LiAnne Yu is an anthropologist and writer, who has done global research on artificial intelligence, social media, underserved communities, health+wellness, and entrepreneurialism. Having lived in Asia for several years, she is the author of Consumption in China: How China’s New Consumer Ideology is Shaping the Nation. She splits her time between San Francisco and Kona.
Globally, many popular destinations are experiencing a backlash against tourism. Here are multiple perspectives on the message that Hawai‘i should send to potential visitors.
The construction innovator and his company have built almost 33,000 homes for local families over more than 50 years. He’s still building at age 84.
In America’s most costly state, 44% of people can’t afford basic expenses and many more barely stay afloat. But there’s help for the wide spectrum of ALICE residents, including highly educated yet underpaid professionals.
As the fifth-generation leader of a local company, Jason Fujimoto has seen the lack of affordable housing impact his own Hawai‘i Island community, including people he knows and works with. “We’re now in the second year of population decline in…
Imagine going to your favorite Hawai‘i beach, picnicking on the white sand and snorkeling over a reef teeming with yellow tang. Or hiking through a māmane reserve and hearing palila sing. How much should you pay for such experiences?
76 organizations in the latest list of Hawai‘i's Most Charitable Companies gave a total of $162 million in cash and in-kind donations in 2018.
Here are five stories on how we can prepare for the present and the future, and what individuals, businesses, nonprofits and governments are doing to protect our natural environment.
The world is literally changing and here are six issues we need to understand so we can begin calculating the costs and consequences of climate change and prepare for them. We won’t be able to save everything, so all of Hawaii…
PART 2: "For Once it's Good to be 50th" The opioid crisis in Hawaii is much milder than in other U.S. states, though it has surged here in recent years. Here’s what is being done locally to reduce the problem.…
PART 1: The journey of an opioid addict begins with a pill or two that creates a glorious euphoria. Then begins a slow descent until you eventually hit a hellish bottom unique only to you. And then, maybe – if…
Five steps local leaders are taking right now to persuade bright young kamaaina to stay home or come back Tony Marzi is the kind of kamaaina that Hawaii’s business and community leaders hope will come home. The 32-year-old grew up…
Four homes that are off the grid on Hawaii Island show the range of possible lifestyles from affluent living to nothing but the basics. When you imagine living off the grid, what comes to mind? How about a community…
Dane Atkinson used to be the kind of startup CEO that board members praised because he attracted top-notch talent while saving money. Certain candidates were just not aggressive at negotiating their salaries, and he took advantage of that. “It’s easy…
Imagine a world in which robots, drones and artificial intelligence plant, monitor, harvest, and deliver your food. This may sound like science fiction, but it is, in fact, the emerging reality in farming. “We’re seeing robots that can plant, water…
Iolani Sportswear president Lloyd Kawakami remembers when aloha shirts were only made in Hawaii. Today, they are produced cheaply in Asia or sold under labels such as Tommy Bahama, which have no connection to the Islands. That competition has put…
Mosquitoes have already caused a dengue fever outbreak in Hawaii. Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases may be close behind. Here’s what scientists are doing and what you should do. For most of Kepa Police’s life, mosquitoes were minor annoyances, simply…
Among the faculty and administrators I spoke with, there is a strong consensus that UH Hilo deserves to be recognized as an innovative research and educational center in its own right. “We’re a small but comprehensive university,” says Matthew Platz,…
Hawaii’s homeless population includes thousands of working people who suffered a financial crisis and lost their place to live. Tens of thousands of others scrape by with jobs that pay little more than minimum wage, but are possibly one or…
There are many myths and misunderstandings about employment rules and regulations. Here’s our guide to workers’ rights and employers’ obligations, but please take note: We are not lawyers and this guide is no substitute for legal counsel. In many ways,…
While describing the values that have carried KTA Super Stores to its 100th year as a family-owned business, president and COO Toby Taniguchi brings up traditional Japanese concepts. “The organization has been able to survive because our focus is not…
Iselle battered Pahoa, then lava threatened to overrun it. This sleepy Hawaii Island town persevered, as did most of its businesses, but many other things will never be the same PAHOA, Hawaii Island – Petra Wiesenbauer, owner of Hale Moana Bed…
WHILE TRYING TO SAVE his home from foreclosure, what was most difficult to handle for cattle rancher Jeffrey Medeiros was not knowing the person on the other end of the phone line. “Every time I called the bank, I spoke to…
ATTORNEY GREGORY KIM believes that anyone with a good business idea should not be held back by the high cost of legal services. To help deserving entrepreneurs who can’t afford the $300 or $400 an hour that experienced corporate lawyers charge,…
THE TRAVEL CHANNEL named Kona’s manta ray night dive one of the top 10 things to do in your lifetime. As they feed on the plankton attracted to the flashlights held by divers and snorkelers, the gentle yet massive rays,…
“When we log onto our computers to check email, buy something from Amazon or watch a movie on Netflix, it seems almost magical. We don’t see the inner workings that make this happen. What enables all of these things we…
I believe the Hawaiian people have been given a tremendous gift from Pele and that gift is this access to deep ocean water,” says Rich Bailey, owner of Dewpoint Systems. The gift of deep ocean water may be Pele’s, but…
Reif Tauati got the idea for his startup after visiting Hawaii Volcanoes National Park for the first time since the second grade. “I remember walking through the lava tube and hearing about how ancient Hawaiians stored poi and water there.…
