Hawaii Business February 2026 by aio Hawaiʻi

The 2025 CEO of the Year Breakfast presented by Oﬃce Pavilion and ProService, was a distinguished celebration honoring Ann Teranishi, President & CEO of American Savings Bank, recognized for her exceptional leadership and vision during. Set within the elegant backdrop of Fuller Hall at the YWCA, the morning brought together Hawai‘i’s top executives and decision-makers to celebrate leadership that shapes our local economy.

This celebration was made possible through the generous support of our presenting sponsors, Oﬃce Pavilion and ProService, along with our Breakfast Sponsor, HPM Building Supply. We are also grateful to UHA, Anthology, and Finn Partners for their partnership and commitment to elevating this meaningful recognition. Mahalo to everyone who joined us for this special morning—your presence made it a truly memorable gathering and a powerful reﬂection of Hawai‘i’s business community at its best and Happy 100th celebration American Savings Bank.

MAHAL O T O OUR SPONSORS & PARTNERS!

CO-PRESENTING SPONSORS

BREAKFAST SPONSOR HOTEL SPONSOR

SUPPORTING SPONSORS

Congratulations to this year’s CEO of the Year, Ann Teranishi! Your leadership reﬂects a rare combination of operational excellence, deep community intention, and the kind of steady vision that strengthens Hawai‘i for the long term. I admire how you lead with clarity and compassion, qualities that have shaped American Savings Bank and supported so many local businesses, including Oﬃce Pavilion during some of our most challenging moments. Your commitment to keeping opportunity accessible for Hawaii residents and ensuring ASB remains locally guided resonates deeply as we prepare for OP’s 40-year milestone in 2026.

—WENDY SHEWALTER, PRESIDENT CEO, OFFICE PAVILION

Congratulations to Ann Teranishi, President & CEO of American Savings Bank, on being named Hawaii Business Magazine’s 2025 CEO of the Year. Ann leads with clarity and strong values, which shows in how ASB consistently delivers for customers while investing in its people and the broader community. At ProService Hawaii, we’re proud to have partnered with American Savings Bank for more than two decades, and we’ve seen ﬁrsthand the professionalism, integrity, and care Ann and her team bring to every interaction. Mahalo, Ann — Enjoy this well-earned recognition.

—BEN GODSEY, CEO, PROSERVICE HAWAII

“Ann, your leadership at ASB empowering Hawai‘i’s people and businesses while championing community development is building a brighter future for Hawai‘i. Congratulations on this honor.”

—JASON FUJIMOTO, CHAIRMAN & CEO, HPM BUILDING SUPPLY

Congratulations to CEO of the Year Ann Teranishi of American Savings Bank! Your leadership guiding American Savings Bank through transformative challenges—from the pandemic to its historic transition to an independent, locally owned institution—exempliﬁes resilience, excellence, and dedication to Hawai‘i’s community. UHA is proud to support leaders who make a lasting impact.

—HOWARD LEE, PRESIDENT & CEO, UHA HEALTH INSURANCE

Ann Teranishi and the other featured leaders provided a great look into what it takes to lead with purpose in Hawai‘i today. I left the CEO of the Year event feeling energized by the insights shared and the caliber of our business community.

Congratulations to Ann and the Hawai‘i Business Magazine team for putting together such a compelling program.

—WENONA HARRIS, SENIOR PARTNER, ANTHOLOGY FINN PARTNERS

FEATURES

Exploring Hawai‘ʻi’s Local Chambers

An inside look at Hawai‘i’s smaller chambers of commerce—from regional to ethnic and special-interest groups—and the benefits they offer members.

Large Animal Veterinarian, Big Responsibility

Christy Haines treats horses, cows, sheep, goats and even llamas and alpacas at the Makawao Veterinary Clinic on Maui. It’s a physically and emotionally demanding job.

Cover Story: Hawaiʻ‘i’s Underground Cannabis Market

Cannabis is estimated to be a $240 million industry in Hawaiʻ‘i, yet only about 20% is legal. Even so, state lawmakers, businesses and the general public can’t agree on whether to modify existing laws.

36 Can a Tax Credit for Kidney Donors Save Lives?

Thousands of people die in the U.S. each year while waiting for a kidney transplant. The problem isn’t a lack of viable kidneys. Most of us have two and only need one. A bipartisan bill aims to increase kidney donations by offering a $50,000 tax credit.

Why Hawai‘i’s Cannabis Industry Can No Longer Remain in the Gray

THIS MONTH’S COVER STORY BY PERRY

New Year, New Responsibility: Hawai‘i’s Wealthy and the Call of Kuleana

New Year, New Responsibility: Hawai‘i’s

ARRASMITH examines a contradiction that has defined cannabis in Hawai‘i for decades: Marijuana is both legal and illegal, accepted and prohibited, ubiquitous in daily life yet meaningfully regulated almost nowhere.

Wealthy and the Call of Kuleana CEO of the Year Ann Teranishi:

Regulation levels the playing field, protects workers and allows the state to prioritize local ownership and responsible operators.

Leading with Courage

TTHawai‘i-grown cannabis, or pakalolo, has long been known for its quality, and that reputation is part of the state’s image and spirit. Its cultural and economic significance is highlighted in discussions of access and legality, including this fascinating overview by Minorities for Medical Marijuana: “Pakalolo in Paradise: Punishable by Law.” (tinyurl.com/mjHawaii)

he new year always arrives with promises, pledges, and resolutions. Mine is simple: How can Hawai‘i’s wealthiest residents — and those with global influence — turn admiration for these islands into meaningful action for the communities that call them home?

Whe new year always arrives with promises, pledges, and resolutions. Mine is simple: How can Hawai‘i’s wealthiest residents — and those with global influence — turn admiration for these islands into meaningful action for the communities that call them home?

HAT MAKES A GREAT CEO? Is it showing up early or staying late at work – or both? Is it leading by example or directing from the top?

As Arrasmith reports, Hawai‘i’s cannabis economy operates largely in a gray market. (Please see article starting on page 16). A 2022 Department of Taxation report estimates the state’s total cannabis market at $240 million annually, with only 21% fully legal. More than three-quarters of cannabis production and sales occur outside the regulated medical system – untaxed, untested and inconsistently enforced. This gray market is socially tolerated, widely visible and functionally embedded in everyday life across the islands.

and Compassion

It also gives law enforcement and regulators clear authority, rather than relying on selective enforcement and legal ambiguity. In short, regulation replaces chaos with accountability.

nonprofits remain operational when support was most critical. Following the 2023 Maui wildfires, she donated $5 million to the Maui Strong Fund, enabling both immediate relief and long-term recovery. Scott’s strategy demonstrates the power of flexible, substantial funding to address urgent local priorities effectively.

helping nonprofits remain operational when support was most critical. Following the 2023 Maui wildfires, she donated $5 million to the Maui Strong Fund, enabling both immediate relief and long-term recovery. Scott’s strategy demonstrates the power of flexible, substantial funding to address urgent local priorities effectively.

Another recent initiative is Hui Kapili, a 10-week accelerator supporting small and mid-sized construction and home remodeling companies that are helping to address Hawai‘i’s housing and labor challenges.

TAX REVENUE: PROVEN RESULTS FROM OTHER STATES

INVESTING IN THE NEXT GENERATION

Kuleana, a central Hawaiian value embodying responsibility, privilege and care for one another and the a¯ina (land), framed last fall’s Hawaii Executive Collaborative, hosted by Lynelle Marble and Duane Kurisu. It reminds us that with privilege comes responsibility — and that action matters far more than admiration.

Hawai‘i is breathtaking. Its beaches, mountains, sunsets and diverse cultures attract visitors from around the world. And for some, it has become a second home: tech titans, media icons, Hollywood stars, athletes and political elites. But what does their presence mean for the people who live, work and raise families here?

At Hawaii Business Magazine, we believe great leadership reveals itself in times of crisis – when calm, compassion and clarity matter most. That’s why we selected Ann Teranishi, president and CEO of American Savings Bank, as our 2025 CEO of the Year.

The fiscal argument for legalization is equally compelling. States that have legalized adult-use marijuana have proven regulated cannabis produces meaningful, recurring tax revenue.

She was chosen not only for her steady guidance through the Covid crisis, the Maui wildfires and Hawaiian Electric Industries’ divestiture of ASB, but also for her ability to tackle real-world problems, including pressing issues like home affordability.

That reality raises a hard question: If cannabis is already pervasive and passively accepted in Hawai‘i, does it make sense to continue pretending the state does not have a responsibility to manage it?

Ann’s leadership is also reflected in ASB’s financial strength and industry recognition. The bank, which is ranked in the top 4% of U.S. financial institutions (according to Forbes), managed $9.3 billion in assets at the end of 2024 and has been recognized by Forbes as one of Hawai‘i’s Best In-State Banks for six consecutive years. And her focus on thoughtful, people-centered leadership and connection to local communities ensures ASB will continue to thrive.

Long-term prosperity also requires investment in education, research and culture. Walter Dods Jr. donated $5 million to the University of Hawai‘i to create the Residences for Innovative Student Entrepreneurs (the RISE Center). John C. Couch contributed approximately $3.76 million to establish UH Ma¯noa’s first gastroenterology and hepatology fellowship program. And the Barbara Barnard Smith Foundation donated $3.5 million to create the university’s first endowed chair in ethnomusicology — preserving and advancing the cultural traditions that define Hawai‘i’s identity.

In Colorado, one of the earliest adopters, the state projected almost $200 million in cannibas tax and fee revenue during 2025, much of it earmarked for education, infrastructure and public health initiatives.

For more on Ann and her family, be sure to read our December cover story on page 46.

Opulent estates, gated compounds — and in at least one known case, a massive underground bunker — have appeared across the islands, even as property values soar and the cost of living climbs. (Read about Mark Zuckerberg’s secretive Hawai‘i compound: https://tinyurl.com/msyb5sda) Luxury alone does little to ease the daily struggles of residents facing high housing costs, limited employment opportunities and gaps in essential services.

2025 marks ASB’s 100th year of serving Hawai‘i, and under Ann’s leadership, the bank has continued to address our state’s most critical challenges.

SAFETY REQUIRES OVERSIGHT, NOT AMBIGUITY

The most immediate cost of the gray market is consumer safety. Products sold outside the legal system are not tested for potency, pesticides, mold or contaminants. Consumers have little reliable information about what they are using, and the state has limited tools to intervene before harm occurs.

Hawai‘i’s market would be smaller, but the principle holds. Every year the state declines to legalize recreational marijuana, it leaves substantial economic activity untaxed in the underground economy—revenue that could help fund schools, healthcare, housing or climate resilience without raising income or property taxes.

REWIND 2025

Even in the first week of December, momentum continued. Residential Youth Services & Empowerment (RYSE), a frontline youth-homelessness nonprofit on O‘ahu, received a $2.5 million grant from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund — the largest in the organization’s history. The funds will support housing programs for youth and young families, a vivid example of how philanthropy can respond dynamically to pressing social needs.

Some high-profile individuals, however, are showing a different path — turning their wealth and influence into tangible contributions for Hawai‘i.

If her father, prominent business leader Dennis Teranishi, planted the seeds of purpose with his guidance and example, it was her mother who instilled courage, compassion and a deep sense of inclusion – traits that define Ann’s leadership. Dennis, who declined a formal interview, insists the spotlight stay on his daughter, a reflection of the family’s pride in her accomplishments.

THE BENIOFFS

CREATING AN INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT

In the absence of regulation, dangerous products can and do enter the market. Deaths have been linked nationally to synthetic cannabinoids, which are chemically unrelated to natural cannabis but frequently sold as substitutes. In a few cases, fentanyl-laced cannabis products have been implicated in overdoses.

Opponents of legalization argue that illegal cannabis will persist even if adult use is legalized. That is true—and beside the point. California’s experience shows enforcement matters: The state has seized hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of illicit cannabis products, much of it designed to mimic legal packaging while bypassing testing and taxes.

These contributions — to hospitals, housing, disaster recovery, universities and youth services — are not symbolic. They create opportunity, access and stability. They rebuild in the face of tragedy, expand access to health care, and preserve culture and education.

This year has been inspiring for all of us at Hawaii Business Magazine. We’ve covered a lot, from the record-breaking Wahine Forum to thought-provoking cover stories on toxic workplaces, Bank of Hawai‘i’s Peter Ho and local social media stars. And there’s the tale of U.S. Army veteran Sae Joon Park, a green-card holder who felt compelled to self-deport to South Korea, and our online viral ICE map spearheaded by managing editor Ken Wills that brought timely, critical insights to readers across the state.

Marc and Lynne Benioff, longtime admirers of the islands, have made historic contributions to health care and housing. In 2024, they donated $150 million to transform health care statewide. Part of this funding expanded Hilo Benioff Medical Center with a family birthing center, intensive care, neurosurgery programs and behavioral health services. The remainder redeveloped Honolulu’s Straub Benioff Medical Center into a modern “health-care campus of the future.”

The Benioffs also helped address Hawai‘i’s housing crisis, donating 440 acres to the Hawai‘i Island Community Development Corporation for the ‘Ouli Project — a development of affordable housing with parks and community space on that island. These gifts are long-term, structural investments in homes, health care access and infrastructure that benefit everyday Hawai‘i residents. Calls and emails to Marc Benioff were not returned by press time.

Legalization would allow Hawai‘i to establish clear testing standards, labeling requirements and age restrictions – basic consumer protections that exist for alcohol, pharmaceuticals and food. It would also let public health agencies track usage trends and respond with education or prevention efforts when needed. Prohibition and partial legalization offer none of that clarity.

I interviewed her elder sister, Lori Teranishi, several times, and she is effervescent, insightful and downright determined. Lori is the founder and CEO of iQ 360, a certified woman- and minority-owned consultancy firm, and she describes Ann as neither fully introverted nor extroverted, but “in the middle,” able to observe thoughtfully while still driving decisions. That balance, Lori says, allows Ann to consider multiple perspectives while leading decisively.

The Benioffs also helped address Hawai‘i’s housing crisis, donating 440 acres to the Hawai‘i Island Community Development Corporation for the ‘O uli Project — a development of affordable housing with parks and community space on that island. These gifts are long-term, structural investments in homes, health care access and infrastructure that benefit everyday Hawai‘i residents. Calls and emails to Marc Benioff were not returned by press time.

“Mom always taught us that when you walk into a room, try to talk to the people that no one else is talking to,” Lori says. Ann exemplifies that lesson in the workplace, ensuring all voices are heard and creating an inclusive environment.

SILENT PHILANTHROPY

Philanthropy in Hawai‘i extends beyond hospitals and housing. MacKenzie Scott has quietly given millions to support local nonprofits, providing unrestricted funds that empower organizations to respond to community-defined needs.

Cannabis is already a big business in Hawai‘i—just not one operating under consistent rules. Legalization would not create demand; it would bring an existing industry into the open, subject to licensing, environmental controls and enforcement.

Without a legal framework, Hawai‘i has fewer tools to combat unsafe or counterfeit products entering the Islands. Legalization does not eliminate the illicit market, but it strengthens the state’s ability to shrink it and protect consumers.

For those who choose to call Hawai‘i home — whether briefly or permanently — privilege comes with responsibility. As my managing editor, Ken Wills, reminds me, “In Hawai‘i, kuleana means treating each other like relatives — with care, respect and accountability.”

We celebrated Hawai‘i’s business excellence and generosity with cover stories on the Top 250 and the Most Charitable Companies, and we launched our inaugural Excellence in Business Awards to honor outstanding local organizations.

The islands do not need more sprawling estates or underground bunkers. A few individuals cannot carry the burden alone. For Hawai‘i to thrive, more wealthy residents — both longtime and new — must embrace kuleana seriously, translating resources and influence into real impact for communities.

The choice is no longer between legalization and prohibition. The choice is between thoughtful governance and continued ambiguity. Legalization is not about endorsement; it is about safety, accountability and fiscal responsibility.

With this issue’s 28th edition of the Black Book, which profiles 401 of Hawai‘i’s most influential business and nonprofit leaders, we continue to spotlight the people shaping our state’s future.

It’s time for action, not admiration: Supporting local talent, investing in essential services, and strengthening the foundations that make life here possible. Hawai‘i is more than paradise — it is a place where people live, work and belong.

The gray market already exists. The question is whether Hawai‘i will continue to look the other way—or finally bring cannabis out of the shadows and into the law.

But the true source of our success is you, our readers, whose ideas, feedback and support guide and challenge us. Mahalo for helping us tell the stories that matter most. Here’s to another year of learning, leading and building a better Hawai‘i together.

Happy New Year!

Lori notes, “After one of the Hawai‘i Executive Conferences, she started to work with a variety of people, and they created a Native Hawaiian loan program at American Savings Bank to really provide access to financing to a group that historically had a lot of difficulties accessing capital.”

During the Covid-19 crisis, she contributed $10 million to the Hawai‘i Community Foundation Resilience Fund,

During the Covid-19 crisis, she contributed $10 million to the Hawai‘i Community Foundation Resilience Fund, helping

JENNIFER ABLAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

JENNIFER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

JENNIFER ABLAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

KULEANA

State Residents Shine at Burgeoning Sport—Powerlifting

At the inaugural IDFPA World Championships in Seoul, South Korea, three powerlifters from Hawai‘i made history. Athletes representing the state showed that success depends as much on strategy, timing and mental toughness as on physical ability.

Serving Up Values and Meals at Tanaka of Tokyo

Nearly 48 years after Richard Tanaka founded his teppanyaki restaurant chain in Honolulu, daily management of Tanaka of Tokyo is passing to a new generation. We examine the personal struggles that shaped Tanaka and forged the values he’ll also pass on when he hands over the keys (and knives) to the restaurants.

BOSS Survey:

Business Sentiments

Gloomy for 2026

A majority of owners and executives at 307 companies who responded to the BOSS Survey say 2026 will be worse than 2025. That has implications for spending, hiring and expansion plans. The survey also gauged support for Trump administration policies and opinions about Hawaiʻ‘i’s energy future.

Trial and Error: Work-Life Balance

Hawaiian-Style

Hawaii Business Magazine

Digital Content Manager Marianne Leano shares her formula for protecting personal time in an economy that requires multiple jobs to pay the bills. She finds that work has a way of taking over the “life” part of the balance. A few of her suggestions might work for you, too.

ON THE COVER

Cover photo of cannabis leaf by Javier David Volcan. Cover story

stock photos showing cultivation of cannabis plants, trimming buds in preparation for drying and indoor facility with digital technology for data analysis.

2026

FRIDAY, MARCH 27

Hilton Hawaiian Village

Hawai‘i Business Magazine’s Annual Best Places to Work program shines a spotlight on the companies named to the Best Places to Work list, as featured in the April issue. This elevated evening brings together business leaders for a seated dinner, entertainment, and a high-energy awards ceremony honoring organizations that deﬁne workplace excellence.

TrAiNINg DAy

APRIL 2026 TBD

Best Places to Work: Training Day brings together Hawai‘i’s top-performing employers for a half-day conference focused on forward-thinking leadership, innovative HR strategies, and the evolving expectations of today’s workforce. Designed to inspire and equip, the event connects decision-makers and talent leaders for meaningful learning, idea-sharing, and practical takeaways that strengthen workplace culture and performance across the state.

For more information on events, visit hawaiibusiness.com/events or contact Ashley McLean, Events Manager, at ashleym@hawaiibusiness.com

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Chairman SUSAN EICHOR

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Director of Finance JADE CARREL

How Regional and Ethnic Chambers of Commerce Elevate Businesses in Hawai‘i

We spoke with ﬁve of them to discover what value they bring to their members and communities

MANY PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAWAII, THE STATEWIDE COALITION OF MORE THAN 2,000 MEMBER BUSINESSES AND NONPROFITS THAT SUPPORTS LOCAL COMPANIES THROUGH ADVOCACY, TRAINING, EVENTS, NETWORKING AND OTHER RESOURCES

More than two dozen smaller chambers representing islands, regions, ethnic groups and other affiliations within the state remain less well known. Each is unique and offers different benefits and programs. Hawaii Business Magazine spoke with five of these smaller chambers to report on their activities and help you decide whether your organization and mission could benefit from membership.

KAPOLEI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The chamber represents the entire West O‘ahu region, including Kapolei, ‘Ewa Beach, Waipahu, Na¯na¯kuli, Wai‘anae and Ma¯kaha. Founded in 2008, it now has close to 400 members and 38 Leaders’ Circle Sponsors, including Grace Pacific, James Campbell Co., Kaiser Permanente and The Queen’s Health Systems.

“Our regional chamber uses four pillars to outline our priorities: advocacy, business support, education and workforce,” says Kiran Polk, executive director and CEO of the chamber. “We are an advocacy led organization and [have] a strong presence in the legislative process. We regularly engage with our feder-

al, state and city elected officials.”

Annual membership dues for small businesses range from $100 to $300 and members can participate in signature events such as Pau Hana Networking, which partners with different area businesses to foster connections, and the chamber’s annual holiday luncheon featuring an elected official as keynote speaker.

“I’ve had everyone from small-business owners to C-suite executives tell me they made a meaningful connection at one of our networking events,” Polk says. “At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about.”

The chamber’s Biz Talks, held in partnership with UH West O‘ahu, feature entrepreneurs sharing their

business journeys on a TED Talkstyle stage. Live Q&A sessions provide mentoring opportunities for small-business owners, and the events are recorded for YouTube.

The chamber’s current initiatives include advocating for Hawai‘i’s film industry and attracting more tech companies and connecting them with local schools to support workforce development.

Additionally, the chamber works on community issues such as homelessness, traffic, open-space maintenance, broadband access and regenerative tourism.

NATIVE HAWAIIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

This chamber was established in 1974 to help Native Hawaiians advance into leadership roles, says Executive Director Andrew Rosen.

“At the time, Native Hawaiians in business often served as liaisons between senior leadership and the

workers in the fields or factories,” Rosen says. Today, the chamber is for all Native Hawaiian businesspeople.

It currently has about 500 members. “Nearly 40% of our members are individuals or microbusiness owners,” Rosen says. “Another 40% are small businesses and about 15% are large companies. Those larger businesses are involved because they believe in our mission: to give back to the community and help uplift the la¯hui.”

Membership fees range from $75 to $500 a year with discounts available for students and retired members.

The chamber offers two signature programs, including Project Ho‘omana, a hands-on business development initiative designed for Native Hawaiian micro- and small-business owners. The program features workshops, cohort-based learning and practical tools to help participants expand

and strengthen their businesses.

“Just this program alone, we have touched over 800 participants in person at these workshops, networking events, mentorship and so forth,” Rosen says. Upon completing the program, participants earn a certificate from UH Ma¯noa’s Shidler College of Business.

Graduates can also compete in a national pitch event, in which 10 finalists nationwide present their products directly to Walmart and Sam’s Club buyers. Retail partnerships and national distribution opportunities are also available.

Mandi Kaleilani Scott—director and kumu of Na¯ Maka O Pu‘uwai Aloha and owner of Na¯ Maka Kindergarten Prep School and Tech Park Center—is a three-year member of the Native Hawaiian Chamber who participated in the second Ho‘omana cohort this past summer to strengthen her business knowledge. She says the program not only equipped her with practical tools

A DANCE AT THE ANNUAL ʻŌʻŌ AWARDS, WHICH ARE PRESENTED BY THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO HONOR HAWAIIANS FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO BUSINESS, LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY ADVANCEMENT.

to enhance her operations, but also provided opportunities to network and learn from industry experts.

“This cohort was truly impactful for me. After every session, I made it a point to apply what I learned directly to my businesses. When I first started, I didn’t actually have a formal business plan, it was just a passion and flying by the seat of my pants. Going through the program and earning my certificate has given me so much more confidence in my skills, and I hope others will take advantage of this opportunity as well,” Scott says.

Another member program is a gala, complete with an elegant dinner, to honor people who have made outstanding contributions to advancing the Native Hawaiian community.

Rosen says one of the biggest issues in the Native Hawaiian community is the unemployment rate. The overall rate in Hawai‘i is about 2.8% but “if you look at the Native Hawaiian unemployment rate, it’s over 8%,” he says. “These programs and workshops, everything we’re continuing to do and evolve and build stronger, is trying to get out into the community and identify where the pukas are and fill them with relevant content.”

Another challenge is that many Native Hawaiians have left the Islands due to the high cost of living and other economic pressures. An estimated 53% of Native Hawaiians in the U.S. now reside on the continent.

“The biggest focus right now is reengineering the organization to

align with where our members and our community are headed. We’re looking at the challenges they face and asking how we can provide the resources, networking opportunities and tools they need to reach their full potential – without having to leave home.”

MAUI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The phrase “Maui is the heart of its people” reflects this chamber’s mission to support the island’s economy and business while embodying Maui’s generous spirit, says President Pamela Tumpap. Founded in 1910 by Henry Perrine Baldwin –co-founder of Alexander & Baldwin – it is the second-oldest chamber in the state after the statewide Chamber of Commerce Hawaii.

The chamber represents roughly 550 members across a wide range of business sizes and sectors.

“We all have our own unique programs that are rooted in our communities. That trust and understanding is what makes our work effective,” Tumpap says. “People know they can trust our team –they’ve trusted us for decades. They know they’ll receive one-on-one support to overcome challenges, achieve their business goals, and reach new heights.”

The chamber hosts trade councils that focus on specific sectors, such as construction, made in Maui products, and property management. These councils provide members with specialized resources, networking opportunities and industry-specific guidance. They also serve as platforms for members to collaborate, share best practices, and advocate for policies that benefit them.

Tumpap says membership fees are based on a business’s number of employees, and range from about $350 to several thousand dollars a year. Fees for member hotels are based on their number of rooms.

Members can participate in annual events such as the Made in Maui County Festival, the chamber’s largest event, where local businesses showcase their products. They also host Summer Social, a collaborative gathering with other businesses

ATTENDEES ENJOY HULA COOKIES ICE CREAM AT THE 2025 HAWAIIAN AIRLINES MADE IN MAUI COUNTY FESTIVAL.

that includes the induction of new leaders and a celebratory annual program. In addition, the chamber holds an annual fundraiser called BizMixx Maui, with all proceeds supporting programs, local businesses and economic recovery.

The 12th annual Made in Maui County Festival, held at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center during two days in November, included 140 makers and food trucks, and about 7,500 attendees, Tumpap says. “It’s also a valuable opportunity for local businesses to connect with wholesale buyers and distributors.”

She says the chamber is deeply involved in advocacy: “We have a very active County Council, so there’s always a steady flow of new legislation. Our members are highly engaged and want to weigh in on key issues at the state level as well, so advocacy remains a high priority for us.”

After the August 2023 wildfires, the chamber played a critical role in supporting business owners who had lost everything and needed to rebuild.

“We had community hubs set up before FEMA even arrived, and we immediately began finding ways to care for our people. It wasn’t just in Lahaina – there were fires starting in Kula as well – so we were dealing with two major areas of the island at once, along with other smaller flareups. But everyone came together. The community rushed to unite and support one another.”

The chamber also assisted business owners in securing SBA loans during the pandemic by helping them complete paperwork and navigate the process. “We were able to distribute a significant amount of funding and help many people. Even today, some of them still thank me personally.”

Other chamber initiatives include promoting economic diversification and agriculture, managing the visitor industry responsibly, expanding affordable housing and infrastructure, and improving broadband access for all residents.

HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAWAII

Four co-founders established this chamber in 2019 to support Hispanic-owned businesses statewide. It operates as a volunteer-run nonprofit and has about 200 to 300 members.

“We learned that there are about 8,000 Hispanic-owned businesses here in Hawai‘i,” says co-founder and President Barbara De Lucca. “When we started the Hispanic Chamber, our tagline became ‘For Latinos and those who love us.’ We want our networking events to not only connect people professionally but also celebrate and share our culture.”

Memberships range from $75 to $500 a year depending on the size and type of business, and discounts are available for military members and students. Members can participate in cultural and business development events such as Cinco de Mayo, the Latino Business Expo, the Taste of Mana Gala, and Vamos Kapolei in collaboration with the Kapolei chamber.

“If you go to our events, they’re smaller and more communitybased,” De Lucca explains. “We focus on advocacy and uplifting Hispanic-owned businesses.”

The chamber is open to anyone. “You don’t necessarily have to

have a Hispanic-owned business. If you’re a business owner – an accountant, for example – joining different chambers is a great way to meet people you might not encounter elsewhere,” De Lucca says. Members include restaurant owners, tech entrepreneurs, financial planners and other businesspeople. De Lucca emphasizes that the chamber is also an opportunity to help businesses scale. “When you have a passion for something, like I do, you still need to learn the business side. I never ran a nonprofit before starting this one. It’s the same for a restaurant owner. You love cooking, but you also have to manage ordering, shelf life, payroll and overhead.”

The chamber is connected to the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “There are 5 million Hispanic-owned businesses across the U.S. and over 260 local chambers,” De Lucca explains. “Each year, the Latino Donor Collaborative publishes a report on the Latino population. For the first time [in 2025], Latinos represent 1 in 5 Americans – 20% of the population.”

She says the biggest needs among members and their businesses are marketing and branding, financing, financial management and the adoption of technology such as AI. The chamber offers resources to help with all of those challenges.

THE HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HOSTS NUMEROUS EVENTS, SOME OF WHICH FEATURE TRADITIONAL DANCES.

The chamber’s Buenos Días Breakfast Networking events typically attract 25 to 40 attendees. “These events provide a valuable opportunity for our business members to showcase their companies,” De Lucca says. “For example, a real estate professional might lead a workshop, engage with other business owners and share insights. It’s a way for members to grow their businesses while learning from one another.”

Taqueria El Ranchero was one of the first members to join the Hispanic chamber in 2019. The owner was a first-time restaurateur who knew little about running a business and even turned to YouTube to learn the basics. With the support of the chamber, he eventually opened two locations – one in Kapolei and another in Wahiawa¯ – and has frequently offered to sponsor chamber events.

“He handles the alcohol setup, secures the necessary licenses, and last year he even provided three bars at our event along with live mariachis,” De Lucca says. “When we asked if he’d bring the mariachis this year, he said yes. We rely on him for Cinco de Mayo – it’s a great partnership and collaboration. It’s been wonderful to see his business grow over the years and his involvement with the chamber increase. Now he’s one of our sponsors, which

helps him continue to build his name in the community.”

Another concern among members is the increase in ICE raids, which has led to a decline in some large social events.

“Especially on Maui and the Big Island, where the Hispanic population is larger because of the coffee farms and service industries like hotels and restaurants, many immigrant residents are more cautious,” De Lucca says. “They’re laying low because it’s not worth risking being trapped or racially targeted.”

We’re here for more than business.”

Monthly “lunch and learn” sessions offer members a variety of professional development talks.

“We recently hosted a mortgage panel with four industry experts,” says Cummings. “A few months earlier, we held a real estate panel covering both residential and commercial markets. We aim to provide information that’s relevant and helpful not only for business owners but also for the wider community.”

This Windward O‘ahu chamber stands out for its personal, community-focused approach to business that emphasizes relationship building and small business development rather than lobbying or advocacy, says President Rebecca Cummings.

“The special thing about Kailua is how personal it is,” she says. “It feels like people want to get to know you before they want to do business with you. We really are an ‘ohana. We work together, learn together and support one another so everyone can do as well as possible. We also develop strong personal relationships; when someone has a wedding, birthday or business milestone, their chamber friends are often there celebrating with them.

A general membership is $300 a year, and Cummings says members get the most value by actively participating in the chamber’s many development opportunities, from workshops to speaker events.

It operates mostly on volunteer power, with just one paid staff member. “Anyone leading a committee or serving on the board is a volunteer,” Cummings says. “We have to be smart about where we put our time and energy. We do a lot with what we have.”

One big annual event is Kailua’s Fourth of July Parade, a cherished community tradition for more than 75 years.

Cummings says the chamber is actively working on helping local businesses navigate growing challenges, including rising tariffs.

“Businesses are starting to feel the impact of increased prices due to tariffs,” Cummings explains. “The shutdown has also affected many families here, especially with the Marine Corps base nearby. It’s a trickle-down effect. We plan to bring in speakers early [in 2026] to help our members navigate these issues.”

Cummings adds that what keeps members and the community engaged is Kailua’s unique charm and sense of place.

“Kailua is a place that people love,” Cummings says. “Whether they’re visiting or they live here, there’s something special about it. People want to come to Kailua; they enjoy the small, one-of-a-kind shops and restaurants you can’t find anywhere else. You can walk or bike just about everywhere, and it simply feels good to be here. The more we can preserve that, the better off everyone will be.”

KAILUA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

THE KAILUA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HOSTS THE COMMUNITY’S ANNUAL INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE.

From Hooves to Horns: The Life of a Large-Animal Veterinarian

NAME: CHRISTY HAINES JOB: LARGE-ANIMAL VETERINARIAN

THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF VETERINARIANS IN HAWAI‘I BUT ONLY A RELATIVE FEW SPECIALIZE IN LARGE ANIMALS. ONE OF them is Christy Haines, who has worked at the Makawao Veterinary Clinic on Maui since 2021 and treats horses, cows, sheep, goats and even llamas and alpacas. The job demands creativity, adaptability and medical knowledge.

“I like the variety. I like that it’s kind of outrageous – the unexpect-

edness of it,” Haines says with a laugh. “I love being around the animals, I love taking care of them, and I love taking care of the community – the people and the way of life. There’s a lot to love.”

BEGINNINGS: Haines knew from a young age that she wanted to work in medicine, being inspired by her doctor father. She was also surrounded by horses while growing up on a farm in Upcountry Maui and learned early on what it meant to care for animals.

Torn between human and animal medicine, she ultimately chose the latter – with her father’s encouragement. After earning her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia, she attended Colorado State University’s veterinary school.

“I actually didn’t decide to do large animals until I was halfway through veterinary school,” Haines recalls. “I grew up on a farm with horses – riding, learning how to take care of them – but hadn’t really thought seriously about doing it as a career.”

But at veterinary school, Haines chose to work at large-animal clinics during the day while completing classes at night, believing the best way to learn was hands-on. After graduation, she completed an equine-only internship on the continent before returning home to serve her community.

HIGHLIGHTS: Her work is varied, ranging from routine checkups on horses, sheep and goats, to responding to emergency calls from remote corners of the island. Predawn calls might result in her helping to foal a mare or treating a sick animal in a muddy pasture.

One day, she’s performing surgeries and wellness care at the clinic; the next, she’s improvising in the field, like using a tree limb to hang IV fluids or powering X-ray equipment with a skid steer tractor.

COMMUNITY: “What’s most unique about working here on Maui is the community,” says Maddie Dolenak, Haines’ former veterinary technician. “Especially growing up here – I’m sure Dr. Haines would agree – you maintain those relationships. Coming back to work and serving the people, their animals and their pets is pretty special.”

Large-animal veterinarian

Christy Haines with one of her equine patients on Maui.

Indirectly, caring for the animals means caring for the people who depend on them and perpetuating the paniolo lifestyle and the small-town values that define Upcountry Maui.

Building long-term relationships with clients, many of whom share her passion for animals, is one of Haines’ favorite parts of the job. In fact, she says, being a veterinarian on Maui isn’t just a career, it’s a calling to make a tangible difference in a place that has given her so much.

CHALLENGES: Being on call 24/7 can be exhausting, especially when paired with the emotional strain of delivering difficult news to clients. Balancing owner expectations with financial realities often creates ethical and emotional tension.

“Veterinary medicine isn’t just about treating animals,” Haines explains. “It’s about navigating a complex web of emotions, economics and ethical dilemmas while striving to provide the best possible care.”

The job is physically demanding because it can mean kneeling in the

mud, enduring bee stings or pushing through long hours. Those physical and emotional demands drive many large-animal veterinarians to leave the profession.

KEEPING UP TO DATE: To stay effective, Haines commits to lifelong learning, often consulting experts and expanding her skills to care for less common species such as alpacas and llamas.

GREATER PURPOSE: The demands of the job are part of what gives Haines’ work meaning. The impact of her work reaches beyond animal health; it touches community well-being and connection because a healed animal can mean restored livelihood, comfort and hope.

“You give everything,” Haines says, “but you get so much back in return: gratitude, relationships and the satisfaction of knowing you made a difference.”

“No matter what you’re doing in the veterinary field, you have to pour your heart and soul into it … because the animals and the people depend on you.”

- CHRISTY HAINES

THIS INTERVIEW HAS BEEN EDITED FOR CLARITY AND CONCISENESS.

- CHRISTY HAINES

Advocates want marijuana legalized for all adults, not just for those with qualifying medical conditions. But opponents fear legalization could hurt tourism, create enforcement challenges and damage public health.

IN HAWAI‘I, CANNABIS IS BOTH LEGAL AND ILLEGAL, WITH SOME OF THE INDUSTRY REGULATED BY THE STATE FOR MEDICINAL USE BUT THE VAST MAJORITY LEFT TO AN UNDERGROUND NETWORK.

This network, which is not taxed or regulated, flourishes in the Hawaiian Islands. A 2022 report from the state Department of Taxation estimates the total market in the Islands for cannabis is $240 million a year. Only 21% is fully legal.

The report estimates that more than three-quarters of the state’s cannabis industry is grown and sold in a “gray market.” This realm “is distinguished from a black market due to its higher levels of social acceptance and ambiguous legal treatment. In a black market, the

possession and sale of a product is clearly illegal, and legal enforcement is strong. In a gray market, the legal classification is more ambiguous, and enforcement measures are not consistently applied.”

Like many residents, I see the gray market in my day-to-day life: A few months ago, I spied an advertisement for cannabis seeds casually sitting on the counter of a coffee shop in Pa¯hoa on Hawai‘i island.

Recreational cannabis in Hawai‘i is prolific but unregulated and nominally illegal. Medicinal cannabis is regulated but confined to customers with qualifying health conditions. However, that does not mean all qualified customers seek their medicinal cannabis from a legal source.

Folks who want to legalize cannabis for recreational use believe it should be tested, taxed and regulated. Opponents fear that legalization of cannabis for personal adult use could hurt the state’s tourism industry, create new enforcement challenges, and add threats to public health.

Cannabis is widely used in Hawai‘i, but there’s no consensus among lawmakers, businesses and the general public on whether Hawai‘i should change existing cannabis laws.

There is a simple reason for this hazy status quo: Beyond the smoke, Hawai‘i’s plans for cannabis are arrested in development.

MARIJUANA’S HAWAI‘I ROOTS

Cannabis is a plant, while marijuana is a drug made from the plant, usually containing psychoactive compounds like THC. Varieties of cannabis are also cultivated for other uses, such as hemp used to create fibers and CBD oil with low levels of THC.

In Hawai‘i, the history of cannabis informs our current debate over its purpose, permitted uses and regulation.

The plant or its seeds likely arrived in Honolulu in the 1930s. Military officials, worried about how service members were likely transporting it from the West Coast into the territory, pushed for more enforcement of what they saw as a dangerous drug.

“Honolulu now has slowly and quietly become a new field for the use of the treacherous drug,” The Honolulu Advertiser warned in 1932, “to such an extent that army officials, backed by civilian police and other officers, are paying special attention to the location and seizure of supplies of it.”

Initial federal efforts to regulate cannabis resulted in the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, which national leaders hoped would stifle the recreational consumption of cannabis while still promoting related crops with commercial applications like hemp fiber or hemp seed.

For Hawai‘i, the Marihuana Tax Act mandated the enforcement of cannabis laws for the first time. In October 1937, the sale of marijuana became illegal in the Territory of Hawai‘i.

The next month, officials from the Federal Bureau of Narcotics launched their first Honolulu raid. Hawai‘i’s initial war on marijuana was led by A.M. Bangs, supervisor of the territory’s Narcotics Enforcement Branch. Bangs said “the lower class of young people” were using the drug, which was both being smuggled into Hawai‘i and grown locally, including in O‘ahu’s Pauoa Valley.

A public education campaign warned people of marijuana’s dangers. In downtown Honolulu, placards described the dangers of

smoking marijuana and at least one storefront window displayed a cannabis plant to let passersby know what to look for.

In 1970, the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) classified marijuana as an illegal narcotic. Nonetheless, Hawai‘i grappled with exploding demand for locally grown marijuana in the 1970s, a demand filled by illegal plantings statewide.

By August 1978, Operation Green Harvest had taken shape as a collaboration of the Hawai‘i National Guard, county police and federal agents. Law enforcement officers frequently flew in helicopters searching for plants across the Islands and Green Harvest became a mainstay of Hawai‘i’s war on drugs.

The decline of the sugar industry in the second half of the 20th century left thousands of acres of agricultural land fallow and cannabis filled the void. “On all the Neighbor Islands,” The Advertiser wrote in 1978, “sugar fields are popular pot-growing sites, since the

inner part of the fields can be used for pot, leaving the perimeter to grow as a cover.”

Guy Paul, then police chief of Hawai‘i island, estimated 250,000 pounds of marijuana were being exported from the island annually —which The Advertiser said would mean the illegal cannabis industry had surpassed sugar as “the Big Island’s chief export industry and top dollar-producing activity.”

Then-state Rep. Neil Abercrombie said in a 1978 interview with ABC News that “the marijuana crop here is the major unsubsidized agricultural crop” and that it’s run on “a free enterprise, entrepreneurial, cottage industry kind of approach. It’s the bastion of free enterprise, and it’s able to take care of itself without having the government come and bail it out.

“We grow the finest marijuana in the world here—[it’s] quality.”

Barack Obama, a student at Punahou School in the 1970s, freely admits to smoking marijuana then.

As U.S. president, he clarified his views in a 2014 interview with The New Yorker: “As has been well documented, I smoked pot as a kid, and I view it as a bad habit and a vice, not very different from the cigarettes that I smoked as a young person up through a big chunk of my adult life. I don’t think it is more dangerous than alcohol.”

Even so, he was wary of its legalization. “Having said all that, those who argue that legalizing marijuana is a panacea and it solves all these social problems I think are probably overstating the case. There is a lot of hair on that policy.”

THE RISE OF REGULATED CANNABIS

Efforts to loosen the state’s regulation culminated in 2000, when the Hawai‘i Legislature became the first in the nation to legalize medical cannabis. (Other states had earlier legalized it through voter referendums.)

The implementation of medical

marijuana policy stalled within the Department of Public Safety until 2013, when then-state Sen. Josh Green secured passage of a bill that established a Medical Use of Cannabis Program within the Department of Health. Abercrombie, who by then was governor, signed it into law. Many applied for licenses, including well-connected residents and officeholders across Hawai‘i, celebrities like actor Woody Harrelson, a part-time resident of Maui, and lots of outsiders.

At the time, the lack of safe, medically regulated options for patients qualified by medical professionals to use cannabis was considered dangerous.

One December 2014 report from the State Auditor found that state-regulated medical marijuana dispensaries were non-existent. The dilemma jeopardized the “health, safety, and welfare” of individuals who were qualified by state law to use marijuana for medical purposes. “Because the sale of marijuana is illegal under state law, there is no place within Hawai‘i to legally obtain medical marijuana, which forces qualifying patients to either grow their own medical marijuana or seek out black market products.”

The result was an oxymoronic conundrum. Medical cannabis was legal, but there was no legal place to buy it.

“It took a long time for Hawai‘i to catch up and allow dispensaries to open up,” says T.Y. Cheng, the president of Aloha Green Apothecary. He also serves as the president of the Hawai‘i Cannabis Industry Association, which represents the majority of all licensed medical cannabis businesses across the state. An attorney by trade, he returned home to Hawai‘i to help organize Aloha Green and applied for a license. Today, Aloha Green is one of the eight licensed cannabis businesses across Hawai‘i.

The licensees are limited to specific counties. Aloha Green and two others are based on O‘ahu, two each are based on Hawai‘i island and Maui, and one is on Kaua‘i.

“The process was very competitive,” Cheng says. “There was a lot of [mainland and international]

interest in these licenses. I think the state did a really good job in selecting teams that had a really strong local connection and could try to keep as many funds here in Hawai‘i as possible, which is very commendable of the state.”

For individuals who have received permission from a health professional to use medicinal cannabis in the State of Hawai‘i, navigating this tight market comes with challenges. Alexa, who asked that she only be identified by her first name, has procured medicinal cannabis from both regulated and unregulated sources.

Alexa is authorized by a licensed medical professional to use cannabis to treat ailments ranging from early arthritis to stomach issues to pain from muscle spasms. Often, she says, certain medicines cause stomach discomfort or other adverse side-effects that require medicinal cannabis for relief. “It can be a bit of a dog chasing its tail kind of a thing,” Alexa jokes, “especially when you are in the throes of a bad health issue where I just need some kind of relief to function.”

Since Alexa began using medicinal cannabis in 2013, the regulatory landscape in Hawai‘i has been confusing. When she first began using medicinal cannabis, she couldn’t rely on state-regulated dispensaries.

“It definitely is cheaper to buy from your local dealer. When there is no other option, you find somebody that is reliable, someone you are comfortable with, who you trust, who can explain where their supply is coming from.”

Alexa says that much of the unregulated supply in Hawai‘i traditionally came from dispensaries in California with an excess of medicinal cannabis. However, in recent years she has grown worried about the contents in unregulated weed. “I have found that, especially in recent years, a lot of street weed tends to be sprayed with a THC booster that gives me an allergic reaction in my mouth, so I just stay away from street-anything at this point.”

Patients must choose from either safer but limited and more expensive marijuana options or more potentially unsafe but readily available

and cheaper options.

Today, 24 states have legalized cannabis for recreational use by adults; Hawai‘i is one of 42 that permits marijuana for medicinal uses. But Hawai‘i is the only state with a Democratic Party trifecta — control of the governor’s office and both chambers of the state Legislature – yet no recreational cannabis program for all adults.

RECREATIONAL USE IS EXPLORED

To manage the state’s medicinal cannabis market, the Office of Medical Cannabis Control and Regulation opened within the Department of Health in 2018.

While the OMCCR took shape, legislation was passed in 2021 to create a task force to explore the legalization of marijuana for recreational use.

The current program manager for the OMCCR is attorney Andrew Goff. He began his career in cannabis regulation as a state deputy

attorney general; before joining the Department of Health, he advised the Department of Agriculture on hemp products.

“There’s a certain stigma associated with cannabis,” Goff says. “People just associate it with the ‘Cheech-and-Chong’ types, but it can be used in a medical capacity for a therapeutic use, or to treat your actual condition or to treat the symptoms of your condition.”

He says one of the biggest obstacles surrounding the OMCCR is the lack of understanding among people about the permitted uses of cannabis: “Overall, the challenge is a lack of public education on cannabis in general – what it is, what it does and how it can be used medicinally.”

Combating the stigma while coordinating cannabis production with licensed medical dispensaries is a juggling act, he adds.

State Rep. David A. Tarnas, who represents a stretch of Hawai‘i island from Kohala to Waikoloa, has long fought for a resolution to the

debate over recreational cannabis. His solution is the regulation of recreational cannabis through legalization.

Tarnas first served in the state House from 1994 to 1998, then returned two decades later and now serves as chair of the House Committee on Judicial and Hawaiian Affairs.

“As I look to other states for best practices,” he says, “I find that it’s most efficient to have one state agency responsible for all things related to cannabis, which would include industrial hemp, hempderived products, but also involve medical cannabis and adult-use cannabis.” Tarnas plans to focus on reforming cannabis’s regulatory framework in 2026.

Typically, regulated industries in Hawai‘i are administratively attached to the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, but the OMCCR remains part of the Department of Health.

Licensed medical cannabis dis-

pensaries must compete for customers from a licensed set of clientele. Both dispensaries and patients are regulated by the OMCCR. As of September 2025, there were 29,057 in-state patients statewide with “329 cards,” which licenses them to legally buy cannabis for medicinal purposes. Even when patients gain licenses to buy from regulated medical marijuana dispensaries, they still might choose to buy through the gray market, where it’s cheaper.

Big Island Grown – one of two dispensaries on Hawai‘i island –continues to combat competition from unlicensed and unregulated cannabis producers. “The nonregulated cannabis industry is prolific on both the Big island and throughout the state of Hawai‘i,” says Jaclyn Moore, CEO and co-founder of the company. “The majority of the cannabis sold in the state is through the nonregulated market and is not tested for potency or pesticides.”

Protecting the health of users is one argument for legalizing and regulating the cannabis industry. Another is preventing sellers from targeting their products to children in their marketing and labeling, as a 2015 National Institutes of Health study said had happened in Hawai‘i with e-cigarettes.

“What we really want to see happen with any legislation that would go forth is that we have a public health focus before we have a profit focus,” says Rick Collins, project director at the Hawai‘i Public Health Institute, a nonprofit that began in 1996 as the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawai‘i. This is especially crucial for people under 21, who would be barred from using cannabis recreationally in several bills introduced to legalize recreational cannabis.

While the legalization of cannabis for personal adult use failed in the 2025 Legislature, an effort to shore up the struggling legal cannabis industry succeeded. House Bill 302, which was nearly vetoed by now-Gov. Green before being signed into law as Act 241, aims to open up the range of permitted uses for medicinal cannabis. Such legislation could increase the number of licensed medicinal cannabis users

across Hawai‘i.

“Our laws will probably change around that, too,” acknowledges Goff. “That is going to impact the things that can be imported, the things that we can sell here, and even the things that we make here that we can sell on the mainland.”

THE FEDERAL PICTURE

While Hawai‘i continues to debate the future of recreational cannabis, the federal debate over the future of cannabis rages. The Trump administration’s plans for cannabis are unclear, stoking confusion among state regulators.

On Nov. 12, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed House Resolution 5371 into law. While the measure ended the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history, it included a provision that recriminalizes most hemp-derived THC products. Such inconsistencies between federal and state rules will create more problems for state regulators like Goff. For now, the OMCCR is awaiting more guidance from federal regulators.

Such confusion only compounded a month later, when the Trump administration appeared to move in the opposite direction.

On Dec. 18, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order to remove barriers to the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes. Even though an overwhelming majority of U.S. states have programs that permit medicinal cannabis, the Trump administration admitted that “decades of Federal drug control policy have neglected marijuana’s medical uses.”

Trump’s move is dramatic in its clear support for legalizing medicinal marijuana at the Federal level. “The Federal Government’s long delay in recognizing the medical use of marijuana does not serve the Americans who report health benefits from the medical use of marijuana to ease chronic pain and other various medically recognized ailments.”

Cannabis continues to be classified as a narcotic under Schedule One of the Controlled Substances Act. Under the CSA, any drug, sub-

stance or chemical is set on a fivepoint “schedule.” According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, a drug’s classification under Schedule One is defined as “drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”

To the Trump administration, this does not make sense. According to the national political website Politico, Trump faced pressure to issue the Dec. 18 executive order from longtime ally Howard Kessler and Kim Rivers, CEO of Truliev. Truliev is Florida’s largest medical marijuana company. Their successful lobbying has made the de-regulation of medicinal cannabis a bipartisan issue at the national level.

Before leaving office in January 2025, the Biden administration was already moving in the same direction, calling for the re-scheduling of cannabis. “This is the same schedule as for heroin and LSD, and even higher than the classification of fentanyl and methamphetamine – the drugs that are driving our overdose epidemic,” then-President Joe Biden declared in an October 2022 statement.

Biden directed then-Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra to evaluate the re-classification of cannabis. On August 23, 2023, Dr. Rachel L. Levine, the assistant HHS secretary for health, sent a letter to then-DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. Levine advised that cannabis be moved from Schedule One to Schedule Three, finding credible scientific support to justify the use of cannabis for such uses as “the treatment of pain, anorexia related to a medical condition, and nausea and vomiting.” As part of this review, the Assistant Secretary of Health found that more than 6 million Americans were authorized to use medicinal cannabis on the recommendation of a health care professional.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a part of the National Institutes of Health, concurred with these findings. With this said, NIDA continues to also monitor the health impacts of cannabis, including its impacts “on the developing brain and on mental health.” Their existing research focuses on “prevention

and treatments for cannabis use disorder, the potential therapeutic uses of cannabis, and the public health impacts of cannabis policies.”

As a result of the Biden administration’s findings, the U.S. DEA, which is part of the U.S. Department of Justice, initiated a process on May 21, 2024 to formally modify federal rules to re-schedule cannabis. More than 40,000 comments were received from stakeholders across the United States.

The push to re-schedule cannabis stalled, but since his declaration in December, Trump has directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to hasten the re-scheduling of cannabis from Schedule One to Schedule Three.

For legal medicinal cannabis dispensaries in Hawai‘i, re-scheduling cannabis could carry positive economic consequences. According to OCMMR Administrator Goff, at least one section of the federal tax code limiting deductions for cannabis business may no longer apply. As a result, legally operating, state-regulated dispensaries could potentially deduct business expenses.

Nevertheless, recent federal changes will not immediately challenge their mission. “Like other states, Hawai‘i developed its regulatory framework in the absence of a clear federal system and through years of experience overseeing cultivation, manufacturing, testing and dispensing for registered patients,” Goff explained in a later statement. “A change in federal scheduling does not alter state program requirements, which remain in effect unless and until modified through state legislative or rulemaking processes.”

States like Hawai‘i still exercise a great deal of latitude over their independent programs, Goff’s statement said. “Hawai‘i’s medical cannabis program will continue to operate under state law, with a focus on continuity of care for patients, regulatory clarity for licensees, and strong public health protections, as federal policy evolves.”

Licensed medical cannabis dispensaries must compete for customers from a licensed set of clientele… even when patients gain licenses, they still might choose to buy from the gray market, where it’s cheaper.

THE INCONSISTENCIES OF REGULATION

When the federal government began soliciting comments on re-scheduling cannabis in May 2024, Dr. Clifton Otto submitted testimony that carefully documented Hawai‘i’s struggle to clarify the regulatory inconsistencies between state and federal agencies. Otto is a physician certified to add patients to Hawai‘i’s medicinal cannabis registry.

For over a decade, Otto has been involved in debates over the establishment of a sustainable medicinal cannabis program, including a stint as a member of the Medical Dispensary Task Force established in 2014 to create a framework for permitted medical dispensaries across the state.

“I got into this in 2011 because of a family friend with colon cancer, and I got to see first-hand how this person was benefitting from cannabis,” he explains. “They were using it to reduce their nausea and boost their appetite during chemotherapy.”

Inconsistencies between agencies at the state level, along with conflicts between state and federal law continue to hasten confusion.

One recent example concerns a patient’s right to take medicinal cannabis between islands. It is widely believed that the state’s jurisdictional limits are only 12 miles from any coastline – but the distance between many Hawaiian Islands are more than that.

That means a person must technically leave the state’s jurisdiction to reach another island. Is it still legal for that person to possess medicinal cannabis?

“Dispensaries in Hawaii are authorized under state law to transport samples and products to other islands in violation of federal law, which jeopardizes sample integrity and patient safety,” warned Otto in a Nov. 7, 2025, letter to Hawai‘i’s Department of Transportation. It is a politically tricky issue for the DOT, as federal regulations barred pilots from transporting marijuana. On Nov. 28, 2025, the DOT formally declined to engage in any discussion about the transportation of medicinal cannabis.

The fog of regulatory inconsistency frustrates medical professionals like Otto. “The state has the authority to decide how medicine is practiced within the state, and the state decided that cannabis has

medical use, but the state is very conflicted on cannabis and has not properly stood up for the state’s authority over medical cannabis.”

There is currently no clear mechanism for managing between state and federal rules and regulations. “We’re conflicted. We’re stuck in the middle. Our tendency is to always wait for the federal government to do something.”

It appears the federal government is slowly moving to permit medicinal cannabis as a regulated drug at the national level. In Otto’s opinion, the state must prepare for this future.

THE COST OF CANNABIS

The regulatory confusion sprouting from the future of medicinal cannabis interweaves with the debate over the future of recreational cannabis.

For Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm, the national experiment with recreational cannabis legalization provides warning signs. Alm opposes such legalization on the grounds that it will pose enforcement issues, hurt public health and damage Hawai‘i’s international image.

“When I talk to the business groups,” Alm says, “they’re concerned with employees showing up for work high – and they know there’s marijuana out there now. I think the feeling, though, is that if it is made legal [for recreational usage], it’s just society kind of saying, ‘This must be safe or we wouldn’t be legalizing it’ – and we’re going to have more usage.”

Alm has further echoed the warnings of State Attorney General Anne Lopez, whose department furnished recommendations about the potential establishment of a Hawai‘i Cannabis Authority in 2024. Driving while high is one worry.

“If cannabis is legalized in Hawai‘i, and even if the Department’s recommendations regarding high driving and open containers are adopted,” the Department of the Attorney General warned, “it is reasonable to anticipate an increase in traffic accidents and fatalities involving cannabis-impaired drivers,

as well as an increase in the raw number of traffic fatalities.”

The potential impact of recreational cannabis legalization on tourism is another lingering concern. In some countries – like Japan – cannabis consumption is stigmatized, and some opponents fear legalization would discourage potential Japanese travelers. As an example, Alm cites the recent resignation of Suntory Holdings CEO Takeshi Niinami in September 2025 as a result of his alleged purchase of a product containing THC, a psychoactive component of cannabis.

Many Japanese tourism industry leaders express similar worries, including Tetsuya “Ted” Kubo, president and CEO of JTB Hawaii, which mostly serves visitors from Japan. In 2025, Tina Yamaki, then-president of Retail Merchants of Hawaii, also expressed opposition for similar reasons.

However, other indications suggest many tourists from the con-

tinental U.S. are open to cannabis tourism. A September 2025 report from MMGY Travel Intelligence for the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority found that 43% of potential visitors to Hawai‘i were interested in recreational cannabis experiences while on vacation. Potential activities include “modern cannabis lounge activities,” along with “sampling cannabis for the medicinal and therapeutic benefits.”

There are two cannabis markets in Hawai‘i, both of which are not naturally aligned to one another. Advocates for medicinal cannabis may not naturally advocate for legalized recreational cannabis usage.

“I don’t really think there is such a thing as recreational cannabis,” Otto opines. “I think people who are saying they are using it recreationally are really self-medicating. They are self-medicating for anxiety, depression, insomnia, and I think you could argue that there is a certain medical benefit to euphoria

that can help under certain medical conditions.”

Cannabis is a powerful drug that is capable of being used as a medicine. To that end, it is also a widely used drug enjoyed for recreational use across Hawai‘i.

One irony is that even in many states that have legalized recreational marijuana, the underground market continues to flourish, often due to a combination of high taxes on legal cannabis, complex regulations and the illegal market’s lower prices. Lower taxes and simplified regulations could stymie the perpetuation of Hawai‘i’s existing gray market. Cannabis will not disappear in the near future.

There are existing models for regulation from other states built with safeguards for youth, to regulate growers and to protect the general public. Hawai‘i may not have the capacity for such regulation.

Nationally, regulated cannabis industries can generate revenue for state and local governments. The

Marijuana Policy Project tracks state tax revenues from existing regulated cannabis programs. Since 2014, states have generated an estimated $24.7 billion in revenue from regulated, adult-use cannabis sales.

Depending on the design of a state’s regulated program, however, such systems can still drive cannabis sales into the underground when they are too burdensome. States like Alaska have some of the highest cannabis tax regimes in the country, which sometimes drive cannabis growers and producers to continue operating in the ‘gray market.’ However, states like Alaska, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon and Washington have seen regulated cannabis sales grow to constitute more than one percent of all state tax revenues in a fiscal year.

Rhode Island, a state of similar population size to Hawai‘i, currently tracks statewide revenue from regulated cannabis through its Cannabis Control Commission. In 2025, sales from regulated recreational

cannabis totaled more than $101.56 million dollars, while regulated medicinal cannabis revenues totaled about $18.45 million dollars.

Hawai‘i’s revenues are limited because the recreational market remains unregulated. Between licensing fees and the general excise tax (GET), the State of Hawai‘i had collected an estimated $19.25 million in tax revenues from the state’s regulated medicinal cannabis market from 2016 through 2024, according to a January 2025 report submitted to the State Legislature.

The regulation of Hawai‘i’s flourishing, underground recreational cannabis industry may be long overdue. However, the gambit is risky. Although the state may reap certain fiscal benefits, the risks to public health are still present. To that end, regulation offers the certainty of monitoring elements of what already flourishes. With cannabis, such revenues will come at a cost.

KEEPING HAWAI‘I HEALTHY

Q&A WITH

Hear from our local healthcare leaders on key issues affecting our state in the coming year.

DR. MARK MUGIISHI CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, HMSA

HEALTH INSURERS IN HAWAI‘I AND ACROSS THE NATION ARE FACING GROWING PRESSURE AS THE COST OF CARE CONTINUES TO RAPIDLY RISE.

In an effort to address rising medical costs, expand access to care and improve long-term financial stability, HMSA and Hawai‘i Pacific Health (HPH) are in talks about a potential collaboration.

“Health insurers in Hawai‘i and across the nation are facing growing pressure as the cost of care continues to rapidly rise,” says Dr. Mark M. Mugiishi, HMSA’s chief executive officer and a member of the American College of Surgeons. “Creating a vertically integrated system with HPH allows two local, nonprofit organizations to come together to provide resiliency for health care in Hawai‘i. The people of Hawai‘i should experience more affordable care, better access, and a seamless experience while continuing to see the doctors of their choice.”

HMSA, Hawai‘i’s largest health insurer, is focused on advancing aﬀordability, patient experience, population health, and health equity.

HAWAI‘I MEDICAL SERVICE ASSOCIATION

Forming partnerships is a priority: In 2025, HMSA joined with like-minded Blue Shield plans to form Stellarus, a health care technology and pharmacy company that will create a platform powered by artiﬁcial intelligence to provide smarter, more personalized, and aﬀordable care for the communities they serve.

CARING FOR OUR FAMILIES, FRIENDS, AND NEIGHBORS IS OUR PRIVILEGE.

Keeping track of medications is challenging, especially when treating multiple conditions. In October 2025, HMSA partnered with Curant Health to support HMSA Medicare Advantage members who take multiple medications. The aim is to improve health outcomes at no additional cost to members.

In the coming year, Mugiishi says, HMSA will closely monitor “the impacts of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on health care in Hawai‘i, and ultimately, the state’s economic well-being.”

He adds: “We believe that many of the signiﬁcant challenges we face in health care can be addressed through technology and stronger partnerships. The long-term sustainability of our health plans and health care system depends on our shared commitment and ambition. Our mission remains clear: To improve the lives of our members and the health of Hawai‘i. Caring for our families, friends, and neighbors is our privilege.”

818 Keeaumoku St. Honolulu, HI 96814 hmsa.com

Working together to deliver quality care you can count on.

With HMSA, you and your loved ones have access to high-quality health care through our partnerships with top-rated hospitals, doctors, and specialists statewide.

No matter what your needs are, rest assured that our entire network is working together to provide you with the best possible care.

For the good times. For the tough times. For lifetimes.

To learn more, scan the QR code or visit hmsa.com.

HAWAI‘I PACIFIC HEALTH

“ WHEN PROVIDERS AND PAYERS ARE CLOSELY ALIGNED, INFORMATION AND RESOURCES MOVE MORE EFFICIENTLY ACROSS A UNIFIED SYSTEM.”

-RAY VARA, PRESIDENT & CEO, HAWAI‘I PACIFIC HEALTH

Hawai‘i Paciﬁc Health and Hawai‘i Medical Service Association have submitted their proposal to the appropriate state and federal agencies for regulatory review to create a more aligned, connected, and coordinated health care system for the state.

Both organizations share a commitment to address the urgent health care challenges facing Hawai‘i’s families—rising costs, limited access to care, and provider shortages, says Ray Vara, president & CEO for HPH.

“While these issues have persisted for years, we recognize that signiﬁcant structural solutions are needed now to truly create healthier communities.”

Under the proposal, HPH and HMSA would establish a new nonproﬁt parent organization, One Health Hawai‘i, jointly lead by co-CEOs Ray Vara and Mark Mugiishi, M.D., and governed by a newly formed board.

“When providers and payers are closely aligned, information and resources move more eﬃciently across a uniﬁed system,” Vara says.

HPH also recently opened a newly renovated section of the emergency department at Straub Benioﬀ Medical Center, featuring eight private treatment rooms, two triage rooms and expanded workstation space for physicians, nurses and staﬀ. In late 2026, a new one million-square-foot parking building is also scheduled to be completed.

At Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children, HPH will break ground this year on

the new $31 million Martha B. Smith Cancer & Infusion Center. The center will more than quadruple the existing space for pediatric, breast and gynecologic patients and oﬀer advanced and groundbreaking cancer therapies such as CAR-T cellular immunotherapy.

Pali Momi Medical Center is developing a suite speciﬁcally for lung cancer procedures. It should greatly expand the capacity for its pulmonary and thoracic surgery team to perform potentially lifesaving biopsies. Dedicated patholo-

gists, including Hawai‘i’s only thoracic-trained pathologist, are on-site during biopsies to provide immediate analysis of the tissue.

On Kaua‘i this year, a new multipurpose room at Wilcox Medical Center will allow more specialty procedures to be performed, including interventional radiology services. This addition will mean Kaua‘i patients will no longer need to travel oﬀ island for these services and can get the care they need close to home.

Dr. Leimomi Kanagusuku, HPH family medicine physician

Dr. Eric Crawley, HPH pulmonologist, performs minimally invasive biopsies to help detect lung cancer.

OUR CAREGIVERS ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING QUALITY HEALTH CARE SERVICES TO IMPROVE THE WELL- BEING OF NATIVE HAWAIIANS AND ALL OF THE PEOPLE OF HAWAI‘I.

In a landmark partnership, The Queen’s Health Systems, Hawai‘i’s largest private health care organization, has teamed with the Hawai‘i Health Systems Corp. to develop a new outpatient care center in Kailua-Kona on Hawai‘i Island.

Queen’s previously announced it is building a new hospital in HHSC’s

fast-growing West Hawai‘i region, and will further donate 3 to 5 acres of land for a 50,000-square-foot medical facility adjacent to the new hospital.

“This new outpatient care center will provide a seamless transition between inpatient and outpatient care, while creating a onestop hub for primary and specialty care services that will reduce wait and travel times for patients,” says Jason Chang, The Queen’s Health Systems president and CEO. “The new medical center is expected to enhance West Hawai‘i region’s ability to attract and retain providers at a time when the region is facing a critical physician shortage.”

At The Queen’s Medical Center - West O‘ahu, home to the second-busiest emergency department in the state, a project is underway to add 32 additional care

THE QUEEN’S HEALTH SYSTEMS

spaces to the ER, and 48 additional inpatient care spaces.

Queen’s Uytengsu Family Emergency Department at Punchbowl is also expanding. Phase 1 of the expansion opened in June, increasing the number of treatment rooms from 35 to 76 and enhancing behavioral health services. Construction on Phase 2, which will include isolation rooms to contain infectious diseases, a trauma wing and high-acuity care spaces, will begin soon.

“At Queen’s, we have the state’s only Level 1 trauma

center, the only comprehensive stroke center, only organ transplant program, and the busiest STEMI center,” Chang says, referring to the Queen’s rapid response center for victims of severe heart attacks and other serious conditions. “We also care for the greatest number of patients with behavioral health conditions. Our caregivers are committed to upholding our mission of providing, in perpetuity, quality health care services to improve the wellbeing of Native Hawaiians and all of the people of Hawai‘i.”

BIPARTISAN BILL AIMS TO PREVENT KIDNEY DEATHS BY COMPENSATING DONORS

“End Kidney Deaths Act” proposes a $50,000 tax credit for healthy people to give a kidney to a stranger. If passed, the legislation could save 100,000 lives and billions of dollars over a decade.

BY RYANN NOELANI COULES

BOUT 10,000 PEOPLE DIE EACH YEAR in the United States because they did not receive a kidney transplant in time. The pain of such loss spreads to many tens of thousands of relatives and loved ones who suffered the agony of knowing these deaths could have been prevented.

The issue isn’t a shortage of kidneys—there are more than enough healthy people who could donate their spare. (Most of us have two working kidneys, but we only need one.) The crisis exists because not enough people are willing to help a stranger. Generally, that’s because we’re not well informed about the problem or the solutions.

So the question is, how do we increase the number of donors?

One potential solution is H.R. 2687, also known as the “End Kidney Deaths Act.” This proposed legislation would establish a 10-year pilot program offering nondirected donors a $10,000 refundable tax credit for five years, for a total of $50,000. If donors do not owe enough in taxes to utilize the full credit, the government will provide the remaining balance as a check, ensuring they receive the entire $10,000 benefit in each eligible year.

“We estimate that it will save up to 100,000 American lives, as well as $40 billion in taxes every year,” says Elaine Perlman, who donated a kidney to a stranger six months after her son did the same in 2019. She now serves as the executive director of Waitlist Zero, a coalition that is advocating for the bill.

By surveying transplant centers, Waitlist Zero determined they could collectively perform an additional 10,000 surgeries annually, totaling 100,000 lives saved over the course of the decade-long pilot.

Of all the people on the national organ waitlist, 86% are waiting for a kidney, according to Donate Life America.

Tragically, 5,758 patients were removed from the waiting list in 2021 because they died and another 5,371 because they became ‘too sick to transplant,’” according to a 2022 study published by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

“This means that 11,129 patients— about 30 a day—who had been listed for an organ transplant died without receiving one that year,” the report concludes.

In Hawai‘i, some 6,075 residents are living with kidney failure, including 83% that are receiving dialysis treatment, according to the American Kidney Fund. Meanwhile, 813 residents were on the kidney transplant waiting list as of February 2025, but only 1 in 3 on the list received a kidney in 2024, including just 7 from living donors.

A BILL THAT SAVES LIVES AND MONEY

Medicare covers most dialysis costs for 80% of patients at a staggering cost to taxpayers of roughly $90,000 per patient, per year. With the National Kidney Foundation reporting average transplant wait times of three to five years—and many waiting much longer

for a compatible match—transplants are a much better solution for the health of the recipient and cost-effectiveness.

Even after factoring the cost of transplant surgery (~$130,000), immunosuppressant medication to prevent kidney rejection (~$25,000 per year), and the $50,000 tax credit given to nondirected donors, the projected savings for taxpayers is $9 billion to $37 billion over 10 years. “So this is a solution to a very solvable problem, and very few pieces of legislation save both lives and money,” says Perlman.

The End Kidney Deaths Act was introduced by both Republican and Democratic representatives. The bill currently has 42 co-sponsors in the House, including Hawai‘i Rep. Jill Tokuda.

“I actually used to work at the National Kidney Foundation. I was their development director in Hawai‘i for a number of years,” says Rep. Tokuda. “I have seen the life-changing effects of altruistic kidney donors. They are literally angels amongst us, and we have to do everything we can to support them. And so, this bill, to me, is a no-brainer. It’s bipartisan, which is great, and quite frankly, I’d love to see it pass so that we can get more people donating.”

I DONATED ONE OF MY TWO KIDNEYS

This issue is deeply personal to me. On April 23, 2024, I donated a kidney to a stranger. To me, the decision to donate seemed remarkably straightforward: If I have two working kidneys but only need

Photo courtesy Ryann Noelani Coules | Coules with her anesthesiologist before heading into the operating room.

Photo courtesy Ryann Noelani Coules | Coules got to meet her recipient, John, and his family on Maui six months after the transplant.

one, why wouldn’t I give my spare to someone whose life depends on it?

One might ask: “Isn’t that taking on a lot of personal risk to help someone you don’t even know?”

While the thought of major abdominal surgery is naturally daunting, the procedure, known as a nephrectomy, is safer than most realize. A NYU Langone Health study spanning three decades found that by 2022, fewer than 1 in 10,000 kidney donors died within the first three months post-surgery.

In fact, many studies have found that kidney donors live longer on average than the general population. This counterintuitive phenomenon is attributed to three primary factors:

1. Potential donors must undergo extensive testing to ensure they are in excellent health to qualify for donation.

2. Donors tend to be highly motivated to maintain a healthy lifestyle after donating.

3. Emotional well-being is a critical part of overall health. Donors frequently report helping someone in a time of need to be a profoundly fulfilling experience.

My transplant team at the Queen’s Medical Center prioritized my well-being at every turn. They thoroughly educated me on the risks and provided constant reassurance that I retained total autonomy over my body, including the right to stop the process at any time. The system even includes a built-in “exit strategy” to protect a donor’s privacy: If someone chooses to withdraw late in the process, the medical team can provide a “medical disqualification” as the official

reason, shielding the individual from external pressure or explanation.

RISKS AND SAFETY NETS

The kidney that donors keep gradually grows in size and strength, but Penn Medicine reports about 25-30% of kidney function is permanently lost. That may sound like a lot, but the National Kidney Foundation found that less than 1% of kidney donors need a transplant later in life, and the system is designed with a safeguard: All living donors are automatically moved to the top of a waitlist for a kidney transplant from a deceased donor, should they ever need one. And donors who go through the National Kidney Registry’s Donor Shield program receive priority for a living donor transplant.

One of the most common hesitations about donating to a stranger I hear is, “What if a loved one needs a kidney in the future, but I’ve already given my spare away?” The National Kidney Registry addresses this concern through its Voucher Program. Nondirected donors can name up to five loved ones to receive kidney vouchers. If any of those individuals ever needs a transplant, they can redeem their voucher, which moves them to the top of the wait list for a living donor kidney. Once one of these five vouchers is used, the other four are voided. However, a loved one redeeming their voucher does not void the donor’s priority for a future transplant, nor does the donor’s own transplant void their loved one’s voucher.

DONATIONS FROM DECEASED DONORS CAN’T CLOSE THE GAP

In 2024, deceased donors accounted for 77% of the 27,759 kidney transplants performed in the U.S. Although kidneys from deceased donors usually work well, living donor kidneys are preferred because they allow for more pre-transplant testing and have better blood flow ahead of the transplant.

These factors lead to a longer expected lifespan: According to the American Medical Association, a kidney from a deceased donor lasts 8 to 12 years on average, while a kidney from a living donor typically lasts 15 to 20 years.

The reality is that the deceased donor pool is mathematically incapable of meeting the need. Although more than 170 million Americans were registered organ donors in 2024, Penn Medicine reports only 0.3% of people die in ways that allow for organ donation. For both qualitative and quantitative reasons, a significant increase in living donors is needed to bridge the gap.

HOW ONE DONATION CAN SET OFF A CHAIN REACTION

Most living donors have an intended recipient—usually a family member, significant other or friend—but they’re not guaranteed to be a medical match. If blood types, tissue types or antibodies are incompatible, the recipient’s immune system will reject the transplant.

The National Kidney Registry, the Alliance for Paired Donation and

Photo courtesy Ryann Noelani Coules | Coules says the Queen’s staff “were kind enough to bring me a card and gift basket to my recovery room to express their gratitude.”

Photo courtesy Jill Jweinat | Coules’ recipient, John, and his daughter Jill right before their surgeries, which took place the day after Coules’.

networks at major transplant centers facilitate “paired exchanges” to bypass these biological hurdles. By maintaining a vast database of donors and patients, the registry can coordinate swaps.

How they work: A donor who is incompatible with their loved one gives their kidney to a compatible stranger. In return, the donor’s loved one receives a compatible kidney from a di erent stranger in the network. These interconnected exchanges create “donor chains,” which can involve multiple pairs across the country, signiﬁcantly increasing the number of successful transplants performed each year.

Donor chains typically need a nondirected donor to initiate them. Often referred to as altruistic or ‘good Samaritan’ donors, these individuals donate to any compatible patient without a speciﬁc recipient in mind. Their lifesaving gift creates a domino e ect, unlocking a sequence of matches that would otherwise remain dormant. My kidney chain, for example, involved eight people in total: 4 people donated, and 4 people received kidneys.

But nondirected donors are remarkably rare; a 2022 study published by the National Library of Medicine found that only 5.6% of living kidney donors are nondirected. The End Kidney Deaths Act seeks to catalyze more donor chains by providing targeted incentives speciﬁcally for nondirected donors.

RESPONSE TO OPPOSITION

A common critique leveled against compensating nondirected donors is that it will exploit the economically disadvantaged, but Perlman says this argument is a fallacy: “It’s not a situation where we’re going to have many low-income people qualifying, because health is correlated with income,” she explains. “And I’ve asked people, ‘Would you be happy if we excluded low-income people from the tax credit?’ And they’re like, ‘oh, no, you can’t do that.’”

Beyond the stringent health requirements, the current system makes it prohibitively expensive for low-income people who want to become kidney donors, even with the current travel and

wage reimbursement policies. For someone living paycheck to paycheck, making the donation merely “cost-neutral” is simply not enough, given how disruptive the recovery process is to work and household stability.

Perlman says the most exploitative system is the one we have now, where low-income people are more likely to die waiting and less likely to be able to a ord to give. This disparity is illustrated by a 2018 study that found low-income people account for 34% of patients newly diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease, but they only receive 6% of the nation’s kidney transplants. The End Kidney Deaths Act aims to level this field, utilizing a tax credit to transform kidney donation from a financial burden into an accessible, dignified choice. Bottom line: Many low-income patients desperately need a transplant and would greatly benefit from an increased supply of kidneys, which incentivizing nondirected donations could do.

Spreading the tax credit over ﬁve years also decreases the chances that someone will donate out of desperation. The End Kidney Deaths Act stipulates that the incentive will kick in beginning the year after the kidney donation and will be delivered gradually over ﬁve years.

“If you’re doing this for a loved one, there’s a built-in incentive. But if you’re doing it for a stranger, providing a tax credit makes a lot of sense, because we use the tax credit system to encourage people to engage in pro-social behavior, and it’s quite pro-social to donate a kidney to a stranger,” says Perlman. “I

compare people who donate a kidney to strangers more with soldiers and ﬁreﬁghters, EMTs and police o cers, who are saving the lives of strangers at some risk to themselves.”

To learn more about the End Kidney Deaths Act, visit endkidneydeathsact.org. Visit tinyurl.com/mtvszbck to see the petition advocating for the bill’s passage. You can read an earlier article I wrote about my personal donation experience at tinyurl. com/48jrja69.

Adapted kidney transplant chain chart from National Kidney Registry

TRIO MAKES

PHOTOS: Barbell Productions, Rachel Prados, Chanelle Perry, Robert Tyson

BY MARIANNE LEANO

The warm-up area had no heat, and Seoul’s December temperatures were in the 20s. Athletes wrapped themselves in blankets and puffer jackets between attempts, placed hand warmers on their backs, and did whatever it took to keep their muscles warm enough to lift. It was an unlikely setting for history. But at the inaugural IDFPA World Championships in South Korea’s capital, three powerlifters from Hawai‘i were about to make it.

Chanelle Perry struck first, winning the Women’s Raw Open 100kg division. Robert Ken Tyson returned from a devastating April 2025 injury with just five weeks of full power and earned second place in his division. Rachel Prados shattered a world record with a 200 kg (440 lbs) deadlift and was named the competition’s top Master’s lifter.

POWERLIFTING IS SIMPLE IN THEORY—SQUAT, BENCH PRESS AND DEADLIFT, WITH THREE ATTEMPTS AT EACH LIFT—BUT SUCCESS DEPENDS ON STRATEGY, TIMING AND MENTAL TOUGHNESS. Winners are determined by the highest total weight lifted across all three movements, with competitors divided by weight class and age division.

In a sport still dominated by men, Perry’s championship is bigger than a personal achievement. “I get on the world stage and win and bring that back home to our community, where I know there are girls and women that look up to me—it’s not just about me,” she says.

Held December 11–14, 2025, the inaugural International Drug-Free Powerlifting Association Open and Masters World Championships drew drug-tested competitors from around the world. For lifters accustomed to training in Hawai‘i’s yearround warmth, the unheated venue and low-20-degree temperatures added a layer of difficulty—conditions that made the performances of the islands’ three representatives all the more notable.

CHANELLE PERRY CLAIMS GOLD

Three years ago, Perry began powerlifting during Covid, but 2025 was the pivot year that turned her hobby into a passion.

“I’m just a normal person who has a normal job that likes to lift heavy things,” she says. But powerlifting became a mindset. “It’s about stepping on the stage and representing all of the girls that think they’re not strong enough or they can’t do enough, or they can’t be enough to get onto that world stage.”

Perry manages a team of 15 sales agents at Spectrum’s call center, balancing a standard 8-to-5 job with training sessions that stretch up to three hours. She’s competed 11 times in three years, methodically climbing from local meets to national competitions.

Perry placed fourth at USA Powerlifting’s Raw Nationals in July 2025, just outside the automatic top-three invite to Worlds. When one of those finishers declined,

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Robert Tyson, Chanelle Perry and Rachel Prados represented Hawai‘i at the 2025 World Powerlifting Championships in Seoul, South Korea.

PHOTO: Barbell Productions

PHOTO: Rachel Prados

“I’M JUST A NORMAL PERSON WHO HAS A NORMAL JOB THAT LIKES TO LIFT

HEAVY THINGS. ” HEAVY THINGS. ” HEAVY THINGS. ” HEAVY THINGS. ” HEAVY THINGS. ”

- CHANELLE PERRY

Perry got the call. Her reaction was gratitude mixed with self-doubt. “There was always that quiet voice saying, ‘It’s okay if you get second,’” she admits.

Her coach, Randell Barrientos of ARC Powerlifting, had a strategy two nights before competition: take massive jumps between her ﬁrst and second attempts. Perry would match her personal records on her second attempt for both squat and deadlift, meaning any third attempt would be an all-time PR.

“I literally looked at him and was like, ‘Are you delusional?’” Perry recalls.

The strategy had another layer. Perry was in a head-to-head battle with Rachel Stark, who would be lifting right before her in deadlifts. Barrientos and Perry submitted a fake opening deadlift attempt—a heavier number designed to manipulate Stark’s coaches into pushing her harder on earlier lifts.

“We put in a fake number for my deadlift,” Perry explains. “That way,

their coaches would think, ‘Oh, she has the bigger pull, so we have to push on her squat and her bench.’ And then if she fails, I have the upper hand.”

On competition day, Perry squatted 451.9 pounds, benched 231.5 pounds, and deadlifted 451.9 pounds. When the ﬁnal total was calculated, she won.

The celebration back at their Airbnb was pure joy: Korean fried chicken and four bottles of champagne shared among the Hawai‘i crew. But for Perry, the victory carried deeper meaning. “I’m more humbled than I am boastful about it,” she says. “Yes, although it’s amazing to know that I went there and I won and I brought it home for myself and my team, to me it’s, if I can do it, anybody else can. I didn’t just bring it home for myself. I brought it home for everybody else, too.”

Perry credits her tight-knit support system—her partner Q, Barrientos, training partners Sevon Bumper, Rochelle Cariaga and Tyson—for

getting her to the podium. Without them, and without the facilities at local gyms like Ukiyo Hawai‘i, she says this achievement wouldn’t have been possible.

Now, Perry is ready to pay it forward. After competing at one more national competition in Chicago in 2026 with her ARC Powerlifting team, she plans to step back from competing for a while to focus on growing her coaching roster. She’s been coaching powerlifters throughout her own competitive career and wants to dedicate more time to sharing what she’s learned.

“I deﬁnitely want to share my love for the sport with other women and other girls that want to get into it,” Perry says. “It’s very daunting as a girl stepping into a weight-bearing sport, and I want to be able to show other girls that you can do it just like I did.”

After three years of back-to-back competitions, Perry is also looking forward to simply enjoying the pleasures of ordinary life for a bit.

TOP: Perry holds the gold medal she earned at the World Powerlifting Championships.

LEFT: Chanelle Perry competes at the 2025 World Powerlifting Championships in Seoul, South Korea.

PHOTO: Barbell Productions

PHOTO: Chanelle Perry

ROBERT TYSON CLAIMS SILVER

In April 2025, Tyson’s powerlifting career should have been over. A herniated L3-L4 disc pressed on his quad nerve, causing his right quadricep to atrophy. The injury was severe enough that doctors told him recovery would take months, and there was no guarantee he’d return to normal life activities, let alone elite-level powerlifting.

Eight months later, Tyson stood on the podium in Seoul as the secondbest powerlifter in the world in his division.

“I didn’t get to true full power until ﬁve weeks out from Worlds,” Tyson explains. “I basically recov-

ered in 32 weeks and then had ﬁve weeks of actual true training. I actually had a meet PR (personal record) at Worlds—a small 2.5 kilogram PR, but it’s huge coming from having such a big injury.”

Tyson, who serves as Senior Financial Systems Manager for Kamehameha Schools, was simultaneously managing a massive project to change the school’s entire ERP and EPM accounting systems. “There was a part where I was ready to quit,” Tyson admits. “But my wife put it in a good way, saying that I’d have to do this rehab anyway just to get back to normal. So, I was like, well, if I don’t do that, I might as well keep going.”

His decision to compete at nationals in July wasn’t his own. Perry convinced him to go. He placed fourth while still dealing with nerve damage that left parts of his leg numb. When a top-three ﬁnisher declined a Worlds invitation, Tyson got the call.

By meet day in Seoul, Tyson had become known as “Uncle Aloha” among the Hawai‘i crew—the

“WHEN YOU CAN PUT OVER 500 POUNDS ON YOUR BACK AND SQUAT IT, NOT MUCH IN LIFE IS REALLY THAT HARD.” THAT HARD.” THAT HARD.” THAT HARD.” THAT HARD. ”

- ROBERT KEN TYSON

loudest person in the warm-up area, ﬁst-bumping competitors, getting everyone energized. He squatted 518.2 pounds, benched 391.3 pounds, and deadlifted 617.3 pounds for a total of 1,527 pounds.

For Tyson, representing Hawai‘i went beyond just his performance. He and the team were intentional about including the Hawaiian ﬂag on their meet shirts. On his deadlift shirt, he wore “Ola Pono‘i, Ola Hawai‘i”—life of righteousness, life of Hawai‘i.

“I call it ‘I assume Aloha,’” Tyson explains. “That aloha spirit, that love for the sport, that love for the space, and that love for each other as lifters—that’s what I wanted to shine through. That’s something the world really needs right now.”

For Tyson, who credits his recovery to his coach Barrientos, Cariaga, Perry, his wife and the tight-knit community at local gyms like Ukiyo Hawai‘i, the next chapter is about using his “kupuna status”— his elder wisdom—to bring the community together.

Tyson balances elite competition with his role as a senior financial systems manager at Kamehameha Schools.

Robert Tyson competes at the 2025 World Powerlifting Championships in Seoul, South Korea.

PHOTO: Barbell Productions

PHOTO: Robert Tyson

“When you can put over 500 pounds on your back and squat it, not much in life is really that hard,” Tyson reﬂects. “That builds that grit. And when you have to grind your way out of a hole with that weight, everything in your body screaming to put it down, but you don’t, that teaches you something about yourself. That’s what powerlifting gives you.”

WORLD RECORD DEADLIFT AT 440 POUNDS

Rachel Prados stood backstage at the Seoul venue, tears streaming down her face. She’d just walked o the platform after missing her ﬁrst squat attempt—a weight she’d lifted countless times in training. The rack heights were uneven. The head judge spotted her soft knees and called for a re-rack.” If a lifter has “soft knees,” they have not established the required starting position. Time had run out.

“There’s no way this is how Worlds is gonna go,” Prados recalls thinking. “I didn’t ﬂy all the way over here to bomb out on squats.”

Three years ago, that moment would have ended her competition. But on this day, Prados pulled herself together, walked back out when the judges gave her a second chance, and —despite shaking so badly she could barely grip the bar—nailed the lift.

It was a glimpse of how far she’d come, not just as an athlete, but as a person rebuilding her life one rep at a time.

Prados is a former addict with 16 years of sobriety. She runs her own vacation rental cleaning business in Kona, trains at 5 a.m. before her clients’ 11 a.m. checkouts, and is in bed by 7 p.m. to prioritize recovery. She started powerlifting just three years ago after discovering her strength through CrossFit.

“I’ve grown more in the last three years of powerlifting than I have the whole 16 years I’ve been sober,” Prados reﬂects. “Being a former addict, you don’t see yourself as strong. It’s quite the opposite, really. Everybody else knows I can do things besides me. I don’t have any faith in myself. This whole pow-

Barbell Productions

“I CAN PROBABLY SAY TODAY THAT I’M PROUD OF MYSELF.” MYSELF.” MYSELF.” MYSELF.” MYSELF.”

- RACHEL PRADOS

erlifting life has brought me some conﬁdence in myself.”

Her journey to Seoul started when she unexpectedly won USA Powerlifting Nationals in April 2025. “I didn’t even think about how much it would cost or anything. I just automatically signed up, and my husband was like, ‘I guess we’re going to Korea.’”

Her husband, Albert Prados, serves as her coach and handler. She uses the Juggernaut app for programming, which has been

building her numbers toward one specific goal: reclaiming the 440-pound deadlift world record that had been broken between nationals and Worlds.

But the path there was anything but smooth. After nationals, Prados tore her shoulder so badly she couldn’t even lift the bar for bench press. Physical therapy became part of her daily routine alongside training.

At Worlds, after overcoming the ﬁrst squat disaster, Prados

Rachel Prados competes at the 2025 World Powerlifting Championships in Seoul, South Korea.

PHOTO:

fought through her second bench attempt—a 170-pound lift she hadn’t hit since nationals—only to have her back lock up so severely she could barely get off the bench. She opted out of her third attempt, conserving energy for what mattered most: the deadlift.

“I had already won the competition with my first deadlift,” Prados explains. “So, the second attempt was just for the record. I wanted it. I wanted it back.”

When 440 pounds of barbell sat waiting on the platform, Prados channeled everything she’d learned about not giving up. “It felt really heavy, and it felt like it was stuck at my knees, like I wasn’t moving,” she says. “But I locked it out. I made sure my knees were locked out.”

The world record was hers. Again.

Later, when the scores were tallied across all weight classes and age divisions for the Masters competition, Prados learned she’d won the best lifter award for the entire

Masters field. “I just won overall Masters at Worlds,” she says.

For someone who spent years not believing in herself, the victory represented a fundamental shift. “I can probably say today that I’m proud of myself,” Prados says quietly. “Which is a big, big thing.”

She credits Pacific Island Fitness in Kona, her training partner Kevin, the Juggernaut app and her husband Albert for their unwavering support. “Without that, I don’t even know if I’d be where I am today.”

PHOTO: Rachel Prados

Tanaka of Tokyo Founder Passes the Baton, Values Included with Flying Knives

BY KEN WILLS

PHOTO: COURTESY OF TANAKA OF TOKYO

Richard Tanaka in 1978 with his staff at the first Tanaka of Tokyo restaurant in Waikīkī

college-scholarship student living in Washington Square Park in New York City, Richard E. Tanaka recalls hunger’s motivating drive during those formative years.

CHRONIC HUNGER IS A SHARPEDGED CHISEL that etched its name into a boy’s DNA and carved his personality—decades before he would create a Hawai‘i restaurant chain that today feeds many thousands.

As a child from a broken home fending for himself on the streets in Tokyo, and later as a homeless,

“There were so many times in my early days when I was not sure where my next meal was coming from, but I always ﬁgured it out dayto-day,” says Tanaka, who became the founder, chairman and chief executive of the chain of Tanaka of Tokyo Restaurants.

From his executive suite at the Waikīkī Shopping Plaza next to the company’s ﬂagship restaurant, Tanaka reminisced about his decades at

the helm of the Honolulu chain that he is handing over to his daughter, Alison H. “Bo” Tanaka, who serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial O cer, and to President Hiroshi D. Lamansky.

Although the 76-year-old Tanaka says he has no timeline for full retirement, he has e ectively given them managerial control.

“My role has already diminished to the point of really being an adviser, coach and mentor,” he says.

Meanwhile, human resources functions, including recruitment, are being handled by his other daughter, Katherine M. “Katy” Tanaka,

More than 47 years later, the chain’s new leaders, Bo Tanaka and Hiroshi Lamansky shown with some staff members, aim to carry on tradition while also seeking creative opportunities.

who joined the company during the Covid period.

What Tanaka is handing over is more than the keys to the popular chain of teppanyaki restaurants; it is also a culture, an ethos and a moral code that infuses everyone who works there, including some who have remained for decades.

In an era when second-generation leaders squander prior achievements, the Tanaka family stands out in contrast for its insistence on hard work, compassion and humility. The company’s managers get their hands dirty and rise to the top only after showing they have mastered the skills of the lowest jobs in the hierarchy of restaurant work.

Tanaka tells a story of taking his family to dinner at another restaurant in Honolulu, where the sta recognized him as the owner of Tanaka of Tokyo Restaurants.

“I said, ‘How did you know that?’ And the waiter replied: ‘You’re the guy who washes dishes at your own restaurant.’ So, word got around quickly,” he adds with a chuckle.

What follows is a portrait of the man and his business—one he will pass on—along with the goals of the new leaders of what has been a Hawai‘i institution for decades. Tanaka, who admits to having superstitions, shuns the spotlight and has refused for decades to be photographed. He had to be coaxed even to reveal details about his background.

But as a well-read student of human nature who aspired to become a novelist, he also appreciates a good yarn—and his life story is just that.

A Blend of East and West

From his birthplace in Canada, to an early childhood in Japan, and later back to Canada and the New York region, Tanaka straddled Eastern

and Western cultures, adding pieces of each to his personality. He developed a Samurai-like discipline, an intensely competitive spirit while also fostering compassion and a true ‘ohana culture at the workplace.

The company handbook, which he proudly says was written 47 years ago on a manual typewriter, abounds with a moral code and ethical instruction that, as employees attest, is practiced on a daily basis and makes the company unique.

One section advises:

“Like the hungry Samurai, do not lose faith when you have minor or even major setbacks. Pick yourself up and try again, and again and again. Eventually, you will succeed. And always remember that the possibility of bitter defeat is the ingredient that makes eventual success so sweet.”

Indeed, unﬂinching perseverance through adversity could be the company’s deﬁning mantra that has enabled it to survive while many competitors have fallen by the wayside.

“We want to stick to our traditions and values that have made us a part of so many local families’ traditions over the years and generations,” says Bo. “That said, sticking to values and traditions definitely does not mean operating exactly how we always have. I do see us continuing to find ways to adapt and be innovative. One of our corporate cultural values is ‘kaizen,’ or continuously working towards improvement. This applies in every area when it comes to e ciency, innovation, flexibility and business strategy.”

The company was forced into a sudden period of “kaizen” and nearly went under during the Covid pandemic, as Hawai‘i imposed a virtual lockdown and tourism came to a standstill.

Bo Tanaka makes a last inspection of restaurant dining room before doors open for the evening rush.

“By the time Covid hit, I thought I’d seen it all, done it all. Nothing’s going to catch me o guard,” recalls the elder Tanaka. “Then Covid hit. Driving down Kalākaua Avenue and not seeing one person. All the lights were o . And not knowing when it was going to end. The ﬁrst month we lost a million dollars ... . We kept thinking how long can we sustain this?”

It turned out to be the transformative moment that catapulted Lamansky and Bo Tanaka into the leadership roles they have today.

“Covid gave these guys about 10 years of experience in 18 months and taught them to deal with stress and stay positive,” says the elder Tanaka.

“The ﬁrst thing these two did was say we want to change this, we want to do that, we want to go to OpenTable, change this supplier— my head was spinning,” he recalls. “I said, ‘That’s kind of scary, but if you want to do it, then do it.’ By the time we came out of Covid, they were already in the midst of total change. It looks the same on the surface, but everything underneath is di erent.”

For Richard Takaka—who is affectionately called “Kaicho,” or chairman in Japanese—respect, loyalty and civility cannot be compromised. And it doesn’t matter if the o ending employee is at the lowest level or is a manager—either will be ﬁred for showing disrespect to a colleague.

Indeed, his impromptu appearances at his restaurants are legendary, and a little mischievous, in an industry where gru manners are endemic.

“I have a master key that opens every door in the restaurants,” the Kaicho says with a grin. “There was a report that there was no dishwasher one night. It was a busy night. I open up the back door, go in and start washing dishes ... .

“Because of dish racks, you can’t see the person washing dishes. You get the bus people coming in, jamming things and saying, ‘we’re out of forks! What, are you stupid?! We’ve been out of forks for half an hour!’ He says to me, ‘Who is this idiot?’ He goes on and on and on. Eventually a manager comes back there and sees me, and then he does a big bow, and word gets around. All of a sudden, I’ve got all these people coming to the back, bowing and saying, thank you for helping us out tonight, boss.

“It’s really a lot of fun ... .”

The company makes room for underperformers who display the right attitude to improve. For instance, Lamansky and Bo Tanaka have taught unit managers how to get the best out of an employee who might come in late or dress sloppily but otherwise displays a good attitude.

“Find everything good to say about him ﬁrst,” the elder Tanaka says. “And then say, ‘here’s some stu you can work on.’

With no formal business training, Tanaka learned to live by his wits and applied his street-smart ability to read human nature, avoiding pitfalls and sni ng out opportunities. He also learned how to motivate employees with praise and attention.

That sort of concern for employees builds loyalty among sta , some of whom have stayed on for decades.

PHOTO:

AARON

K. YOSHINO

Lisa Skonecki, who started 30 years ago as a hostess, moved on to become a server and then turned down multiple opportunities to take on other roles because she liked the ﬂexibility of the server’s schedule.

“During Covid, all of the restaurants closed, but Mr. Tanaka sent me an email to ask how I was doing and how my family was doing,” she recalls. “He told me if there was

anything I needed, to just give him a call and he’ll do it. It made me cry. Over the years he’s been such a wonderful boss.”

Lamansky, too, ﬁrst came to the restaurant because he felt at home among the tight-knit group of employees. He had lived in Tokyo for 10 years until he graduated from high school. So, when he landed in Honolulu to go to college at UH Mā-

noa, he looked at classiﬁed ads for a part-time job.

“I saw an ad for Tanaka of Tokyo,” Lamansky recalls. “I had lived in Tokyo so I thought maybe I should apply. I felt like I was a part of something even though I didn’t know anything. They just kind of took me in. After three months, I was trained as a front host, a couple of months later as a cashier, then barback and server all within about a 12-month period. I was 21 at the time, they called me and asked if I wanted to join the management.”

Lamansky decided to drop out of college to follow his heart, starting up the ladder to president— from learning the ropes to teaching the ropes at Tanaka of Tokyo. Now he is carrying on the gentle, but ﬁrm, instructional style learned from his mentor.

The inﬂuence of Lamansky’s leadership would eventually ripple well beyond the restaurant, imparting invaluable lessons that helped lay the foundation for a brand with a global digital reach.

During her four-year stint at Tanaka of Tokyo, one server said Lamansky and others taught her teamwork and civility that later guided the launch of her hugely successful social media brand, Cyber Bunny, that now has more than a million combined followers on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok and Threads.

Today, as she takes tourists around Japan, she still employs those lessons. “I carefully curate an experience based on the customer’s needs and make them feel like they are VIP, which is something we were trained to do as a server and host at Tanaka of Tokyo. Even the small customer details are taken into account, and that’s the magic of Japanese hospitality,” she says.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF TANAKA OF TOKYO

Richard Tanaka holds dog tags, inscribed with epigraphs to author W. Somerset Maugham’s novels, that he has worn for decades for inspiration.

“I never imagined how making a pot of tea in a busy kitchen could lead me to my purpose in life.”

A Hunger for Food, a Thirst for Education

As much as hunger shaped Richard Tanaka’s personality, a desire to learn may have motivated him even more. Despite keenly honed street-smarts acquired when he was homeless, and bouncing between four di erent high schools, his overarching goal became to obtain a college education.

The seeds were planted when he encountered a teacher who instilled in him a love of learning.

“The most important person in my life was a math teacher at the American School in Japan,” Tanaka says of John Ronca, the man who would become his tutor. “When he found out I was sleeping at Shinjuku Station, he said ‘I have a job for you, come stay at my place.’ He had a six-tatami mat room. He used to tutor kids at his house after school. I did the dishes, I scrubbed ﬂoors and the bathtub ... . He got me reading. He changed my life.

“His home was open to everybody,” Tanaka recalls. “So, when I was his house boy, there were kids at his table all the time. He would always have me go buy steak and cook up steak and potatoes, and he would help them with their homework. He would help them understand books that were in English.”

After the others went home, Tanaka would clean up the house and then Ronca would give him books to read before going to bed. “I read all of Maugham, all of Hemmingway, all of Fitzgerald and then I started going into the classics,” Tanaka recalls.

To this day, Tanaka wears a chain

around his neck with two metal tags inscribed with epigraphs to W. Somerset Maugham, including “The sharp edge of a razor is di cult to pass over; thus the wise say the path to Salvation is hard”; and

“Short, therefore, is man’s life, and narrow is the corner of earth wherein he dwells.”

Tanaka says he identiﬁed with the character Larry in Maugham’s “The Razor’s Edge.”

“His journey to enlightenment was very hard, but his spirit and commitment stayed strong throughout,” Tanaka says. “This epigraph around my neck from an early age carried me through tough times when I was insecure and afraid. It still does.”

For many years, adversity followed Tanaka, even when good fortune seemed within reach. He was awarded a scholarship to attend New York University, but when he arrived at the registrar’s o ce, he learned it only covered tuition, books and supplies, but not housing.

And so he banded with a dozen other students in a similar situation and lived in Washington Square Park for weeks, making hand-made “ﬂowers” out of coat hangers and hawking them to wealthier students who strolled through the park. One ﬂower would sell for 25 cents, the same cost as a slice of pizza. In this way, he and the other students were able to survive.

“That was when I learned how to be a salesman,” Tanaka says.

He recalled another survival technique—capturing pigeons for food.

They roasted pigeons over ﬁres in garbage drums repurposed as grills. “All we used was salt and pepper—the best thing,” he says. “I’ve had squab in fancy restaurants, and they were nothing like that. I thought this was really bad

at the time, but I look back on it now and think this was the happiest time of my life.”

Two Big Breaks

Teppanyaki restaurants ﬁrst became popular in the United States in the mid-1960s. Hiroaki “Rocky” Aoki, the founder of Benihana restaurants, took the formula from the ﬁrst U.S. location in New York City to multiple cities across the country, including in Honolulu. The entertaining dining method made Benihana a household name across the continent.

At teppan restaurants, chefs command a metal grill at each table like a spectator sport, thrilling the diners with skilled swipes of spatulas and knives they use to cut and grill slices of steaks, seafood and vegetables just a few feet in front of the customers, all the while serving up a rapid banter along with the food.

In the 1970s, Tanaka opened his own restaurant in Toronto, which included a sushi bar, tatami rooms for sukiyaki and a small teppan dining room. He quickly learned that most of his customers were coming for the teppanyaki experience.

One day, Aoki visited his restaurant and advised Tanaka to come to Hawai‘i to open a restaurant there. Serendipity struck again. After decades of no contact with his father, the two met by happenstance, and his father encouraged him to start a restaurant in Honolulu. Years later, out of the blue, his father called to say he had paid for a lease, the impetus he needed to make the move.

In 1978, the ﬁrst Tanaka of Tokyo restaurant in Hawai‘i opened in Waikīkī.

President Hiroshi Lamansky and Executive Vice President and CFO

Alison H. “Bo” Tanaka take over as the new leadership team at Tanaka of Tokyo Restaurants.

“I

Think It’s in Our Blood”

Restaurant work is hard, as anyone in the business will tell you. It’s not for the faint of heart. There’s a reason that most new restaurants don’t survive to see their second year. But for those restaurateurs who can ride the wave, it provides an adrenaline rush that keeps managers coming back for more.

Richard Tanaka explains it this way:

“It’s one of the most exciting things, if you’re a restaurant manager on a busy night, and you’re the key manager. It kind of brings tears to my eyes, because it’s so pleasurable for me. To feel like you’ve got all this stu that’s going wrong, you’ve got people coming in, you’ve got sta running around and you’re orchestrating. You’re everywhere, you know what’s going on, you’re putting out one ﬁre after another, you’re helping here, doing this, doing that, you keep making the rounds.

“You develop what’s called ‘the eye’. You can walk through the restaurant and tell every table that’s been waiting too long for their drinks. That table needs to be bussed. We should have had that table back 10 minutes ago. Where’s the server for that table? The kitchen’s running out of this or that. Okay, we can substitute this. The bartender’s saying, ‘I’m swamped back here. I’ve got all these dishes and glasses piling up,’ and you pull support o and send them back to help out for ﬁve minutes.

“And at the end of the night, it’s quiet. And you sit at the bar and have a pau drink. And you put on some of your own music, and you start to do your paperwork, and you’re thinking: I can’t wait to do this again.”

While listening to her father’s description, Bo Tanaka swells with

pride but also exhibits a sympathetic recognition that she, too, has experienced this thrilling feeling. Defensively, she points out that her father did everything he could to dissuade his daughters from following in his footsteps as they were growing up.

“He deﬁnitely did not want me or my sister to end up in the restaurant industry,” Bo conﬁdes. “He said that many times. Lo and behold, both of us ended up working in restaurants and loved it. I think it’s in our blood.”

Bo studied art at college and later achieved success as Miss Hawai‘i USA. While going to school, she began helping out at the restaurant, ﬁlling in as a dishwasher or at the

front desk or bussing tables as needed. That’s when she caught the bug and decided to accept her father’s stipulation—in order to join the management team, she’d ﬁrst have to get an MBA.

She and Lamansky discovered they shared many of the same ideas and ambitions—“my adopted brother” is how Bo Tanaka describes the close relationship.

Asked what lessons she and Lamansky have learned from her father, Bo says: “My dad has instilled in the two of us so many important principles, like hard work, humility, resilience and ‘don’t take any crap from anyone!’”

PHOTO: AARON K. YOSHINO

The Next Generation

Lamansky and the younger Tanaka have a vision for the chain of restaurants that blends tradition and innovation. Two of the restaurants are in Waikīkī and one is at the Ala Moana Shopping Center. They’ve even considered a Tanaka of Hawai‘i to be based in Tokyo.

The pair knows they need to constantly look for opportunities while preserving the foundation the Kaicho created. Their challenges include rising prices for meat, seafood, vegetables and other ingredients caused by U.S.-imposed tari s. They also face a downturn in Japanese tourists visiting the islands because of the unfavorable exchange rate, as well as fewer tourists from Canada.

“I believe staying true to our corporate culture and the fundamentals of what we have done for nearly ﬁve decades is extremely important,” says Lamansky, blending tradition and innovation to accommodate shifting tastes. “Tanaka of Tokyo earned a ﬁne reputation and was built on consistency, quality ingredients, skilled chefs, warm and friendly sta , and providing a dining experience centered around hospitality. Preserving this tradition remains the foundation of our vision for the future.”

At the same time, he notes, tastes and preferences are evolving, especially in today’s social media-driven dining culture. And the managers have to stay attuned to the concerns about a ordability.

“Dining out has become much more about the experience and the story-telling people can share with their family, friends and on social media platforms. People get excited to try something new, take photos/ videos, talk about what they ate, check out places they saw on social

media and introduce others to something they felt was special.”

As an adviser and mentor, the elder Tanaka says he has conﬁdence in the ideas and energy exhibited by Lamansky and his daughters.

“This is the worst economic environment I have seen in the past 47 years,” he says. “I project that it will take two to four years before we see improvement. In the meantime, we need to be nimble, proactive and determined!”

Paradoxically, he notes, the company is in its best cash position.

“If I get hit by a bus tomorrow, I’ll be happy knowing they can take over.”

As he reminisces about a life well-lived. Tanaka reaches for the two metal tags that hang from a chain on his neck.

“I’ve been able to overcome adversity simply because I know that adversity is just part of life,” Tanaka says. “It can wear you down and destroy you, or it can invigorate and motivate you. The choice is really yours.”

President Hiroshi D. Lamansky knows that today’s diners want an experience that they can share with friends and family on social media, and he aims to deliver that each day.

Pessimism Widespread Among Local Businesses

The BOSS Survey found faint hope for Hawai‘i’s economy in 2026 among the 307 company owners and senior executives polled.

BY STEVE PETRANIK

HEN BUSINESS OWNERS AND EXECUTIVES feel good about the economy, they often add new products, locations and employees. When they see a weak economy ahead, they tend to delay expansion, cut costs and hold o on ﬁlling job vacancies. In the latest BOSS Survey, a little more than half the respondents

said 2026 will be worse than 2025.

Of the 307 owners and executives across Hawai‘i who participated in the poll conducted from Oct. 8 to Dec. 18, 51% said the economy would get worse. Only 17% thought the economy would improve and the remainder thought things would stay about the same. Those survey answers are the basis for the BOSS

COMPANIES’ SPENDING PLANS FOR COMING YEAR

Optimism Index shown below (ﬁg. 1).

In the 19 BOSS Surveys conducted from late 2016 to 2024, the Optimism Index averaged 111.5.

In both surveys conducted during 2025, the results were far below that average.

To further understand the perception of the local economic climate, owners and executives were asked in the latest survey which of these statements best describes their spending plans for the coming year (ﬁg. 2). Interestingly, there was an uptick among those who said their companies planned signiﬁcant increases in spending. Nonetheless, far more said they planned substantial cost cutting.

The owners and executives were then asked which of these phrases best describes the current condition of their companies (ﬁg. 3).

FIG. 3

FIG. 2 *DK/DA: Didn’t know or didn’t answer

On Average, Local Businesses Hold Steady on Revenue, Proﬁt and Staﬀ

That assessment is based on responses from 307 owners and executives who were asked: Did those key measures of business performance go up, down or hold steady at your company during the past year?

BUSINESSES MEASURE A LOT OF THINGS to gauge their performance, but the BOSS Survey focuses on three crucial yardsticks: revenue, proﬁt and sta . We asked each survey respondent: Did each of those go up, down or stay about the same at your company in the past year?

The answers vary from business to business, but when they’re compiled, the overall picture is of a Hawai‘i business community on a somewhat steady course with slight annual growth overall—with the emphasis on slight.

We use the aggregated results on those three key measures to produce a single number, the BOSS Performance Index. The graphic below tracks the Performance Index over time. After recovering from the Covid pandemic, the index has stayed within a narrow range since the May 2022 survey, always holding within 5 points of the index average of 110 over the last eight surveys. Neither boom nor bust (ﬁg. 4).

The Performance Index was created after company owners and executives were asked a separate question about each of these three measures: Did revenue/ proﬁt/sta increase, decrease or stay the same at your company? Here are their answers on each measure (ﬁg. 5):

BOSS SURVEY METHODOLOGY

A total of 307 random interviews of company owners and senior executives across Hawai‘i were conducted from Oct. 8 to Dec. 18, 2025. The interviews were conducted for Hawaii Business Magazine by the research division of Anthology Finn Partners.

The sample of companies was stratiﬁed based on number of employees: businesses with 1 to 9 employees were designated as very small; those with 10 to 49 employees were designated as small; 50 to 99 as medium and 100 or more as large. The data was weighted to reﬂect the proper proportions of each company segment as reported by the Hawai‘i Department of Labor.

A sample of this size has a margin of error of plus or minus 5.59 percentage points with a 95% level of conﬁdence.

A secondary goal was to complete interviews with at least 100 businesses that derive relatively signiﬁcant proportions of their revenues from the visitor industry. A total of 129 were surveyed in this segment.

808 POLL METHODOLOGY

Hawaii Business Magazine also contracted with Anthology Finn Partners Research to survey Hawai‘i residents statewide.

A total of 541 surveys were conducted from Oct. 16 to Oct. 31. Each respondent was screened to ensure they were at least 18 years of age and full-time residents of Hawai‘i. The margin of error for a sample of this size is plus or minus 4.21 percentage points with a 95% conﬁdence level.

The data was weighted to reﬂect population estimates of adults by county and by major ethnic segments.

FIG. 5 *Percentages do not always add to 100 due to rounding FIG. 4 NOTE: Dates

Far Better Performance and More Optimism Among Tourism Companies than Other Local Businesses

IN FALL 2025, THE BOSS SURVEY collected responses from 307 company owners and senior executives, representing all major industries in Hawai‘i. Included in that sample were 129 leaders whose companies earned most of their revenue from the tourism industry.

Each company’s results varied, but when the numbers were aggregated, the contrast was stark: on average, tourism companies did much better in the past year on revenue, proﬁt and sta ng than nontourism companies.

Also striking: Owners and executives of tourism companies on average are far more optimistic about 2026, which suggests they’re more likely to expand their businesses—or at least not cut back— than those with a gloomy outlook.

Everyone in the survey was asked separately about revenue, proﬁt and sta ng: Did those key measures of business performance go up, down or hold steady at your company during the past year? On average, companies in the tourism sector did much better on all three measures.

For instance, 31% of tourism companies added employees in the past year; only 14% of nontourism companies added employees. And 43% of tourism companies reported increased proﬁt, compared with only 30% of companies outside of tourism.

All the responses were compiled into a single number that we call the BOSS Performance Index. The contrast between the index number for tourism companies and nontourism companies is huge (ﬁg. 6).

The BOSS Survey also asks: What’s your outlook for the local economy in the coming year? Will it get better, worse or stay the same? The answers are

the basis for the BOSS Optimism Index. Pessimism was strong even among the owners and executives in the local tourism industry. Nonetheless, 25% of them said the economy will get better, compared with only 13% of the respondents outside the tourism sector (ﬁg. 7).

When asked whether they expected visitor spending at their businesses to increase in the next year, 39% of those representing tourism companies said yes. Only 21% expected less spending while the remainder expected visitor spending at their businesses to hold steady.

Another question revealed a stark contrast: Asked whether their company planned to signiﬁcantly increase capital spending and other forms of spending in 2026, 24% of respondents in the tourism industry said yes. Only 17% outside of tourism said yes.

DO YOU SUPPORT THE NEW VISITOR GREEN FEE?

Respondents in BOSS Survey of business leaders and the 808 Poll of the general public were presented with the following statement in Fall 2025: Hawai‘i’s new “Green Fee” for tourists goes into e ect Jan. 1, 2026. It increases the state hotel and short-term rental tax by 0.75 percentage point to 11%. (County taxes are extra.) The revenue is supposed to be used to fund environmental protection, climate resilience and infrastructure improvements. They were then asked how strongly they supported or opposed this new fee. Each possible answer was assigned a value: “strongly support” was assigned 5; “somewhat support” 4; “neutral” 3; “somewhat oppose” 2; and “strongly

oppose” 1. Answers of “did not know” or “refused to answer” were left out of the calculation. The higher the score, the stronger the support (ﬁg. 8).

Signiﬁcantly, support for the green fee was stronger among company owners and executives within the visitor industry than from owners and executives outside the industry. The general public was more supportive than either business group.

FIG. 6

FIG. 7

FIG. 8

Hawai‘i’s Views on Trump’s Policies

We gauged local support for 10 of the Presidential administration’s key policy areas.

THE BIGGEST OVERALL STORY OF 2025 in the U.S. was the policies of President Donald Trump’s administration. Hawaii Business Magazine selected 10 key areas of public policy and asked the respondents in two surveys to what degree they supported the policies or opposed them, then compared the results of the two surveys side by side.

The BOSS survey comprised 307 owners and executives of local businesses; the 808 Poll included 541 members of the general public in Hawai‘i.

In both surveys, there was more opposition to the administration’s policies than support in each of the 10 policy

areas. However, in the BOSS Survey of business owners and executives, support and opposition overall was almost equal.

In all 10 policy areas, opposition to the Trump administration’s actions was stronger among the general public than among business leaders. To make the same point in a di erent way, support for the administration in all 10 policy areas was stronger among businesspeople than the general public.

Here are the results, beginning with the policy area with the strongest support among local businesspeople and concluding with the area where support from businesspeople was weakest.

Here’s how the responses were scored: An answer of “strongly support” received a 5; “somewhat support” got a 4; “mixed feelings” a 3; “somewhat oppose” a 2; and “strongly oppose” a 1. An answer of “did not know” or no response at all was left out of the calculation.

The average score aggregates all the answers to each policy question, allowing easy comparison between di erent policy areas. The highest possible average score was 5.0 (if everyone answered “strongly support”) and the lowest 1.0 (if everyone answered “strongly opposed”) (ﬁg. 9).

Digging Deeper Into the Numbers

Among members of the general public who were surveyed about the policies of President Trump’s administration, here are some population groups whose opinions differed from the average.

Statistically stronger support for the policies

Free Speech

• Caucasians, Hawaiians, Filipinos, Chinese Younger respondents

• Less affluent respondents

• People without college degree

• Those who live in larger households

• Nonvoters

Statistically stronger opposition to the policies

• Japanese Older respondents

• More affluent respondents

• College graduates

• Those in smaller households Registered voters

Taxation

Males

• People without college degree

• Married individuals Females

• College graduates

• Those who aren’t married

Immigration & Deportations

• Males

• People without college degree

• Those who live in larger households

• Females

• College graduates

• Those in smaller households

Diversity & Inclusion

• Caucasians & Chinese

• Younger respondents

• People without college degree

• Those who live in larger households

• Married individuals

• Nonvoters

Foreign Affairs

• O‘ahu residents

• Males

• Caucasians

• People without college degree

• Those who live in larger households

• Japanese

• Older respondents

• College graduates

• Those in smaller households

• Those who aren’t married

• Registered voters

• Neighbor Island residents

• Females

• Native Hawaiians

• College graduates

• Those in smaller households

Statistically stronger support for the policies

Scientific & Medical Research

• Caucasians, Filipinos, Chinese

• Younger respondents

• Less affluent respondents

• People without college degree

Those who live in larger households

• Nonvoters

Government Spending & Regulation

• Males

• Caucasians

• People without college degree

Those who live in larger households

• Married individuals

Statistically stronger opposition to the policies

• Japanese Older respondents

• More affluent respondents

• College graduates

• Those in smaller households

• Registered voters

• Females Japanese & Native Hawaiians

• College graduates

• Those in smaller households

• Those who aren’t married

Environmental Affairs

• Caucasians, Filipinos, Chinese

• People without college degree

• Those who live in larger households

• Married individuals

Tariffs & Trade Vaccines

• Males

• Caucasians

• People without college degree

• Those who live in larger households

• Married individuals

Caucasians & Filipinos

• People without college degree

• Those who live in larger households

• Married individuals

• Nonvoters

• Japanese

• College graduates

• Those in smaller households

Those who aren’t married

• Females

• Japanese

• College graduates

• Those in smaller households

Those who aren’t married

• Japanese

• College graduates

• Those in smaller households

• Those who aren’t married

• Registered voters

Where Do You Stand on Hawai‘i’s Energy Future?

In two surveys, we asked about fossil fuels like oil as well as geothermal and nuclear energy.

IN AUGUST, RESEARCHERS FROM UH AND other institutions released a study that said solar, wind and batteries alone are not enough to meet Hawai‘i’s electricity needs reliably as fossil fuels are phased out. The report emphasizes the importance of adding ﬁrm 24/7 power sources into the mix, like geothermal and nuclear.

Geothermal and nuclear energy have had varying levels of support since being introduced in the 20th century. We want to know where local people stand on the issue now, so we asked a series of energy questions in the BOSS Survey of company owners and executives and in the 808 Poll of the general public.

The ﬁrst energy question: How concerned are you about Hawai‘i’s current dependence on imported fossil fuels (ﬁg. 10)?

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Respondents in both surveys were then given a summary of the UH study from August and asked how strongly they favored or opposed expanding geothermal energy sources in the state.

To create an average score, each possible answer was assigned a value: “strongly support” was assigned 5; “somewhat support” 4; “neutral” 3; “somewhat oppose” 2; and “strongly oppose” 1. Answers of “did not know” or “refused to answer” were left out of the calculation. The higher the score, the stronger the support (ﬁg. 11).

Respondents who opposed or were neutral were presented with the following concerns that are sometimes raised regarding geothermal power and were asked if they were concerned about any of them. They could choose more than one (ﬁg. 12).

NUCLEAR ENERGY

Each respondent was asked to rate their overall level of concern regarding the expansion of nuclear energy sources in the state (ﬁg. 13).

In both surveys, strong support for expanding geothermal energy sources contrasts with strong opposition to expanding nuclear power in Hawai‘i.

Respondents who opposed or were neutral regarding the expansion of nuclear energy were presented with the following concerns that are sometimes raised regarding nuclear power. They were asked if they shared those concerns; their responses are reﬂected here (ﬁg. 14).

FIG. 11 *DK/DA: Didn’t know or didn’t answer | Percentages do not always add to 100 due to rounding

FIG. 13 *DK/DA: Didn’t know or didn’t answer | Percentages do not always add to 100 due to rounding

FIG. 12

FIG. 14 Percentages do not always add to 100 due to rounding

CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS

Each respondent was asked to rate the importance of accounting for Hawaiian cultural values as the state transitions to other energy sources (ﬁg. 15).

On average, businesspeople who work at companies that derive signiﬁcant income from the visitor industry placed a greater than average importance on this issue.

ROLE OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES

Respondents to both surveys were asked what role, if any, should the concerns of local communities play when deciding where renewable energy projects are built (ﬁg. 16).

REGIONAL COMPENSATION

Respondents were asked if they believe local communities should be compensated for having renewable energy projects constructed in their areas (ﬁg. 17).

FIG. 16 *DK/DA: Didn’t know or didn’t answer | Percentages do not always add to 100 due to rounding

FIG. 15

FIG. 17 *DK/DA: Didn’t know or didn’t answer

TRIAL AND ERROR:

There Is No Work-Life Balance in Hawai‘i

 A FRIEND TEXTED ME THE OTHER DAY, “I DON’T KNOW HOW YOU DO IT, BUT YOU’RE GOOD AT GIRL BOSSING, LOL.”

I stared at the message for a full minute. Not because it wasn’t nice and ﬂattering, but because it didn’t feel true. Girl bossing sounds shiny, glamorous and put-together. If you only see my “Day in My Life” reels or YouTube vlogs, it might look that way.

But behind the scenes? I’m not e ortlessly crushing it. I’m in survival mode.

For context: I’m the Digital Content Manager at

Hawaii Business Magazine. On most weekends, I bartend for my friend’s mobile bar (IG: @chars.bar). I also freelance as a data analyst—what I earned my degree in—and try to keep up with my own YouTube channel. Between workouts and bills, a social life is mostly theoretical. This is the part of “having it all” no one talks about: my routine is exhausting, which feels especially paradoxical in a place we call paradise. And in Hawai‘i, where the cost of living is relentless, hustling isn’t optional. If you want to stay, you make it work. Multiple income streams aren’t a ﬂex, they’re a requirement.

MULTIPLE INCOME STREAMS – FINANCIAL STRATEGY AND EMOTIONAL SECURITY

Before 2025, I held one job and solely depended on that income. When I unexpectedly got let go from that job 13 days into the new year, I realized the importance of having multiple streams of income.

It’s not about being ambitious; it’s about making sure that if one income source disappears tomorrow, I’m not scrambling to figure out how to pay off my mortgage. It’s about never feeling that vulnerable again.

That realization pushed me to become resourceful.

Building a personal brand on social media costs nothing but time and effort, making it one of the few side hustles you can start with zero dollars. My latenight gym sessions? Content. Playing Pokémon for fun? Content. Vlogging my most ordinary days? Content. My YouTube audience isn’t looking for polished perfection. They want the reality of being a thirty-something in Hawai‘i, juggling three jobs.

If you play your cards right, social media can slowly become another income stream. Brand partnerships and opportunities from showing up consistently add up.

And the best part? I’ve built something that’s entirely mine. No one can lay me off from that.

TIME BLOCKING IS YOUR BEST FRIEND (WHEN YOU REMEMBER TO DO IT)

I’m not going to lie and say I have a perfect time management system, but everything needs a designated time slot, or it simply won’t happen.

My gym sessions are non-negotiable evening appointments. If I don’t prioritize my physical and mental health, everything else falls apart.

Content creation happens in pockets: during lunch breaks, after work, or even in the late hours at night. The freelance data work and Char’s Bar shifts work around my 9-to-5, but they’re just as essential to keeping everything afloat.

THE “LIFE” PART OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE

When you have three jobs, the “life” part requires intention. My relationship with my fiancée, Melissa, is protected time. My gym routine isn’t optional, it’s where I process stress. And it means saying no to opportunities that don’t align with my goals, even when the extra money would be nice.

Some weeks, I feel like I’m winning. Other weeks, I’m drained and questioning every life choice I’ve ever made. I’m learning to give myself grace in both.

WHERE I’M STANDING NOW

All told, my friend was right. I am good at this, not because I’m superhuman but because survival mode has a way of showing you what you’re capable of. Getting laid off could have broken me. Instead, it taught me resilience, adaptability and the importance of betting on myself.

So yeah, I’m “girl bossing”—just not in the Instagram-worthy way. I’m girl bossing by protecting my peace and my paycheck. And honestly? That feels far more powerful.

If you would like more of this type of content, follow me on all my socials!

Instagram: @mahrizzleano

YouTube: @mahrizzleano995

TikTok: @mahrizzleano

Rural Puna Strengthens its Collective Kuleana

OVER THE YEARS, THE MAKU‘U FARMERS MARKET ON THE EAST SIDE OF HAWAI‘I ISLAND HAS GROWN INTO A THRIVING COM MUNITY INSTITUTION, ATTRACTING people not only from Puna, but all over the island. Encompassing a bustling ﬁveacre open-air marketplace drawing more than 3,000 visitors and 173 vendors offering a diverse array of fresh produce, local crafts, and ‘ono grinds, it creates economic opportunity for local producers, fresh options for shoppers, and a lively gathering place for community.

The market is just one of the programs run by nonprofit ‘O Maku‘u Ke Kahua (OMKK), founded by Paula Kekahuna. Today, OMKK is led by Paula’s daughter, executive director Laua‘e Kekahuna.

needs after the 2018 Kīlauea eruption, which deeply disrupted local families, economies, and cultural practices, OMKK applied to join the Puna Strong Initiative, a partnership between the County of Hawai‘i and the Hawai‘i Community Foundation to assist with disaster readiness and community resilience.

“These gatherings... will provide opportunities to celebrate Hawaiian culture, share knowledge, and build mutual support networks that can be activated in times of need.”

-LAUA‘E KEKAHUNA

OMKK’s current success has been a result of hard work and a collaborative approach to problem solving. In 2022, to respond to persistent community

Laua‘e says she embraced the opportunity to expand not just her organization’s work of serving families and strengthening community, but her understanding of her personal kūlana (role, position). By applying, she sought to grow OMKK’s capacity to restore food systems; increase the agricultural district’s access to capital, technical support, and markets for farmers; and create space for cultural and social connection.

“Before the Puna Strong Initiative was launched, community organizations in rural Puna often worked in isolation,” says Robbie Ann Kane, HCF program director for the

Puna Strong Initiative. “That limited their connectivity to other potential partners and hampered the community’s ability to collectively respond to challenges like the disastrous lava ﬂows from the 2018 Kīlauea eruption.”

Through Puna Strong, Laua‘e and other community leaders received support and training for capacity building, technical assistance, and networking. A transformative face-to-face hui with Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu broadened Laua‘e’s understanding of her work. She says it strengthened her commitment to create intentional spaces for connection, cultural practice, and shared learning through in-person gatherings designed to sustain the spirit of connection and collaboration fostered through Puna Strong.

“For our organization, these gatherings will deepen engagement with community members, nurture partnerships, and reinforce our role as a trusted convener,” Laua‘e says. “For the community, they will provide opportunities to celebrate Hawaiian culture, share knowledge, and build mutual support networks that can be activated in times of need.”

You can see the results at both the organizational and community levels. Through capacity building and technical assistance support from Puna Strong, both the Maku‘u Farmers Market and OMKK are thriving and growing. Beyond strengthening her own organization, Laua‘e has become a community connector, building essential networks between community organizations and government that bolster resilience across Puna.

“Stories like Laua‘e’s remind me of the power of place-based philanthropy,” says Robbie Ann. “This approach, drawing from community wisdom and lifting up leaders from those communities, is central to HCF’s work in every sector of our CHANGE Framework.”

PUNA STRONG GRANTEES AT A RECENT COHORT GATHERING.