Steve Petranik has been an editor and reporter for almost four decades and now is the editor of Hawaii Business. Before joining the magazine in 2009, he spent 18 years as an editor at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and five years at the Honolulu Advertiser. He’s reported from six countries on three continents and his stories have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post and Los Angeles Times.
What has been Belle Surf Café’s latest pivot or innovation? Even as we saw the writing on wall, COVID-19 hit us hard. With a quick stop to tourism in Maui and with the unknown risk, we had no choice but…
Please describe how and when you are conducting your return to your offices, stores, restaurants, warehouses or other physical locations. International Market Place has remained open throughout this situation with reduced hours and enhanced safeguards to help serve the needs…
What has been Blue Logic Labs' latest pivot or innovation? We’ve remained steadfast in our mission to help brands and businesses solve their challenges with gratifying and meaningful digital solutions. When the stay-at-home, work-at-home order was announced in March, the…
Virtual Interview: Ruth Fletcher, Head of School, St. Andrew’s Schools What changes did you make to finish this school year, and have you made plans for summer school? Like many schools in Hawaiʻi we quickly transitioned our K-12 face-to-face class…
Please describe how and when you are conducting the return to your stores. Crosscourt Hawaii opened for business at our flagship location in Kaka‘ako, with a modified schedule on May 15, and will continue to run a modified schedule until…
How are you coping amid COVID-19 crisis? I had just signed a lease on a 17,000 square foot space in Kaka‘ako when the pandemic hit. This is my second endeavor and I had put a year and all my savings…
How have you been able to continue your core mission(s)? At Kilo Books Hawaiʻi our core mission aims to strengthen family bonds through the native Hawaiian practice of kilo. Since the school closures, I think the value of learning and…
How has your organization been able to continue its core mission(s)? Koosh Media has been able to continue its core mission of helping local businesses grow with technology. We did this by running targeted online campaigns to reach new businesses…
A Q&A with Henk Rogers The City & County of Honolulu last year released Ola: Oahu Resilience Strategy, a roadmap to building resilience from climate events, the rising cost of living and other economic challenges. This year, the state’s resilience…
How are you coping amid the COVID-19 crisis? These are difficult and uncertain times for everyone in the community; at UHA, we are doing all we can to support our employers, members and associates. The UHA management team had been…
Hawaii’s small businesses and nonprofits received $2.1 billion during the first round of federal Payroll Protection Program loans – the 10th highest rate among the 50 states in per capita money received. Hawaii Business Magazine Editor Steve Petranik interviews via…
Virtual Interview: Bev Harbin, CEO, Wahiawā Health How has your organization been able to continue its core mission(s)? Health care and the way we deliver it has changed rapidly during the COVID-19 crisis and we had to pivot quickly to…
Please describe how and when you are conducting your return to your offices. Expected X has always been designed as a virtual organization. So, even though we are headquartered in Kona, I work from my home office as do the…
What has been your company’s latest pivot or innovation? The Chamber pivoted from a highly interactive environment with our team and members to exclusively virtual, as has been the case for many. The Chamber team has been working remotely since…
What has been your company’s latest pivot or innovation? The decision for our firm to begin working from home was made March 12 and went into effect the next day. I’m so encouraged by our team’s commitment to help stop…
What has been your company’s latest pivot or innovation? HealthPersonas is an all in one encompassing platform to support members to better health. We use patented science and technology combined with expert coaching to improve the way our members feel,…
What has been your company’s latest pivot or innovation? We immediately sprung to action when we noticed the overwhelming support in the community for small businesses, and many people wanting to order takeout to help local restaurants stay in business.…
Hawaii’s small businesses and nonprofits received $2.1 billion during the first round of federal Payroll Protection Program loans – the 10th highest rate among the 50 states in per capita money received. Hawaii Business Magazine Editor Steve Petranik interviews via…
Hawaii’s small businesses and nonprofits received $2.1 billion during the first round of federal Payroll Protection Program loans – the 10th highest rate among the 50 states in per capita money received. Hawaii Business Magazine Editor Steve Petranik interviews via…
Virtual Interview: Donavan Kealoha, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Purple Mai‘a How has your organization been able to continue its core mission(s)? Our mission is to inspire and educate the next generation of culturally grounded, community-serving tech makers and problem solvers.…
Virtual Interview: Randy Wong, President, Hawaii Youth Symphony How has your organization been able to continue its core mission(s)? Although we have had to suspend our in-person activities, our mission – to develop students to their fullest potential, through orchestral…
What has been your company’s latest pivot or innovation? Sagely is an engagement platform focused on improving the lives of older adults, their families and the senior living care staff who serve them. While we have been delivering our solution…
What has been your company’s latest pivot or innovation? We are a financial technology startup with a mission to positively transform how people and businesses engage in local economies. Before the COVID-19 outbreak hit, building the tools to achieve that…
A commencement speech is a huge responsibility. The celebration part of the speech is easy. You congratulate the perseverance and hard work that earned graduates a vital piece of paper, whether it is a high school diploma or a college…
What has been your organization’s latest pivot or innovation? BNI (Business Network International) Hawaii is a professional networking organization that has met in person for the past 30 plus years. In Hawai‘i we have 28 chapters and 550 members who…
Virtual interview with: Marjie Carroll, Head of School, Montessori Community School What changes did you make to finish this school year, and have you made plans for summer school? Since March 30, teachers at Montessori Community School (MCS) have been…
Virtual Interview with Cara Short, Executive Director, AccesSurf What has been your organization’s latest pivot or innovation? AccesSurf is about a lot more than accessible beach and adaptive water sports programs for people with disabilities. Over the years, AccesSurf has…
Virtual Interview: Miki Tomita, Founder & CEO, Education Incubator How has your organization been able to continue its core mission(s)? Our core mission is to empower young people to create change now, to contribute to a better world as part…
How are you coping with the COVID-19 crisis? As an essential business, we have remained operational. We have adapted to the changing environment in ways that help protect the health of our employees, customers and the community, but also allow…
Virtual Interview: Jud R. Cunningham, Chief Executive Officer, Maui Behavioral Health Resources How has your organization been able to continue its core mission(s)? Maui Behavioral Health Resources is an umbrella organization for three nonprofit agencies: Maui Youth & Family Services,…
What has been your company’s latest pivot or innovation? Due to social distancing, Modtech has focused on providing our clients with solutions surrounding virtual collaboration tools, including video conferencing systems, teleconference rooms and telework systems. These tools allow our clients…
Virtual Interview on COVID-19: Kathryn Raethel, President; Ryan Ashlock, Chief Operating Officer; Derek Dickard, Director, Outpatient Clinics; and Jesse Siebel, Director, Mission and Spiritual Care, Adventist Health Castle What has been your company’s latest pivot or innovation? Ashlock: In this…
What has been your company’s latest pivot or innovation? Like many local businesses, we had to plan for and implement in a very short period a substantial restructuring of the way the firm conducts its daily business, including several innovative…
Virtual Interview: Robin Kumabe, Executive Director, Touch A Heart How has your organization been able to continue its core mission(s)? Our mission is to transform the lives of those facing barriers to employment by providing vocational training in a healing…
Virtual Interview: Dr. Lynn Babington, President, Chaminade University What changes did you make to finish this school year, and have you made plans for summer school? Chaminade University made a number of significant adjustments to the final five weeks of…
Virtual Interview: Maenette K.P. Ah Nee-Benham, Chancellor, University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu What changes did you make to finish this school year, and have you made plans for summer school? All 10 campuses in the University of Hawaiʻi System went fully…
What has been your company’s latest pivot or innovation? With the increase of pressure on tenants and landlords caused by the pandemic and the moratorium on evictions, I have turned to helping manage relationships between landlords and tenants and supplying…
What has been your company’s latest pivot or innovation? In April, PrimeLending implemented a new Loan Origination System, Blue Sage, an industry-leading platform that enables our loan officers to deliver homeowners a seamless, secure and superior mortgage experience. With Blue…
What has been your company’s latest pivot or innovation? As our clients plan for the eventual return of their workforce, we’re developing strategies to make sure employees feel safe and confident in their environment. Many open office layouts no longer…
Virtual Interview: Rev. Anke Flohr, Executive Director, Pacific Health Ministry How has your organization been able to continue its core mission(s)? While medical workers are on the frontlines every day treating the physical needs that people have during the pandemic,…
