Shidler Business Spring/Summer 2024 Issue

DEAN’S MESSAGE

ALOHA,

2024 marks the Shidler College of Business’ 75TH ANNIVERSARY, a momentous occasion we have been celebrating throughout the year. In this issue, we honor faculty and staff, donors and alumni, all of whom have been instrumental in shaping the college’s past and present, and will be crucial to our future trajectory.

In reflection of my 20 years as dean of the college, I would like to extend a heartfelt mahalo to our students, faculty, staff, alumni, as well as business and community partners. It is through the collective efforts of our stakeholders that we realized positive change throughout Hawai‘i and beyond.

Alumnus Jay H. Shidler’s transformative gifts have significantly changed the college forever. Since his initial gift of $25 million in 2006, approximately $238 million has been donated to the college in cash, land leases and in-kind donations. His contributions represent both the largest individual donation in the university’s 110-year history and is the second-largest known gift to any U.S. business school at a public university.

I am proud of many accomplishments as we commemorate our special milestone, including:

Our alumni, an impressive group of more than 45,000 encompassing many prominent business and community leaders.

Awarding more than $1 million merit-based scholarships annually, and raising over $500,000 for study abroad opportunities.

Placing around 500 students in internships each year across Hawai‘i, the continental U.S. and internationally.

88% of our graduates secure positions in their desired industry or pursue advanced degrees within three months of graduation.

Consistently ranking among top 20 in the nation for international business, as well as elevated School of Travel Industry Management (TIM) rankings.

The astounding success of the Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship (PACE) with the newly opened Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center, Hawai‘i’s first live-learn-work community open to all students in the UH System.

As we look to the next 75 years, there is still work to be done. We invite you to participate in our Legacy Lei Campaign. With every donation, supporters contribute a component to the Legacy Lei—a symbol of resilience, unity and interconnectedness. Leave your mark by adding your name to a commemorative piece, and together we can weave a future filled with opportunity and success.

Sincerely,

V. Vance Roley Dean and First Hawaiian Bank Chair of Leadership and Management

shidler.hawaii.edu/75

shidler.hawaii.edu/events

Shidler Business is published twice annually for alumni, students and friends of the Shidler College of Business. Direct correspondence to: Shidler College of Business University of Hawai‘i at Ma¯noa 2404 Maile Way, C202, Honolulu, HI 96822 (808) 956-6044 | dani.douglass@uhfoundation.org

ADMINISTRATION

DEAN | V. Vance Roley

INTERIM ASSOCIATE DEAN | Elizabeth Davidson

ASSISTANT DEAN OF STUDENT SERVICES | Robin Hadwick, EMBA ’00

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT | Jennifer Lieu

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI & EXTERNAL

RELATIONS | Bianca Mordasini

EDITORIAL STAFF

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Dani Douglass

WRITER | Christine Quach, BBA ’19

GRAPHIC DESIGNER | Kiana Loftis

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS | Jennifer Lieu, Paula Ota & Tyson Yamada, BBA ’03, MBA ’07 WEB | Loren Swendsen, MBA ’07

CIRCULATION NUMBERS

Print 13,087 | Digital 19,691 shidler.hawaii.edu/magazine

DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION

Alumni with a valid email receive Shidler Business digitally. Please update your record with your current email using the QR code or URL below. shidler.hawaii.edu/magazine/update

Volume 47, Number 1 Spring/Summer 2024

Shidler College of Business Advisory Council

| Shidler Celebrates its Diamond Anniversary

| TIM School Director & Professor Dan Spencer College News

| 2024 Lane Lecture

| Shidler Annual Conferences

| What’s Happening at PACE

Faculty and Staff Notes

| Notable Mentions Donor News

| Roy & Hilda Takeyama Foundation

| Tom Wellman Scholarship Alumni News

| Talk Story Features Erin Uehara

| Alumni Features

| Class Notes

| Alumni at Work Features Bank of Hawai‘i

CHAIR | Robin K. Campaniano, EMBA ’83, Former President & CEO, Farmers Insurance Hawaii | MEMBERS | Steven Ai, President & CEO, City Mill Company, Ltd. | Jeremiah “Jay” Ana, BBA ’98, President, Young Brothers | Robert F. Clarke, Former Chairman, President & CEO, Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. | Matthew Cox, Chairman & CEO, Matson Navigation Company | John C. Dean, Chairman Emeritus, Central Pacific Bank | Susan Eichor, MBA ’90, President & COO, aio | Eddie Flores, Jr., BBA ’70, Founder, L&L Franchise, Inc. | Terri Fujii, BBA ’84, MAcc ’85, Managing Partner, CW Associates, CPAs | Robert Harrison, Chairman, President & CEO, First Hawaiian Bank | David A. Heenan, Former Trustee, The Estate of James Campbell | Shelee Kimura, BBA ’95, President & CEO, Hawaiian Electric | Constance H. Lau, Former President & CEO, Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. | Nelson K.M. Lau, BBA ’85, Former Managing Partner, KPMG, LLP | Ross Murakami, BBA ’87, Founding Partner, KMH LLP | Diane Paloma, MBA ’99, President & CEO, Hawaii Dental Service | Lance Parker, President & CEO, Alexander and Baldwin | Emily Reber Porter, COO, The MacNaughton Group | Jean E. Rolles, Former Vice President, Community Affairs, Outrigger Enterprises, Inc. | Todd Takayama, BBA ’90, President & CEO, First Insurance Company of Hawaii, Ltd. | Scott Seu, President & CEO, Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. | Kent K. Tsukamoto, BBA ’78,

MILESTONES & MEMORIES

DURING

75 YEARS OF INTERNATIONAL EXCELLENCE

Originally called the College of Business Administration, the Shidler College of Business (Shidler College) has a storied history where more than 45,000 individuals across the globe have taken their educational journeys. It all started in 1949 with a small group of students studying accounting, economics and industrial relations making up the inaugural class. Since that time, the college has undergone tremendous growth and received transformational support.

The college is home to one of the top 20 business programs for international business in the United States and the only Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accredited master of business administration program in Hawai‘i. As a leading business school with an Asia-Pacific focus, the college annually awards students $500,000 for study abroad and over $1 million in scholarships to reduce financial stress. Students benefit from a variety of clubs, organizations, and have access to the Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship (PACE), which fosters innovation and creative thinking. Beyond the classroom, the college promotes mentorship and networking through unique events, preparing students for successful careers.

As the college celebrates its 75th anniversary, it remains focused on critical issues such as sustainability and social responsibility, diversity and equity, entrepreneurship and experiential learning, adapting to the post-COVID world and the integration of artificial intelligence. Times are ever-

BY DANI DOUGLASS

changing but one constant that remains is Shidler College’s unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation and community impact as a leader in business education. The college owes much of its success to the dedicated leaders, faculty and staff, students, supporters and alumni, all of whom have helped elevate it to where it stands today.

SHIDLER COLLEGE’S PILLARS: CELEBRATING 20+ YEARS OF SERVICE

Left to right: Victor Huang, 23 years; Rosita Chang, 24 years; Ghon Rhee, 25 years; Tom Pearson, 35 years; Hamid Pourjalali, 28 years; Liz Davidson, 28 years; Qianqiu Liu, 21 years; Rhana Lau, 21 years; Jon Fujiwara, 34 years; and Mitsuru Misawa, 28 years. Faculty/staff 20+ years not pictured: Dana Alden, 35 years; Dharm Bhawuk, 29 years; Qimei Chen, 23 years; Robert Doktor, 46 years; Wesley Fong, 21 years; Kiyohiko Ito, 23 years; Manu Ka‘iama, 31 years; Bill Remus, 49 years; and Rick Varley, 23 years.

LEADERSHIP AND VISION

Shidler College Dean Vance Roley had a clear vision for the college in the middle of the Pacific when he joined Shidler from the University of Washington in 2005. After he stepped into his role nearly 20 years ago, he turned his focus toward two important components that have been a central theme to his administration throughout the years.

My vision was to make this one of the top public business schools in the United States, and in my view, in order to do this, we had to invest in people and programs. You need great faculty, and you need great students.

-Vance Roley

Roley hit the ground running and immersed himself into the local business community with the support of an advisory board, led by its chair Bob Clarke, who was president and CEO of Hawaiian Electric Industries at the time. In order to amplify people and programs, Roley needed support so he set out to raise money for scholarships for students and faculty endowments. One of his

THANK YOU FOR YOUR 75TH MEMORIES shidler.hawaii.edu/75

earliest dreams was that all students could study abroad. Donors who’ve shared that vision include Bill Johnson, BBA ’65, and The Freeman Foundation. Their generosity has helped support the robust study abroad program Roley envisioned.

“I was really fortunate to be in a position to be able to give back and I think you have a responsibility, if you are in that position,” Johnson said. “There are many worthy areas for charity but I’ve always focused primarily on education because it’s so important. You give a man a fish, he eats for a day. But teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.”

Following the Johnson gift, which was the first of Roley’s deanship, his focus remained on increasing the college’s six faculty endowments (there are 43 today). These endowments allow many of the college’s faculty members opportunities beyond their day to day duties.

Interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Liz Davdison has worn many hats since she came to UH M¯anoa in 1996, including department chair of the Department of Information Technology Management and director of the Communications and Information Science Ph.D. program. Davidson is the recipient of one of the college’s professorships, the W. Ruel Johnson Distinguished Professor, which created opportunities she wouldn’t otherwise have.

“The funding from the gift has allowed me to really participate in my academic community beyond Hawai‘i,” she said. “Academia is a global community and I’ve been able to travel to conferences and also serve as a mentor for students and take on editorial roles with this support. It’s these experiences that really make a difference for faculty development.”

LEGACY OF GENEROSITY

On Roley’s desk is a white cocktail napkin within a koa wood frame with a barely legible “$100M” scribbled on it. The story behind it involves one of the college’s most recognizable alumnus and college namesake, Jay H. Shidler, BBA ’68.

The pledge made on the napkin wasn’t Shidler’s initial gift to his alma mater. His first significant contribution was $25 million in 2006. Roley says that his first pitch to Shidler for this gift didn’t resonate. Determined to garner support for his vision, he asked Shidler if he could back the goal of becoming one of the best public business schools in the United States, emphasizing the need for faculty support and student scholarships. The way Shidler shared his decision will forever leave an indelible mark on Roley’s memories of his time as dean.

“One day, a courier comes to the door with an envelope and delivers it to me here in my office,” Roley reflected. “I open it and it’s a note from Jay Shidler saying ‘I am going to give the college $25 million.’ I almost fell off my chair, that was a very good day!”

The $100 million addition originated at the college’s holiday party in 2013. By that time, Shidler’s giving had grown to $31 million. Roley wasted no time and asked for what he knew was needed to elevate the college and put it on the map.

“I asked him if he could round up his giving so that we could be a $100 million business school, which would be really special because there were only a couple of these schools,” Roley said. “After some thought, he took out a napkin. He wrote down $31 million and then he wrote down $100 and put two lines on it and he said, ‘Vance, you better keep this napkin.’”

Today, Shidler’s giving has grown to approximately $238 million in cash, land leases and in-kind donations. It also represents the largest individual donation to UH and makes him the second largest known donor to any public business school nationwide.

“I believe that education has the power to transform lives which is why I give back to the college.”

-Jay H. Shidler

“This is my way of ensuring that the future generation has that same opportunity for growth and success that was afforded to me,” he said. “I support Dean Roley’s investment in people and programs because I see those groups as being key to making a difference in the world.”

Davidson recalls how the initial Shidler gift started a period of immense growth for the college and that his gifts have set the standard in inspiring other donations that invest in the college and its vision.

“The initial Shidler gift started a period of transformation of the college that made it possible for us to take a big step up in our level of accomplishment in research and visibility,” she said. “Getting to those higher steps have allowed us to continue making progress.”

To this day, the college’s legacy of generosity extends near and far and is central to its ability to uphold Roley’s vision. Each gift that comes in, no matter the size, is a testament to the community’s steadfast support and belief in the transformative power of education. These contributions make it possible for the college to enhance its programs, attract top-tier faculty, provide scholarship support to students and foster innovation so that graduates are prepared to make meaningful contributions to society.

RISING UP

The Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center has propelled Shidler College into a new era of excellence. The state-of-theart facility is managed by the Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship (PACE) and is a shining example of the college’s commitment to foster a vibrant entrepreneurship environment, which extends its reach beyond Shidler College and invites all students within the UH System to participate in its programs and offerings.

Since its opening in August 2023, RISE has become a hub of activity and growth. PACE has orchestrated more than 100 activities, disbursed $250,000 in awards and scholarships, and engaged over 1,000 students in the 10,000-square-foot live-learn-work facility. The dynamic space is designed to empower students with the skills and opportunities necessary to thrive in a competitive business landscape.

One of RISE’s standout initiatives this past spring was the opening of the Hana Recording Studio, which provides students with the tools needed to record professional podcasts, capture audio and produce music. The Makers Program also saw significant success, with student leaders

hosting sold-out workshops that taught participants how to utilize the advanced prototyping equipment available in the makerspaces.

Throughout the year, PACE has organized an array of notable events, including workshops featuring reputable speakers and live pitch events where students could win up to $1,000 in seed funding. In April, PACE further expanded its footprint at RISE and opened a 1,900-square-foot incubation space, dedicated to supporting teams participating in PACE programs.

A grand opening event on June 15, held in collaboration with the UH Foundation, was an exciting day of celebration and marked the official dedication of RISE, a sculpture by renowned local artist Bumpei Akaji, gifted by Walter A. Dods, Jr., BBA ’67, and Jay H. Shidler, BBA ’68. The grand opening included speeches from distinguished guests, tours of the new facilities showcasing cutting-edge resources, and refreshments from local businesses that benefited from PACE programs, highlighting the center’s community impact.

Tim Dolan, Jay H. Shidler, BBA ’68, David Lassner, Walter A. Dods, Jr., BBA ’67, and Kordell Kekoa in front of the gifted sculpture.

TIM NIGHT

A CHERISHED MEMORY

During the late Dean Chuck Gee’s tenure at the TIM School, the beloved TIM Night was an annual student-run gala that gave students a chance to plan and execute a banquet-style event. For countless TIM School alumni, this was an opportunity to gain real-world experience in their future industry and to foster connections with industry professionals. The first TIM Night took place in 1967 and it ran for 34 years until 2001. We asked a few alumni to share how this experience shaped their futures.

“I planned and participated in the first TIM Night, themed International Night, at the Kahala Hilton Hotel in 1967. This event was the culmination of all the subjects and internship experiences I learned at the TIM School. The students developed the theme and menu, priced everything out and assisted in preparation and service. We worked in a ‘living laboratory,’ impressing hospitality executives who helped build our future careers.” - Kathy Inkinen, BBA ’67

“Being a part of TIM Night for multiple years allowed me to learn and grow in my skills with events, food and beverage and management. I was also eager to do this event every year to meet people in the industry, which by the time I graduated allowed me to have a choice of job and hotel. TIM Night helped start my career, but the skills and relationships I gained still remain with me 24 years later.” - Pualani Fernandez , BS ’00

“TIM Night was a lot of work planning, putting it all together, the students did everything from costumes, entertainment, menu making, prepping, cooking and serving. It was a great semi-real world experience. The best part was bonding with fellow TIM students during late night meetings. Seeing it all come together gave us a group sense of accomplishment.” - Cliff Reynolds, BBA ’87, MBA ’98

A NEW ERA OF TIM SCHOOL REUNIFICATION

The School of Travel Industry Management (TIM School) was established in 1963 within the College of Business Administration and became independent in 1996. In 2019, it once again rejoined Shidler College, marking a new era of academic and professional achievements. The school has a rich history in hospitality, tourism and transportation education, and is guided by a vision to be the leading education program in Hawai‘i and the Asia-Pacific region.

Since rejoining Shidler College five years ago, the TIM School has contributed $1.5 million in new student scholarships and ranks 15th in the U.S. and 47th globally according to the 2024 QS World University Rankings. Under Dean Vance Roley’s leadership, the TIM School has allocated $500 million to study abroad programs and established six new faculty endowments. The recently launched Ph.D. program in TIM is the latest academic program to uphold the school’s commitment to advancing research and knowledge.

As the TIM School looks to the future, it remains committed to excellence and innovation, contributing to sustainable best practice and supporting and enriching host cultures as it solidifies its position as a beacon of hospitality and tourism education in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

You can read more about newly appointed TIM School Director Dan Spencer and his vision for the school’s future in this issue’s professor feature on page 10.

EMPOWERING TOMORROW’S BUSINESS LEADERS

Students are at the heart of the college and one of Shidler’s flagship initiatives is the Direct Admit Program (DAP) which strives to give high achieving incoming freshmen a head start on business curriculum. The program’s 2023 cohort was composed of 100 students. The group had a median GPA of 3.94 and consisted of 57% female students and 43% males and represented all the major Hawaiian islands and 15 U.S. mainland states.

DAP student Carly Miyamoto is entering into her sophomore year this fall and is majoring in marketing and international business. She says that when she first applied to UH M¯anoa as a exploratory business student, she didn’t know much about Shidler College’s DAP Program.

Although I initially chose to attend UH M¯anoa to stay close to the home and community that I love, seeing the DAP acceptance letter really made me feel like I made the right decision.

-Carly Miyamoto

Miyamoto shared that her first year in the program has been shaped by genuine connections and diverse opportunities, including joining Delta Sigma Pi as director of marketing, working as a student assistant for PACE and attending Business Night with a mentor. She expressed immense gratitude as she continues her journey at Shidler College and has some practical advice for potential DAP students.

“Be open to getting out there and putting your best foot forward in all that you pursue,” she said. “Having the privilege of being a student at Shidler as a freshman opens so many doors academically and professionally.”

WHERE DID THE F TOWER GO? A POTENTIAL CRISIS AVERTED

Did you know the grassy hill mauka of the Eddie & Elaine Flores, Jr. Courtyard used to be one of the college’s main towers? Former Dean David Heenan was responsible for the removal of the F Tower in 1977. He recalls it as a vibrant hub of student activity, standing three stories high, with a library, offices, and 15 toilets in the basement. It also bridged the adjacent A and G Towers.

After hearing reports of structural problems, Heenan investigated and reported the issue to the administration. He enlisted Elmer Botsai, dean of the School of Architecture, who found crumbling beams and cracking windows, urging immediate evacuation. He told Heenan he was amazed the building hadn’t collapsed yet and urged immediate evacuation.

The administration was reluctant to consider demolition, so Heenan took matters into his own hands. “I said I was going to go to the news and go on camera at five o’clock and have Channel Five up here to do an expos ’ e on F Tower that night,” Heenan recounts. “This worked and the university condemned F Tower the next day. With that came relocations and demolition. Still, it took some time to get the thing knocked down.”

Despite losing F Tower, the courtyard is a bustling center for students and events. There have been many improvements over the years, including the recent donation of more than 30 tables and umbrellas by Jay H. Shidler, BBA ’68

NAVIGATING A NEW TIM SCHOOL DIRECTOR’S VISION

FOR SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT

Professor Dan Spencer took on his new role as the director of the School of Travel Industry Management in 2023 during a much different time for the travel industry than from when he joined the faculty in 2010. The industry he’s devoted his career to now includes facets that he couldn’t have imagined 14 years ago when he came to UH M –a noa.

These include the impact of climate change and associated sea level rise

and how regenerative tourism is now top of mind; the issue of transient vacation rentals; the aftermath of a global pandemic that devastated the industry and is taking years to rebuild; and the number of visitor arrivals to Hawai‘i from Japan being 84% lower in 2022.

Understanding the current issues, along with a teaching style that inspires students toward creativity and objectivity, is what drives Spencer

BY DANI DOUGLASS

to strengthen the TIM School. He’s working with faculty to design exciting new courses on Tourism Analytics and Airline Operations and Network Planning, all while incorporating today’s trends, topics and innovations, such as sustainability and artificial intelligence, into existing courses.

As director, he’s developed specific goals for achieving this vision, including enhancing the quality of teaching and adding new courses to the curricula, providing the industry with top-notch graduates, retaining faculty, supporting a new doctoral program, generating funding for graduate assistantships and advancing the development of a Travel and Transportation Research Institute.

In the classroom, Spencer’s pedagogy is a reflection of his belief that higher education should be more than mass producing graduates who’ve gained knowledge and skills relevant to a specific career field. He believes that students also should be “transformed into creative, critical and objective thinkers who have become convinced that the world is vastly more complex than they originally assumed; who have learned to learn, and want to learn, on their own; and in general have attained a higher level of perspicacity and self-actualization,” he said.

ERA

The TIM School can, and should, reclaim the stature it once held as one of the leading academic units in the world in the field of travel industry management, even though this earlier stature was achieved at a time when only a few such units existed, whereas today there are more than 2,000 of them.”

His own love for the industry goes back to childhood when he took long summer vacations with his travelloving parents. They traveled by car to a different region in the United States and Canada each year and Spencer especially enjoyed visiting wilderness areas, where he could hike or backpack.

These early experiences led him to major in outdoor recreation and tourism management at Michigan State University. There he realized that through study and research he could experience the same sense of exploration and discovery that came from travel. He was then compelled to pursue advanced degrees to learn the art and science of research and become a professor.

After completing his doctorate at Michigan State University, he worked as a senior research associate in the university’s Travel, Tourism and Recreation Resource Center before becoming the assistant director of the Tourism Research Center at Black Hills State University (BHSU) and then transitioning to a full-time teaching position at BHSU, before coming to UH M –a noa.

TOWARD A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

According to Spencer, the most basic challenge facing Hawai‘i’s visitor industry is successfully hosting more than nine million visitors annually in a way that they have satisfying experiences without undermining the natural environment, cultural integrity or quality of life for residents. Other challenges include raising awareness amongst residents about how much tourism contributes to the state’s economy, preparing more individuals to work in the industry and continuing to mitigate natural disasters, such as wildfires and beach erosion resulting from rising sea levels; and a strong U.S. dollar, which is discouraging international tourism to Hawai‘i and compelling Americans to visit other countries instead.

He has some ideas that could help with these issues, including the state becoming certified as a “Sustainable Destination” by EarthCheck and implementing “smart tourism” technologies, such as apps that inform

visitors of places that are crowded, with recommendations and incentives to visit alternative locations. He also advocates developing welcome centers that have educational exhibits and videos on how to be a responsible visitor, as well as kiosks and booths for booking attractions and activities. Spencer says these centers would increase visitors’ environmental and cultural sensitivities, length of stay, spending, safety and trip satisfaction.

“The industry needs to redouble its efforts to remain competitive and be more sustainable,” he said. “This will require more effectively attracting the right types of visitors, better educating them about how to be responsible guests here, and preserving the environmental integrity, cultural authenticity, and resident hospitality on which the industry depends. I believe that achieving these goals will require a great deal more investment, planning, and concrete action than is commonly assumed.”

These challenges require a generation of industry leaders who are able to think objectively and approach difficult situations with intellectual curiosity. Spencer aspires to help his students develop an inclination to look beyond appearances, challenge conventional wisdom, and consider both sides of issues.

“Then they will become thinkers and not just doers, leaders and not just followers, world citizens and not just higher earners,” he said.

Shidler College’s diamond anniversary was toasted at the 24th annual Executive Vineyards fundraiser on March 7 at The Royal Hawaiian. This highly-anticipated gala is hosted by the Shidler College of Business Alumni Association and the 2024 event raised an impressive $67,500 in funds that will support alumni outreach, student academic activities, scholarships and more.

Executive Vineyards is the alumni association’s largest fundraiser and this year’s gathering drew 650 guests who converged at the historic hotel to enjoy delectable hors d’oeuvres from local restaurants, while sampling hundreds of wines and spirits, and

Congratulations, Class of 2024!

The college hosted its Spring Commencement Ceremony in the Eddie & Elaine Flores, Jr. Courtyard in May in recognition of the 336 graduates who have now joined the network of Shidler College alumni. The event, which took place the evening before the university’s main commencement ceremony, was an intimate and celebratory gathering. Soon-to-be graduates and their guests enjoyed delicious food, taking festive photos, entertainment, purchasing college logo items as keepsakes, encouraging words from

mingling with one another against the stunning backdrop of Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach.

UH Mānoa alumna and local newscaster Kelly Simek emceed the event once again. Guests took a chance for lucky draw prizes and participated in an extensive online auction.

Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits of Hawaii, and Beverage Marketing & More generously supported Executive Vineyards 2024. Bank of Hawai‘i, Hawaii State Federal Credit Union, Mahi Pono, Par Hawaii and The Shidler Group served as platinum sponsors, and Pacific Business News was once again the media sponsor.

Dean Vance Roley and quality time spent with classmates, family and college faculty and staff.

The Shidler Alumni Association is one of the most active alumni associations affiliated with the University of Hawai‘i, with a membership of more than 45,000 in 2024. Graduates of TIM School also have the opportunity to join the TIM Alumni Association, which has more than 4,000 alumni worldwide.

Photo courtesy of Tokifoto.

Executive Vineyards 2024 toasts 75 years of excellence

Legacy and leadership celebrated at record-breaking TIM School gala

The School of Travel Industry Management hosted a milestone Celebrate a Legacy in Tourism event on April 10 at the Sheraton Waikiki. The 22nd annual event broke its previous fundraising amount as it brought in $517,000 in support of student scholarships.

This year’s event honored three distinguished contributors to the travel and tourism industry in the Aloha State:

Muliufi “Mufi” Hannemann, president and CEO of the Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association, received the Legacy in Tourism Award. Over the years, Hannemann has played a pivotal role in shaping the state’s tourism landscape. He founded the Pacific Century Fellows and serves for the TIM School as an advisory council member.

Holden Lim, BBA ’89, president of Hospitality Link International, Inc., was inducted into the TIM Alumni Hall of Honor. This designation recognizes his professional achievements and continued support of the TIM School. Lim’s career in the hospitality industry began in 1989 at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco and over the years, he contributed significantly to firms like HVS International and Sonnenblick-Goldman Company.

Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts, LP, was recognized with the Distinguished Service Award for its contributions to Hawai‘i’s

tourism industry and the community. Kyo-ya expanded its footprint across Hawai‘i and California, including iconic properties like The Royal Hawaiian and Sheraton Maui.

This year’s contributing sponsors were Bank of Hawai‘i; Central Pacific Bank; First Hawaiian Bank; Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association, Iron Workers Stabilization Fund & Iron Workers Local 625; KV & Associates and Stanford Carr Development; Kyo-ya Hotel & Resorts, LP; “Sheraton Old Timers” group; and The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, and Trinity Investments. Hawaii Business magazine served as the media partner for the event.

Transforming tourism through sustainability and regenerative practices

The 2024 Lane Lecture Series featuring Brian King, professor and department head of hospitality, hotel management and tourism at Texas A&M University, drew an impressive crowd in March at the Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center. The topics of sustainable and regenerative tourism were relevant to students studying in one of the most tourist-driven economies in the world.

King shared about his work on different continents and how it has helped him to appreciate the importance of both global initiatives, like United Nations tourism, and of local solutions such as community-based tourism. He expressed that the need to find global solutions to the challenges of climate change and resource depletion shows the importance of working collaboratively toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, as well as at the microlevel through community projects. He encouraged students to take advantage of their learning environment across the islands and that they can be champions of regenerative tourism.

“The unique physical environment and the Hawaiian culture with

its strong links to the land provide an opportunity to engage the community in charting a bright future for tourism and the visitor economy,” King said.

Both students and industry leaders in attendance participated in a lively question and answer session following King’s talk, which included an array of topics including how the quality of life for residents could be measured and achieved in the face of rapid growth.

“A major highlight of the presentation were the questions from the audience and how professor King was able to interconnect questions relating to Hawai‘i and some of the challenges we are facing with other Asia Pacific destination that he has expertise with and how those destinations have addressed those challenges,”

TIM School professor Jerry Agrusa, said. “It was an outstanding presentation and the vast number of attendees from the audience that stayed and conversed with him after the presentation is a testament of how well the lecture was received.”

COLLEGE NEWS

Creating a path to real estate excellence

The college hosted Emily Porter for this year’s Flores Real Estate Lecture on April 9 at the Japanese Cultural Center. Porter, who is the chief operating officer at MacNaughton and serves on the Shidler Advisory Council, shared about her career in real estate. The audience, which consisted of students from Shidler as well as community members, packed the room to hear Porter speak about her career path, family roots and the current trends in real estate. Many of her family members were also in attendance, including her husband, parents and 103-year old grandmother, Violet Kau.

She shared with the audience more about MacNaughton, where she has been since 2015 and how the company, which is involved in a variety of developments, is renowned for creating innovative spaces that bring the best of what the world has to

Annual conferences highlight Shidler excellence

The 57th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS), was held from Jan. 3-7, and drew more than 1,300 attendees from 47 countries, producing an 8,000-page conference proceeding. Notable research tracks included internet and the digital economy, organizational systems and technology, decision analytics and service sciences, collaboration systems and technologies, information technology in healthcare, and digital and social media.

A standout feature of this year’s HICSS was the keynote by Christopher Nguyen, CEO and cofounder of Aitomatic, a prominent Silicon Valley firm specializing in industrial generative artificial intelligence. Nguyen provided a global perspective on AI progress and outlined a strategic plan to navigate the AI revolution.

“The conference spans a comprehensive range of research topics related to theories, concepts, methodologies, development, and evaluation of ICT applications, particularly focusing on their impact in business and society,” Tung Bui, Shidler Information Technology Management professor and conference chair, said. “Notably, generative AI and economic and social justice were prominent topics at the event.”

Simultaneously, the Hawaii Accounting Research Conference (HARC), held Jan. 3-6, drew an impressive crowd to Shidler College. Now in its seventh year, the conference continues to gain traction and serves as a meeting of minds for experts in the accounting field while exposing students to academic excellence. This year’s conference had 324 attendees and featured 221 research papers from influential researchers. Participants shared thoughtprovoking discussions and collaborations over the four-day event, contributing to the advancement of the accounting field.

“Over seven years, submissions have quadrupled, and track

offer to Hawai‘i, in a manner that suits the local community. A significant development Porter has been heavily involved with since she started at MacNaughton is Park Lane Ala Moana. “It was a jewel of a project that I had the great fortune to help bring to fruition,” she shared. “We were keen on creating more of a hospitality-like environment than ever before.”

Porter said after the Park Lane project was completed, MacNaughton leaned into hospitality and has recently acquired ownership interests and management of the Lotus Honolulu at Diamond Head, Hotel Renew and Waikiki Malia. Other projects include multi-family buildings in Hawai‘i and the Pacific Northwest, and several shopping centers. Porter reinforced that a career in real estate is never dull and is one that keeps you on your toes and learning new things.

chairs increased from 13 to over 80,” Hamid Pourjalali, School of Accountancy director and conference organizer, said. “Recognized as a top global accounting conference, we continue to influence the field significantly. Our annual Hawaii Accounting Research Doctoral Institute (HARDI) further shapes future accounting research by training select Ph.D. students, and we’re proud of our efforts in disseminating and influencing accounting research.”

The HARDI three-week program is now in its fourth year and brings up to 25 exceptional accounting graduate students from top programs worldwide to Shidler to participate in workshops and activities while learning from experts. Prominent names in the field who taught at HARDI 2024 included Jacqueline Hammersley, Elizabeth Blankespoor, Thomas Linsmeier and Sugata Roychowdhury. Undergraduate accounting student and Accounting Department student worker, Aalia Pervaiz Meer, enjoys volunteering her time to help at the conference. “From the early morning set-ups with the Accounting Club and Beta Alpha Psi to getting to know professors and doctoral students from around the world, I have grown my networks immensely,” she said. “I particularly enjoy connecting with former and incoming HARDI students, and learning their motivations and reasons for pursuing a doctorate as well as their journeys.”

“These experiences have been instrumental in my development academically, professionally and personally. -Aalia Pervaiz Meer

HARC 2025 January 3-5 June 1-21

HARDI 2025 January 7-10

HICSS 2025

Mentorship and milestones at Business Night

Shidler College celebrated its 63rd Business Night along with its 75th anniversary year on May 2 at the Sheraton Waikiki. It was a celebratory evening that brought nearly 500 students and business professionals together for this signature event, which is one that students often reflect on years after graduating from the college. The night got underway with a networking reception, followed by the program, dinner and presentation of awards.

Each year, a student committee is formed and the group works collaboratively to plan aspects of this event, such as the theme, marketing and student recruitment with logistical support from the college’s events team. The evening allows students mentorship with industry professionals in their area of study, along with networking and professional development opportunities. This year’s event, themed “Insuring Business Futures: Lei Your Path to Success” garnered strong support from the local business community and 51 sponsored awards totaling more than $96,000 were presented to outstanding undergraduate and graduate students.

Shidler alumna Tertia Freas, BBA ’78, executive director at The Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation, gave the keynote address. During her speech, she shared insights from her career and emphasized the importance of leadership, community service and building connections.

First Insurance Company of Hawaii generously continued its support of the college as the title sponsor for Business Night for the 19th consecutive year and Hawaii Business magazine was the media sponsor for the eight year.

RICK’S CORNER

Rick Varley is the director of Shidler College’s Internships and Career Development Office. In this column, Varley selects an outstanding student to share their internship experience. During the fall 2023 and spring 2024 semester, Varley placed 250 Shidler students in internships.

In this feature, Devon Baldwin, BBA ’23, recalls his journey as an intern at several companies during his time at Shidler College and how those experiences helped him on his path to becoming an investment analyst for Cambridge Associates in Boston. He says his journey wouldn’t have been possible without the guidance of Johnny Chankhamany, BBA ’07, MS ’21, AKAMAI Foundation’s president, who also became his mentor and friend.

Bridge the Gap

By Devon Baldwin

The competition for top jobs is rapidly increasing. To stay competitive against other graduates from top schools, internships play an essential role in differentiating your application. These experiences expand upon the fundamentals taught in the classroom, build career experience, and most importantly, bridge the gap between UH and other leading schools.

I participated in three internships at Shidler, each a stepping stone instrumental to building my career: AKAMAI Foundation (Finance Academy and Hedge fund), Island Business Management (IBM), and finally Cambridge Associates, where I currently work as an investment analyst in the Boston headquarters.

My most impactful experience was in the AKAMAI Foundation, a Hawai‘i-based nonprofit led by top investment professionals and student mentors. I gained an introduction to various finance career paths and completed eight rigorous months of accounting, financial modeling, writing comprehensive equity reports, and pitching the company to a panel holding a buy/sell position.

After graduating the program, I moved into AKAMAI Capital where I mentored students, created equity reports, and pitched investment ideas to the chief information officer. Simultaneously, COVID hit and I joined IBM to analyze its impact on Hawai‘i’s economy focused on commercial rent. Leading a team of four, our research culminated in the third Hawai‘i Commercial Rent Survey, featured in Forbes and various Hawai‘i news outlets.

I applied to over 300 companies with the goal of landing at a top investment firm. After months of interviewing, I landed at Cambridge Associates (CA), investing non-profits, endowments, and foundations portfolios. During this last internship, I researched fund managers and prospective investment opportunities across an extensive range of asset classes to produce a quantitative and qualitative portfolio analysis. I accepted an offer at CA with total compensation about double what local companies were offering and was placed on the top discretionary investment team managing endowments, foundations, and hospitals portfolios as an outsourced chief information officer.

1 | AMPLIFYING THE PACE

The Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship (PACE) has experienced an extraordinary school year, distinguished by a series of prestigious awards and nominations. These accolades honor both its leadership and students, recognizing PACE’s exceptional contributions to the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At the 2024 Hawaii Entrepreneur Awards on Feb. 29, Board of Directors Chairwoman Susan Yamada, BBA ’82, was honored with the Startup Paradise Champion award for her decades long work in supporting and building the local startup ecosystem. PACE alumnus and board member of the Calvin Shindo Student Venture Fund, Donavan Kealoha, MBA ’09, received the Investor of the Year award for his work with Startup Capital Ventures x SBI Fund. PACE alumna Amelia Stucker of Zingipop Sodaworks won the Student Entrepreneur of the Year award, while PACE Leader Daniella Pasion, BBA ’24, was named a finalist for the award for her company called illicitlover. Lastly, Family Business Center of Hawai‘i member Gunars Valkirs, CEO of Maui Ku‘ia Estate Chocolate, took home the Agriculture/Clean Tech Entrepreneur award.

Pacific Business News recognized PACE with a 2024 INNO FIRE Award for excellence in tech and innovation; and Executive Director Sandra Fujiyama was named a 2024 Power Leader. Additionally,

the Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center was recognized by CoStar Group as the Redevelopment of the Year in its 2024 Impact Awards Hawaii program, and by NAIOP with the Public/Government Project Award at the 2024 Kukulu Hale Awards of Excellence.

2 | MAHINA HONUA x PACE FOCUSES ON SUSTAINABILITY

In support of the Shidler College’s efforts to advance sustainability, PACE partnered with UH M¯anoa’s Student Sustainability Council to host its first annual Mahina Honua x PACE event on April 30. Organizers invited six UHaffiliated businesses from different industries to talk to more than 30 attendees about their sustainability efforts. Mahina Honua panelists consisted of PACE alumni from Bitter Root Brewery, a 2022 Summer Startup Launchpad participant, and ‘Aina Quest, a 2024 Kalo Grants recipient. Panelists included Summer Shiigi of Ten Tomorrow; Hunter Long, BBA ’16, and Jillian Deolindo, BBA ’20, of Keep It Simple; former fashion design and merchandising lecturer, Rumi Murakami; and bottles4college founder Genshu Price.

3 | ASIA-PACIFIC SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP COLLAB

PACE Leaders served as crosscultural ambassadors for the inaugural PACE x Very50 Social Entrepreneurship Program with students from Meijo University in Nagoya, Japan. Very50, a social enterprise accelerator based

in Tokyo that offers “on the ground” experiences, led the program for the Meijo University students and brought this opportunity to PACE. The students were tasked with identifying and analyzing challenges in the local community and then coming up with solutions. The students worked together in the community and during several late-night sessions at RISE, analyzing their field research and interviews to develop solutions and prototypes. At the end of the one week intensive program, Meijo students presented their work with a showcase event at RISE on Feb. 22.

4 | MEADOW GOLD DAIRIES HIGHLIGHTS

DUAL PURPOSE

The Family Business Center of Hawai‘i (FBCH) and PACE, in partnership with the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo College of Business and Economics (CoBE), hosted an event at UH Hilo campus featuring Bahman Sadeghi and his daughter, Kimia, of Meadow Gold Dairies on Feb. 27. The Sadeghis shared their family’s rich history and entrepreneurial journey, particularly highlighting Bahman's acquisition of Meadow Gold in April 2020. Facing closure after over 120 years of operation in Hawai‘i, Meadow Gold was revitalized by Bahman’s vision to see the local dairy industry thrive. Kimia discussed her experience starting her own business while in college and subsequently working in a multigenerational family business, providing insights into maintaining family relationships while pursuing business goals.

This event exemplified the

commitment of PACE and FBCH to foster entrepreneurship and support family-owned businesses. By featuring experienced entrepreneurs like the Sadeghis, PACE and FBCH aim to inspire and educate future business leaders in Hawai‘i. The partnership highlights the importance of resilience, innovation and family collaboration in sustaining local businesses and contributing to Hawai‘i’s economy and food security.

5 | UH VENTURE COMPETITION

PACE hosted its annual UH Venture Competition this spring, supporting budding entrepreneurs by providing hands-on education, mentorship and resources to students from the 10 UH System campuses. Sponsored by Hawaiian Electric Industries and Hawaiian Electric, this year excitement soared as the final event took place within the vibrant, newly inaugurated Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center—marking a momentous

Susan Yamada, BBA

PACE

milestone in the competition’s history. Additional prize sponsors were Blue Logic Labs, New Venture Pro, Pineapple Tweed, Vantage Counsel, Hub Coworking Hawaii and HiBEAM.

With student team representation from UH M¯anoa, UH Hilo, and Kapi‘olani Community College, encompassing more than 20 diverse majors from tropical plant and soil sciences to computer science, the competition showcased the innovative spirit thriving across the UH System.

A startup company helping learners master different languages took the top prize package totaling approximately $50,000. What began with more than 40 teams at the start of the competition, OmniVocab bested three other teams in the event finals on May 4 to claim the title.

OmniVocab aims to help intermediate language learners overcome obstacles in acquiring a new language through immersive experiences that utilize virtual reality and artificial intelligence. The team included UH M¯anoa students Ryan

FOUNDERS AND FRIENDS

Beattie (mechanical engineering), Josiah Kila (information and computer science), Kaihehau Goo (management), Sage Suzuki (computer science) and Noah deMers (computer science). They were coached by Shidler College marketing lecturer Patricia LaPorte.

Placing second was EduKits Hawai‘i, a nonprofit organization that creates and distributes placed-based STEAM resource kits to Title I school students. The third place team was Tadish, with a mobile app designed to simplify the dish rating and recommendation process and enhance the dining experience for all.

For the first time ever, The Outstanding Entrepreneurship Student of The Year Award went to a group of students, the PACE Leaders, recognizing their pivotal role in activating RISE in the inaugural year.

6 | ENTREPRENEURSHIP LIVE

Entrepreneurs from different industries gave students a range of

insights to inspire them to take action this spring. Jared Kushi, BBA ’14, chief executive officer of Hawaiiverse, shared how he turned Hawaiiverse into Hawai‘i’s number one discovery platform to connect buyers with locally-owned businesses. UH alumni and tech leaders Aaron Kagawa, co-founder of Second Wave Technologies and engineering director of Kenton Technologies Inc.; Amber Imai-Hong, avionics engineer and program manager at Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory; Nicole Cacal, BBA ’11, founder and CEO of Forbes Ignite; and Brody Uehara, data engineer at kWh Analytics, spoke on the importance of community involvement and gave practical tips on starting careers in the tech industry. Linh Owen, director of awesomeness at Fighting Eel, spoke about her time in the fashion industry, product development, challenges of adapting to the dynamic retail environment and strategies that have contributed to the company’s success.

PACE held its first PACE Founders and Friends Showcase on April 24 at the Walter Dods Jr. RISE Center. During the event, more than 70 PACE alumni and members of the center’s network of volunteers had the chance to meet 10 UH student entrepreneurs. The students used the opportunity to gain feedback about their ideas and products. The showcasing students exhibited a wide variety of original creations, including non-alcoholic ginger beer, hand-sewn accessories, stickers, air fresheners, baked goods, handmade cosmetics, education STEM kits, and an app for skin disease identification. pace.shidler.hawaii.edu/founders

INAUGURAL RESIDENT ENTREPRENEUR

PACE welcomed Jeff Hui as its first entrepreneur-in-residence. Hui’s role is to teach entrepreneurial concepts and processes to students, provide one-on-one advice to PACE entrepreneurs and serve as the instructor for the Summer Startup Launchpad. An experienced entrepreneur, Hui provides mentorship, instruction, guidance and strategic leadership to students, faculty and staff interested in innovation and developing the entrepreneurial mindset. He aims to bridge the gap between academia and the business world, offer real-world experiences for PACE students and drive student success.

STUDENT

1 | JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR INSPIRES AT TIM

The TIM School had the rare opportunity to host U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor for an intimate “talk story” with a group of students on Feb. 1. TIM School students and faculty engaged with one of the nation's most esteemed legal minds on topics of leadership, values, ethics, self-discovery and risk taking. The event was the first time the justice convened with Shidler College and TIM School students.

Sotomayor recounted her childhood in the Bronx and the challenges she faced growing up in a low-income neighborhood. The event allowed students an opportunity to ask a broad range of questions on topics ranging from facing adversity and speaking the truth, to Sotomayor’s journey to where she is today.

She emphasized the importance of self-discovery as a path to leadership

and encouraged students to explore their passions, interests and values, reiterating that staying true to oneself is paramount and positions of power come with much responsibility.

2 | BESTIES DOMINATE

Super Clubs Day was held on April 6 at Kapi‘olani Park. This highly anticipated event happens biannually and brought together all 12 clubs currently under the Inter-Business Council (IBC) for a day of friendly competition. Approximately 200 students participated in activities including volleyball, flag football, trivia and dance. The highlight of the day was the announcement of the winning club, with the Business Executive Society of Tomorrow emerging victorious, while Delta Sigma Pi and the International Business Organization tied for second place. Leading up to the day of the event, IBC hosted a fundraiser with YiFang Fruit Tea Hawaii,

owned by alumnus Tony Wong Cam, BBA ‘15, where students could preorder delicious teas to enjoy at the event.

3 | TRIO WINS GOVERNMENT FINANCE CASE CHALLENGE

After spending several months analyzing data for the selected city of Denver and developing a “Citizen-Centric Report,” You-Fan Chai, Manying Huang and Alaina Rhoades won the challenge and each took home a $1,000 scholarship award as part of the Government Finance Case Challenge in January. Hosted by the National Association of Government Accountants, the event illustrated the importance of government accountability and transparency, demonstrated how data needs to be transformed into information for citizens to consume and raised awareness about exciting careers in government.

4 | CHEERS TO THE FUTURE

On April 30, the TIM School celebrated graduating Ho‘oilina Scholars with a dinner at Eating House 1849 Waikiki. The evening honored students Camille Castro, Makena Cowan, Paana Hanaike, Megan Ibara, Cody-John Sakamoto, Quinn Sumida and Vivian Thach. As the scholars move forward in their hospitality careers, their accomplishments were acknowledged by key supporters, including HLTA President Mufi Hannemann, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Director Jade Butay, Senator Kurt Fevella, and Hawai‘i Tourism Authority Interim President and CEO Daniel Nahoopi‘i. The Ho‘oilina

Scholarship, a partnership between HLTA, TIM School, and the Hawai‘i Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and offers a generous four-year scholarship to Hawai‘i public high school graduates enrolling at the TIM School.

5 | FOURTH PLACE GLORY

Out of approximately 200 undergraduate student teams competing in the nationwide Spring 2024 Digital Marketing Competition, four Shidler teams placed in the top 13, including one among the top four finalists and one as an alternate into the finals. The members of

the Shidler finalist team were Sebastian Kim, Lea Marie Navales, Jordan Paradis, Miyamora Rosenthal and team leader Kaya Ishimine.

Hosted by Purdue University Northwest, the competition challenges teams to produce a digital marketing strategy for a selected client. In the first round, teams created an eight-minute video summary of the campaign which was judged on market research, paid strategy, owned strategy and media evaluation. On April 14, Team Ishimine presented its campaign to LuvSeats’ management and executive team, ultimately securing a fourth-place finish.

6 | TOURISM DAY TAKEOVER

The TIM School and TIM Alumni Association joined to attend the 7th Annual Tourism Day at the Hawai‘i State Capitol on March 8. First held in 2016 by the Hawai‘i Lodging and Tourism Association (HLTA), this event has grown to include partnerships with those in the visitor industry, community and cultural organizations. TIM School students and alumni met with Mufi Hannemann, president of HTLA, and also networked with Hawai‘i state legislators and industry professionals.

STUDENT SNAPSHOTS

7 | ‘WARRIOR MATCHA’ BREWS UP 32% SALES SURGE

Instructor Constancio Paranal’s III digital marketing class embarked on a spring 2024 project to gain real-world experience in running a digital marketing campaign. Inspired by the opening of Island Brew Coffeehouse in the Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center, team members Haley Marie Torres, Wendy Sakuma, Kaycee Nakashima, Ocean Vuong and Sophia Lopez set out to increase brand awareness, foot traffic and sales

among students through their “Student Sips” campaign.

Catering their efforts toward UH students, the team collaborated with the shop’s owner, Rafael Baez, over four weeks to manage social media, introduce the exclusive Warrior Matcha beverage, and distribute e-newsletters. They also implemented an online ordering system, boosting online sales by 22.2% and overall sales by 32.7%. These marketing efforts significantly raised the company’s profile and increased campus community engagement.

Photo courtesy of UHM.

FACULTY AND STAFF NOTES

New and Promoted

Marc Endrigat has been promoted to director of graduate programs. He joined Shidler in 2013 as director of MBA admissions and has played a crucial role in leading the Graduate Office of Student Academic Services (OSAS), successfully adding four new master degree programs to the college’s offerings.

Clare Fujioka-Sok has been promoted to director of the Undergraduate OSAS. She joined the college in 2016 as an admissions advisor and transitioned to academic advisor, where she oversaw the Shidler Undergraduate International Program and Shidler Global Leaders Program.

Mark Oandasan joins the Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship (PACE) as program coordinator. He received his master’s in communications and bachelor’s in fashion design and merchandising from UH M –a noa. He also serves as a lecturer for the Fashion Design Merchandising department at UH M –a noa.

Trisha Zukeran joins the college as a development coordinator. Zukeran has a background in marketing and was most recently a marketing specialist at a real estate firm. In her role, she is responsible for providing administrative and project support for the University of Hawai‘i Foundation’s development team at Shidler College.

Research and Publications

Adiyukh Berbekova, assistant professor of TIM, has published the following articles: “Frontier Measurement for Quality of Life Performance” in Annals of Tourism Research, 2024; and “Interdisciplinary Approach to Tourism Demand Modeling: Quality of Life Indicators” in Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, 2024; with A.G. Assaf and M. Uysal. She also coauthored “Developing a Scale is not Enough: on the Importance of Nomological Validity” in International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 2024, with F. Kock, A. Assaf, and A. Josiassen.

Tung Bui, professor of information technology management and Matson Navigation Company Chair of Global Business, authored “Reshaping the World’s Supply Chain? A case Study of Vietnam’s PAN Group Adopting the Circular Economy Concept” with Q.V. Le and J. Nguyen in Sustainable International Business, 2023; and “Vietnamese Geoeconomics in a Polarized Global Economy: Understanding Bamboo Diplomacy and Its Viability” in Great Power Competition and Middle Power Strategies, 2023. He is also coauthor of the book “The Making of Little Saigon: Nostalgia, (Dis)enchantments, and Aspirations,” with Q.H. Vo, 2024.

Elizabeth Davidson, interim associate dean and W. Ruel Johnson Distinguished Professor of Information Technology Management, served as coguest editor for a special issue on “Reimaging Digital Health” and as coauthor for the lead article “Reimagining Digital Health: Advances in Patient-Centeredness, Artificial Intelligence and Data Driven Research,” with A. Sunyaev and D. Furstenau, published in Business Information Systems Engineering, 2024.

Jee-Hae Lim, distinguished professor of accounting, authored “CFO Accounting Expertise and SEC Comment Letter Process” with S.Y. Jae Kwon and J.W. Park, in the Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance, 2024. She also authored “The Impact of the Blockchain Technology Adoption Announcements on Firm’s Market Value” with A. Jeong in the Journal of Information Systems, 2023. The article has been recognized by the California Society of CPAs and selected to be featured on the new American Accounting Association Impact Hub.

Xiaodan Mao-Clark, assistant professor of TIM, published “African American Style Project Pitches in Business Fundraising: Strategies for African American Entrepreneurs” with Y. Koh, A. DeFranco, Nakajima. R, in the International Journal of Hospitality Management, 2024. She was also quoted by WalletHub on the usage of airline credit cards.

Mitsuru Misawa, professor of finance, authored a new book titled “International Business and Finance in Japanese Corporations, Recent Harvard-Listed Case Studies and Insights.” Two of Misawa’s books are Harvard best-sellers.

Lenna Shulga, associate professor of TIM, coauthored “Covid-19 crisis management human resource cost-retrenchment: the role of transformational leadership and ethical climate” with J.A. Busser in the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 2024.

Awards and Recognitions

Berbekova and Shulga received an award for “Best Completed Research-Applied Research” at the 2024 West Federation Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education Annual conference. Their paper, “Effects of Green HRM

Practices on Employee Pro-Environmental Behavior: The Role of Ethical Climate and New Environmental Paradigm” addresses how green practices applied in the workplace can lead to residents and employees’ pro-environmental behavior at work and in everyday life.

Shulga also recently joined the editorial advisory board of the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.

Manu Ka‘iama, instructor of accounting, received the The Robert W. Clopton Award for Distinguished Community Service, which recognizes a UH faculty member for playing a socially significant role by applying intellectual leadership and academic expertise to the improvement of the community. She has merged her expansive knowledge of financial accounting, tax and audit with Hawaiian culture and education to execute grants that support UH’s strategic goal of becoming a Hawaiian Place of Learning.

Rick Kazman, professor of information management and Danny and Elsa Lui Distinguished Professor, was honored with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Computer Society

FACULTY AND STAFF NOTES

TCSE Distinguished Service Award at the International Conference on Software Engineering. This award recognizes his decades of impactful volunteer work within the software engineering community.

Hamid Pourjalali, director of the School of Accountancy and Donald A. Corbin Distinguished Professor in Accounting, received the prestigious 2024 Don Herrmann Distinguished Accounting Ph.D.

Alumni award at his alma mater, Oklahoma State University.

Jian Zhou, professor of accounting and Lloyd Fujie/Deloitte Foundation Distinguished Professor, finished a three-year term on the editorial board of The Accounting Review, and has accepted an editorial board role for Contemporary Accounting Research, representing the first time that a UH faculty member has served on the board.

2024 Women Who Mean Business

Bianca Mordasini, senior director of alumni and external relations, was named as a 2024 Women Who Mean Business awardee by Pacific Business News. The award recognizes women who excel in both business and community leadership. This year’s honorees span such industries as banking, nonprofits, education, health care, hospitality and more.

DONOR NEWS

Serving others is an honorable profession and doing it here in Hawai ‘i is incredible because it’s the most beautiful place in the world.

-Jan Sullivan

Roy and Hilda Takeyama Foundation donation names RISE makerspace

The Roy and Hilda Takeyama Foundation, a family foundation which is managed by foundation trustees David Takeyama and Jan Sullivan, has given a $250,000 gift to the Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center (RISE) to name one of the makerspaces in the entrepreneurship center.

This new space in RISE, which opened a year ago and is managed by the Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship (PACE), was inspired by similar centers throughout the nation and is open to all students across the UH system. The new makerspace offers students hands-on opportunities to access 3D printers, laser cutters, tools, sewing machines, project workspaces and more in order to bring their ideas to life.

Takeyama and Sullivan wanted to honor their late parents by giving back to the community and specifically to education-as the first and only one in his family to attend college and law school, their father was able to pave his own opportunities for himself and his family.

“Our father grew up on the plantation and he believed that education was the equalizer to economic inequality and so our parents set up this foundation,” said Takeyama, who is the chief information officer/IT director at Oceanit. “He always told Jan and I to give back to the community and I believe that he saw education as the best way for people to have an opportunity to advance.”

Sullivan agrees that supporting this particular project and space is consistent with their mission of supporting higher education in Hawai‘i. She says that there are many things that deserve funding and support but that this one in particular appealed to them. She feels that the RISE center pushes students beyond traditional classroom skills and provides them with opportunities to broaden their thinking and the skills they need to succeed.

“In today’s world, it’s not enough to just get a traditional education,” Sullivan said. “The promise of RISE is that it’s teaching students skills that expose them to a new way of thinking. The goal is not to make them all entrepreneurs but to help them think about their future and learn to be flexible and creative.”

As two professionals who’ve devoted their careers to the tech industry, Takeyama and Sullivan are very familiar with the rapidly evolving business sector and they see the relevance and importance of developing these skills.

“I think students now need to be able to adapt very quickly, especially with technology,” Takeyama said. “AI wasn’t even a thing five years ago and when you start a career you’re not going

Jan Sullivan and David Takeyama in the new Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center. The siblings recently gave a gift of $250,000 through the Roy and Hilda Takeyama Foundation, which honors their late parents (pictured right).

to necessarily be taught every single thing you need in school and you’re going to have to be able to learn things quickly. Having this kind of environment for the students while they’re in school will help them develop this type of mindset.”

Sullivan added that a big challenge that Hawai‘i’s economy is facing now is the lack of job opportunities for students in the state as they graduate.

“In order to change and diversify the economy, we need to be raising kids that are willing to take some risks,” she said. “And we have to create new industries and jobs and some of them are going to have to grow up with that mindset that they’re going to help be part of growing a new economy for Hawai‘i.”

From basketball to business to lobbying, alumnus

honors

“late bloomers”

George A. “Red” Morris, BBA ’63, considers himself a “late bloomer in life,” barely squeaking by to graduate from high school in Long Island, New York. Despite this fact, Morris was able to overcome a rocky academic journey and went on to achieve significant success in business and politics. He attributes his accomplishments to receiving a basketball scholarship while attending UH Mānoa and to the connections he made while he was a student at Shidler College, then called the College of Business Administration.

Another significant part of his collegiate experience was the connections he made and the networking skills he developed, which followed him through his career. A pivotal moment occurred during the Business Week celebration in 1962, where he connected with influential figures like Peter Meagher and Ollie Thurman, who later helped him in his career.

After graduation, Morris became a prominent figure in Hawai‘i’s political scene and started his lobbying business in 1975. He represented major corporations like AT&T, Lilly, WalMart, and Phillip Morris. In 2003, he co-founded Capitol Consultants of Hawaii, LLP with John Radcliffe.

Now in retirement, Morris decided it was time to give back and to provide students like himself a chance at an education. Earlier this year, Morris established a $100,000 endowment at Shidler College to support students who have shown academic improvement since high school. The scholarship was given in the memory of Hannibal Tavares, an executive with the Hawaiian Sugar Planters’ Association and former Mayor of Maui; Douglas Sodetani, president of Maui Reality; and Radcliffe, former associate of the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly and his partner at Capitol Consultants of Hawaii, LLP.

Morris’ philanthropy aims to provide students with the same support he received, emphasizing that it’s never too late to change course and succeed. His contributions are a testament to the importance of perseverance and the impact of scholarship support.

“I want today’s students to have the same kind of support that was so graciously given to me when I embarked on my journey at the University of Hawai‘i after arriving in the islands,” Morris said. “It’s never too late to change course and I believe so many students who may not be on the college path deserve that chance.”

shidler.hawaii.edu/red-morrris

Red Morris, BBA ’63, and his wife, Gail, in their Kaneohe home.

DONOR NEWS

Clinton K. Inouye TIM Endowed Scholarship: A legacy of support for Travel Industry Management students

Clinton Inouye, BBA ’80, has generously given a new endowment to his alma mater. His latest contribution of $50,000 adds to his initial scholarship to the TIM School in 2016, called the Clinton K. Inouye TIM Endowed Scholarship. His first gift even inspired fellow alumnus Ren Hirose, BBA ’85, to give his own endowed scholarship to the school in 2022.

Inouye’s newest contribution represents a lasting commitment to supporting the educational aspirations of students in the travel industry. By alleviating financial burdens, this scholarship helps students focus on their studies and future careers, contributing to the growth and success of Hawai‘i’s travel industry.

“We are deeply grateful to Clinton Inouye for his generous contribution in establishing the Clinton K. Inouye TIM Endowed Scholarship,” Shidler Dean Vance Roley, said. “This scholarship will

shidler.hawaii.edu/clinton-inouye

provide crucial support to students pursuing careers in Hawai‘i’s travel industry, ensuring they have the resources they need to succeed. Clinton’s vision and generosity will have a lasting impact on our community and the future leaders of Hawai‘i’s travel industry.”

Inouye is the retired owner of It’s Photo Time! By Clinton K. Inouye. Before starting his photography business, he dedicated 29 years as an information technology systems manager for Starwood Resorts/Kyo-Ya Hotels. Over the years, he’s stayed connected to the TIM School as a board member of the TIM Alumni Association and as a volunteer at college events. He attributes his experiences at the TIM School, especially his involvement in TIM Night and internships as essential to his growth. The friends he made as a college student remain in his life today and have defined him.

“This scholarship with my name is a way to give back and leave a legacy of TIM School graduates who will be leaders in Hawai‘i, who care about their guests and employees with aloha.”

Dean Vance Roley, TIM alumnus Clinton Inouye, BBA ’80, Director of Development Jenn Lieu, and TIM School Director Dan Spencer at the signing meeting for Inouye’s new gift.

Tom Wellman establishes endowed scholarship for LGBTQ+ students

Tom Wellman, MAcc ’84, has donated $100,000 to Shidler College to create the Wellman Endowed Scholarship in Accountancy. This scholarship is designed for students enrolled in Shidler’s master in accounting program, with a preference for those who identify as LGBTQ+.

He recognizes the challenges youth who identify as LGBTQ+ face. He said that kids from this community often come from an unsupportive family environment and he hopes that his scholarship will help them feel valued and supported.

“I wanted people to know that acknowledging your personal life doesn’t hurt career chances,” said Wellman, emphasizing the importance of being open about one’s identity. His motivation to make this gift was bolstered by the establishment of the Kruschel LGBTQ+ Endowed Scholarship at UH Hilo in 2022, inspiring him to contribute similarly to Shidler College.

Wellman was inducted into the Hall of Honor ’98, recognizing his business acumen and dedication to his community. He’s been a steadfast supporter of the college. He and his husband, Edward, have been longtime donors, members of the Shidler Dean’s Circle, and the School of Accountancy Director’s Circle. Wellman has also served on the School of Accountancy’s advisory board for nearly 30 years.

Wellman’s career in finance began in Honolulu at Deloitte and was followed by significant roles at Alexander & Baldwin, Matson, and as CFO and CEO of Hawai‘i Gas. He later returned to Hawai‘i as CFO of Island Energy Services before retiring in Philadelphia in 2020.

shidler.hawaii.edu/tom-wellman

Can you help us string our Legacy Lei representing 75 years of international excellence?

This year is our 75th anniversary and we’re working hard to ensure that future business leaders continue to thrive. Across the decades, the college has undergone transformational growth and achieved great strides thanks to support of our esteemed alumni, generous donors and vibrant academic community, all of whom we consider a part of our ‘ohana. As the state’s premier business school, it is our kuleana to ensure future generations have access to a rigorous business education that celebrates diversity and international experiences, cultivates innovation; and whose alumni make impactful contributions in Hawai‘i, on the mainland and globally.

With this in mind, we launched our Legacy Lei campaign and hope you’ll consider helping us in our efforts to ensure the college’s future successes.

$75-$749 Maile supporters provide promise of renewal and revival

$750-$7,499 Mokihana Berry donors provide hope for a fruitful future

$7,500-$74,999 Pikake donors help students flourish

$75,000+ Ohia donors represent the devotion to a lasting legacy

For questions or to contribute to the Legacy Lei campaign, please contact Director of Development Jennifer Lieu at 808-956-3597 or Jennifer.Lieu@uhfoundation.org.

shidler.hawaii.edu/legacylei

Alumnus Tom Wellman, MAcc ’84, pictured with his husband, Edward, and the couple’s dogs, Hoku, Kala and Mahina.

Meet Erin Kanno Uehara, MBA ’13, affectionately known in Hawai‘i as “your chocolate friend.” Uehara is the owner of Choco le‘a, an award-winning gourmet chocolate company located in M¯anoa where everything is made fresh on-site, using local ingredients to create innovative and one-of-a-kind flavors only found in Hawai‘i. She earned her bachelor’s degree in education from UH M¯anoa and her master’s degree in business administration from Shidler College. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in psychology with an emphasis in organizational behavior at Liberty University. Uehara resides in Honolulu with husband, Chris, and their two children, Aubrey and Conner.

Tell us about a day at the office.

“It’s pretty sweet! Working in and upstairs from the chocolate shop and kitchen with the sweetest team, partners, and customers, is truly a joy to come to every day. As a small business owner, it’s always different with new faces coming in, people to meet, collaborations to plan, designs to create, new flavors and products to make and taste. And with a team that has a growth mindset and solid core values, I love working with them to help them grow personally and professionally. Everyone works extremely hard in their area toward our mission of ‘Bringing peace to our world, one chocolate at a time.’”

What projects/initiatives are you currently working on?

“We just expanded in May and took a space directly above our chocolate store and kitchen to build ‘The Chocolate House.’ It’s a place where we now offer hands-on tours, tastings and talks. These talks range from topics on how we innovate and come up with new flavors and products, to what we’ve learned about working together as a team. It’s a sweet and cozy place to better connect with our community, sweeten relationships and use chocolates as a way to talk about different topics that bring peace.”

What do you do to relax/destress?

“Simple stuff outdoors like hiking, walking, and playing with my kids really helps me to

relax. I also love early morning quiet time alone with my Bible and journal. I have a daily morning routine that helps me set the tone for the day with reading, gratitude, prayer, some ambient music, a lit scented candle, a cup of good coffee or tea and something sweet of course!”

What’s your advice for current students?

“Learn the lessons from your past, find the opportunity in the present, and hold onto hope for the future. I’ve learned that everything is a process and if we don’t enjoy the journey with others, then we’re missing it. Don’t only think about what to do and how, but why and serve who you are currently with.”

What’s your favorite lunch?

“My husband is a great cook so I love his leftovers, but my favorite are his fresh catches from fishing. Otherwise, I like to go right next door to Feast and get the salmon chazuke and a cold brew and pastry from Morning Glass Coffee.”

What are some of your favorite memories of Shidler?

“My favorite memories are with the friends I made in our long nights of studying. I met some pretty inspiring people and getting through full-time work while doing the program made me realize we can’t do this alone the same way we can’t do business alone. The time connecting with other students, professors, staff and business

industry leaders was the best part.”

What’s your favorite activity outside of the office?

“Pretty much anything with family and friends but specifically it’s traveling, dancing and exploring. It could be traveling to Japan or a one day staycation, dancing at my weekly hip hop or contemporary dance class or in the living room, or exploring a farm or the dirt in our backyard.”

How did your experiences at Shidler prepare you for what was to come?

“Learning a little of everything in business gave me a great overview of how much goes into even a small startup business. I quickly learned what I liked and was good at, and the areas I struggled in. That helped me to realize I would have to hire or outsource as soon as I could so that the business could grow beyond me and my capabilities if I trusted others to do what they do well. Shidler taught me a lot about teamwork that I still rely on today with its focus on continual relationships and collaborations. It’s an honor to continue to be a part of Shidler to this day.”

chocolea.com erinkannouehara.com @chocoleahawaii

THE PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS THE PART THAT MATTERS.

ALUMNI SNAPSHOTS

1 | GLOBAL GET TOGETHER

The Shidler development team joined Dean Vance Roley in Asia to visit with alumni and host two networking events. The first event was held in Tokyo on April 24 at the Tokyo American Club and featured guest speaker Allan Ikawa, BBA ’71, who shared his story of Big Island Candies and his journey from humble beginnings to becoming one of the most sought-after delicacy companies in Hawai‘i. Approximately 75 alumni, friends and Shidler students on exchange in Japan attended. Attendees were afforded the opportunity to connect and engage with one another as they learned about the latest happenings at the college.

The college also hosted an alumni pau hana in Hong Kong on April 27, which featured guest speaker UH President David Lassner, who shared insights on his tenure and outlook for the university. The gathering brought together approximately 60 alumni, friends and current students attending exchange programs for an evening of networking and making meaningful connections.

2 | A HOME RUN EVENT

Shidler alumni came together to enjoy an exciting baseball game as UH took on California State University Northridge on May 4. This private event provided a fantastic opportunity for fellow alumni to

reconnect, enjoy delicious food, sample a variety of wines and cheer on their team from the comfort of the UH Baseball Aloha Deck.

3 | BUILDING BONDS, SHAPING FUTURES

Over the course of the year, the Shidler Alumni Association ran three mentorship programs geared toward a variety of participants, including current undergraduate students, current Executive MBA students and recent alumni who have graduated within the past five years. All programs connected students and alumni with seasoned industry professionals, providing invaluable

guidance, networking opportunities and real-world insights.

4 | NEW YEAR, NEW FRIENDS

To kick off the new year with old and new friends alike, the Shidler Alumni Association hosted a lively mixer at The Row Kaka‘ako on Jan. 23. Over 30 guests gathered to enjoy a festive evening filled with mouth-watering dishes, including birria tacos, pad thai and snow puffies, catered by Aloha Mamacita. The mixer set the tone for an exciting year ahead, highlighting the strong bonds within the Shidler community.

We want to showcase you on #FeatureFriday!

We love to brag about the amazing achievements of Shidler College alumni on our social media channels, @ShidlerAlumni and @TIMAlumniAssociation. If you’d like to share news about a recent job appointment, promotion, professional recognition or celebratory moment, please get in touch and let us know so we can spotlight the great news on a future #FeatureFriday.

To share alumni announcements, please email Christine Quach at christine.quach@uhfoundation.org

Welcome Aboard!

Both the Shidler and TIM Alumni Associations are excited to announce the induction of new board members. These dedicated individuals will be instrumental in organizing events, fostering connections and supporting our alumni community. We look forward to a dynamic year ahead with our new board members.

SHIDLER ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Charles Goodin, BBA ’07, Principal, N&K CPAs, Inc.

Adina Wakayama, BBA ’08, Accounting Manager, Par Hawaii Inc.

Trisha Yamato, EMBA ’19, Senior Investment Associate, Ulupono Initiative

TIM ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Michelle Agustin Oria, BS ’17, Senior Human Resources Manager, Turtle Bay Resort

Meaghan Herndon, BS ’09, Senior Catering and Events Manager, Hilton Hawaiian Village

Diane Kadomoto, BBA ’89, Administrative Director, Hawaii Hotel Alliance and Senior Administrative Assistant, Marriott Waikiki

Simon Morley, BS ’96, Head of Hotel Lifecycle & Growth forJapan, Australasia & Pacific, InterContinental Hotels Group

Catherine Orlans, BS ’09, Destination Manager, Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau

Adrian Perez, BS ’11, General Manager, Coconut Waikiki

Melissa Warner, BS ’10, Director of Membership, Oahu Country Club

A leap across the globe brings a sustainable future

Before founding Aula Future with business partner Marco Locatelli, Genefer Baxter, BBA ’16, traveled some serious miles. After graduating from Shidler College, she went to Philadelphia and then to Berlin to pursue her dreams of art and design.

While in Germany, she curated a women’s art festival and met Locatelli, who shared similar aspirations and helped her to find artists for the show. The duo then spent the next three years creating interactive art exhibitions using new media through their art collective, IMRSV Arts. During the early months of the pandemic, H&M’s innovation lab in Berlin reached out to them to create a design program that explored how artificial intelligence will

impact the fashion industry.

“Through the development of this program in collaboration with H&M, Aula Future was founded,” Baxter said.

The pair then went on to continue developing project-based programs for aspiring changemakers and impact-driven individuals. In 2021, the Science Center in Philadelphia connected with Baxter and Locatelli to develop a STEM program that would prepare high school students to compete in the Biodesign Challenge. Working as instructors and facilitators for the design challenge equipped the entrepreneurs with biodesign knowledge, a topic they combined with sustainability and circular design and integrated later into educational programs.

When their student roster grew from 15 to more than 150 students in just one year, they moved to an exclusively online model. With this idea, Baxter and Locatelli were accepted into Science and Startups at the end of 2023, an incubation program that they are currently working through. They are creating a digital platform that provides users with a robust ecosystem for learning and then applying what they’ve learned to their own projects, while also tackling realworld sustainability challenges faced by industry leaders. Baxter and Locatelli hope to launch the platform later this fall.

“Our goal is to create a space where changemakers can ideate, develop and implement sustainable projects, speeding the transition to a Green Economy,”

Passion to prosperity in digital marketing

Alison Lathrop, BBA ’10, has a passion for helping people. That drive motivated her to start her own digital marketing firm in 2017, called Astrategy Marketing. The company started locally and now serves clients across the country. In addition to a variety of services, the firm also offers comprehensive packages for companies, and houses a bilingual team that is able to offer a Japanese option for B2B, B2C or dualfocused organizations. As Astrategy celebrated its seventh anniversary this year, Lathrop says that she could have never imagined that the business would grow and come to where

it stands today and she feels proud to have notable long-term clients and high client retention rates.

“Our guiding principle is simple yet profound: our customers come first,” she said. “Our entire company culture revolves around this core value–we prioritize our clients above all else. They are the heartbeat of our business, driving us to continuously innovate and improve.”

Lathrop describes her business journey as amazing but like most, there have been bumps in the road along the way. Her strong work ethic, which she attributes to Shidler College, as well as invaluable connections while she was a student, have been instrumental in getting her through the hard times. She says that she firmly believes her education equipped her with the knowledge and foundational skills required to enter the business world with confidence.

I love helping people and this business was created to help as many businesses and people as I could.”

On the flip side, she considers helping as many businesses as her company could during the COVID pandemic as one of its greatest successes. She recognized that many of her clients were struggling financially so Astrategy Marketing deferred payments so they could still market their businesses during this slow time.

“We were able to help save a lot of businesses from going under because they were still making sales even during a time when many other businesses were closing,” she said.

astrategymarketing.com

she says.

When asked about the biggest challenge in her journey so far, Baxter shares that some hurdles have included finding the right mentors, partners and being a relatively young company. On the flip side, building a life in Germany has been one of her biggest successes.

“It sounds simple, but I would consider one of my greatest successes to have successfully integrated into Berlin,” she reflects. “Although I still have a long way to go, I moved here not knowing the language, not having any friends, not having a job-essentially starting from zero. Now, I can speak German relatively well, I have created my own community of wonderful, supportive Afro-German

women, I found a wonderful partner and a nice apartment, and I am well on my way to developing (hopefully) a successful business.”

Baxter has come a long way from the days of attending classes at Shidler, working on her first business plan for a branding and design studio and conducting case studies of businesses. She says that she has immense gratitude to the people she met and also for the beauty she was surrounded by, all of which made every day a joyful experience, and gave her a new appreciation for nature, which inspires her passion for sustainability. aulafuture.com

From corporate recruiter to successful entrepreneur

Bradston Sakamoto, MBA ’97, transitioned into self-employment during the Great Recession, leaving many associates thinking he was insane. He saw many talented professionals facing unemployment, fueling his risky move from his corporate job.

He missed hands-on recruitment when his busy department at Hilton Grand Vacations was reduced to two. So, he started OD Solutions, a human resources and recruitment firm, securing Hilton as his first client.

Starting his own business involved restless nights. Sakamoto had responsibilities as a husband and father, handling accounting, marketing and sales while providing recruitment and HR services. Despite the larger load, he considers himself lucky to have the

support of his family, especially his wife, Antonette, and daughter, Andrea.

“I was blessed with strong support at home and good business mentors that helped me with leads, contacts, and longterm business,” he said.

The first two years were the hardest, and he checked job opportunities several times due to fear and self-doubt. He eventually deleted his resume and committed to making his business work.

Nearly 15 years later, Sakamoto is proud of only refunding a placement fee five times. He focuses on presenting the right fit to a client and taking a longterm approach, especially in a tightknit community like Hawai‘i.

Sakamoto was a student at the College of Business Administration. He still uses skills he learned while pursuing his

THE COMPANY’S AIM IS TO EMPOWER INDIVIDUALS WHO CARE ABOUT SOCIETY AND THE ENVIRONMENT.

-Genefer

graduate degree. He gives back to the college by conducting mock interviews with business clubs and mentoring students. Some of those students are now hiring managers using his services for their staffing needs.

Baxter

Photo courtesy of Genefer Baxter.

ALUMNI FEATURES

Transforming the textile industry through sustainability and innovation

Teresa Yang, BBA ’84, and Hall of Honor ’16 inductee, has had a remarkable career since completing her education at the TIM School. She now serves as vice chairman of the Esquel Group, a textile and apparel company that started in 1978 and is based in Hong Kong.

Yang credits her success to the dynamic education she received at the TIM School. Although her initial interest in the travel industry stemmed from her family business, she gained more than a TIM education during her college years as she took business courses and developed an entrepreneurial mindset as part of a comprehensive curriculum, which was perfectly aligned with her future path.

These days, Yang’s day-to-day responsibilities are focused on two central goals-tackling climate change and narrowing the wealth gap. Esquel’s eCulture framework was established in 2000 and encourages employees to be agents of positive change through the values of ethics, environment, exploration, excellence and education.

Other initiatives supporting employees include Esquel’s Mangineer Program, which aims to upskill frontline workers by providing comprehensive training to

develop their technical, operational and managerial capabilities, empowering them to take on more value-added responsibilities. Because sustainability is central to its business model, Esquel also emphasizes its four pillars of changeplanet, people, product and community.

Esquel’s sustainability efforts encompass its operations and in 2000, the company constructed its own wastewater treatment plant, which has been upgraded from a simple wastewater treatment to reclaimed water reuse. It’s now one of the largest sewage treatment facilities run by a textile company in China. Esquel also has a sustainable development garden in Guilin, China called Integral, which covers more than 500,000 square meters of land.

Esquel uses waterless dyeing technology, a reusable nonaqueous medium that recycles 99.8% of water, reducing chemical consumption by 96%, and entirely removes water use in the dyeing process. It also employs an alternative washing process called eco-wash, which uses only 4% of the water in traditional washing and eliminates water discharge.

“Sustainability isn’t just a box to check

for Esquel-it’s a driving force that shapes every aspect of our business,” Yang said. “We’re continually raising the bar and seeking new ways to innovate and lead the charge towards a more sustainable future.” Esquel’s core values, as well as gratitude for the education she received inspired her to give back to the TIM School in the form of the Esquel-Yang Family Distinguished Professorship in 2020. This gift was established to honor the dedication of the late Chuck Gee, dean emeritus of the TIM School, whom Yang says provided advice to her father and Esquel Group founder, Y.L. Yang.

Yang says that for aspiring entrepreneurs, it’s important to invest the time and effort into understanding their team, customers, the industry, and the competition and to resist the urge to chase quick fixes or easy wins. She advises that budding entrepreneurs commit to building a business with a “keen eye on the long game.” It is this same perseverance, adaptability and dedication that has led Yang to where she stands today to a place of constant evolution as she strives to make a lasting and positive impact in her daily work. She also believes that entrepreneurship is not about reaching a final destination, but an ongoing journey of creating new opportunities.

esquel.com

Photos courtesy of Esquel Group.

1990s

Grant Kubota, BBA ’99, MBA ’05, was named to Forbes Magazine’s 2024 list of America’s Best-in-State Wealth Advisors. Kubota is senior vice president and financial advisor in Morgan Stanley Honolulu’s Wealth Management office. This list is comprised of a select group of individuals selected on revenues trends, compliance records, industry experience and more.

2000s

Shadrin Bien, BBA ’08, has been appointed vice president of finance at Socialive. Bien leads the finance and accounting team and is focused on driving and positioning the company for accelerated growth at scale. He is responsible for all aspects of finance including budgeting, financial operations, investor relations and fundraising.

Brandon Chu, BS ’08, was named general manager for the Kelley Family of Companies, which includes several subsidiary companies-Aqualani Beach & Ocean Recreation Management, The Spa at Black Rock, Ka‘anapali Surf Club and Teralani Catamarans. Chu oversees the company’s operations at nine different Maui locations with a team of more than 200 employees.

Shawn Kana‘iaupuni, EMBA ’07, was welcomed as one of 16 local leaders into the ninth cohort of the Hawai‘i Leadership Forum’s Omidyar Fellows program. This prestigious program selects participants based on their accomplishments, innovative skills, ability to collaborate with other leaders and motivation to make a positive change.

Nicole Okuna, MS ’08, has been promoted to general manager of The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, Waikiki. Okuna previously served as the hotel’s manager, where she was a driving force in elevating guest experiences and led key multi-hotel initiatives across the Marriott Waikiki Collection.

Yongchae Song, BBA ’02, was hired as account executive for Hawaii Business Magazine. Song brings 23 years of promotion, product wholesale, print, digital media and radio sales experience.

2010s

Emily Bertino Honings, EMBA ’19, was selected as an honoree for Women We Admire’s Top Women Leaders of Iowa 2023. This accolade honors women for their heritage and their outstanding achievements.

Matthew Derouin, BBA ’17, MS ’23, was hired as an analyst at Ulupono Initiative as part of its investments and analytics team. In his new role, Derouin provides quantitative and qualitative analysis for projects and investments, and reviews financial models and statements.

Kekai Edayan, BS ’18, MHRM ’19, has been promoted to assistant director of human resources at Mauna Kea Resort. In his elevated role, Edayan oversees all aspects of labor relations, discipline

management, and worker’s compensation, as well as assisting with the day-to-day human resources operations.

Miss Aloha Hula Competitor

Congratulations to Nicole Takamine, BBA ’20, for competing in the 2024 Miss Aloha Hula Competition at the 61st annual Merrie Monarch Festival. Takamine represented halau Pua Ali‘i ‘Ilima, which competed at the festival for the first time in 39 years. A group of her friends and fellow Shidler alumni also made the trip to Hilo to cheer Takamine on.

Photo courtesy of Bruce Omori, Merrie Monarch Festival.

CLASS NOTES

Love is in the Air!

Congratulations to Bryton Kaneshiro, BBA ’21, on his marriage to his partner, Danni. They tied the knot at the Mission Inn Hotel and Spa in Riverside, California.

Congratulations to Michelle Quach, BBA ’16, on her recent engagement to Jarrick Hayashi. The couple plan to have a small ceremony with family and friends later this year.

Captive Review Power 50

Matt Takamine, BBA ’98, was recognized in the 2024 Captive Review Power 50. Holding the 33rd spot, he was selected for this list as one of the most influential people in the captive industry. Takamine currently serves as the executive managing director and captive practice leader at Brown & Brown.

Alumna Receives Prestigious Award

Cecilia Ho, BBA ’80, president of Lee Hysan Foundation, was one of the three individuals recently named a University Fellow by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in recognition of her significant contributions to the university and community. She joins a group of 131 distinguished recipients who work closely with the university to support their research developments, education and community involvement.

Bryton Kaneshiro, BBA ’21

Michelle Quach, BBA ’16

Cecilia Ho, BBA ’80

Photo courtesy of Amira Baluyot.

Kaiani Kiaha, BBA ’19, has been named chief executive officer and creative director at K–a hina Media. Launched in early 2024, Kiaha formed K–a hina Media, a digital marketing firm focused on authentic storytelling through social media marketing, content creation, email marketing and website optimization.

Sara Samiano, BBA ’19, was hired as marketing manager at K–a hina Media. Samiano oversees the successful execution of projects and client satisfaction. She also plays a key role in crafting audience-specific content, managing marketing campaigns and analyzing marketing data.

Priscilla Zheng-Moore, BBA ’18, joins Hawaiian Telcom as brand marketing manager. In this role, she is responsible for connecting businesses with local residents through video storytelling on Instagram. Zheng-Moore was also voted onto the Ad 2 National Executive Leadership Team as the 2nd vice chair.

2020s

Isaiah Sabey, BBA ’21, has been named investment banking associate at Barclays. Sabey performs extensive valuation and financial analysis to assist clients in the consumer and retail sector. He also facilitates debt and equity transactions.

Sean Scott, ’23, joins Koa Restoration and Maintenance as human resources coordinator. Scott is currently responsible for recruitment and in time will transition into full-cycle HR.

Ian Tsang, BBA ’21, has been promoted to senior account coordinator at iQ 360, Inc. In his elevated role, Tsang guides clients through key, high-stake opportunities and challenges affecting their business, using his background in marketing, social media and brand strategy.

Intrapreneur of the Year

Micah Kane, MBA ’95, president and chief executive officer of Hawai‘i Community Foundation, was named Intrapreneur of the Year as part of Hawaii Business Magazine’s Hawai‘i Entrepreneur Awards 2024. This award honors someone who works in a large organization but advocates for innovation and entrepreneurial thinking.

Happy Retirement!

After nearly 35 years of service in the marketing and communications industry, Mary Fastenau, MBA ’96, retired as senior partner at Anthology Marketing Group, a FINN Partners Company. Her retirement marks the beginning of exciting travel plans with her first adventure starting in Austin, Texas. Despite retiring, Fastenau will remain active on several boards such as the Mink Center for Business and Leadership Advisory Board and American Lung Force Women’s Cabinet. She will also be visiting nursing homes and schools with her Labradoodle, Ruby, to do therapy work.

Micah Kane, MBA ’95

CLASS NOTES

Fantastic Four

Congratulations to Jay Ana, BBA ’98; Raoul Magana, MBA ’11; Billy Pieper, MBA ’04; and Jason Thune, MBA ’02, for being named to Hawaii Business Magazine’s 20 for the Next 20.

Women Who Mean Business

Congratulations to Carol Higa, BBA ’80; Shirley Lau Chan, BS ’00; and Cyd Miyashiro, BBA ’02, for being named to Pacific Business News’ Women Who Mean Business.

This annual list celebrates 20 people whose talents, accomplishments and potential set them apart as emerging leaders of Hawai‘i into the next two decades.

Now in its 26th year, this award recognizes women who excel in both business and community leadership.

Alumni Moms Honored

Congratulations to Diane Paloma, MBA ’99, and Angela Pratt, DLEMBA ’22, for being honored at the American Lung Association in Hawaii’s Outstanding Mother Awards. This award honors women for successfully building their careers, nurturing their families and improving our community.

Send in your class notes and photos

We love to feature your special milestones, including job appointments, promotions, retirements, engagements, marriages and births on our website, e-newsletter and in Shidler Business. shidler.hawaii.edu/classnotes

At Bank of Hawai‘i, we’re proud to nurture an environment that empowers our teammates to thrive. We celebrate the unique experiences of our employees—and provide them the support, resources and meaningful opportunities to make a difference within our organization and our communities.

Bank of Hawai‘i’s robust network of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are employee-led and designed for all teammates to share specialized interests through fellowship, volunteerism and development programs. Our military, women, LGBTQIA+, and Native Hawaiian ERGs boast hundreds of members and provide safe spaces to connect on important topics.

Our commitment is also evident in how deeply we care for the community via ongoing grants, sponsorships and hands-on service. Through our Live Kōkua Volunteer Program, our Bankoh Blue Crew volunteers can be easily spotted throughout neighborhoods each week donating their time and talents to local nonprofits, schools and organizations.

We offer comprehensive development programs to inspire employees to continually learn—whether it’s through mentorship, training or earning a first bachelor’s degree free of charge. For the past 127 years, Bank of Hawai‘i has always been committed to finding new ways to help people grow and flourish.

Bank of Hawai‘i

First row (from left): Olivia Jeffs, BBA ’16, Portfolio Reporting Business Architect; Michael Tejada, BBA ’10, Supervisor, Trust Operations; Carissa Sugita, BBA ’20, Trust Administration Specialist; Richard Batad, BBA ’21, Trust Specialist; Leslie Yuen, BBA ’99, Portfolio Reporting Business Architect; Jill F.S. Higa, BBA ’84, Senior Executive Director, Branch Banking & Contact Center

Second row: Janna Sye, BBA ’94, Business Planning & Strategy Senior Analyst; Lynelle Lingaton, BBA ’01, Senior Manager, Marketing Operations; Jana Kimata, BBA ’05, Specialist, People Service Center; Dan Louie Castillo, BBA ’23, Trust Operations Specialist; Edward Kim, BBA ’90, Senior Executive Director Consumer Lending

Third row: Kristen Konishi, MBA ’20, Manager, Engagement Program; Susan L. Ing, BBA ’83, Chief Marketing Officer; Lance Taketa, BBA ’02, Institutional Services Relationship Manager; Kam Chun Choi, BBA ’94, MBA ’99, Senior Investment Analyst, Portfolio Management; Craig Togami, BBA ’89, Director, Strategic Research & Insights

Fourth row: Brian Watase, BBA ’05, Senior Manager Lease Marketing; Timothy Y.W. Chang, BBA ’84, Primary Relationship Officer; Micah McPharlin, BBA ’22, Marketing Operations Specialist; Chase Houghtailing, BBA ’23, Investment Analyst, Asset Allocation; Brett D’Amato, BBA ’19, Learning Development Specialist; Scott Taber, BBA ’15, Commercial Real Estate Credit Underwriter

Fifth row: Syin Chao, BBA ’88, Director, Credit Review; Cedric Colling, BBA ’17, MBA ’21, Analyst, Financial Reporting; Alen Ngai, BBA ’13, Manager, Financial Reporting; Kiha Sai, EMBA ’23, Manager, Digital Sales Development

Sixth row: Mitchell Kim, BBA ’20, Senior Analyst, Treasury; Christine Hirano, BBA ’98, Senior Manager, IT Infrastructure Operations; Christopher Onzuka, BBA ’96, Manager, Operations BISI; Elyse Rosen, MBA ’15, Manager, Card Product; Wilson Chan, BS ’01, Primary Relationship Officer

For a listing of Bank of Hawai‘i alumni not listed in this photo, please visit shidler.hawaii.edu/boh-alumni-at-work.

Photo courtesy of Bank of Hawai ‘ i.

Address Service Requested

$238M donated by, BBA ’68, JAY H. SHIDLER

Largest donation to UH Largest gift to U.S. public university business school

Since rejoining the college New student scholarships Raised for 6 new faculty endowments For study abroad programs

45K+ Alumni worldwide RANKED TOP 20 in the nation in international business programs

STUDENT INTERNSHIPS 88% OF GRADUATES EMPLOYED OVER $1.1M AWARDED Only AACSB accredited graduate business program in Hawai‘i

Activities

scholarships

Volunteers

Hours of mentorship