When one penthouse isn’t enough, why not combine two? That’s what’s happened at One Ala Moana, the luxury tower being built above Nordstrom at Ala Moana Center, where a pair of condos recently fetched a combined price of $17 million, according to developer B.J. Kobayashi. One Ala Moana is…
Problem: Search online for, say, a traditional hula kahiko dancer, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a high-quality image you can easily download and use for your business. Daniel Leuck, CEO of the Honolulu-based creative agency Ikayzo, saw that need for good…
You make your own bitters and brew your own beer. Your iPod playlists get rave reviews from your friends and you know how to throw a party. Why not profit from your obvious talents? The lure of owning a bar, nightclub…
What started as a pastime collecting shells on the beach in Sydney, Australia, has turned into a jewelry line featured last year in the pages of Sports Illustrated’s famous swimsuit edition. Marylea Conrad, founder of the line called [ki•ele], is still in shock. “Being featured in the…
In 2005, Lourdes Vergara Marcelo left her job as head nurse at Tripler Army Medical Center to start her own company in Mililani with just one client and another certified nursing assistant. Soon, Marcelo had hired three more CNAs and…
Child & Family Service – one of Hawaii’s biggest nonprofit, social-service providers – now offers a personalized care program called Kupuna Concierge as part of an effort to divesify its income. Prices start at $38 an…
Name: BRADLEY COATES Job: DIVORCE AND FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY Years of experience: 36 START: When Bradley Coates attended the University of Southern California in the 1970s, his plan was to get his Ph.D. and become a history professor – until he saw…
Taste Table is the only place on Oahu where you can get carnitas tacos one day and a pumpkin-pie waffle the next. The innovative food venture in Kakaako that opened in October is the brainchild of four people who want…
Pau Hana with Kevin Bloom Like many people, Kelvin Bloom likes to go for a drive to take his mind off work. Unlike others, Bloom drives at 200 mph or more.…
Name: Misha Lam Job: Jewelry Designer Experience: One year in jewelry, six in fashion design Start: From an early age, Lam knew she wanted a creative career. After graduating from Punahou School in 2001, Lam earned a bachelor’s degree in…
About six years ago, Paul Alston bought 20 acres in Volcano on Hawaii Island. The plot was zoned for agriculture and Alston, who grew up in urban Southern California, had no idea what he was getting himself into. “After we…
Many potential buyers begin their real estate search online, and more and more of those buyers are foreigners. That’s why, in mid-February, Prudential Locations will launch a new website that offers fully translated listings in English, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Korean…
Clint Churchill loves the loops, rolls and spins of acrobatic flying, but he gets his greatest pleasure from his passengers’ thrills. “When the passengers’ reactions are that this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and they have these huge grins and want…
Name: John David Nelson Job: Entomologist Years of experience: 14 STARTING OUT: Growing up on an Eastern Tennessee farm, Nelson says, insects were part of his daily life. But it wasn’t until he took an entomology class in college, then…
Call it Hawaii’s most unusual export. For years, the vast majority of calves born in Hawaii have been sent to feed lots on the mainland, where they matured, and then were slaughtered and shipped to grocery stores and restaurants around…
Name: Windy Keala McElroy Job: Archaeologist Years of experience: More than 10 STARTING OUT: When Windy Keala McElroy enrolled at Windward Community College, she quickly discovered a passion for anthropology, and went on to get bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate…
Bill Riddle doesn’t sleep much. That’s how the president and CEO of Visitor Video Hawaii, which produces in-room videos for more than 30,000 hotel rooms across the state, is able to write a book, make wooden ship models, invent a…
Name: Steve VanDermyden Job: Artisan bread baker and new owner of Coffees N Epicurea, a bakery and coffee shop in Captain Cook on Hawaii Island. Experience: Two years. STARTING OUT: Two years ago, VanDermyden was thinking about opening a…
Rob Pacheco walks up to what looks like an immense empty bathtub amid a desolate volcanic landscape dotted by ohia lehua and pukeawe trees. “This is my favorite place,” he says, pointing to the ancient Kaupulehu Crater, which descends hundreds…
What it is: frii is a daily deal app for iPhones and iPads where everything is free. Users can browse categories where merchants list their giveaways for free. Freebies have included shave ice, fish tacos, chiropractor exams, ice tea and a…
Howard K.F. Lee walks the talk. Literally. The president and CEO of University Health Alliance dropped 20 pounds since January after joining a CrossFit program and overhauling his diet. His cholesterol and blood pressure improved, too. Now he’s armed with…
Ask the owner of Group Builders Inc. how he’s been able to grow his business from a $1,000 capital investment to a multimillion-dollar finishing contractor business in 33 years and he won’t point to his ingenuity and hard work. He’ll…
When chef Lance Kosaka first stepped into the vacant restaurant space at the YWCA on Richards Street, its high ceilings, open-air feel and architectural beauty captivated him and his partners. “We stood in the restaurant and looked around,” he says.…
When David Miller moved to Hawaii from Boston more than 40 years ago, he figured he should take advantage of the Islands’ active, outdoor lifestyle. Since he grew up in New York City playing handball – there’s not much of…
PHOTOS BY DAVID CROXFORD You know the truism: It takes money to make money. That much is obvious, but how much money does it take to make money? In this case: How much does it cost to launch a successful…
Why do some smart people keep repeating their mistakes and how can they stop such foolish behavior? Clinical psychologist Rosalie K. Tatsuguchi addresses those questions in her new book, “Why Smart People Do the Same Dumb Things: Causes and Cures…
Sam Craig thought it would be a great team-building activity for his HMSA colleagues to compete in last year’s Startup Weekend Honolulu. He didn’t expect to win. “We came in on Friday with a team and that’s it,” says Craig,…
As the state director of the Trust for Public Land, Lea Hong spends most of the workweek poring over tax maps, talking with attorneys and raising money for land acquisitions. No wonder she likes to detach on weekends. For Hong,…
Newlyweds Carey and Brandon Bennett were living on a budget, but still liked to go out, grab a drink and hang with friends. However, finding information about happy hours in Hawaii wasn’t easy. “It was difficult to find out which…
“You know, it’s a massage seat, too.” The chauffeur, Philippe Deprez, pointed to the control panel on the door of the custom-built 2012 Rolls-Royce Ghost EWB, the only one in Hawaii. “Go ahead,” he says, “press that button.” Talk about…
Misconceptions: With TV shows like “The Millionnaire Matchmaker” creating false impressions, it’s easy to misunderstand what professional matchmakers do. At Matchmaking Introductions Hawaii, owner and president Reiko Keifert says singles don’t come to her because they can’t find partners on…
It’s not easy taking over a family-run business that’s been operating successfully for nearly six decades. And, if loyal customers notice any changes, even necessary changes, they’re quick to criticize the new owner. All that wasn’t lost on Honolulu entrepreneur…
Rude coworkers, bullying bosses, stolen lunches. Office life can be uncivil. But Penelope Paik, president of Civility International Inc., says five small changes to our behavior can make a big difference. There’s no better time to start than this month, which…
Before Bill Jarvis took the helm seven years ago at Mobi PCS, a Hawaii-based wireless phone company, he had spent two decades working for other, bigger national brands. So he knew what not to do. “We could really study the category…
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…
It was about two hours until dinner service, and there was a steady movement in, out and around The Grove, a family-owned restaurant that opened in Kailua in December. As bartenders got organized and cooks prepped for dinner, there was…
What’s It Worth? $3,000 Abigail Langlas makes special occasions especially sweet. The cake artist and pastry chef created a four-foot cake shaped like a 1959 pink Cadillac for the 50th anniversary of the Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association three years ago.…
Name: John Hirokawa Job: Master illusionist, Magic of Polynesia Experience: 39 years as a performing magician Starting out: When he was about 8, Hirokawa saw the 1953 movie, “Houdini,” starring Tony Curtis, and was entranced. “My mom borrowed magic books…
When Todd Yamanaka joined Island Insurance 11 years ago, the company’s website,www.islandinsurance.com, was essentially a tool that shared basic information about the company’s products. That was it. Needless to say, the site didn’t rank at the top in search results,…
NAME: Sharon Mujtabaa JOB: President, Hawaii Court Reporters and Captioners Association; owner, The Caption Co. EXPERIENCE: 15 years in captioning, nine years as a court reporter STARTING OUT: When Mujtabaa went to court-reporting school in Chicago, she loved it all,…
Thirty-six years ago, a designer on the North Shore walked into Matsumoto Shave Ice in Haleiwa and told the family he wanted to design a T-shirt for them. Just for them to wear, not to sell. Stanley Matsumoto, now the…
NAME: Kendall Sexton JOB: Owner and operator, Crosstown Couriers YEARS OF EXPERIENCE: Five CHALLENGES: Running Honolulu’s only bicycle-messenger company that services the area from Kahala to the airport is tough enough. Add unpredictable weather, bad drivers and a shortage of…
Michael Kennebeck was recruited to play Santa Claus by an Ala Moana Center staffer who recognized that his personality and bushy beard made him a natural for the part. That was 18 years ago and Kennebeck has been playing the…
Name: Ruby Alvarez Job: Hawaii executive manager, Batesville Logistics Years of experience: 23 Duties: Batesville operates the only casket-manufacturer’s outlet in Hawaii, so demand for its caskets, cremation containers and urns is high, Alvarez says. “Some customers might want a…
There’s nothing more impressive than ordering the most expensive item on the menu at a posh restaurant – and doing it without bungling the name of the dish. Chef Mavro restaurant in Moiliili makes the pronunciation easy with its Trio…
Name: Shoko Watanabe, VMD Job: Veterinarian, trained in oncology, at the VCA Family Animal Hospital in Pearl City. Years on the job: 3 Toughest part: It’s hard telling pet owners that their companions have cancer and that chemotherapy could cost…
Name: Angela Tillson Job: Film-location scout/manager and casting director on Kauai Years on the job: 22 Experience: Tillson’s worked with big-name movie directors, including Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Spike Lee, Alexander Payne and Rob Reiner, and hung out with actors…
On a layover in Seoul, IT consultant Anthony Stanford needed a place to work, preferably with free Wi-Fi and a decent cup of coffee. Instead of Starbucks, he used a “co-working” space where people rented desks in a shared office.…
Name: Joseph Everitt Teipel, aka Surfer Joe the Auctioneer Job: Owner, AuctionAction LLC Experience: 27 years Start: Teipel got his first taste of auctioneering in 1984: Jewelry and watch broker Hingkie Han hired him to conduct her popular fashion auctions…
Name: Gregg Levine, DVM Job: Marine-mammal veterinarian at Dolphin Quest facilities on Oahu and the Big Island, contract veterinarian for the National Marine Fisheries, and small-animal veterinarian and acupuncturist. Years of experience: 12 Toughest part: No matter what kind of…
The National Kidney Foundation says about 90,000 people in the U.S. need a kidney, and 12 people die every day while waiting for one.
A “visionary who sees beyond the numbers,” this senior VP and director of corporate banking helped launch a community development entity.
