Balancing Hawaii's energy supply and demand
The sun and wind create clean, local energy for Hawaii, but they’re intermittent. They come and go on a schedule that doesn’t follow the Islands’ demand for…
Leadership
Guiding Tomorrow’s Leaders
Training for Fellows in the omidyar program goes through three stages: • Looking at yourself, including strengths and weaknesses; • Looking at You as part of a team; and • Looking at your leadership in the community. Mark your calendars, future leaders of Hawaii: June…
Talk Story with Janet Liang of Kaiser Permanente Hawaii
What changes have you seen in the healthcare industry during the five years you’ve been with Kaiser? We’re seeing more accountability and transparency around quality, and we’re seeing the healthcare systems beginning to integrate. The hospitals are hiring doctors and…
Bill Chee receives 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award in Real Estate from Hawaii Business magazine
Bill Chee, CEO of Locations LLC, has always been ahead of the curve. In 1969, when he was 24 and just starting in real estate, he launched a primitive database of sales information long before others even thought of such…
Talk Story with John Dean of Central Pacific Bank
CEO, Central Pacific Bank Dean, Hawaii Business’ 2012 CEO of the Year, has also been named Hawaii’s Salesperson of the Year for 2013 by the Honolulu Chapter of Sales & Marketing Executives International. He spoke with HB publisher David Tumilowicz.…
Report Card: School Administrators
Are sweeping changes in Department of Education’s leadership enough to fix Hawaii’s schools? New three-part strategy emphasizes student achievement first, followed by improved support and IT systems, and better training/accountability/HR. Don Horner, chair of the two-year-old, appointed Board of Education,…
Entrepreneurs After Age 50
Forget about retirement, gray hair means it’s time to launch a business What is it about people over 50? Just when they peek at that no-more-9-to-5 horizon, many do crazy things like travel the world, self-publish books or enroll in…
Taste Table Offers a New Menu Every Day
Taste Table is the only place on Oahu where you can get carnitas tacos one day and a pumpkin-pie waffle the next. The innovative food venture in Kakaako that opened in October is the brainchild of four people who want…
Talk Story with Micah Kane
Pacific Links Hawaii owns five golf courses on Oahu – Kapolei, Royal Hawaiian, Makaha (West), Makaha Valley (East) and Olomana. How do you manage roles at both Pacific Links and KS? I think there’s a perception that trustees operate like they…
Why big development is so difficult in Hawaii
For decades, "too difficult" has been the refrain in the development community. Developers believe Hawaii’s land-use laws are too complicated, environmental regulations too onerous, and deference to Native Hawaiian gathering and access…
New Big 5 May Be Emerging in Hawaii
Some suggest an influential coalition based on Hawaiian values, not simply economic value, could help steer the Islands’ future The remnants of the Big Five, once the dominant companies in Hawaii, continued to shrink last year. The sale of…
From small beginnings, Pacxa becomes major IT player in Hawaii
Pacxa becomes Hawaii’s largest locally based IT service provider with patience and a mix of strategies This January, at our monthly all-staff meeting at Pacific Basin Communications, company president Scott Schumaker ended the morning’s events with a surprising announcement: “Oh,…
Hawaii's Best Small Businesses 2013
32 local companies and champions honored as some of Hawaii’s best Each year, the Hawaii region of the federal Small Business Administration celebrates some of the state’s best small businesses and small-business advocates. Hawaii Business honored the 2013 winners at…
Talk Story with David Heenan
Heenan has served in many influential roles in Hawaii: trustee of the Estate of James Campbell, CEO of Theo H. Davies & Co., dean of the UH-Manoa College of Business and UH VP for Academic Affairs. He is currently a…
Editor's Note: Hawaii's Shield Law: Defend Your Right to Know
You are reading this magazine because you think my staff and I have worthwhile things to report. Thank you for your support and trust. The main way we do our job is simple: We listen to lots of people, read…
Talk Story with Bill Spencer
Spencer is a serial entrepreneur who has served as president of HVCA since 1999. He talks about venture capital in Hawaii following the death of Act 221 and his plans for offshore fish farming using his patented 200-foot wide “Oceansphere.”…
The State of Hawaii's Plan to Modernize its Medieval Tech Systems
Sonny Bhagowalia has a plan to fix the state’s archaic IT system in June 2011, Bhagowalia became the state of Hawaii’s first chief information officer and the point man in Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s ambitious plan to “reinvent government.” Bhagowalia and…
Military Drives Alternative Energy in Hawaii
The Pentagon is investing billions in alternative energy and conservation, and that’s good news for local companies it’s good news for hawaii’s economy and local aspirations when the state’s goals align with the American military’s goals. That’s because the U.S.…
Editor's Note: Eisenhower is a Political Model for Our Times
During his first term, Barack Obama invited historians to the White House so he could learn about Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and other American presidents. History teaches us valuable lessons and Obama looked for guidance from some of America’s greatest…
Talk Story with John McComas of AlohaCare
McComas has led AlohaCare since 1996. The medical insurer’s largest group of clients are Medicaid/Quest beneficiaries in Hawaii, including families and individuals with incomes at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. That’s about 75,000 people. Gov. Neil Abercrombie speaks of transforming…
Hawaii Business 2012 CEO of the Year: John Dean of Central Pacific Bank
The toughest challenge was recapitalizing the bank,” says John Dean, Central Pacific Bank’s soft-spoken CEO. Dean, who came out of retirement in 2010 to help save the struggling community bank, knew what he was getting into. This was his fifth bank and…
Olson works to create a legacy
With the wealth he amassed during a successful business career, Edmund C. Olson could afford to treat the rest of his life like a vacation. Instead, the 81-year-old Hilo resident continues adding to his significant Hawaii Island land holdings and…
5 Ways Companies Support Charities
Hawaiʻi's corporate foundations bring some stability to local giving. But foundations aren’t the only way for big corporations to give. And many companies supplement their cash giving with donations of time, resources and services.
Talk Story with Kimberly Miyazawa Frank
Frank took the helm of the YWCA of Oahu in January. She had been owner of Kimberly Frank Consulting since 2006, and, before that, served as organizational development manager at Servco Pacific Inc. The attorney and mother of three young children talks…