Hawai‘i’s Best Places to Work 2025
90 Companies and Nonprofits Where Employees Thrive.
Cynthia Wessendorf
Cynthia Wessendorf is a writer and editor with decades of experience in the book publishing industry. Since moving to Honolulu from New York in 2001, she has freelanced for the East-West Center, Punahou School, HONOLULU Magazine, Iolani Palace, Amacom Books, University of Rochester Press, Habitat for Humanity, and many others.
Articles
20 for the Next 20: Justin Tyndall, UH Mānoa and UHERO
This associate professor of economics is a data guru who’s busting myths and pinpointing the real culprits driving Hawai‘i’s housing costs.
20 for the Next 20: Ka‘iulani Sodaro, Howard Hughes – Ward Village
This senior VP of planning and development is helping to transform 60 acres of prime real estate in Kaka‘ako, including 1,200 below-market condos.
Hawaii Entrepreneur Awards 2025
25 years of honoring outstanding local startups and innovation.
20 for the Next 20: John R. Love, Cades Schutte
As head of the firm’s finance, real estate and corporate department, Love brings vast knowledge of every aspect of real estate, “from the dirt on up.”
20 for the Next 20: Sterling Higa, Policy Compass
The founder and CEO of a new policy-focused consulting venture helped push forward major legislative wins in affordable housing.
Black Book 2024: 410 Executives of Hawai‘i’s Most Influential Organizations
Profiles of business and nonprofit leaders in every sector, from construction and energy to education and health care.
The Tiny Oilseed That Could Help Power Hawai‘i’s Energy Future
Some of the state’s biggest companies are working to turn a cover crop into renewable fuel for utilities, vehicles and passenger planes.
Hawai‘i’s Most Charitable Companies 2024
107 organizations donated more than $300 million to help Hawai‘i’s nonprofits, with a significant portion going to support Maui’s recovery.
Navigating Hawai‘i’s Family-Leave Maze
Rules and policies can leave parents broke and jobless, or push them back to work long before they or their infants are ready. Can the system be fixed?
Hawai‘i’s Most Profitable Companies 2024
The No. 1 company earned $297 million in profit last year; the last-place company lost almost as much.
Hawai‘i’s Top 250 Companies 2024: List Now Available
The 41st annual ranking of the state’s largest companies and nonprofits shows revenue was up, but the Lahaina catastrophe was widely felt – especially among small and medium businesses with Maui operations.
Gen Z Is Shaking Up Hawai‘i’s Workplaces. Are You Ready?
Here’s what managers and Gen Zers say about generational stereotypes, and how to help young employees succeed.
Hawai‘i’s Best Places to Work 2024: 78 Companies That Made the Cut
Find out who led the way in 14 categories, and how two organizations attract and keep employees despite serious challenges.
The Heat Is Rising in Honolulu. More Trees Will Help Cool It Off.
Hawai‘i organizations were awarded $42.6 million in federal funds to expand the urban tree canopy. Some neighborhoods need it more than others.
20 for the Next 20: Dana Shapiro, Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Cooperative
The coop’s co-founder and general manager is working to revitalize breadfruit as a staple crop and a regular item on Hawai‘i’s tables.
20 for the Next 20: Naehalani Breeland, Ola Brew
With a new kī-based spirit preparing to hit the global market, this co-founder and president draws on her Moloka‘i roots to keep the company grounded.
Black Book 2023: 416 Hawai‘i Executives You Should Know
The most comprehensive Black Book in more than a decade profiles many of the state’s leading business and nonprofit leaders.
When Fire Struck Lahaina, Hawai‘i’s Private Sector Rushed in to Help
These four Most Charitable Companies 2023 honorees mobilized with emergency supplies, health clinics and an unusual recovery mission.
Hawai‘i’s Most Charitable Companies 2023
Eighty organizations donated nearly $241 million and 73,768 volunteer hours to help Hawai‘i’s nonprofits.
Honolulu Harbor Isn’t Ready for Climate Change
But the new Kapālama Container Terminal is the first step in an ambitious plan to create a more resilient port and cope with a rising ocean.
Hawai‘i’s Most Profitable Companies 2023
Matson tops the list for a second year in a row, with more than $1 billion in net profit last year.
Hawai‘i’s Top 250 Companies 2023: List Now Available
The 40th annual ranking of the state’s largest companies and nonprofits shows revenue gains in nearly every sector of the economy in 2022, especially energy and tourism.
Growing Up in an Age of Anxiety
Hawai‘i’s young people are struggling with mental health issues. Nearly half of high school girls and 60% of LGBTQ+ students experience depression. And help can be hard to find.
Here’s What It Takes to Help Kids Thrive at Kealakehe Intermediate School
Mathieu Williams, assistant principal and a 20 for the Next 20 honoree, walks us through his day in words and photos.
Hawai‘i’s Best Places to Work 2023
These 76 companies and nonprofits score an average of 90% on employee engagement. The national average is just 32%.
How Three Small Companies Use Unusual Benefits to Build Loyal Teams
These Best Places to Work in Hawai‘i prioritize well-being, and they offer employee programs that prove it.
20 for the Next 20: Mathieu Williams, Kealakehe Intermediate School
This digital media teacher and assistant principal helps bring out the best in his students and connects them to the world beyond the classroom.
20 for the Next 20: Marisa Castuera Hayase, Weinberg Foundation
The managing director of Hawai‘i programs and communications is “a new breed of philanthropic leader” who deploys resources where they’re needed most.
20 for the Next 20: AJ Halagao, Hawaiian Electric Industries & HEI Charitable Foundation
The VP of corporate and community advancement and president of HEI’s charitable arm awards millions of dollars to nonprofits each year.
20 for the Next 20: Christian Chambers, Lung Rose Voss Wagnild
The law firm’s partner has a passion for helping people with serious mental health challenges get long-term treatment.
Hawaii Entrepreneur Awards 2023: Entrepreneur of the Year
Awarded to the individual or team that has gone above expectations with their company, and is a clear example to other entrepreneurs.
Black Book 2022: 361 Hawai‘i Executives You Should Know
This “who’s who” tells you about their jobs, the boards they serve on and causes supported, their proudest accomplishments, and more.
Hawai‘i’s Most Charitable Companies 2022
These 78 companies and nonprofits gave more than $217.3 million and 78,692 volunteer hours.
Why Hawai‘i’s Wildfires Are Growing Bigger and More Intense
The disaster on Maui is a sign of things to come as invasive grasses spread across the landscape and extreme rain-drought cycles intensify their fuel loads. Here's the science behind Hawai‘i’s wildfires, and the people who are fighting to stop them.
Inside the Kitchen at Fête
Since Robynne Maii won a 2022 James Beard Award for Best Chef, expectations are higher than ever.
This Downtown Hub Is Launching Businesses and Careers
The Patsy T. Mink Center for Business & Leadership offers small business workshops, one-on-one counseling and leadership training.
Hawai‘i’s Most Profitable Companies 2022
Fueled by its China service, Matson tops the list that shows how 70 companies and nonprofits fared in 2021, a year of recovery.
Hawai‘i’s Top 250 Companies 2022: List Now Available Online
Revenue figures reflect a year when tourists returned, real estate prices soared and people went shopping again.
Passing the Torch at the Weinberg Foundation
When Corbett Kalama retires at the end of 2022, two co-leaders plan to keep expanding rural funding and stabilizing the $1-billion-plus real estate portfolio.
