Retain Your Older Workers
Q: Two-thirds of my staff are Baby Boomers and that terrifies me, because the last time one retired, I couldn’t find a replacement half as good. How do I keep these folks from leaving? A: Every industry is dealing with…
Business & Industry
One Size Does Not Fit All
It doesn’t look like a homeless shelter – and that’s the point. Cheery paint and graphic shapes tie together the 22 bed areas, creating a hip, treehouse feel. Bathrooms are private and gender neutral, a recognition of the fact that 40…
Dual Mission
You and I are part of Abilities Unlimited’s mission to empower individuals with disabilities. “We could have a really, really ready client, but, if the rest of the community – specifically employers – don’t buy into what we’re doing, then…
Man Up
More men across Oahu are turning to upscale barbershops for an experience beyond the traditional in-and-out haircut, with two high-end shops recently opening in Honolulu and others expected to follow. Yes, you can still get a simple trim, but options…
Third Wave
Hawaii is ground zero for energy innovation, and the leading incubator for that innovation is the Energy Excelerator. Back in 2014, when Hawaii Business first reported on EEx, 50 startups applied to join its initial cohort. This year, there were…
Hawaii: Headquarters of the Future
Richard Kaipo Lum has had plenty of clients that you’ve heard of. To name a few: the European Commission, the city of Stockholm, the governments of Canada, the United Kingdom and Singapore, along with multinationals like PepsiCo, IBM and others…
My Job: It’s Shaping Up Nicely
Name: Makani McDonald Age: 47 Job: Shaper/designer, Town and Country Surfboards Responsibilities: “I mainly design and shape surfboards and, with that, comes a lot of R&D with riders and equipment. The personal R&D is riding new variations of boards that you’ve…
Master of None
Q: In May, it will be four years and five jobs since I graduated from college and I’m still trying to map out a career. Is it better to be a specialist or a jack-of-all-trades? A: I posed this question…
Nonprofit Corner: “I Was Hungry and You Gave Me Food”
Charlie Lorenz knows what it’s like to be homeless and hungry. As a teenager, he lived on the streets of Honolulu due to a family dispute. “With that experience, Charlie does know the hunger and lack of hope you experience…
Data-Driven Farming
Inspiration: Farmers told Vincent Kimura they needed an affordable way to protect their crops and increase their yields. Once he had an idea to address that problem, he teamed with Ryan Ozawa, Isar Mostafanezhad and Justin Hedani to create the…
My Job: The Hottest Job in Town
Name: Hadley Andersen Job: Senior Science Educator, Bishop Museum Duties: Twice a day – at noon and 2:30 p.m. – Andersen dons a protective aluminized suit, enters a shielded “cage” and melts little pieces of volcanic rock, or cinder, in…
Turning Play into Pay
Most of them are Millennials, first-generation digital natives strutting their stuff and chiseling new entry points into a post-recession economy. Those who achieve social-media stardom get labelled as “digital talent,” which sounds so Hollywood, but signals their digital charisma and…
Our Digital Media Director Links In
Power: As the new digital media director of Hawaii Business, I have the ability and responsibility to engage with you by sharing creative and smart content through social media and our website, HawaiiBusiness.com. I will share observations and insights in…
Managing Negative Online Reviews
"My store got blasted on Yelp. What do I do now?" You and your staff can deliver great service and products, all with a smile, yet still get a bad review online. You can’t control what people say about you,…
What's Astronomy's Future in Hawaii
For weeks, the astronomers, technicians and support staff working on Mauna Kea watched the protesters. Native Hawaiians and others opposed to the massive Thirty Meter Telescope gathered near the 9,000-foot mark, their encampment near Hale Pohaku, the small campus where…
Making Nice With the New Boss
There’s a new boss for our division and I fear I made a lousy first impression. Where do I go from here? Ch-ch-cha-changes. Ah, David Bowie, may he rest in peace. According to Aden Kirschner Nepom, of the Art of…
Honoring the 20 For the Next 20 Class of 2016
It was hard to tell who was more honored to be at the Hawaii Prince Hotel for the "20 For the Next 20," the 18 honorees or audience. There was a buzz in…
20 for the Next 20 Community Project: More Than a Celebration
“THIS IS AN AWESOME NIGHT,” Kawika Riley, chief advocate at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, said last March as he and 19 others were introduced as Hawaii Business’ 20 for the Next 20, class of 2015. Proud family and friends…
5 Steps to Being Strategic in Saying No
Saying no does not come easy in Hawaii, where we emphasize the Aloha spirit. But being selective about where to direct your energy, efforts and time is an important part of leadership. Executive coach Alison Zecha offers tips on when,…
Ensuring a Bright Future for Hawaii
The time is now because the need is urgent! I am starting this monthly column on Leadership because Hawaii must help the next generation of local leaders step up and guide our state’s future. I’ve heard time and time again…
Workers: Know Your Rights
There are many myths and misunderstandings about employment rules and regulations. Here’s our guide to workers’ rights and employers’ obligations, but please take note: We are not lawyers and this guide is no substitute for legal counsel. In many ways,…
100 Years Young
While describing the values that have carried KTA Super Stores to its 100th year as a family-owned business, president and COO Toby Taniguchi brings up traditional Japanese concepts. “The organization has been able to survive because our focus is not…
Buy, Sell, Or Hold?
Meredith Mawhar says she settled on her new career because she was excited by the Research Challenge, a prestigious competition for college students sponsored by the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute. Mawhar is a student at UH Manoa’s Shidler College of…
Nonprofit Corner: Connecting People to Forests
Native plant restoration is an ongoing process at the Kaupulehu Dryland Forest in North Kona – one of more than a dozen projects by the nonprofit Hawaii Forest Institute. “Not all (Hawaii) forests are native forests,” notes Rob Pacheco, who…