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.
Boomers, Gen Xers and Millennials come from the same planet, but they seem to live in different worlds. Here are nine ways that older managers can lead, inspire and, yes, learn from their younger employees. [ Plus ] Tips on…
The first significant federal tax reform in 30 years will provide major savings for Hawaii businesses and corporations starting with this tax year but the changes are complex and still evolving, according to a panel of experts assembled by Hawaii Business.
Those who believe astronomy and Hawaiian culture can coexist on the volcano disagree about who should be in charge For the three years since the confrontational protests atop Mauna Kea, the volcano’s future has been discussed, debated, dissected and disputed…
Brand loyalty is strong in the Islands, but give a customer a bad experience and they may never forget or forgive. “From right here, I can see one, two, three, four, five banks outside my window,” says Dennis Christianson, partner/CEO…
Many local organizations have created mobile phone apps to connect with customers, students, patients and others, but apps are not useful to every business At any time, students at Hawaii Pacific University can look at their assignments, view their grades,…
Hawaii loves locally owned family businesses, and that gives them an advantage over Mainland companies. The problem is that it’s challenging for these businesses to continue operating beyond the first generation of family owners. “Only about 30 percent make it…
Modernization and expansion projects at Hawaii’s airports are years behind schedule and tens of millions of dollars over budget. Some say the solution is an independent statewide airport authority. Twenty-one hours out of the day, Hawaii’s largest airport has enough…
Nearly half of our state legislators hold second jobs, from pilot, doctor and lawyer to business owner, real estate agent and more. Most people would be surprised to see a state senator mowing the lawn or cleaning the restrooms at…
After others failed over two decades, a new team is hoping to rebuild the Coco Palms Resort The once iconic Coco Palms resort is now a set of dilapidated brown buildings in the middle of a jungle. Guinea grass…
Change is inevitable in business. So organizations need to be thinking about and anticipating change, said Don Horner, former chairman and CEO of First Hawaiian Bank.
Change is inevitable in business. So organizations need to be thinking about and anticipating change, said Don Horner, former chairman and CEO of First Hawaiian Bank. He suggested that business leaders reevaluate their company visions at least once a year:…
One way companies build great corporate cultures is with team building exercises that get people out of the office and out of their comfort zones. That can include walking on ropes 35 feet above the ground or throwing a coconut…
It’s not easy for a company to inspire employees who are engaged, willing to put in extra effort and truly trust their organization. Nominate your organization for the Best Places to Work here. The team at…
The customer is king because customers control whether a business succeeds or fails. Today, effective ways to reach consumers include social media, websites and mobile apps. Navigating those platforms can be difficult for some small businesses, so Hawaii Business put…
It’s 2017, and women are still striving for equal wages and better representation in the workplace. “How can we solve these issues?” asked Noriko Namiki, executive director of the YWCA of Oahu. “Today’s event’s theme says it all: ‘Work together…
Here’s how Hawaii’s rural hospitals (barely) stay afloat. For some, things have gotten better, but others face an even more difficult future. State Sen. Josh Green works the weekend shift at Kohala Hospital's emergency room, and it's normally quiet. That…
New Chaminade president wants to build on the university’s strengths and add useful programs for undergraduates and older students Lynn Babington had a career in nursing before taking on leadership roles at universities. In August, she became Chaminade University of…
On a Monday morning last summer, a roar of applause broke out in a human resources solutions office in Hawaii Kai. "It was a celebratory time," says ProService Hawaii President and CEO Ben Godsey. "This was the company that we…
For many Hawaiian musicians and singers, performing is both their passion and their livelihood. So, when there's not enough places to perform locally, or the pay is too low, they have to improvise. Some work day jobs and perform at…
There's an old saying, "The customer is king." Today, the customer really is a king: well informed, very demanding, willing to change their mind at a moment's notice - and with their phones - able to act on those whims.…
When translated from Hawaiian, the word aio is defined as “a wave that rises and falls without breaking.” But if you ask aio Hawaii founder Duane Kurisu what it means, he’ll tell you that “aio is about discovering who we…
“A digital media strategy is not something that you should be afraid of,” said Thomas Obungen, digital and…
“This is about the past, the present and ... the future,” said Chris Hause, VP of marketing, sales and business development at Kaiser Permanente. “Tonight we are united by a cause of creating a bright future for all of Hawaii.…
A small peninsula wedged between Sand Island and Keehi Lagoon Park doesn’t look like much. The mauka section is mostly dirt and gravel, and nondescript trees and shrubs cover the makai area. But by the end of this year, it…
Soul. It’s defined in multiple ways: the immaterial essence or actuating cause of an individual life, a person’s total self, the moral and emotional nature of human beings. Back in the old days, being told that you had soul was…
Today's assessments aren't just limited to bubble tests. There's also "authentic assessments," which require deeper, more innovative thinking from students. At Hakipuu Learning Center, authentic assessments take shape in the form of senior projects where each senior picks a topic,…
Inside the food and restaurant inspection process, where sanitarians look for things that could make you sick Michael Okamura isn’t a police officer and doesn’t wear a uniform, but he carries his badge and ID while on the job. His…
For many of Hawaii’s top real estate agents, Thursday night was a time to celebrate at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. About 400 people gathered for Hawaii Business’ 11th annual Top 100 Realtors Awards. Among them was Yvonne Summerfield, from RE/MAX…
In June 2013, Turnbull took the top job at Mid-Pacific, a private school in Manoa with 1,580 students enrolled in preschool through high school. He talks about technology in education, project-based learning and other innovations in teaching. Q: You most…
UHA Health Insurance couldn’t find any wellness surveys focused on Hawaii employers. So, it launched its own in February and those survey results will be the focus of a May 18 meeting of the Hawaii Health at Work Alliance (HH@WA).…
Every industry is undergoing a digital transformation. If your company lags behind, it could get crushed by faster moving competition, or abandoned by customers who want better digital service, says Renee McKaskle, CIO for Hitachi Data Systems. [caption id="attachment_21093" align="aligncenter"…
It’s not easy for a company to inspire employees who are engaged, willing to put in extra effort and truly trust their organization. Nominate your organization for the 2018 Best Places to Work here: www.hawaiibusiness.com/bptw2018 The…
“Change is ahead for your small business, and how do you prepare?” Jane Sawyer, Small Business Administration Hawaii district director, asked a room of more than 100 people at the YWCA Laniakea on Thursday. Jane Sawyer,…
Hanau ka aina, hanau ke alii, hanau ke kanaka. Born is the land, born were the chiefs, born were the people. That’s the Hawaiian proverb that guided Wednesday night’s celebration of Hawaii Business’ “20 For the Next 20” class of…
Harry Weinberg amassed a fortune in local real estate and was renowned for being a financially savvy guy, who cajoled and exasperated the top executives of companies he invested in. However, what most surprised Kit Smith, who covered him for…
Most people are smart enough to stay out of the ocean when signs warn about bacteria in the water. The problem is we don’t always get that warning, or get it quickly enough, because Hawaii has 303 miles of recreational…
Hokulea apprentice navigator Austin Kino has turned his passion into a business by launching Holokino Hawaii, a sailing-canoe tour based out of the Kahala Hotel and Resort. The goal is a cultural experience,…
The high cost of animal feed has long hindered the meat, poultry, dairy and seafood industries in the Islands, but local efforts on several fronts aim to reduce those expenses. Shipping feed from the Mainland costs about $150 to $200…
