Say “Yes” to Celebrating Small Businesses with First Hawaiian Bank

Christina Rudolph, First Hawaiian Bank Business Banking Officer, Main Branch Honolulu, says it’s important for her team to form strong and close relationships with their customers.

Small businesses and the individuals behind them play important roles in our communities. Hawaii Business magazine and First Hawaiian Bank are celebrating Small Business Month by talking to bankers who are passionate about helping local entrepreneurs thrive with the right tools and team.

Christina Rudolph, First Hawaiian Bank Business Banking Officer, Main Branch Honolulu, says it’s important for her team to form strong and close relationships with their customers.

“We have many small businesses we’ve been working with — everything from auto shops to mom-and-pop stores, to lei shops — for well over 25 years. Small businesses are really the backbone of our communities, and I enjoy working with them because of that.”

One of those relationships is with Dr. Maya Yamagata, owner and president of Hawaii Veterinary Vision. She says she is passionate about being a veterinarian, and “the business part of it is secondary.” That’s why she relies on First Hawaiian for her banking needs. She has been with the bank from the start of the business, in 1997, getting set up with credit cards, checks and authorization services. “We like to keep things simple,” she says.

Dr. Yamagata is also a second-generation customer with First Hawaiian, as the bank helped her parents get a loan for their first home.

“First Hawaiian Bank has always had a special place in my heart. They gave them a chance,” she says.

Furthering Dr. Yamagata’s appreciation of the bank, in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Small Business Month, she was recently awarded a $10,000 grant through the First Hawaiian Bank Foundation and Fiserv Back2Business program, which connects minority-owned small businesses with critical resources including monetary grants, networking opportunities, and technology.

“With only three employees we’re so small, we were very surprised to get this award,” Dr. Yamagata says. “It’s very humbling, and we are very grateful.”