Now "Made in Maui"
Clothing designer and maker Luis Diaz left L.A. and set up his factory on Maui, offering local designers an alternative to manufacturing at an offshore company Luis Diaz fell in love with Hawaii and moved to Maui. His plan was…
Hawaii Business Magazine - July 2014
Ulukau Serves Many Roles
The home page of www.ulukau.org has few words in English, but a click on “English Text” reveals this translation: Ulukau: “In the same way that unexplained supernatural interpretive powers can be divinely given to a person, so knowledge and understanding can…
Preserving Ancient Fishponds
Massive fishponds in the areas now called the Wailupe and Niu penninsulas once helped feed many people, but they are gone. Chris Cramer, who teaches Spanish at the Honolulu Waldorf School, is dedicating his free time to preserving the remaining…
Tilapia's Turnaround: From Yucky to Yummy
Mention tilapia and most local folks will cringe, thinking about the muddy-tasting fish swimming in unappetizing places such as the Ala Wai Canal. But tilapia’s reputation is changing. When James Beard-award-winning chef Alan Wong served this fish alongside mahi mahi and opakapaka at a…
These Babies Now Grow Up at Home
For years, Hawaii has been exporting oyster seeds (read: babies) to the Mainland. But, this year, for the first time in nearly three decades, these oysters are being fully matured – and sold – in the Islands. In late February, after a…
Ethics in the Real World
Popular lecturer brings mainland and local experts into his summer course and invites the public to join them The compelling subject of ethics in business and other professions never gets old, which is why Will Weinstein is back for the 11th…
Everyone Wants to Help
Name: Dan Ching Job: Aquaponics farmer Experience: Two years START: When Ching, 65, retired as a structural engineer, he wanted to keep busy. He decided to farm with aquaponics, a method that uses fish effluent in water to grow plants…
What Happens if Hawaii Legalizes Marijuana?
Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant and Benjamin Franklin. Jilly Bean, Lemon Haze and Bubba Kush. Those two types of green are flowing in and out of Colorado’s 200 dispensaries: lots of cash to buy potent strains of cannabis. Nearly $19…
Dustin Shindo: The story behind what happened at Hoku and his new venture in healthcare IT
Thirteen years after he and his partner, Kaleo Taft, founded their fuel cell startup in a Waikiki apartment. Nine years after he put the company on NASDAQ in a $21 million IPO. Seven years after he and his colleagues gave…
The Navy and private companies collaborate to turn wave energy into electricity
Photography Courtesy of Northwest Energy Innovation Devices to measure wave energy and convert it into electricity will be deployed in Kaneohe Bay near Marine Corps Base Hawaii starting this year, say the Navy, state Rep. Cynthia Thielen and a…
Nainoa Thompson and Harry Kim on What it Takes to be a Successful Leader
In last month’s edition, Hawaii Business published a conversation with seven of Hawaii’s best-known leaders: George Ariyoshi, John Dean, Walter Dods, Mark Dunkerley, Constance Lau, Kathryn Matayoshi and Colbert Matsumoto. They discussed the qualities of great leaders, the role of…
Talk Story with Chenoa Farnsworth
Since she helped found the VC firm Kolohala Ventures in 2006, Farnsworth has been a linchpin in the startup community in Hawaii. Now wearing multiple hats, she talks about the institutions and personal sacrifices it takes to build an ecosystem…
Talk Story with Jeffrey Mikulina
Photography by David Croxford In April, the state Public Utilities Commission ordered Hawaiian Electric’s utilities on Oahu, Maui and Hawaii Island to take action in four ways: “aggressively pursue energy-cost reductions, proactively respond to emerging renewable-energy-integration challenges, improve the…
Guide Your Family Business With Good Planning
The boss called one of his employees into the office. “Rob,” he said, “you’ve been with the company for a year. You started off in the mailroom, one week later you were promoted to a sales position, and one month…
5 Steps to Networking
1. Target the Trinity Always talk to the most important person in the room, such as the guest speaker. Also challenge yourself by meeting someone who might intimidate you as well as someone you can learn from. Meeting these individuals…
Ask the Expert: How do I make my business more energy-efficient?
Question: As electricity rates rise, so do operating costs. How do I make my business more energy-efficient? Answer: Invest in energy-efficiency solutions. The savings are immediate and the benefits are lasting. Here are some ideas: Switch to Smart Lighting Hawaii’s…
Dolphins With Dinner
There aren’t many places you can feed dolphins one minute, then, in the next, bite into a juicy sirloin burger with truffled tater tots while listening to live jazz. You can do this in a single afternoon at The Kahala…