Hawaii Island is now home to the first large-scale commercial maile farm in the state. Although maile is one of the most popular lei in Hawaii for special occasions, virtually all of what’s sold here is imported from the Cook…
The East-West Center this year celebrates its 50th anniversary as a national institution that promotes better relations and communities in the Asia-Pacific region through research and education. “Our students have the ability to really make a difference in our globalized…
More than 50 percent of marriages in the United States end in divorce and Hawaii accounts for about 5,000 of those breakups every year. Of those who remain married, true love is not always the reason. That’s why relationship experts…
Experience the taste of the Islands instantly from wherever you are with Hawaii Plantation coffee and tea sticks. Place the stick in a cup with boiling water; allow the tea to steep for two to three minutes; the coffee crystals…
Every year, millions of dollars in contracts are awarded to Mainland vendors for products and services that could be going to local businesses. The Buying Local First campaign is connecting Big Island businesses with federal, state and county contract vendors…
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…
Neil Rose went from standout athlete at UH Lab School to football captain and quarterback at Harvard. He’s now chief investment officer for Cadinha and Co., with two children under the age of 2 – all before his 30th birthday.…
The Shops at Mauna Lani on the Kohala Coast is now home to the state’s only “4-D theater.” Movies shown on the 19-foot widescreen by twin HD projectors are synchronized with full-range motion seats, a surround-sound system and effects such…
Want to be a rich woman and increase your financial IQ? Hawaii’s nine Cashflow Clubs teach financial literacy using the Cashflow Game, which shows how to make your money work for you and how to distinguish between good and bad…
James “Jimmy” Chan is packing some major heat – with his new Kilauea Fire Hawaiian Style BBQ sauce, that is. The owner of the Hawaiian Chip Company turned his most popular taro and sweet-potato chip flavor into an all-in-one barbecue…
In 1960, K.J. Luke founded Hawaii National Bank. Since then, three generations of the Luke family have run and grown the business. K.J.’s son Warren Luke and his children Bryan and Cathy Luke say the secret to operating a successful…
If you’ve ever been called “big boned” — and have had a chip on your shoulder ever since — listen up. Lee-Ann Watanabe, a former couch potato turned triathlete, and Nicky Perry, a personal trainer who just competed in her…
About 30 Kohala farmers were devastated when their water was cut off three years ago by a 6.7 magnitude earthquake that badly damaged the 14.5-mile Kohala Ditch. When the ditch’s owner, Surety Kohala Corporation, said it couldn’t afford to rebuild,…
You finally caught on and created a company Web site. The problem is, nobody knows about it. Mary Fastenau, president of StarrTech Interactive, explains how to drive more eyeballs to your Web site for little or no cost. OvercommunIcate your…
Guests staying at Marriott’s five Hawaii hotels can now donate 100 percent of their last night’s room rate to the American Heart Association’s Hawaii chapter, Kapiolani Children’s Miracle Network or the American Red Cross’s Hawaii chapter, as part of Marriott…
Sam Choy is a world-class chef, restaurateur and TV personality who helped put Pacific Rim cuisine on the global culinary map, but he’s most proud of being a dad and grandpa. Grinds Choy goes to Best Drive In on Sand…
$158,000 What Is It? A pastel Tahitian cultured pearl necklace made of 29 round pearls, each 14 to 17 millimeters. The clasp alone is worth $7,500 and is made of 2.47 carats of diamonds and 18k white gold. Where Is…
Henk Rogers is a video game developer and tech mogul who is best known for introducing Tetris to the Western hemisphere. Today, he’s committed to promoting a new concept to the world: renewable energy. In recent years, Rogers has been…
Five government resources that can jumpstart your small business Island Princess, a local candy company, had been growing since it began in 1983 but struggled to stay alive when the economy nosedived after 9/11. “Sales were way down and we…
Greg Lee, CEO of 1st Look Exteriors, combined his two greatest passions — plants and art — to create a niche business that’s so unique he’s the only licensed contractor of his kind in the state. 1st Look Exteriors designs…
Marriott Resorts Hawaii is launching its Spirit of Aloha Tour in Japan this month to attract more Japanese to the islands and its six resort hotels. A weak global economy and fear of the H1N1 flu have cut the number…
Allen Uyeda, president and CEO of First Insurance Company of Hawaii, is not your typical aloha-shirt-wearing, Honolulu businessman. Some of his adventures — like scuba-diving the shark-infested Great Barrier Reef would make Indiana Jones cringe. Gadget He says his Treo…
3 reasons why these Top 250 companies beat the odds No. 1 Reason for Big Gains: Strategic Growth Many Top 250 companies are Hawaii institutions that have defined local business culture for decades and employ the most experienced and talented…
Barbara Hastings has been an advocate for Big Island businesses for over a decade. She is also one of the most well-informed women in Hilo, serving as the eyes, ears and voice of the local business community. As president of…
“Networking has the potential to reverse the brain drain,” says Danielle Scherman, founder and president of Social Wahines, a social and professional networking group. What started off three years ago as an intimate monthly get-together of Scherman and her 30-something…
Barbara Tanabe, president and CEO of Hoakea Communications, is a pioneer. She crushed both color and gender barriers in the 1970s when she became one of the first Asian-American women TV reporters and anchors. Destinations Tanabe is a big fan…
Something major is happening. Women everywhere are mobilizing — themselves and each other — to get into the community, grow their contact lists and build meaningful relationships to advance their careers. This new age of wahine networking is a far…
Three years ago, after the Big Island was rocked by a 6.6 magnitude earthquake and power failed across the state, Judi Steinman and her husband, Shaul Baruch Janes, watched movies on their flat-screen TV and drank cold beverages from the…
Find out who led the way in 14 categories, and how two organizations attract and keep employees despite serious challenges.
While the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and ali‘i trusts collect land rents from 18 hotels, some Hawaiian groups are aiming for ownership.
