Bright Idea
WEfficiency lets you support your favorite nonprofit and still get repaid How many people does it take to change a light bulb? Ask David Aquino and he’ll say it often takes a crowd. Aquino, the project director of Blue Planet…
Business & Industry
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,…
3D Innovator
Hawaii Kai’s Remington Scott is a global pioneer in making video-game and movie creations come to life Remington Scott understands the unpredictably of life. Growing up in New York in the pre-Internet era, Scott thought he was going to be…
Pro Bono Architects Help Nonprofits Thrive
Palama Settlement has served low-income and immigrant families in Kalihi and Palama for more than a century, but the facilities have deteriorated over the years and some can no longer be used. “We’re land rich but asset poor,” says Wendy…
Ask the Expert: Effective Operating Agreements
Question: We are forming a limited liability company with multiple owners. Does our LLC need an operating agreement and, if so, what makes one effective? Answer: Yes, you should have one. An operating agreement, which defines an LLC’s operations and…
A New Way of Thinking
Five years ago, Honolulu consultant and social-media expert L.P. “Neenz” Faleafine was talking with Ian Kitajima, corporate development director of the Honolulu R&D firm Oceanit, when he told her about a new idea called “Design thinking.” Developed at the Institute…
Brewed and Bottled in Hawaii
Owning and running a brewery or brewpub is a lot of people’s idea of a fantasy job. The reality is there are casualties spread across the Hawaiian Islands. Companies that recently failed include Alii Brewing, Pacific Breach Brewing, Aloha Beer…
As the Nation Turns, Hawaii is Still Driven
Ever since the rise of the Model-T more than 100 years ago, cars have shined as potent symbols of independence, status and freedom. But that image seems to be losing its allure in America. Recent studies show that, after nearly…
Can Hawaiʻi Feed Itself?
A lot of elements are needed to make Hawaiʻi self-sufficient in food. Here are a few examples of struggles and resiliency that enable more productive local farming and food production.
Still Crazy After All These Years
During Crazy Shirts’ 50 years of business, many T-shirt styles and designs have come and gone. What has persisted in the company’s culture, say longtime employees, is creativity, a sense of humor and a “go big or go home” attitude.…
Defense against Disease
Name: A. Christian Whelen Job: Administrator, state Laboratories Division Experience: 28 years in healthcare Responsibilities: If the Ebola virus somehow found its way from Africa to Hawaii, Chris Whelen would lead the local analytical testing to help the national Centers…
California Dreaming
Each year, the world’s best surfers – both men and women – compete against each other for millions of dollars in prize money at tournaments around the globe staged by the Association of Surfing Professionals and other promoters. Hawaii surfers…
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…
Ask the Expert: Health Insurance Plans
J.P. Schmidt President & CEO, Family Health Hawaii familyhealthhawaii.com Question: What steps should I take to make sure I choose the right health insurance for my employees without breaking the bank? Answer: Dealing with health insurance doesn’t have to be…
She Shares Her Love of Ballet
Name: Vivienne Lim Job: Owner and artistic director, Royal Academy of Ballet Experience: Three decades in ballet Start: Born in Malaysia, Lim was just 3 when her parents enrolled her in a ballet program certified by the esteemed Royal Academy…
Stunts? “Sounds like fun!”
Name: Katie Wright Pere Job: Stuntwoman Experience: 14 years Start: While Pere attended Florida State University, she trained two to three hours a day, six days a week, as a competitive swimmer. She also rode Jet Skis and water skied.…
Talk Story with Pohai Ryan
Executive Director, Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association Ryan brings wide experience to her role, from managing an information office in Kailua to serving as a state senator. This Kamehameha Schools alumna plans to focus on culture and authenticity during her tenure,…
5 Steps to Prepare for a Crisis
Steady leadership is essential when bad things happen to good companies. Public relations expert Julie Ford shares advice on how C-suite executives can be prepared for – and effectively meet – a crisis. 1. Be prepared Even the best…
Too Old for Coaching? Think Again
To Donalyn Dela Cruz, coaches were people who led basketball practice and volleyball clinics – not shape executives into leaders. But when she entered the prestigious Omidyar Fellows program in 2012, she was paired with a professional coach who helped her…
How to Ask for a Raise
Thirty-nine percent of Americans believe they are underpaid – 42 percent of women versus 33 percent of men, according to a survey this year by the career website Glassdoor.com. If you are in that group, be aware that there are…
Off-the-grid Air Conditioning
Creator: Briand Achong, president and co-founder of Greenpath Technologies Inc., was an accountant and small-business consultant before establishing his photovoltaic business. “We looked at it from a roofing perspective,” he says. “The roof is the only part of a building…
Skai Ventures: Strategies for Takeoff
Twenty miles west of downtown Honolulu, inside a compact industrial building in Kapolei, engineers decked in white lab coats and safety goggles are carefully dipping silicon wafers into baths under industrial hoods and studying readouts that flash on monitors mounted…
Changing the World Has a New Birthplace
If you want your new business to make the world better, not just make money, consider launching it at Impact Hub Honolulu. That’s where social entrepreneurs will find inexpensive office space, training and other resources, and a network of like-minded…
More than just a Bartender
Name: Mike Hall Job: Mixologist Experience: Two years Start: When Hall moved from Maryland in 1999 to attend Hawaii Pacific University, he did what many college students do: He worked at a restaurant. It wasn’t until he got a…