Today's Youth
Pua Ka ‘Ilima's charter sailing trips off Hawai‘i island's Kohala coastline help support educational voyages for island youth, teaching them about reefs, marine habitat and Hawai‘i's voyaging history.
The Retirement Risk Most People Ignore – Are You Prepared?
Long-term care costs can quietly derail even the best financial plans. Here’s why planning ahead matters more than you think.
West Maui Advocates Seek to Make Water a Public Resource
As West Maui recovers from fires and storms, residents call for public control of water systems—aiming to restore stream flow, protect the island’s future and honor ancestral stewardship.
Join Employers Working to Make Hawai'i Affordable
Join Holomua Collective’s free survey on affordability in Hawai‘i and receive a confidential aggregated report with statewide benchmarks.
Nash Subotic Survived a War. Now He’s Building a Billion-Dollar Firm.
From fleeing war-torn Bosnia to building one of Hawaiʻi's most celebrated financial firms, Nash Subotic's journey is proof that preparation, discipline and an unshakable sense of purpose can turn the hardest beginnings into extraordinary outcomes.
Build the Kind of Workplace People Want to Work For
Insights from Hawai‘i’s top employers on culture, leadership, and what drives lasting success
Why You Want to Be Known as a ‘Best Place to Work’
Work consumes much of our lives. By most estimates, the average full-time employee will spend close to 90,000 hours on the job over a lifetime. In subtle ways, our work influences our identity, relationships and daily structure. Steve Jobs captured…
Hawai‘i’s Best Places to Work 2026
Hawaii Business Magazine’s annual survey of Hawai‘i's Best Places to Work shows top companies deliver great benefits and best practices to keep workers engaged, happy and productive. But some employees still say they can’t afford to live here.
Two Hawaiʻi Founders Score Major Deals in Breakout Quarter for Island Tech
kWh Analytics and Vinovest acquired by global and mainland companies, respectively
Hawaiʻi’s Top Employers Profiles 2026
Employee responses in the 2026 Best Places to Work Survey show what matters most in the workplace.
Hawaii Entrepreneur Awards 2026
25 years of honoring outstanding local startups and innovation.
Readers pick The Local General Store for People’s Choice Award, Hawaii Entrepreneurs Award
Both born and raised in Honolulu, Harley and Jason took different paths before returning to food. Harley began in the sciences before discovering a passion for pastry in San Francisco, where she trained in top bakeries and developed her signature…
More Than an Anime Convention
Kawaii Kon brings fans, creators and businesses together in a vibrant celebration of pop culture that’s been a launchpad for local creative entrepreneurs.
The Trash on Hawaiʻi’s Beaches Tells a Global Story
Tons of plastic trash wash up on Hawaiʻi beaches every day. Forensic scientists using chemical analysis and other means to trace the sources say 80% is abandoned fishing gear from global fleets in the Pacific. Hereʻs what comes next.
HB20: Gabriel Yanagihara, ‘Iolani School
On a mission to make every teacher, parent, and student in Hawai‘i AI-ready, Gabriel Yangihara believes the fastest path to breakthrough is being willing to fail first.
HB20: Erin Uehara, Choco Le‘a
A chocolate entrepreneur, author, and decade-long Salvation Army volunteer, Erin Uehara turned her business into a relief vehicle after the Maui wildfires.
HB20: Summer Shelverton, Cades Schutte
Summer Shelverton graduated third in her law school class while raising a newborn, and now leads trusts and estates at Hawai‘i's largest law firm.
HB20: Kaloa Robinson, Stanford Carr Development
At 35, Kaloa Robinson is already the lead manager of a $4 billion, 20-year project, one of the largest public infrastructure efforts in Hawai‘i's history.
HB20: Danicole Ramos, UH William S. Richardson School of Law Refugee and Immigration Law Clinic
A single moment with an elderly Filipino client changed everything, setting Danicole Ramos on a path to help over 125 community members pursue citizenship.
Meli James Is Rewriting the Rules for Hawai‘i's Entrepreneurs
As co-founder of Mana Up and president of the Hawai‘i Venture Capital Association, Meli James has spent a decade proving that building a world-class company doesn't mean leaving the Islands behind.
HB20: Su Lazo, City and County of Honolulu
Trading a Big Four accounting career for community impact, Su Lazo now builds career pathways that keep local youth rooted in Hawai‘i.
HB20: Daniel Moats, AHL Architecture
Starting as a drafter with no traditional advantages, Daniel Moats worked his way up to shaping Honolulu's skyline one landmark project at a time.
HB20: Richard Matsui, KWH Analytics
Nearly 20 years into a career spanning McKinsey, the Biden Administration, and multiple companies built and sold, Richard Matsui is just getting started at home.
HB20: Trung Lam, Hawai‘i Technology Development Corporation
A former bakery owner turned tech economy builder, Trung Lam is positioning Hawai‘i's ocean and space industries as its next competitive advantage.
HB20: Ryan Kuniyuki, Bank of Hawai‘i
Bringing 15 years of global banking experience home, Ryan Kuniyuki leads with a values-driven approach that puts people before transactions.
HB20: Jamila Jarmon, Hawaiian Electric
From policy work to startup COO to EV strategy at Hawaiian Electric, Jamila Jarmon thrives in roles that didn't exist until she filled them.
HB20: Zack Hernandez, AEP Hawaii
After recruiting on Wall Street and in Seattle, Zack Hernandez came home to build the tech talent pipeline Hawai‘i has always needed.
HB20: Victoria Hanes, Hawai‘i Island Community Health Center
Leading a team of nearly 500 serving 40,000 patients, Victoria Hanes champions a bold shift from reactive treatment to prevention-first primary care.
Should I Stay or Should I Go? Hawai‘i's Young People Are Asking.
With soaring costs, limited opportunities, and a rapidly aging population, more young people in Hawai‘i are weighing an uncomfortable question. For many, the answer is increasingly clear.
Aloha Stadium's $4 Billion Gamble
Demolition has officially begun at the old Aloha Stadium, kicking off the state's most ambitious public-private project ever. But with tariff threats, transparency concerns, and a 20-year timeline, the real question isn't whether it will get built, it's who pays if it doesn't go according to plan.
HB20: Elaine Gascon, Atlas Insurance Agency
A first-generation college graduate who broke into a male-dominated field, Elaine Gascon now oversees condo policies topping $200 million in replacement value.
Nominate Hawai‘i’s Next Generation of Attorneys – Emerging Legal Stars 2026
Hawaii Business Magazine is proud to present our 3rd Annual Emerging Legal Stars, recognizing the next generation of attorneys making an impact in Hawai‘i’s legal community. The feature will run in our June issue.
Nominate Hawai‘i’s Top Attorneys for Business — Deadline March 27
Hawai‘i’s business community relies on exceptional legal minds to navigate complex deals, disputes and regulations. Now it’s time to recognize the attorneys who make that work possible.
HB20: Tricia Fujikawa Lee, First Hawaiian Bank
Under her leadership, FHB has earned the highest possible CRA rating through 11 consecutive examinations, the only Hawai‘i bank to do so.
HB20: Chris Fong, Tradewind Capital
Bridging mainland experience with local purpose, Chris Fong focuses on affordable housing development for the aunties, uncles, and families of Hawai‘i.
HB20: Chelsie Evans, Hawaiian Community Assets
Once a client of the organization she now leads, Chelsie Evans has grown HCA from $1.5 million to a $10 million agency serving Hawai‘i families.
HB20: Kapua Chandler, Namahana School
Kapua Chandler came home with a PhD and a mission, founding Kaua‘i's first tuition-free public middle school rooted in 'āina-based education.
Llamas With a Purpose: Inside Maui's Most Unexpected Farm
Christine and Sam Heidama turned a fiber arts hobby into a full-on llama and alpaca experience on the slopes of Haleakalā. The animals are stealing hearts at weddings, hikes, and everything in between.
Hawai‘i’s Water Crisis: How Graywater Could Buy the Islands Time
Hawaii Business Magazine and Hawai‘i Community Journal are launching a year-long series exploring the state’s water challenges. This first story examines how water scarcity is rattling the islands’ economy, environment and communities, and why graywater reuse could be a crucial part of the solution.
HB20: Lance Askildson, Chaminade University of Honolulu
By asking what the community needs first, Lance Askildson has launched five first-to-market doctoral programs and chairs the Pacific's first UN training center.
HB20: Warren Altona, Hawaii State Federal Credit Union
Redefining growth as stability and opportunity for members, this first-generation college graduate leads HSFCU's boldest era of expansion yet.
Power, Character and the 20 People Shaping Hawai‘i's Future
Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Ablan reflects on what it meant to select this year's HB20 honorees and why the most meaningful kind of leadership in Hawai‘i rarely makes headlines.
The Big Picture: Hawaii Business × Hawai‘i Community Journal
Hawaii Business Magazine is pleased to expand its coverage through a collaboration with Hawaiʻi Community Journal (HCJ), the new name for Overstory, a solutions-focused newsroom serving Hawaiʻi. HCJ's community-centered reporting complements Hawaiʻi Business coverage by bringing a deeper perspective on…
Where Do You Stand On Hawai‘i’s Energy Future?
In two surveys, we asked about fossil fuels like oil as well as geothermal and nuclear energy.
Rekindling Ancient Hawaiians' Sailing Skills Among Today's Youth
Pua Ka ‘Ilima's charter sailing trips off Hawai‘i island's Kohala coastline help support educational voyages for island youth, teaching them about reefs, marine habitat and Hawai‘i's voyaging history.
Nash Subotic Survived a War. Now He’s Building a Billion-Dollar Firm.
From fleeing war-torn Bosnia to building one of Hawaiʻi's most celebrated financial firms, Nash Subotic's journey is proof that preparation, discipline and an unshakable sense of purpose can turn the hardest beginnings into extraordinary outcomes.
