Multimedia Innovator
Jay Fidell didn’t set out to be a journalist. The founder of the ThinkTech Hawaii arrived here from New York in 1965 as a Coast Guard lawyer and military judge. “It was the time of Vietnam, and war was in…
Lifestyle
Something Old, New, Borrowed & Green
WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU COMBINE ELEMENTS OF THE 19TH, 20TH AND 21ST CENTURIES? Start with the U.S. government’s oldest scientific agency, with roots stretching back to the early 1800s; add historic Ford Island aircraft hangars that survived the…
What’s Next for Solar
If you ever use a waste-burning toilet, don’t be surprised if you find out a solar-power company installed it. That’s one of the technologies being investigated by RevoluSun, a Honolulu-based solar company that has expanded its “Smart Home” division, offering…
Molokai at Work
MOLOKAI IS OFTEN characterized as the Island with Hawaii's highest unemployment rate. That's unfortunate, because most of the residents work hard to earn a living. So we asked photographer PF Bentley, who lives on the Friendly Isle, to showcase his…
Good Neighbors: Ulrich Krauer
Ulrich Krauer has dedicated the past 40 years of his life to the hospitality industry – in Hawaii and around the world – but what he and his staff at the…
Electric Wheels In Kailua
There are now several places to rent or buy bikes in Kailua, but if you fear you might run out of energy before you reach your destination, consider an electric bicycle from Pedego. The different styles range from Comfort Cruisers…
Make Your Own Wine
For those who long for the California wine-country experience, there’s a place in Kailua where you can sample wines and participate in the wine-making process. Oeno Winemaking allows wine lovers to choose, bottle and label their own wine in a…
Talk Story: Omar and Tarik Sultan
The Sultan brothers are a major new force in Hawaii’s venture capital and startup communities. Their two platforms are Sultan Ventures, a Hawaii-based venture capital firm, and XLR8UH. Last year, the two of you and UH launched XLR8UH, a public-private…
Is Your Job In Danger?
A reliable cell phone signal is still hard to find in the sleepy town of Kaunakakai, but the robots have arrived. Kim Svetin’s family owns Molokai Drugs, the island’s only drugstore. Behind the counter, it’s Svetin’s Uncle Jon, her…
Hawaiian Telecom Bringing More Bandwith To The Islands
“When we log onto our computers to check email, buy something from Amazon or watch a movie on Netflix, it seems almost magical. We don’t see the inner workings that make this happen. What enables all of these things we…
KABOOMERS!
“ABOUT $1.1 BILLION A YEAR IS PAID OUT IN PENSION BENEFITS NOW (TO STATE AND COUNTY WORKERS). IN THE NEXT 10 TO 20 YEARS, THAT’S PROJECTED TO GROW TO ABOUT $2 BILLION A YEAR.” –WESLEY MACHIDA Director, State Department of…
These Canoes Virtually Connect UH Campuses
At UH, you can walk into a classroom on the West Oahu campus to take a course on video game development with students who are 20 miles away in Manoa. Forget what you thought you knew about distance learning. These…
Editor's Note: The Sacredness of Mauna Kea
It is obvious to anyone who has been there or seen it shining in the distance, that the summit of Mauna Kea is a sacred place. Native Hawaiians are not unique in this reverence: Virtually all the great religions venerate…
Do Your Om-Work
There was a time when the term “mindfulness” evoked visions of a man in a loincloth, sitting serenely atop a mountain. But the corporate world is changing and, today, mindfulness can mean a Reyn Spooner-clad manager serenely sitting atop ……
A Different Way of Seeing Things
When you’re surrounded by some of the world’s most gorgeous landscapes and seascapes, painting outdoors instead of in a studio makes sense. But painting outside requires a different technique than painting indoors, says artist Lynne Boyer. Boyer teaches painting in…
Pau Hana Volunteers with Derek Kobayashi: Mr. Pro Bono
For 17 years , Derek Kobayashi has dedicated so much of his spare time to free legal aid that it’s earned him the nickname “Mr. Pro Bono.” “Since about 1998, I’ve always tried to maintain at least one active pro…
Capturing Noisy, Pesky Wild Chickens
Feral chickens are a growing pest problem in Hawaii, partly because they have no natural predators. “The most common problem is roosters crowing,” says Michael Botha, president of Sandwich Isle Pest Solutions. “And the other part of it is they’re…
Natural Energy Lab Fosters its Own Startup Paradise
I believe the Hawaiian people have been given a tremendous gift from Pele and that gift is this access to deep ocean water,” says Rich Bailey, owner of Dewpoint Systems. The gift of deep ocean water may be Pele’s, but…
More Efficient Power
In the hospitality world, it’s not just hotel guests who win points and rewards. The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas on Kauai’s North Shore earned a bonus when it installed a system that delivers electricity more efficiently and comes with…
Love Your Curves
“Belly dancing makes you love every muscle in the body. … It made me appreciate the curves I was born with.” You may have seen belly dancing and been in awe, but actually doing it offers something no other workout…
Private Chef Makes At-Home Meals Special
A luxurious meal at home prepared by a professional chef is not just a privilege of the rich and famous, but available to anyone willing to spend a few hundred dollars on…
Eye-Candy Interiors
Name: Charene Davis Job: Senior designer and owner of Aloha Staged Interiors Experience: 15 years START: Davis earned degrees in interior design and journalism, but wound up getting her real estate license in…
You're Wearing That to Work?
When I was a little girl, in the 1950s, my father sometimes took me downtown for a piece of the Alexander Young Hotel’s fabulous lemon crunch cake. It was a special time to have my busy businessman father all to…
Talk Story: Richard Wacker
Richard Wacker didn’t start as a banker. An engineer by training, he spent 20 years in executive positions at General Electric. His first banking job came in 2004, when he left GE to run the troubled Korea Exchange Bank for…