Nandini Bhattacharjee is not your typical retailer. Her Kailua shop, Nomads Hawaii, abbreviated as Nohi, is based on her personal philosophy and approach to life. “I would not have done this if it did not allow me a way to help people,” Bhattacharjee says. “At…
Thomas Friedman, global columnist for The New York Times and the author of “The World Is Flat,” overflows with enthusiasm. “Nothing has more potential to lift more people out of poverty – by providing them an affordable education to get a…
Question: I am the founder of our family business and five years away from formally retiring. My daughter has been in the business for 12 years, but I feel she lacks the commitment and work ethic to run the business.…
Many people were surprised when the 2010 Census revealed that 120,000 people in Hawaii identified themselves as having Hispanic heritage, about 9 percent of the state’s residents. In fact, the Hispanic population in the Islands had grown by 38 percent…
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…
People have joined the growing Eat Local movement for myriad reasons, including reducing their carbon footprint, supporting Hawaii businesses and keeping agricultural lands in agriculture. Grocery stores and restaurants tout their local-food credentials, and more farmers markets keep popping up…
The line of customers outside Matsumoto Grocery Store is 15 deep. Visitors and locals alike wait patiently to place their orders, huddling under the eaves of the ramshackle old building to avoid the noon sun. In the dusty gravel parking…
Tanna and Bryson Dang operate a popular women’s clothing boutique called Eden in Love at Ward Warehouse, and have been planning for a year to sell products online. Their site, edeninlove.com, was set to go live on Sunday, April 22, the…
Roger Higa, Melissa Chang, George “Chef Mavro” Mavrothalassitis and Shanah Trevenna are very different people with one thing in common: Each experienced a turning point that put them on an unexpected journey to a new calling. For Roger Higa, that…
Name: Doss K. Tannehill Job: Ocularist Years of experience: 40 Starting out: James Tannehill, a licensed optician, started the family business by fabricating ocular prostheses for people who had lost one or both…
Hawaii Business proudly recognizes the six winners and 12 finalists of our 2012 SmallBiz Success Awards.
After earning degrees at Harvard, California Berkeley and Cornell, and working at insurance firm MBIA in New York, Hilo-born Ally Park never thought she would take over the family business. However, “My parents needed a succession plan and they had…
When we select this annual list of emerging leaders, we look for individuals whose intelligence, energy and vision make them people to watch over the next two decades. They come from different backgrounds and serve in various fields, but they…
From a family-owned jewelry store on Kauaʻi to an emerging residential solar company in Honolulu, all of this year’s nominees proved that success is possible, even in a slow economy.
A group of Native Hawaiians helping to keep our nation safe. A solar-energy innovator and a sunscreen company, both of them aiming locally and globally. Two Neighbor Island family stores, each almost a century old. And a company whose employees give and give and give some more. They are the 2010 winners of the Hawaii Business SmallBiz Success Awards.
When Yogurtland on University Avenue opened in June 2008, co-owner Charlin Johnston didn’t know what to expect. She contemplated waiting until the weekend but took a chance and opened on a Wednesday. In the first eight hours, 500 customers came through the…
David Akina spent $50,000 over two years and sweated through evening and weekend classes for a master’s degree in business administration. He’s never been sorry, not for a single moment. That degree launched his company, Paradise Pages, into the stratosphere,…
If Hawaii is to answer the major questions confronting the state – How do we create a healthy economy while preserving what makes Hawaii special? How do we improve our public schools? How do we sustain effective government? – we…
A little book has important advice for some of the Islands' big-business leaders Growing up, Wesley Park aspired to be ordinary. He ended up being extraordinary. When he was 4 years old, Park was stricken with polio. The debilitating disease…
October always brings a bit of magic. Not just the fall season, but the Wāhine Forum, Hawaiʻi’s largest leadership and career development conference for women. More than 1,000 executives, entrepreneurs and rising leaders will gather to learn, connect and build…
Finance Insurance perpetuates success by adapting to local market needs with “if no can, we can” spirit
Glossophobia – the fear of public speaking – is often cited as the most common fear. Here’s how I finally achieved feeling calm and confident behind a mic.
For 60+ years, Rainbow Drive-In has been a local favorite. Now, they’re building on that legacy and looking toward what’s next.