Hawaii Business Magazine is a respected, relevant and innovative resource for Hawai‘i and its people. We have won more than 100 national and state awards over the past five years, including the prize for best regional business magazine in the country for three of the past five years.
Our stories cover the big issues impacting our island home, its people, companies and nonprofits, such as climate change, the cost of living, affordable housing, entrepreneurship, innovation, leadership, education and other important issues.
Our editorial team works hard to cultivate relationships with sources and dig for information so that readers receive in-depth, fact-based articles. We also give readers useful information that helps companies succeed and helps people advance their careers.
We want our stories to be inclusive of Hawai‘i’s diverse voices and people, and we want to make sure that our stories are serving our audience, their interests and their needs. Our call-outs for sources and information help guide our reporting so that we can fulfill those commitments.
And we’re more than just a monthly print magazine. Our website, email newsletters, social media and events also keep readers and attendees informed, engaged, inspired and entertained.
We welcome any feedback you might have for us. To send a letter to the editor or send us your comments, email: feedback@hawaiibusiness.com.
Our Mission: To strengthen the local economy and help our communities thrive.
Our Motto: Locally Owned, Locally Committed since 1955.
Our Team
Editorial
Steve Petranik
Editor and Executive Publisher
Email
Steve Petranik has been an editor and reporter for almost four decades and now is the editor of Hawaii Business. Before joining the magazine in 2009, he spent 18 years as an editor at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and five years at the Honolulu Advertiser. He’s reported from six countries on three continents and his stories have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post and Los Angeles Times.
Cynthia Wessendorf
Managing Editor
Email
Cynthia Wessendorf writes in-depth feature stories, with a focus on climate change and education, and oversees the magazine’s annual lists and social media campaigns. Prior to joining Hawaii Business in 2020, she spent decades working as a writer, editor and designer for both national and local publishers and nonprofits, including 10 years in the book publishing industry in New York City.
Shelby Mattos
Staff Writer
Email
Shelby Mattos is a recent graduate from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. She was born and raised in Honolulu. In her free time, she likes to explore new coffee shops across the island.
Ryann Coules
Staff Writer
Email
Ryann Coules started at Hawaii Business Magazine as a summer intern back in 2022. After graduating from New York University with a B.A. in International Relations, she returned home and continued writing for the magazine as a freelancer for the next year and a half. Ryann is thrilled to officially join the Hawaii Business team as a full time staff writer as of May 2024.
Creative
Jeff Sanner
Creative Director
Email
Jeff Sanner is an award-winning graphic designer who is a long-time resident of Kaimuki. He has a BFA in graphic design from the University of Hawaii, Manoa, and has spent the past 26 years in the advertising and design industry of Honolulu. Previously, he was the art director at Oahu Publications, Magazine Division, the advertising art director at Pacific Business News, and senior design director for Tinfish Press.
Aaron Yoshino
Staff Photographer
Aaron has been one of Pacific Basin Communications’ staff photographers since 2016 and a photojournalist since 2003. He was born in Honolulu and currently resides in Nuʻuanu. He enjoys using his photography as a medium to storytelling.
Digital
Randall Libramonte
Digital Director
Email
Randall Libramonte is a multimedia creator with a background in tech and UX, and has worked for startups across San Francisco and New York City before returning home to Hawaii in 2022. He brings fresh, innovative, and creative solutions to local businesses, and currently oversees digital operations at Hawaii Business Magazine. Randall is a coffee aficionado and lives in Waikele with more than 100 plants and his two corgis.
Michelle Tan
Digital Media Specialist
Email
Michelle Tan was born and raised in Honolulu and recently graduated from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Shidler College of Business with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing, Management, and International Business. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and hiking.
Sales & Events
Kent Coules
Co-Publisher
Email
Kent Coules joined Hawaii Business Magazine in August 2021, bringing 30-plus years of experience in print and digital media, as well as events. He worked for major newspapers in California, Minnesota and New Jersey, where he started a 16-year event production career. A Hawai‘i resident since 2013, Kent is excited to be part of the Hawaii Business ‘ohana.
Pam Saito
Account Executive
Email
Pam Saito is originally from Kāne‘ohe and now resides in ‘Aiea. She joined Hawaii Business Magazine in March 2023 and brings with her 9 years of print and digital media sales experience as well as retail and product sales experience. She enjoys working with customers and loves helping grow their businesses with the help of the products and services we provide.
YongChae Song
Account Executive
Email
Yong Song was born in South Korea but grew up in Hawai‘i Kai. He graduated from Kaiser High School and then UH Mānoa’s Shidler College of Business with a degree in Marketing. He joined Hawaii Business Magazine in December 2023, bringing with him 23 years of promotion, product wholesale, print, digital media and radio sales experience. In his spare time, he volunteers for his daughter’s school PTA and enjoys spending time with family.
Rebecca Brooking
Senior Account Coordinator
Email
Rebecca Brooking joined Hawaii Business Magazine in January 2023 and supports the sales team and coordinates advertising accounts. She has an extensive media sales background in newspaper advertising and real estate transaction coordination. She is thrilled to be joining the Hawaii Business ‘ohana.
Madelene Martinbianco
Event Manager
Email
Madelene Martinbianco is a Hawai’i Pacific University graduate originally from Grosse Pointe, MI. She joins the team with years of background in event production and experiential brand activations. Madelene looks forward to utilizing her knowledge of the industry to support and elevate the Hawaii Business Magazine event experience.
Olivia De Sena
Event Coordinator
Email
Olivia De Sena grew up in Mystic, Connecticut and had been living in Hawai‘i for 6+ years when she joined the Hawaii Business team in January 2024. Before joining the magazine, she worked as the Retail Manager for Mana Up Hawaii, where she gained experience in leadership, business development and events. In her free time, you can find her at Queen’s Surf break, watching films or out trying new restaurants.
Get Involved
We want our journalism to be inclusive of and responsive to the communities we cover. We welcome your participation in our reporting through our “Get Involved” page, where we ask for your help to find new people to speak with and topics to write about.
How We Work
This page explains how Hawaii Business Magazine journalists, editors and designers do their work. We talk about the editorial mantra that guides our story selections, the methodologies behind our lists, the awards we’ve won and some of our editorial policies.
Tracking Hawai‘i’s Private Equity-Owned Hotels and Their Impact
I spent five months digging into private equity’s ownership of Hawai‘i’s hotel industry and how that presence has affected their employees and the surrounding communities.
What We Learned from Hawaii Business Magazine’s 2022 Reader Survey
Most respondents say they consistently read our in-depth reports and email newsletters, and they come from a variety of backgrounds.
Behind the Design of Our Cover Story on Private Equity Landlords
The goal was to create imagery that reflects the lived experiences of renters.
