We Begin Reporting by Listening to Many Voices
Staff Writer and Engagement Editor Noelle Fujii-Oride explains part of Hawaii Business Magazine’s storytelling process and the crucial topics we are covering.
Noelle Fujii-Oride
Noelle Fujii-Oride writes about affordable housing, working families, education, construction, climate change, tourism, entrepreneurship and more. She also leads the editorial department’s audience engagement efforts. Prior to joining Hawaii Business Magazine as a staff writer in 2017, she held internships at the magazine, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and Honolulu Civil Beat. She is a graduate of UH Mānoa’s journalism program and now lives on Kaua‘i. You can reach her at noellef@hawaiibusiness.com.
Articles
Here’s What It Takes to Salvage 500 Tons of Construction Material
Quinn Vittum, executive director of Re-use Hawai‘i and a 20 for the Next 20 honoree, takes us through a day of combatting local construction waste.
$20 Million to Reform Youth Incarceration
Opportunity Youth Action Hawai‘i works to replace prison time with Hawaiian-based restorative justice.
What We Learned from Hawaii Business Magazine’s 2022 Reader Survey
Most respondents say they consistently read our in-depth reports and email newsletters, and they come from a variety of backgrounds.
Private Equity Helps Build Needed Housing in Hawai‘i
Affordable and workforce housing is costly and complicated to build. Developers depend on private investments to bring thousands of units to market.
20 for the Next 20: Quinn Vittum, Re-use Hawai‘i
The executive director co-founded the nonprofit to combat construction waste, salvaging 442 tons of building materials last year.
20 for the Next 20: Laura Reichhardt, Hawai‘i State Center for Nursing
As director of the research and advocacy group, Reichhardt works to build a pipeline of skilled nurses and help them thrive in the Islands.
20 for the Next 20: Amy Miller Marvin, Hawai‘i Foodbank
The new president and CEO of one of the state’s major food distributors is on a mission to end hunger in Hawai‘i.
Kaua‘i’s Habitat for Humanity Outbuilds Other Habitats in Hawai‘i. Here’s How They Do It.
The nonprofit erects 15 to 20 homes a year in batches, largely using the labor of volunteers and the eventual homeowners.
20 for the Next 20: Ku‘ulani Keohokalole, People Strategies Hawai‘i
This business owner and consultant is becoming the go-to DEI expert, while modeling how to “work for yourself with freedom and autonomy.”
Hawaii Entrepreneur Awards 2023: Deal of the Year
Recognizes the local company that received the largest financial deal in the past year
Two East Maui Icons Win a Nature Conservancy Award
Tweetie and John Lind have spent their lives preserving traditional subsistence practices and Hawaiian lifestyles in Kīpahulu.
What Happens When Private Equity Is Your Landlord in Hawai‘i
The Blackstone Group and other firms have been buying rental properties in West O‘ahu. Tenants say the result can be escalating rents and unexpected fees.
Josh Tatofi Explains His Creative Process, and a Surprising Side Gig
When not making music, you might spot this Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner at his new coffee wagon in Kailua.
Tracking Hawai‘i Paychecks Versus Living Costs Since 1969
To see if people are better off than their grandparents, we compared wages after inflation, debt loads, where people spent their money and more.
Improving Mental Health with an Innovative App
The MindKloud developers explain how it measures anxiety and depression as well as mental health resilience.
“It’s Always Different”: 5 Child Care Providers Share Their Challenges and Joys
They spend long days teaching, cooking, cleaning and comforting keiki. And please don’t call it “babysitting.”
Child Care Is a Labor of Love (Translation: It Doesn’t Pay a Living Wage)
But raising those wages would squeeze tens of thousands of working Hawai‘i families dependent on child care. Here’s the problem and possible solutions.
Why We Shined a Light on Hawai‘i’s Child Care Providers
We sought to document in words and pictures the lives of five women who provide care for keiki, plus investigate what's being done to better support Hawai‘i’s child care workforce.
Could a Local Building Collapse Like the One in Florida?
Experts say what happened at the Surfside condo is unlikely to happen here. But they warn condo boards: put off maintenance projects and you’ll end up paying far more.
“Home for Sale” Sometimes Means Renters are Displaced
About 40% of Hawai‘i households are renters. Their relationships with their landlords can be friendly and supportive. But this two-part report examines when the wants and needs of tenants and landlords conflict, with perspectives from both sides.
It’s Gotten Both Worse and Better for Struggling Working Families
The good news is that seventeen Hawai‘i nonprofits are helping working families become more financially stable, find affordable housing, and get involved in policy.
Help Shape Hawaii Business Magazine’s Coverage
This survey of online readers will help determine the issues we cover.
How We Covered One Aspect of Hawai‘i’s Rental Crisis
We sought out renter and landlord voices from across the state to better understand the ways that Hawai‘i’s hot housing market is impacting rentals.
Why Rent Relief in Hawai‘i Became a National Model
The government program helped over 13,000 households. One reason it succeeded may have been that people who had experienced housing instability had a seat at the decision-making table.
ADUs Seemed Like a Simple Solution to Hawai‘i’s Housing Crisis
But the reality of building accessory dwelling units was far more complicated, leading to just a trickle of affordable units. Could regulatory changes boost the numbers?
Catholic Charities Hawai‘i Celebrates 75 Years of Helping People in Need
The social service agency serves kūpuna who live at home, immigrants, troubled youth and homeless people of all faiths and cultures.
Here’s Which Ethnic Groups Make the Most Money in Hawai‘i
Some new data is surprising, but other data confirms what has long been known about Hawai‘i’s social and economic hierarchy.
A Record Number of Hawai‘i Workers Quit Their Jobs in 2021
Here’s what local experts say is driving the exodus and why efforts to keep employees should start the day they’re hired.
Purchases of Hawai‘i Commercial Real Estate Rebounded in 2021
Resort/golf course sales and vacant land sales each totaled almost a billion dollars, according to a year-end report from Colliers Hawaii. About half of the purchase volume was made by Hawai‘i-based investors.
The Gender Pay Gap Had Narrowed in Hawai‘i. Then the Pandemic Arrived.
In 2019, women earned almost 90% of what men did. But recent hits to women’s earnings may have set back that progress.
20 for the Next 20: Kevin Matsunaga, Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School
He helped launch Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School’s student morning announcements show and digital media program.
20 for the Next 20: Courtney Kajikawa, First Hawaiian Bank
The SVP and personal trust division manager at First Hawaiian Bank serves on the Hawaii Women’s Legal Foundation board and is active with several other local organizations.
Affordable Walk-up Apartments Are Coming Back, Thanks to Honolulu’s Bill 7
Small landowners and developers can use exemptions and waivers to build new multistory rentals on small residential lots – and help ease the housing squeeze.
Here’s How Affordable Housing Policies Have Impacted Hawai‘i’s Housing Supply
This report on affordable housing policies by county governments and state agencies provides different perspectives on what works and what doesn’t – and what might work better.
Hawai‘i Pacific Health’s Ray Vara is 2021 CEO of the Year
He has led the nonprofit’s growth and improved health care for more than a decade while also focusing on the broad factors that impact the health of Hawai‘i’s people.
Inside My Reporting on Honolulu’s Rail Project
The goal was to tie together the many bits and pieces of information as Hawai‘i's largest public works project reached a crucial decision point.
Past Attempts to Build a Rail on Oʻahu
Honolulu has talked about building a rail system since 1967.
How Rail Got to $12.45 Billion and 11 Years Late
We sorted through more than a decade of cost overruns, audits and reports to explain how the price soared and why completion fell behind schedule.
How Honolulu’s Rail Compares to Other Federally Funded Projects
It’s common for rail projects to have cost overruns, but few are as large as Honolulu's.
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