Benjamin J. Wang Principal, BlackSand Capital Benjamin J. Wang initially moved to the islands in 2004 to indulge his passion for surfing, then added a passion for the culture and community. “I just fell in love with Hawai‘i,” says Wang.…
Nathan Saint Clare Principal, AHL Nathan Saint Clare is a gifted architect with an international portfolio who prides himself on never being predictable. He thinks of design as a constantly evolving process, “a moving, living thing” that changes with every…
Aaron Schorn Capstone Coordinator, Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy Director, Nalukai Academy Startup Camp "Being a teacher in this world is being a jazz musician. You know your standards, you know how to perform, and then you just free form it based…
The surfing career of Carissa Moore — four-time World Surfing League women’s champion – can be traced back to Irish dancing in her living room.
Jessica Munoz President and Founder, Hoʻōla Nā Pua Nurse Practitioner, US Acute Care Solutions Fifteen years ago, nursing brought Jessica Munoz from California to Hawai‘i, where she planned to do a brief stint and plenty of surfing. But her work…
Kūhiō Lewis President and CEO, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement Kūhiō Lewis began navigating obstacles at a young age and found the motivation to overcome them. “Who I am is always pushing the bar, always raising the bar, always trying…
Aki Marceau Director of Electrification of Transportation, Hawaiian Electric Co. Aki Marceau has been chipping away at the same problem throughout her career: how to provide clean, affordable and efficient transportation and living options. Born in Japan and raised on…
Vincent Kimura Founder and CEO, Smart Yields Vincent Kimura's life has been shaped by mentors at every turn: a professor, a college internship manager, a generational farmer. Kimura was born on O‘ahu, the grandson of a Japanese sugar plantation worker,…
Sondra Leiggi-Brandon Systems Director of Behavioral Health, The Queen's Medical Center "We've seen an uptick in the number of people in crisis during the pandemic," says Sondra Leiggi-Brandon, who served as systems director of behavioral health at The Queen’s Medical…
Doug Johnstone Hawaiʻi President The Howard Hughes Corp. Doug Johnstone joined Ward Village before the property had a name. “When I joined, we were starting to get our arms around the development opportunities that it presented,” he says. “And obviously…
Summer Kaiawe Attorney and Partner, Watanabe Ing "I view an attorney as someone who can solve problems and help people and companies to find solutions,” says Summer Kaiawe. “It’s a rewarding career.” Jonathan Lai is managing partner at Watanabe Ing,…
Khara Jabola-Carolus Executive Director, Hawaiʻi State Commission on the Status of Women Khara Jabola-Carolus is a fierce advocate for women and girls. As leader of the State Commission on the Status of Women, she has helped pass legislation to prohibit…
Rachel James Attorney, Hawaiʻi Public Utilities Commission Rachel James didn't always want to be a lawyer. But in 2015, with a master’s degree in global leadership and sustainable development and a one-year position in U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s Hawai‘i office,…
Danya Hakeem Director of Innovation, Agriculture & Circular Economy Elemental Excelerator Danya Hakeem takes a unique approach to her work: She’s always looking for ways to build bridges. Whether through documentary filmmaking, policy, legislation, community organizing or impact investing, Hakeem…
Josie Howard Executive Director, We Are Oceania During surges of COVID-19 in the Islands last year, Jocelyn "Josie" Howard and another We Are Oceania staff member took food, masks, dignity bags and other personal necessities to more than 100 Pacific…
Makena Coffman Director of UH Mānoa's Institute for Sustainability and Resilience Makena Coffman has become a go-to person on local environmental issues: everything from climate change and sea level rise to electric vehicles and emission standards. She is director of…
Ruth Erickson Executive VP of E-Commerce and Marketing Operations, Bank of Hawaii Bank of Hawaii President Peter Ho knew the bank needed someone with digital media expertise to connect with customers. So the bank launched a nationwide search by a…
Neill Char Executive VP - Commercial Banking Group First Hawaiian Bank As a 28-year-old bank branch manager, Neill Char had an epiphany. “In my first leadership role, I found my purpose in life and that is to help people realize…
Jamie Cheng Director of Commercial Operations American Savings Bank When congress passed the Paycheck Protection Program in March 2020, Jamie Cheng’s team of a dozen commercial bankers at American Savings Bank was ready. Working in shifts, they and the bank’s…
Welcome to the Black Book: a look at the personal and professional journeys of Hawai‘i’s top business executives, nonprofit decision-makers and community leaders.
The annual overview shows local philanthropy remained strong in 2019 – an important foundation for local charities considering the difficult challenges they face this year.
Ranking Hawai‘i’s Biggest Companies and Nonprofits Highlights from the Top 250: Big Changes in Energy, Health Care and Tech Ever wanted a time machine so you could go back in time? We’ve built one, and we call it the Top…
SmallBiz Week features profiles of local companies and business leaders who won Hawaiʻi awards this year from the Small Business Administration, plus four new members of the Hawaiʻi Small Business Hall of Fame.
Profiles of nine great local companies that you should know about.