The post HPU unveils new logo, designed by Sig Zane appeared first on Hawaii Star.
]]>Hawaii Pacific University (HPU) unveiled its new logo today, designed by the legendary Hawaiian artists and storytellers of Sig Zane Designs, during a brand launch event for students, faculty and staff at Aloha Tower Marketplace. The new logo accompanies an overall rebranding of HPU, providing a cohesive, impactful and professional representation of the university’s values, priorities, and purpose.
“We saw an opportunity to better tell our university’s story particularly how we transform lives with our personalized hands on approach to education,” said John Gotanda, president of HPU. “Our new brand speaks to our core beliefs and embodies the innovation and uniqueness of Hawaii Pacific University.”
HPU enlisted the help of one of the nation’s leading higher education market research and creative firms, SimpsonScarborough, to develop the new brand based on interviews with alumni, local business executives and prospective students and parents, among others. The new brand is founded on six strategic drivers: hands-on experiential learning through a personal tailored approach, a close-knit and supportive learning environment, a focus on robust academics and our strength of locations and diversity and cross cultural environment.
Desiring a fresh logo design representative of the University’s commitment to Hawaii, its local community, and the Hawaiian values of Pono, Kuleana and Aloha, HPU sought the talents of legendary local artist, Sig Zane. “We are passionate about design, sharing Hawaii’s culture and practices through storytelling, and approaching every project from a native perspective,” said Zane. “HPU wanted a logo that captured the deep traditions and values of our islands, so we wove elements together into a story speaking to the rich history of our aina and created a logo that would be a clear and lasting representation of HPU’s roots in Hawaii.”
Hawaii Pacific University believes the new branding and logo will increase unity and pride within the institution’s community while providing powerful messaging to the world reflective of HPU’s exceptional place in the higher education landscape. From new brochures, a refreshed website, video commercials and other materials utilizing the new brand and logo, HPU is further positioning itself as a leader who empower students to get up close and personal with the subjects they’re passionate about.
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]]>The post Latest long-term Mars habitat crew a global mix appeared first on Hawaii Star.
]]>They are:
At approximately 5 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time on Thursday, February 15, they will enter a geodesic dome habitat atop Mauna Loa on the island of Hawaii as part of an eight-month research study of human behavior and performance. The NASA-funded project aims to help determine the individual and team requirements for long-duration space exploration missions, including travel to Mars.
The crew started nine days of briefings and training on Wednesday, February 7, joined by scientific researchers and mission support to prepare for HI-SEAS Mission VI.
HI-SEAS Principal Investigator and UH Manoa Professor, Kim Binsted is excited about the international diversity of Mission VI and the role HI-SEAS plays in understanding human behavior and performance in space.
“This is the first time we’ve selected a crew that includes members from four different countries of origin. As HI-SEAS is an international collaboration between researchers, mission support and crew, it is great to see this diversity reflected in the Mission VI crew,” said Binsted.”For humans to successfully undertake a long-duration spaceflight to Mars, it will require a global collaboration, and so it seems appropriate that our Mission VI begins with this spirit of internationalism.”
During the eight-month mission the crew will perform exploration tasks such as geological fieldwork and life systems management. The mission is conducted under isolated and confined conditions designed to be similar to those of a planetary surface exploration mission. For example, all communications are delayed by 20 minutes in each direction to simulate the time it takes a message to travel between Earth and Mars. Daily routines include food preparation from only shelf-stable ingredients, exercise, research and field work aligned with NASA’s planetary exploration expectations.
Under the watchful eye of the research team and supported by experienced mission control, the crew will participate in multiple primary and opportunistic research studies. The primary research is conducted by scientists from across the United States who are at the forefront of their fields.
The primary behavioral research includes a shared social behavioral task for team building, continuous monitoring of face-to-face interactions with sociometric badges, a virtual reality team-based collaborative exercise to predict individual and team behavioral health and performance and multiple stress and cognitive countermeasure and monitoring studies.
HI-SEAS Mission VI continues a series of successful 8-month and 12-month missions that place HI-SEAS in the company of a small group of analogs capable of operating very long duration missions in isolated and confined environments such as Mars500, Concordia and the International Space Station.
HI-SEAS Mission VI follows the successful eight-month Mission V that was completed in September 2017.
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]]>The post State Department enlists Hawaii Open Data for Tunisia project appeared first on Hawaii Star.
]]>The funding comes from the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs within the State Department, through its Office of the Middle East Partnership Initiative.
Burt Lum, executive director of Hawaii Open Data, was engaged by MEPI as a volunteer expert under the auspices of the Financial Services Volunteer Corporation to launch the Tunisia open data initiative. FSVC located Lum through the Open Knowledge Foundation, where he serves as the ambassador for the U.S.
The World Bank is also involved in the Tunisia project in a coordinating role.
Lum’s role is part of the FSVC’s initiative to help the Tunisian government to make more of its public data open and accessible, thereby driving economic development, as well as improving government transparency. Lum participated in open data workshops the first two days of a week-long workshop in Tunisia last week, and facilitated discussions among various ministries, civic society organizations and state-owned enterprises.
Lum also met with the Office Du Commerce De La Tunisie (OCT), which is responsible for foreign imports, including sugar, tea, coffee, rice and spices. His meeting with OCT was followed by a consultation with the Office of Vocation and Workforce Development. His consultation concluded on Friday at a meeting with the Institut National de la Météorologie to discuss weather data.
“After the revolution in 2011 that created the Tunisian democracy, it is impressive how the national government has embraced open government and open data as ways to build trust in government,” Lum said in a press release. “I am quite honored to have been invited to participate in this important initiative.”
Lum advised the government organizations on the selection of open data formats, data integrity, and governance to help them prepare for publication of the data on the government’s open data portal.
About Hawaii Open Data
Hawaii Open Data, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is dedicated to advancing the adoption of open data/knowledge standards and the development of solutions leveraging open data in Hawaii. Hawaii Open Data focuses on helping organizations leverage data as an asset through education and improving data accessibility and integrity. Hawaii Open Data pursues its initiatives to support public-private collaboration, government transparency, and civic engagement. The organization’s core focus areas include research, best practices, tech policy community building and civic engagement.
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]]>The post UH Seeks Social Media/Content Specialist appeared first on Hawaii Social Media.
]]>The University of Hawaii at Manoa is looking to hire a Social Media/Content Specialist to work out of the school’s Office of Communications, under the UH VP for Administration. The position, #0081780, will report to Dan Meisenzahl and expected to begin in January/February 2018.
Duties will include:
For more information, visit the position entry on the Work At UH site:
http://www.pers.hawaii.edu/wuh/nadvert.aspx?rn=28059
Photo courtesy University of Hawaii/Flickr.
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]]>The post King Tides, Supermoon returning for New Year’s Day appeared first on Hawaii Star.
]]>“King Tide” is not technically a scientific term, but it should be. It describes a specific tidal happening that people care a lot about – especially now.
And shortly after 2018 begins, we’ll experience an exceptionally rare and noticeable King Tide. It peaks at 3:54 a.m. Jan. 1 in Honolulu when our New Year’s Eve champagne buzz has worn off.
Regular tides are caused by the moon’s gravitational pull and to a lesser extent by the sun. King Tides are caused when two celestial events take place simultaneously: a spring tide and perigee.
Spring tides – the highest tides of the month – occur when the moon, sun and earth line up, causing the gravitational pull of the moon and sun to complement each other. These tides generally occur twice a month year round, meaning the scientific term “spring tide” is a bad one!
Perigee, you might remember from eighth-grade science class, is when the moon is nearest to earth and exerts the greatest gravitational pull on our oceans. Perigee adds about two inches to high tides.
The New Year’s King Tide will not only involve a spring tide and perigee “supermoon.” We’ll also experience perihelion on Jan. 2 when the earth’s elliptical orbit is nearest the sun. This improbable celestial mix may make the first King Tide of 2018 even more remarkable.
All this would just be cool science and coincidence but for one glaring thing: climate change. King Tides coupled with sea level rise due to human-caused climate change spell trouble for coastal peoples.
Predictions on the amount of sea level rise we’ll encounter by 2100 vary, but a number of scientific conclusions are unequivocal:
King Tides are as old as the earth and moon but have become threatening and damaging due to climate change. So now the term King Tide, which was likely invented by the Aussies or Kiwis, has inundated our ocean-awareness vocabulary and is used the world over.
King Tides are well known to my Chaminade University students from the low-lying Pacific islands of Majuro, Kiribati, Palau and Chuuk. Their homemade videos show how recent King Tides – combined with sea level rise – covered coastal crops, infiltrated fresh-water tables, flooded homes and even immersed burial sites of ancestors.
The impact of sea level rise coupled with King Tides in the Pacific is captured in a powerful slam poem, ” Dear Matafele Peinem,” written and performed by Marshallese native Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner at the opening ceremony of the United Nations’ Climate Summit 2014.
Hawaii awakened to the term “King Tide” on April 26 and 27, May 25 and June 23 of this year when photographs and eyewitness accounts documented higher-than-usual tides.
The weekly fireworks show at Hilton Hawaiian Village had to be cancelled more than once. The ocean reached the wall at Ala Moana Beach Park. Sand covered the walkway along Kuhio Beach in Waikiki. These and many other noticeable extremes took us to the consciousness-raising tipping point.
We cannot control what happens when something celestially rare and wondrous occurs this New Year due to a King Tide caused by a supermoon, spring tide and perihelion. We can, however, control climate change and its effects. Doing so means we could one day return to a time when King Tides are much less noticeable and not damaging.
So when making New Year’s resolutions and gazing at the stunning supermoon, let’s all resolve to be Pacific climate warriors determined to stop the causes of climate change in Hawaii and globally.
Let’s adopt better practices that leave us simply appreciating, not fearing, amazing celestial events such as the one awaiting us at the dawn of 2018.
Associate Professor Gail Grabowsky directs the Environmental Studies program at Chaminade University of Honolulu.
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]]>The post Hawaii firm harnesses WeChat to target Chinese visitors appeared first on Hawaii Star.
]]>Hawaii-based iTravLocal has set its sights on the growing Chinese travel market, hoping to connect local vendors with visitors who are accustomed to buying products and services via WeChat, the most popular mobile app and commerce platform in China.
The company says there were 120 million outbound travelers from The People’s Republic of China (PRC) last year, and predicts there will be 200 million travelers by 2020. Hawaii is a key location for the Chinese traveler, and iTRAVLocal Limited (ITL) says it has found a niche to capture this lucrative market.
Founded earlier this year, iTravLocal describes itself as a destinations and activities solution provider that works in collaboration with WeChat, “the Chinese social media platform and super app.”
WeChat boasts more than 963 users and its users spend more than 30 percent of their smartphone time within the platform. WeChat users communicate with friends and colleagues, share files, shop online, pay bills, and more. The platform has over 963 million users with over 50% of these users spending 90 minutes a day. WeChat is owned by Tencent, one of the largest companies in the world in terms of market capitalization.
iTravLocal hopes to find Hawaii companies looking to draw Chinese visitors and help them implement WeChatPay and AliPay, also a digital wallet provider, or develop mini-programs within WeChat that can target and market to the Chinese traveler more effectively.
“People conduct their personal and professional lives differently in China — mobile apps are everything.” explains iTravLocal co-founder and COO Alex Wong. “The majority pays using a digital wallet in China, from street vendors and local wet markets to convenience stores and medical offices.”
Wong says approximately 94% of this market is dominated by mobile payments.
“The fastest growing segment in tourism is the Chinese,” Wong says. “I’m encouraging Hawaii vendors to implement WeChatPay and potentially develop WeChat mini programs… the key benefit would be increasing business to mainland Chinese customers, who spend more than any other nationality when traveling.”
The profit potential is huge, Wong adds, citing a study by consulting firm iResearch that show China mobile payments hit $5.5 trillion — roughly 50 times the size of America’s $112 billion market.
“There are an estimated 200,000+ Chinese visiting Hawaii every year [and] research shows they spend far more than Japanese visitors,” he says. “In 2016, Chinese from mainland China spent $260 billion on overseas travel — an increase of $11 billion from 2015.”
Wong will be the moderator for the Social Mobile Trends session of the Hawaiian Tourism Authority Global Summit China on September 20, 2017. iTravLocal and Tencent/WeChat is also hosting an invitation-only gala event aboard the Star of Honolulu cruise ship the next day.
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]]>The post New massage style launched in Honolulu appeared first on Hawaii Star.
]]>Honolulu massage therapist Charisma Koffman has introduced a new type of bodywork called “Sarga Bodywork,” which puts a new spin on an ancient technique. It’s a barefoot massage, but it differs from other techniques in that it incorporates a silk cloth to let the therapist provide deeper pressure and a stronger connection to the client.
The technique is performed by wrapping the cloth around the massage table and the therapist’s neck, shoulders, and arms. The tension from that bind gives the therapist stability, which allows more specific targeting of the muscles. Furthermore, pulling up on the cloth creates tension that translates to deeper pressure. The cloth replaces what normally would be overhead bars for support.
The word sarga can mean a type of tapestry in Spanish, but also has Sanskrit roots as well, Koffman explains. In that language, it refers to a creation.
“This is deeply meaningful to me as a therapist because I use ‘Sarga Bodywork’ to create a healing energy for my client,” Koffman said. “There is normally an exchange of energy between therapist and client, and here, it’s amplified because the sarga literally wraps us together.”
Koffman is one of only a dozen certified “Sarga Bodywork” providers in the world. The technique is so new, its founders only began offering courses this year. Koffman offers “Sarga Bodywork” to clients in Kaimuki at BAM Body and Mind Studio.
Koffman has a passion for working with people in a healing capacity. She earned her massage therapy license in 2012 from the Thai Massage School of Chiang Mai, where she underwent an intense, year-long training to learn traditional Thai massage and Thai foot reflexology. She loved the experience so much, she continued her education and became certified as an instructor. Now she is excited to show clients the healing powers of “Sarga Bodywork.”
“The body is a vessel,” Koffman continues. “I am honored to work with people to help them find better health, both in the physical form as well as the spiritual one.”
Learn more about Charisma Koffman at www.bambodyandmind.com, on Facebook at B.A.M-Body And Mind, and on Instagram at @bambodyandmind.
ABOUT SARGA BODYWORK
State of Hawaii licensed massage therapists Jivatma Massageur and Daniel Tsukayama developed Sarga Bodywork as a practical matter. As they explain on their website, “While we love the bold, steady contact of massaging with feet, this type of work often requires that the therapist holds on to overhead support such as a rope or bar for balance. Over time, the combination of engaging the arms overhead while looking down with the head can make for a real pain in the neck!” They now offer training courses around the Islands.
Photo courtesy iMages by Ryan Sakamoto.
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]]>Flavored Nation is a new national food experience, kicking off in the Midwest and bringing with it a nationwide selection tastes and talent.
Through extensive research conducted by a team of culinary experts and food entertainment veterans, Flavored Nation has identified the most iconic food from each of the 50 states. Those 50 dishes – as well as the restaurateurs or chefs who prepare them best – will travel to the St. Louis’ Dome at America’s Center, October 27-29, giving up to 12,000 attendees the chance to feast on “a taste of every state.”
Plate lunch comes from Hawaii’s immigrant culture of the 1880s, when plantation workers would make carb heavy lunches from leftovers to sustain them through the long days in the sugar and pineapple fields, Flavored Nation explains.
Cowell is originally from the Philippines and has lived in Hawaii since 1976. She was born into a family of cooks, attended culinary school and began creating her own spice blends ten years ago at her home on the side of a hill above Honolulu. Today, Cowell’s spice blends – which she uses in her plate lunch recipe – can be purchased online and in stores throughout Hawaii, as well as tasted in dishes at some of Waikiki’s most popular restaurants. Her first cookbook will come out this fall.
Flavored Nation is spearheaded by its executive producer Richard Gore, who has been developing live culinary entertainment since the mid-1990s (back when food events weren’t a thing). He served as president of live events at Food Network and led the development of “Food Network Live” and “Food University at Caesars Palace,” in addition to creating “eat-ertainment” marketing campaigns for brands like Heinz, P&G, Unilever, Ikea and Family Circle.
At Gore’s side are fellow food entertainment veterans, David Rosengarten, Jared Bobkin and Bobby Parrish. Rosengarten is a two-time James Beard award winning food writer and was one of the first on-air talents at Food Network. He hosted “Food News & Views” then created and hosted the program “Taste,” which ran for eight years. He’s now Flavored Nation’s head of content. Bobkin is a Detroit-area executive chef who made it to the final rounds of FOX’s “Hell’s Kitchen” season 15. He’s also Flavored Nation’s culinary director, conducting nationwide research with Rosengarten to determine the United States’ iconic foods and top eateries. Parrish, a Chicago native, is a home cook whose online brand FlavCity has a social following of more than 400K. He appeared on Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen” in 2006 and is now the friendly face of Flavored Nation’s online video series.
“America is incredibly passionate about food, which has moved from our plates to our screens and become a core part of today’s pop culture” said Gore. “For cooks and non-cooks alike, how we speak about food today is not how we talked about it 15 years ago. Food is reviewed, read about and watched on TV; and our social lives often revolve around eating. However, in a nation of documented culinary diversity, most people’s personal food experience is still limited to local geography and some occasional travel. It’s why a Chicagoan can argue extensively about the city’s best deep dish but has never tried chislic or huddish… the iconic foods of South Dakota and Minnesota, respectively. This is the perfect time for Flavored Nation. We want to fuel debate about local favorites and at the same time spur discovery people crave, providing access to 49 other state dishes that, for most, will be brand new.”
The vendors who will be in attendance include chefs and restaurateurs almost as iconic as the state dishes they’ll represent.
“No one wrote a guidebook on how to authentically identify the United States’ most iconic foods,” said Rosengarten. “It’s been an amazing adventure and challenge. Some states, like Louisiana, California and New York, are well known for multiple dishes. For other states, like South Dakota, Minnesota and Nebraska, I personally drew a blank. Through exhaustive research, consumer input via social media and conversations with state tourism boards, we’ve mapped it out. Now, we’re stacking our roster. Restaurants and chefs can’t buy their way in. This is invite only, and we’ll be bringing the best of the best for an unrivaled culinary experience this fall at Flavored Nation.”
For more information on Flavored Nation, and to purchase tickets, visit www.flavorednation.com. Also follow Flavored Nation on Facebook (facebook.com/flavorednation), Twitter and Instagram (@flavorednation), and share your iconic food passions by using the hashtag #flavorednation.
]]>The post Firms partner to ship Ikea products to Hawaii appeared first on Hawaii Star.
]]>Social media in Hawaii recently buzzed with the news that Ikea products would be available through Amazon, but island Ikea fans celebrations were shortlived as it was revealed that available items were limited to small items such as bags and lightbulbs, rather than modular Swedish furniture.
Local shoppers looking for a Malm bed frame, complete with modular storage, or a BESTÅ shelf unit, now have a new option.
Ship to Hawaii has launched a new online service offering that was developed in partnership with Sudokrew Solutions, which specializes in making web and mobile applications for Hawaii businesses.
“I just really wanted to get a bed frame,” jokes Sudokrew co-founder Spencer Toyama. “We knew there was a demand because of the adwords campaign results we helped [Ship To Hawaii] with.”
“It was really a matter of finding the right solution for this business, that served Ship to Hawaii’s core focus in providing a valuable freight forwarding service to the local community,” Toyama added. “This is still the first iteration of the service, or what we call a Minimum Viable Product, so we’re hoping to get feedback from users to improve it over time.”
Ship to Hawaii unveils this new offering with the same values that has served their business for many years, said company spokesman Jerry Tamamoto: “treating local customers like family.”
“We knew the people of Hawai‘i have been requesting this bridge for some time, and we’re just happy to serve our community with this new service,” he said.
The new service can be accessed through Ship to Hawaii’s new online portal. Buyers need to simply add the Article number for the item they need shipped, and the web application provides quote and shipping instructions to allow the buyer to order the item from the Ikea online catalog.
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]]>The post Veteran newscaster Diane Ako launches PR firm appeared first on Hawaii Star.
]]>“I have been helping friends or volunteer groups with PR needs for years, because being in the media is a natural fit for understanding how to pitch to reporters. People had long asked me how to get their company featured in the news, and I would explain how newsrooms work and how to get writers interested in their story. I have also continuously provided PR for non-profit groups I volunteer with. I find this fulfilling,” Ako says of her choice to open her own business after a 19-year career as a TV newscaster.
Ako most recently worked as a morning anchor for KHON2 (FOX), where she co-anchored a live newscast for three hours at daybreak. Before that, she anchored and reported at KHNL (NBC) in Honolulu, WBRE (NBC) in Pennsylvania, KOB (NBC) in New Mexico, and CTV (cable) in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Her work won regional recognition; nearly a dozen first place awards from the Society of Professional Journalists’ Hawaii Chapter, and three Emmy nominations from the San Francisco/Northern California Chapter of The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
In between news jobs, from 2010 to 2014, she served as PR Director/spokeswoman for luxury resort Halekulani and boutique hotel Waikiki Parc. There, she refined an intuitive sense of PR to arrive at a fuller understanding of how to achieve success in the PR industry.
More on Diane Ako PR at DianeAko.com.
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]]>Lanikai Brewing Company, the original Kailua, Hawaii brewery focused on creating authentic, island inspired Hawaiian craft beer, has been awarded the distinction of being named as one of the top craft beer breweries in the world by Lonely Planet Food in their newly-released guide book, Lonely Planet’s Global Beer Tour.
Featuring breweries in 32 countries and across five continents, Lonely Planet’s Global Beer Tour selected just 36 U.S. breweries from a pool of over 5,300, putting Lanikai Brewing Company in the top 1% of U.S. breweries represented.
Compiled by Lonely Planet’s community of beer-loving travel experts, Lonely Planet’s Global Beer Tour helps thirsty travelers discover the world’s most authentic and delicious brews, and recommends other local highlights, including museums, galleries, hikes and bike rides nearby.
At just over two years old, Lanikai Brewing Company is continuing to make a name for itself amongst the best in the world in large part due to the attention to detail and the passion for the art of craft beer brewery from the brewmasters. With a focus on using exotic and limited ingredients sourced locally within Hawaii, the Lanikai Brewing Company team creates authentic, island inspired Hawaiian craft beer by foraging on the islands and working with local farmers.
The news of inclusion in Lonely Planet’s Global Beer Tour is the latest in a series of achievements and accolades for the Kailua based Brewery. For the latest information on new beer releases and upcoming events, please visit Lanikai Brewing Company on Facebook and Instagram, or stop by the tasting room for samples and growler fills. Aloha!
About Lanikai Brewing Company
Lanikai Brewing Company is an island-inspired authentic Hawaiian craft beer company making 100 percent of our brews here in Hawaii. We take our cues from premium, local, rare, and exotic ingredients found across the Pacific to bring you bold and flavorful beers that you will find nowhere else. Pour a nice solid head to breathe in the flowers and fruits, the same aromas carried by our gentle trade winds. It’s paradise in a bomber bottle, best shared with friends.
Lanikai Brewing Company is a community-based brewery, with a tasting room overlooking the production floor. Open Thursdays and Fridays between 4-9pm and Saturdays and Sundays between 12-6pm for samples, growler fills and bottle sales.
Lanikai Brewing Company is located at 175 Hamakua Drive, Kailua, HI 96734.
]]>Hawaii Pacific University (HPU) today announced a partnership with Hawaii’s famed local chef, Sam Choy, who will help develop the university’s newest student dining facility at its Aloha Tower Marketplace location. HPU is the first university in the state of Hawaii to highlight Hawaii Regional Cuisine, as popularized by Chef Choy, and infuse it into the design of both a menu and student dining space.
“HPU is actively changing the student experience in our downtown community, and I am honored to be a part of a project for Honolulu’s next generation of leaders as well as to participate in the revitalization of the historic Aloha Tower Marketplace,” said Chef Sam Choy. “Food brings people together, and this prime location will welcome students, other members of our island community and visitors from around the world to experience the comforts of Pacific inspired cuisine in an exquisite gathering place.”
“The HPU ohana warmly welcomes Chef Choy and his culinary mastery to further provide unique, landmark services for our students,” said John Gotanda, President of HPU. “Visitors to the campus, who will be welcome to dine in the facility, will accentuate the diverse student experience HPU is known for.”
Though the student dining facility has yet to be named, Chef Sam Choy will be at the helm of that decision as well as crafting the menu and assisting with the selection of food items and vendors. Chef Choy will also assist with space planning, design details, and selecting the management team to handle day-to-day operations of the restaurant. The student dining facility will be located in the last space on the right of the Aloha Tower Marketplace Atrium, providing students and visitors yet another waterfront dining option in the mixed-use commercial residential and commercial center.
Chef Sam Choy has been creating cuisine with fresh, local island ingredients since he was a boy learning to cook alongside his parents. Sourcing and cooking with the traditional foods of Hawaii, Chef Choy’s native intelligence and culinary creativity have led him to co-create and popularize Hawaii Regional Cuisine around the globe.
Nearly 270 HPU students live in waterfront lofts on the second floor of the Aloha Tower Marketplace. On the ground floor, students currently have access to HPU facilities including the Learning Commons, Faculty-Student Lounge, and multi-purpose rooms; HPU offices such as Welcome Center, Student Life, Waterfront Lofts Housing, Student Government Association, and Campus Activities Board; and various retail and dining options. Living at the Waterfront Lofts also provides easy access to many amenities, activities, and public transportation in downtown Honolulu.
Founded in 1965, Hawaii Pacific University has grown to become the state’s leading private, non-profit university, with a student population of nearly 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and nearly 65 countries around the world. It has campuses in downtown Honolulu, Kāneohe, and Makapuu, and on military bases around Oahu. The Wall Street Journal, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and USA Today have each named HPU among the most diverse private universities in the nation. www.HPU.edu
]]>The Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) welcomed renowned chef Sam Choy to the Hukilau Marketplace this weekend with the opening of his new food truck, Sam Choy & Tita’s Seafood & Poke Truck, in the Roulotte Court of outdoor eateries.
Also opening today at the Hukilau Marketplace were So’Da Bomb and Fia Fia Farms, along with My Island Spa, a massage spa station, all of which was in celebration of the Hukilau Marketplace’s second anniversary. Additionally, guests enjoyed live performances by Vaihi and Roots Rockaz, along with fun keiki activities including inflatable slides and face painting.
Located at the entrance to the PCC, the Hukilau Marketplace highlights the traditions of Laie and the North Shore, featuring local cuisine and retail shops that showcase the unique heritage of the area. Admission and parking to Hukilau Marketplace is free to the public.
“Since Hukilau Marketplace opened its doors, our team has been working to find a unique blend of food and retail offerings for our guests,” said Delsa Moe, Vice President of Cultural Presentations of the PCC. “We are pleased to introduce these new additions to our Roulotte Court.”
Also offered at Hukilau Marketplace are Pounders Restaurant, Hapa Home Store, Na Hoku, Jaseboards and Polynesian Wood Carving.
The Roulotte Court features the following:
The sushi bar will offer a $180 course that features 6-7 appetizers and about 14 pieces of nigiri, and a $220 course with 6-7 appetizers and about 16 pieces of nigiri with elevated ingredients. The nigiri count for each course will vary based on market prices for the ingredients, most of which will be flown in fresh regularly from Hokkaido.
The restaurant is developing a finely curated selection of drinks to complement the sushi, including Suntory Malts beer by the draft, as well as a selection of fine wines, sake, and shochu. Reservations will be taken at 5:00 p.m., 5:15 p.m., 7:30 p.m., and 7:45 p.m., with the experiencing lasting no more than two hours.
Almost an exact replica of the Hokkaido restaurant designed by Takeshi Kawasaki himself, the 647 square-foot Honolulu location exudes a traditional Japanese aesthetic, from the entrance hall lined with thin stalks of bamboo emerging from a bed of white stones to the grey slate tiles leading up to the intimate 250-square foot dining room comprised of a low sushi counter with nine custom-made seats. The space’s interior is dominated by an L-shaped counter and seafood showcase made completely of blonde cedar, as soothing earth tones on the walls complement the warm ambiance. Recessed lights softly illuminate the counter, as a textured silhouette of Diamond Head on the wall subtly hints at the restaurant’s nod to its new home in Hawaii.
“I have spent a lifetime as a sushi chef, constantly challenging myself to become better,” says Takeshi Kawasaki, executive chef and owner of Maru Sushi. “After earning a Michelin star in 2011, and having my son carry on my legacy at the restaurant in Sapporo, my wife and I can fulfill our dreams and comfortably move to Hawaii,”
“Though I may have retired to Hawaii, where I cherish the relaxed spirit of the islands, I still vigilantly maintain a discerning sense of taste and a very high standard for my craft,” Kawasaki adds. “I hope the people of Hawaii will relish the flavors of Hokkaido and appreciate my attention to detail.”
Maru Sushi is located at 1731 Kalakaua Avenue, in a brand new two-story building near the Hawaii Convention Center. The restaurant will open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 5:00 to 10:30 p.m. For more information, please call (808) 951-4445.
About Chef Takeshi Kawasaki
Hokkaido-born Chef Takeshi Kawasaki started his career in sushi at the age of 15, after losing his mother. Attending high school during the day, he spent his evenings learning the trade at a local sushi restaurant. After graduation, he relocated to Kyoto for college, where he continued to work part time at a sushi restaurant. Completing his degree in Kyoto, Kawasaki decided to return home, where he took on a position at the esteemed Sushi Zen in Susukino for 10 years. Patiently waiting for the right window of opportunity, he launched his restaurant Maru Sushi in 1987, and quickly gained a reputation for his premium ingredients and impeccable technique. This eventually led him to earn his first Michelin star in 2011. In 2016, he left his restaurant in Hokkaido to his son, and moved to Hawaii to enjoy his retirement days with his wife, while continuing to spend his evenings continuing his life’s work as a sushi chef at the second location of Maru Sushi.
]]>“The area is undergoing a transformation, with luxury condominiums and townhomes hitting the market for upwards of $20 million.”
]]>Sweet Creams held its Grand Opening at 1430 Kona Street (next to Ala Moana) today, advertised as the first ice cream store in Hawaii dedicated to serving the popular ice cream rolls that originated in Thailand and has recently caught on in places like New York City, Los Angeles and Boston.
Rolling out flavors such as Strawberry Shortcake, Cookies ‘N Cream, Frozen Hot Cocoa, Pineapple 5-0, and Love You So Matcha, these desserts start with a specially crafted, liquid ice cream base poured onto a pan cooled to around -22 degrees Celsius. Fresh fruit, cookies, candies and more are chopped and woven into the liquid base as it begins to solidify in front of you. After a minute or two, the ice cream is smoothed over the pan, quickly scraped into rolls, and topped with even more fresh ingredients. Customers can also choose custom flavors.
“Not only is it entertaining, the ice cream itself is drawing raving reviews on Instagram and other social sites, and Sweet Creams has already been featured on a couple news stations,” the store says in a release. “Starting out by catering private events, such as birthdays, weddings, and corporate parties, Sweet Creams quickly generated a loyal following through word of mouth.”
With the encouragement of several enthusiastic patrons, co-founders Jeffrey Kao and Bari Carroll – both born and raised in Hawaii – decided to open a store within the first year of business despite having full-time jobs.
“It’s taken countless hours of hard work and dedication, but we really feel like this ice cream concept is going to be a hit,” said Kao. “It’s fun, unique, and we use fresh ingredients without adding in a lot of unnecessary fillers – just the good stuff.”
“We’re doing a lot of interesting things and are excited to roll out new twists as we move forward. The response has been unbelievable so far,” Carroll added.
Sweet Creams will be open daily from 12pm to 9pm at 1430 Kona Street, next to Manichi Ramen and the main bus stops at Ala Moana.
About Sweet Creams
Sweet Creams is the first ice cream store in Hawaii dedicated to the popular ice cream rolls craze that originated in Thailand. Using fresh, local fruits and ingredients, we offer a unique ice cream treat in a fun and exciting way. No freezers needed! Each ice cream roll is handmade in front of you and provides a unique and entertaining experience. We look forward to having you try our exciting new take on ice cream – from Hawaii, for Hawaii! For more information, visit sweetcreamshawaii.com or our store at 1430 Kona Street, Honolulu, HI – open daily from 12pm to 9pm.
]]>The post Energy accelerator program announces latest cohort appeared first on Hawaii Star.
]]>Ranging from aerial spectroscopy for farmers to a new CO2 conversion technology, these companies join a portfolio of over 50 companies who are affecting change across the entire energy system.
With funding from the US Navy, Department of Energy, GE Ventures, Blackstone, power utilities in four different countries and more, Energy Excelerator issues a yearly call for cleantech companies from across the globe, conducts rigorous due diligence and eventually chooses a select class — less than 5 percent of applicants — to fund, train and help succeed through a vast array of partners.
Energy Excelerator’s portfolio now includes 52 companies, with $352M in follow-on funding and 27 customer demonstration projects, in Hawaii and Asia Pacific. Recent highlights includes NEXTracker’s acquisition of portfolio company BrightBox Technologies; a $2.5M Series A by Ibis Networks; partnership between portfolio company WaterSmart and General Electric to develop solutions for water utilities; and most recently Blue Pillar’s $10M raise.
The 2017 cohort is drawn from across the world, from Indiana to Spain. Portfolio companies are accelerated in place and do not move their headquarters, but will spend two weeks in Hawaii and one in Silicon Valley, culminating with a Demo Day held at X: The Moonshot Factory (formerly Google[x]).
“The road to 100% renewable energy goes through Hawaii”
With the nation’s first and only 100% renewable energy statewide mandate, highest energy prices in the country and an existing renewable mix of almost 50% on some islands, Hawaii is constantly pushing the boundary of the new energy economy on several fronts, and is often seen as a bellwether for electric grids and services across the globe.
Energy Excelerator works with its Global Partners like Hawaiian Electric, Tokyo Electric Power Company, and others to address the challenges they are facing in a rapidly shifting world by sourcing innovative companies and then helping design and fund pilot projects.
“We work deeply with our partners – from the US military to corporations to utilities – to understand their most pressing pain points. We take that intel and scan the global cleantech landscape for the most promising innovators solving those problems. The pace of energy innovation is accelerating every year, and our entrepreneurs are really windows into the future,” said Dawn Lippert, co-founder and director of Energy Excelerator.
Startup-Utility Bridge
Putting a fine point on this role as a startup-utility bridge, Energy Excelerator was just last week announced as the Program Facilitators for Free Electrons, a new consortium of eight international utilities, from Dubai to Portugal, covering 73 million customers across 40 countries. Energy Excelerator will be helping to develop the startup intake process and running modules at all three week-long engagements in Silicon Valley, Europe and Singapore.
Just as this cohort is announced, Energy Excelerator is already gearing up for the next round – pre- applications for the 2018 cohort are now available online.
The 2017 Cohort: Demonstration Track: Up to $1M in funding, 18 month program
The 2017 Cohort: Go-to-market Track: $75k in funding, 8 month program
2017 Applicant Pool; A Snapshot Of The Global Cleantech Startup Ecosystem
From June 2015 to June 2016, we pounded the pavement, attended summits around the world, sent thousands of emails, had countless numbers of phone calls, and tapped our global network to find the most innovative cleantech startups. Here are a few statistics:
About Energy Excelerator
Energy Excelerator funds innovative startups to create a 100% clean energy future, starting in Hawaii and Asia-Pacific. We invest in energy, water, transportation, agriculture, and cybersecurity companies (up to $1 million USD per company) and open up a world-class network of investors, customers, and experienced CEOs to help our portfolio companies change the world. Energy Excelerator operates as a non-profit program, part of Pacific International Center for High Technology Research. For more information, please visit www.energyexcelerator.com.
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]]>“We love seeing our guests enjoy great food, while they watch their favorite teams,” said Matt Luckett, General Manager of Dave & Buster’s Honolulu. “Our new food and drink selections are sure to be a hit, whether they come to watch sports, play games or hang out with friends.”
Dave & Buster’s Honolulu has added two new appetizers, a sandwich, a burger, an entree and three new cocktails.
The first of the two new appetizers is the Ancho Caesar Lettuce Wraps, made with thinly sliced marinated chicken breast, shredded Parmesan, bacon, avocado, diced tomatoes and Ancho Chile Caesar dressing, all atop romaine hearts. The second is Grilled Smoked Chicken Wings, made with twelve hardwood smoked chicken wings and served with four dipping sauces: buttermilk ranch, Thai chili, Sriracha honey soy and creamy Carolina Reaper hot sauce.
The new Angry Orchard Hard Cider Pulled Pork Sandwich is made with slow-roasted pulled pork and cider barbecue sauce, served with fresh buttermilk ranch slaw. The BBBacon Burger, also new, is the ultimate take on a bacon burger, with a seared and seasoned half pound burger, applewood smoked bacon, peppered bacon pork belly and smoked Gouda sauce, served on a brioche bun with seasoned fries on the side. Another new entree is the Crispy Nashville-Style Hot Chicken, which includes two crispy, hand-battered chicken breasts marinated in Nashville-style hot sauce, served with parmesan creamed spinach and loaded mashed potatoes with sharp cheddar sauce.
For cocktail lovers, three specially crafted drinks will be available for the first time at Dave & Buster’s Honolulu, including the Georgia Peach Smash, Wildberry Burst Smash and Mango Passion Smash. The Georgia Peach Smash is made with Crown Royal, DeKuyper Peachtree peach schnapps and fresh peach puree. The flavorful Wildberry Burst Smash is a mix of BULLEIT rye whiskey, Toorani Mixed Berry and some sweet n’ sour. Finally, the Mango Passion Smash recipe puts together Maker’s Mark, Monin and passion fruit.
Dave & Buster’s Honolulu diners appreciate the fun atmosphere and drink and food menus. Sports fans can watch a variety of games and families can enjoy the arcade. Dave & Buster’s Honolulu also serves as a private party and corporate function venue.
About Dave & Buster’s Honolulu
Back in the late 1970s, Buster opened a restaurant known for its tasty food and friendly service. A few doors down, Dave opened an outrageous place for entertainment and games where adults were irresistibly drawn for fun. The two young entrepreneurs noticed people rotating between their establishments, and an idea started to form: What if they put both under one roof? Dave & Buster’s Honolulu is Hawaii’s only Dave & Buster’s location, proudly serving the island of Oahu. For more information on Dave & Buster’s Honolulu, please visit www.daveandbusters.com/honolulu.
]]>The post Report: Hawaii’s Startup Community Shows ‘Remarkable Growth’ appeared first on Hawaii Star.
]]>The report is based on self-reported information provided by the four major accelerators in Hawaii, and is designed to assess the current state of “Startup Paradise,” Hawaii’s moniker for its entrepreneurial community.
“Hawaii’s Startup Paradise has seen remarkable growth in the last three years, in the number of startups, funding, revenue and in the expansion of the ecosystem. We have nationally recognized accelerators and co-working incubators, a growing educational effort, Hawaii-based investment funds and government commitment to innovation,” said Tarik Sultan, author of the report and managing partner of Sultan Ventures and XLR8UH and treasurer of Hawaii Venture Capital Association.
Of the 145 startups in 2016, two had exits, 114 are growing, 13 are “zombie” stage (no or little movement) and 16 hit a dead end.
Sultan emphasized that greater corporate engagement is necessary to achieve more growth.
“Our corporations can provide resources and expertise our startup teams need in identifying market strategies, product fit, financing and management,” Sultan noted.
The report also uncovered several “interesting data points,” according to Sultan. For example, while approximately $10 million was deployed over this four-year period, over $250 million in total capital was generated. It’s estimated that nearly 1,000 jobs were created through these startups, jobs that by nature are in the technology and creative sectors.
Earlier this year, Sultan Ventures was selected as one of 17 entities nationally to partner with Village Capital as part of their efforts to connect Hawaii with mainland corporates and investors. The firm formed the Hawaii United Innovators in conjunction with XLR8UH, Energy Excelerator and others to invest in energy and agricultural innovation.
“The startup scene in Hawaii is on the rise,” notes Ross Baird, chief executive officer of Village Capital, a national nonprofit organization that finds, trains and funds early stage ventures solving specific global problems. “While most people think of Hawai’i as where the innovative people go on vacation, we are amazed to see great Hawai’i-based startups in food, water, energy and other sectors where the state is becoming a global leader.
“To make this happen, a community needs great ecosystem leadership, and we’re excited to partner with Sultan Ventures to help build great companies on the islands,” Baird added.
“Entrepreneurs thrive best in supportive, interconnected, pay-it-forward communities, rather than isolated silos,” says Victor Hwang, vice president of Entrepreneurship at the Kauffman Foundation. “Reports such as Sultan Ventures’ ‘State of Startup Paradise’ help shine a light on the amazing activity happening in ecosystems across the United States.
Hwang continued: “The Kauffman Foundation is excited to see this kind of environment taking place in Hawaii and look forward to keep on eye on entities such as Sultan Ventures in their endeavors as they overlap with our four main pillars towards cultivating entrepreneurial communities.”
About Sultan Ventures
Sultan Ventures is a boutique venture firm focusing on early-stage startups and investments. As a startup catalyst, SV provides pivotal resources via its powerful network of experts and investors. SV works closely with innovative startups, providing the hands-on expertise and access to capital needed to accelerate growth, as well as with investors, performing the diligence necessary to make strategic investment decisions.
The post Report: Hawaii’s Startup Community Shows ‘Remarkable Growth’ appeared first on Hawaii Star.
]]>The book chronicles Tobin’s culinary journey as told to award-winning travel writer Brian Berusch, and includes recipes from 21 Hawaii chefs, from up-and-coming talent to legends like Alan Wong, Roy Yamaguchi, and Chef Mavro.
Tobin moved to Hawaii from a small farming town in Nebraska to attend college, and quickly fell in love with the people and culture, making it his home and starting a family.
Presented in a unique format, the 176-page tome melds photos by Olivier Koning with correspondences from a loving son to his mother. Readers follow Tobin as he tastes his way through paradise and evolves his palate, just as a life in the restaurant world unfolds before him. Readers will experience what it means to embrace new flavors and allow them to inspire.
As the story progresses, the conversation inevitably veers toward the innovative chefs who are turning the perception of “Hawaiian cuisine” on its head. Leaving “Asian fusion” fare in the dust, this new crop of globally savvy culinary talent is utilizing local ingredients to create a completely new category of Hawaiian cuisine.
Tobin reflects on the ingredients and dishes that transported him from the farmlands of Nebraska to Honolulu, and Brian Berusch gets inside the kitchens (and minds) of Hawaii’s top chefs. What’s revealed in the book blends nostalgia and comfort with groundbreaking dishes—each of which is detailed in recipe format.
Food To Write Home About includes a wide range of chefs from the State of Hawaii, starting with some of the most recognized forefathers of Hawaiian Regional Cuisine. Also included are a number of second and third generation chefs who trained under these notable chefs, now having branched out on their own and incorporating global practices and techniques.
Some additional chefs included in the book include: Ed Kenny, Andrew Le, Lee Ann Wong, Chris Kajioka and more.
Food To Write Home About is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.com or can be purchased at Tiki’s Grill & Bar. It will be available in additional retail outlets on the island of Oahu. You can visit FoodToWriteHomeAbout.com/ to purchase as well.
]]>“Moku Kitchen incorporates the rich heritage of farming and ranching in Hawaiʻi into contemporary cuisine, blending the past with the present, which complements the vision of our developing business community perfectly,” said Kelley Nakano, General Manager of SALT. “SALT is proud to be an avenue for both innovative and creative representations of urban Hawaiʻi that at the same time honors the traditions of our past, and we are excited to have Moku Kitchen as the newest addition to our thriving community.”
Having achieved an immense amount of success with the establishment of the much loved Monkeypod Kitchen—which has locations in Ko‘olina, Oʻahu and Wailea, Maui—Moku Kitchen will continue in the tradition of making everything from scratch. The concept for the new restaurant is simple, but refreshing: Bring “Upcountry Downtown”—using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. The unique, chef-driven concept features a visible kiawe wood burning pizza oven, an exposed expo rotisserie roaster, and a menu of flavorful dishes and local favorites such as Saimin and Dry Mein that everyone will enjoy. Additionally, Moku Kitchen offers 36 craft beers on tap served at 29 degrees, and is home to an incredible keg wine systems, with 12 biodynamic and sustainable wines available on tap.
With over 7,000 square feet of open space, both indoor and outdoor seating, a daily offering of live music, and a breathtaking mural by Pow! Wow! Hawaiʻi’s own Kamea Hadar in the backdrop—Moku Kitchen is a place where food connoisseurs can come together to sample mouthwatering dishes in a dynamic setting. Standout menu items include Rotisserie Roasted Duck with Ginger and Shoyu, Ma‘o Organic Farms Kale Salad, a Pulled-Pork Sandwich with Homemade BBQ Sauce, and a wide selection of kiawe wood fired pizzas.
SALT is an exciting development brought to life by the eclectic and diverse community of retail shops, cafes, bars, and restaurants that thrive in this innovative epicenter. Every tenant is specifically curated, and contributes immensely to this flourishing new neighborhood that is reinvigorating Honolulu. Moku Kitchen—along with other business owners, residents, artists and creatives at SALT is helping to reclaim urban Hawaii through innovation and imagination, and all of O‘ahu is invited to come experience “Upcountry Downtown” in the heart of Kaka‘ako. For more information on Moku Kitchen, please visit: www.mokukitchen.com, on Facebook at Facebook.com/MokuKitchen, or on Instagram @MokuKitchen.
About SALT
Named after the pa‘akai (Hawaiian for “salt”) ponds that once dotted the low-lying wetlands of this area, SALT is Honolulu’s innovative epicenter for local culture, food, shopping, and events. Comprising 85,000 square feet of a dynamic mixture of local small business and national brands, SALT is an urban city block designed for exploration and engagement for retail, restaurants, and services. This groundbreaking gathering place in the heart of Kaka‘ako is where new makers and new ideas converge.
Owned by Kamehameha Schools, revenues generated from SALT fund educational opportunities for more than 48,000 learners and caregivers annually through three campuses on the O‘ahu, Maui, and Hawai‘i island; 30 preschools statewide, literacy instruction and support in more than 200 public school classrooms; financial and educational support for 17 Hawaiian-focused public charter schools; and collaborations with 50 additional organizations throughout the state. www.saltatkakaako.com
About Handcrafted Restaurants LLC
A partnership between Hawai‘i Regional Cuisine founding Chef Peter Merriman and Restaurateur Bill Terry, Handcrafted Restaurants LLC is a multi-concept restaurant company that is dedicated to operating world-class, full-service restaurants in premiere cities and resorts. Handcrafted Restaurants LLC celebrates the craft of food, drink and merrimaking while integrating itself into local communities by supporting local farmers and fishermen, creating new jobs, and keeping impact on the environment as minimal as possible. Handcrafted Restaurants LLC seeks to develop connections between residents, guests, the land, and one another by focusing on locally sourced ingredients, sustainable business practices, and socially conscious values.
]]>Stripsteak Waikiki has launched a new, Aloha Lunch menu with special prix fixe options featuring fresh seafood and locally-sourced ingredients accompanying Michael Mina’s contemporary steakhouse cuisine. The Aloha Lunch starts at $37.50 per person (excluding tax and gratuity) and highlights a selection of healthy and light starters paired with popular entrées where guests are able to choose one appetizer and one main dish.
Light bites featured in the prix fixe offerings include local favorites such as, “Instant Bacon” with kurobuta pork belly, tempura oyster and black pepper soy-glaze, Chilled Lobster Tacos with Maui gold pineapple, avocado cream and red bell peppers; and Thai Calamari Ceviche with green papaya, carrots, crushed peanuts and “leche de tigre.”
Popular main entrée selections featured in the Aloha Lunch special include Michael’s Ahi Tuna Tartare with kale salad, Asian pear, toasted pine nuts, sesame and mint; Free-Range Chicken with Okinawan potatoes, baby spinach and Hau‘ula tomato-curry sauce; and the Stripsteak Burger with caramelized Maui onions, Nueske’s bacon, American cheese and a side of Michael Mina’s duck fat fries.
Guests also have the option of ordering á la carte selections including an assortment of fresh seafood flown in daily including shellfish, sushi and sashimi. From the broiler, options featured on the lunch menu include hearty cuts of Moyer Farms Steaks served with fries and Citrus Grilled Fish served with quinoa pilaf. Lunch libations are mixed daily into unique concoctions including the bartender’s special selection served in a Lunch Punch.
Located on the International Market Place’s Third-Level Grand Lanai at 2330 Kalākaua Avenue, lunch is offered daily from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with expansive indoor and outdoor seating ideally suited for business lunches. Kama‘āina are eligible for a 10% discount until the end of November with proof of residency. Reservations are highly recommended. Validated valet and self-parking is available at the International Market Place.
Stripsteak Waikiki opened on Aug. 25 and the Aloha Lunch special is the precursor to the restaurant’s participation in this year’s Restaurant Week Hawai‘i from Nov. 14-20, with more details to be released later this fall. Daily lunch service is followed by afternoon pau hana, available at the bar from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
For more information, please visit STRIPSTEAKWaikiki.com, Facebook.com/STRIPSTEAKRestaurant and @STRIPSTEAKHI on Instagram and Twitter.
]]>The post Social Media Summit Rebrands, Revives Awards appeared first on Hawaii Social Media.
]]>There was a Hawaii Social Media Seminar in May 2014 and a Hawaii Social Media Summit scheduled for that fall. Last year the event became the Digital Marketing Seminar and was held in April. That event was promoted as coming “With a Dash of Execs,” and this year’s event is dubbed “With a Dash of SaaS.”
“There is a convergence between using technology, statistics and marketing working in harmony… online programs are slightly more intricate and the way that we interact with marketing messages have changed,” explains the event’s organizers, Red Dot Productions. “For this conference we’re also adding SaaS and Startup as we bring in experts that have utilized technology to streamline, organize and manage their Digital Marketing processes.”
Keynote speakers include Cynthia Johnson, Rob Lafontaine, Murray Newlands, and Dennis Yu. Other presenters include Luke Tucker, Lynn Miyahira, Jay Hartwell, Todd Robertson, Zachary Sinks, Blake Jamieson, and Zach Binder. Guy Hagi will serve as emcee.
The award nominees, announced yesterday, are:
The awards will be presented by Ryan Bell, Periscoper of the Year Nominee.
The event will be held at the Ala Moana Hotel. Tickets are $150, or $100 without lunch, with a discount available for students.
The post Social Media Summit Rebrands, Revives Awards appeared first on Hawaii Social Media.
]]>“Alerton has long been a leader in pioneering building management systems technology, so was at the top of our list when we looked for a building controls partner,” said Michael Pfeffer, CEO of Ibis Networks. “We look forward to helping their dealers bring a powerful plug load control solution to their customers.”
Commercial building owners and managers tasked with reducing energy consumption face the challenge of monitoring and controlling electricity consumed by growing numbers of plug-in devices. So-called “plug and process” loads account for about one-third of primary energy use in U.S. commercial buildings, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
To help building professionals save up to 40% of these electricity costs, Alerton and Ibis Networks have partnered to bring the Ibis InteliNetwork to Alerton dealers.
“For Alerton customers looking for ways to cut their energy costs, Ibis Networks offers a simple and easy-to-integrate tool with the Alerton Ascent building management system (BMS) to dramatically reduce electricity use and gain more insight into their overall energy consumption,” said Kevin Clinger, Alerton’s Senior Manager of Customer Marketing. “Whether it’s reducing the power drain from computer monitors left on overnight or ensuring crucial equipment stays on, Alerton and Ibis have you covered.”
The Ibis InteliNetwork provides real-time data on plug-load energy use, along with powerful automation tools, to enable effective control of plug loads. The system includes a simple-to-install retrofit for wall outlets, and a cloud-based management console. Because these Ibis InteliSockets are also BACnet devices, they can easily be brought into Alerton Compass software to be managed alongside HVAC, lighting and other building systems. Using these tools, building managers can schedule selective shutdowns to individual plugs, while leaving power on for critical equipment in the same room.
The system also can be used to monitor and manage the power supply to a wide range of equipment in hospitals, universities, office buildings, laboratories, schools, and other facilities, to make sure power to essential equipment is not lost, as well as to predict potential equipment failures if power usage changes — thereby helping to save money and avoid disruptions.
Ibis Networks is an Energy Excelerator startup developed by the Honolulu engineering firm Oceanit. The startup enables commercial and government enterprises to cut their Plug Load energy consumption by up to 40 percent. Originally developed for the U.S. Military, Ibis’ enterprise-defined technology creates a secure, reliable, mobile, scalable and centrally managed means to dramatically reduce energy consumption and extend electronics life with minimal up-front investment.
Alerton was became part of the Automation and Controls group of Honeywell International in 2005 when its parent company was acquired by the multinational engineering conglomerate.
]]>One of the world’s largest hackathons is coming to Hawaii next month. The NASA Space Apps Challenge, sponsored by a consortium of local technology companies, will be held from April 22-24.
Local sponsor include DevLeague, Sudokrew Solutions, Ikayzo, Goma Games, and the High Technology Development Corporation (HTDC). While most hackathons focus on coding, the NASA Space Apps Challenge is designed to bring together all passionate problem solvers to create solutions with a global impact. This 48-hour event will be open to designers, artists, makers, coders, engineers, and storytellers of any age or discipline.
“We are thrilled to be able to bring a world class event like this to Honolulu,” said DevLeague co-founder Jason Sewell. “The NASA Space Apps Challenge was of particular interest to us because the event focuses on a more comprehensive STEM audience, bringing together the innovation sector as a whole and looking at solutions of truly global proportions.
“We hope the event will continue to grow in coming years as this is will be the first of an annual series and we are excited to partner with other organizations in the community, across many different sectors,” Sewell added.
Honolulu will be one of 128 host cities spanning the globe for this 48-hour event, kicking off on Friday, April 22 at the Manoa Innovation Center at 4 p.m. This free event is open to the public, although space is limited to the first 70 registrants.
When:
Starts April 22 at 4:00 PM
Ends April 24 at 5:00 PM
Where:
Manoa Innovation Center, 2800 Woodlawn Dr., Honolulu, HI 96822
Registration:
https://2016.spaceappschallenge.org/
About DevLeague
DevLeague is an immersive accelerated learning program where we teach in-class modern software development skills to adults and real coding to middle and high school students. As Hawaii’s first and only software development boot camp, we design curriculum and conduct 12-week courses for motivated individuals. Our target outcome is that our graduates gain the necessary skills, confidence and project work to earn their career start as a web software developer–an industry that is high-growth, high-salary and in-demand.
About Sudokrew Solutions
Sudokrew Solutions is a Hawaii-based development shop, creating web and mobile apps for startups, non-profit organizations, and enterprise businesses. Sudokrew has worked with local and international businesses as a leading consultant in Node.js, React.js, and has been a consistent supporter of the local development community by supporting hackathons, game jams, and other community initiatives to further careers in technology and innovation.
About Goma Games
Goma Games is a Hawaii-based game development studio, dedicated to inspiring children to be leaders. Games can be enjoyed in destructive and constructive ways, and the goal of Goma Games is to create more games that will inspire, education, and enrich lives.
]]>Governor David Ige, a graduate of the UH School of Engineering, made a repeat appearance as a judge. Todd Nacapuy, Chief Information Officer for the state, and Mark Wong, City and County of Honolulu Chief Information Officer, rounded out the judges panel.
The 24-hour event is designed for those interested in coding mobile apps or hacking hardware solutions. Members of Hawaii’s tech community were on hand to network with students and others interested in technology.
“I’m very impressed once again by the talent and drive exhibited by these students who are solving our community’s problems through the development of these apps. Through their technology skills, the students are working to improve the quality of life for the people of Hawaii, their communities, our state and the nation,” said Governor Ige.
The teams had a mixture of creative talent and development skills. They created their Android or iOS apps from conception to implementation. Each team had three minutes to present their finished mobile app to the panel of judges.
Team Micro Manager won the grand prize of $5,000 in gift cards. Team Push Box won $1,000. Team Data Dudes won $1,000 for Best Smart City Application. Two other teams won $500 and a final team won Harman Audio Packages.
AT&T sponsors the Hackathon in partnership with UH. The goal is to create a sustainable environment for aspiring and seasoned developers to deploy a mobile app with a website backend that is fully hosted in the cloud. The event also aims to help entrepreneurs and startups build mobile apps.
“One of these participants could well be the next Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg,” said David Chin, professor and chair of Information and Computer Sciences at UH. “With the high cost of doing business locally, we’re not going to be able to persuade existing tech companies to relocate to our islands. Our best bet is to grow our own entrepreneurs, people who grew up here and love the ʻaina, who will build the next Microsoft or Apple or Facebook right here in Hawaii.”
“We are so pleased that Governor Ige joined us again as a judge along with the chief information officers for the state and the county,” said Carol Tagayun, AT&T Director of External Affairs. “This is a reflection of the growing importance of technology in Hawaiʻi and the seemingly unlimited potential of this industry.”
]]>Those employees had an annual average salary of $79,318, which was 85 percent more than the average private sector wage in Hawaii. That means a tech payroll of $1.2 billion in 2015, accounting for 2.9 percent of all private sector payroll in the state, and ranking Hawaii 33rd nationwide on the salary front.
Altogether, Hawaii’s tech industry accounts for 2.7 percent of the state economy, CompTIA concludes.
Nationally, the technology industry continues to be a major driving force in the economy, making up approximately 7.1 percent of the overall GDP and 11.6 percent of the total private sector payroll. In 2015, the technology industry added nearly 200,000 net jobs and now employs more than 6.7 million people.
“As with any sector-level report, there are varying interpretations of what constitutes the tech sector and the tech workforce,” CompTIA notes. “For the purposes of this report, CompTIA focuses on [a] more narrowly defined technology subset.”
CompTIA’s senior vice president of research and market insights Tim Herbert provided an in-depth overview of this year’s Cyberstates report:
Researchers at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa have developed an array of highly innovative experiments to allow scientists to safely test first-aid measures used for box jellyfish stings – from folk tales, like urine, to state-of-the-art technologies developed for the military. The power of this new array approach, published this week in the journal Toxins, is in its ability to rigorously assess the effectiveness of various treatments on inhibiting tentacle firing and venom toxicity – two aspects of a sting that affect the severity of a person’s reaction.
Box jellyfish are among the deadliest creatures on Earth, and are responsible for more deaths than shark attacks annually. Despite the danger posed by these gelatinous invertebrates, scientists and medical professionals still do not agree on the best way to treat and manage jellyfish stings.
“Authoritative web articles are constantly bombarding the public with unvalidated and frankly bad advice for how to treat a jelly sting,” said Dr. Angel Yanagihara, lead author of the paper and assistant research professor at the UHM Pacific Biosciences Research Center (PBRC) and John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM). “I really worry that emergency responders and public-health decision makers might rely on these unscientific articles. It’s not too strong to point out that in some cases, ignorance can cost lives.”
The results from Yanagihara and team’s rigorous testing demonstrate that tried-and-true methods, including vinegar and hot water immersion, really do work on Hawaiian box jellyfish (Alatina alata) stings. Further, the study shows that a new therapeutic, Sting No MoreTM, developed by Yanagihara with Department of Defense funding, inhibits the venom directly.
Yanagihara, aided by Dr. Christie Wilcox, a postdoctoral fellow at JABSOM, set out to test which first-aid measures actually help reduce the venom delivered when a tentacle stings or lessen the harm caused by venom that has been injected. But because box jelly stings can be life threatening, experimentation on people was out of the question.
“What we needed were innovative models that would allow us to test how different options might affect the severity of a sting without putting anyone at risk,” Yanagihara said. “So we designed a set of experiments using live, stinging tentacles and live human red blood cells which allowed us to pit first-aid measures against one another.”
The ultimate test compared the effects of treatments in a living sting model comprised of human red blood cells suspended in an agarose gel and covered with lanolin-rubbed sterile porcine intestine, which was used as a mock skin. The researchers found that the most effective treatments were Sting No More™ products and hot water, with Sting No More™ shown to work faster and better than hot water, according to the data.
“People think ice will help because jelly stings burn and ice is cold,” said Wilcox. “But research to date has shown that all marine venoms are highly heat sensitive. Dozens of studies, including our recent work, have shown that hot water immersion leads to better outcomes than ice.”
Wilcox hopes that the new experimental models will allow for more rigorous testing of first-aid measures for venomous stings from other species of Cnidaria. “The science to date has been scattered and disorganized,” she said. “We strived to design methods that were straightforward and inexpensive, so that others can use them easily. The field has suffered from a lack of standardized, rigorous and reproducible models. Our paper outlines a way to change that.”
While the current study only tested first-aid measures using the Hawaiian box jelly, the researchers said they are working on seeing how treatments work for stings from other common Hawaiian species, including the Portuguese Man O’ War that wash ashore on leeward shores during strong winds. And, they hope that they won’t be the only ones testing treatments with their experimental array.
About Sting No More
Sting No More™ (Alatalab Solutions, LLC) was developed under a Department of Defense grant that aimed to rapidly and effectively treat stings in US Special Operations Command combat divers. With the intention of supporting the development of technologies and therapies of benefit to people, the funding required a commercialization plan for resulting products. All testing of the new commercial product, in the current study was performed under an approved University of Hawai‘i Conflict of Interest plan. This product demonstrates the strongly pro-innovation culture at UH dedicated to bringing to the public sector technologies that have been developed with federal and state research dollars.
Photos courtesy University of Hawaii.
]]>HDT, a Hawaii-based ISP, partnered with with The Shidler Group to launch its “HiPERFIBER” affordable gigabit Internet service at the iconic building, which now provides 10 mbps of complimentary “HiPERFIBER” Internet service to each of its individual tenants.
“HiPERFIBER” is a fiber-optic network that yields Internet speeds up to 100 times faster than most broadband services, according to HDT. This is achieved with thin, optic fiber and modulated light technology, which produces its exponentially faster speeds.
For Pan Am tenants, this complimentary service is the next step in boosting Hawaii’s Internet above the national standard for speed, with no additional cost or installation fee. For HDT, this partnership is an opportunity to showcase HiPERFIBER and its benefits.
“We first brought HiPERFIBER to all of the tenants at The Shidler Group’s Davies Pacific Center in February this year and saw tremendous feedback. With that momentum, we’re excited to offer HiPERFIBER to the Pan Am Building tenant community,” said HDT president Jared Grugett in a press release.
Steven Sullivan, vice president of operations for the Shidler Group, agreed. “With Davies Pacific Center, tenants were exceptionally pleased with HDT’s HiPERFIBER Internet. Now, with our Pan Am Building, we believe offering complimentary 10 mbps is an innovative service, adding significant value to the tenant experience.”
About The Shidler Group
The Shidler Group invests in the formation and capitalization of real estate-related companies and new investment initiatives, including the acquisition and ownership of individual properties and portfolio. Since its founding in 1972, The Shidler Group has become one of the nation’s most successful commercial real estate investment organizations. Through its affiliates, The Group has acquired and managed over 2,000 properties located across the country and comprising over 150 million leasable square feet.
About HDT, LLC
HDT, LLC is a privately held Internet Service Provider and license facilities-based competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii. Services are provided on HDT-owned network infrastructure, which includes dedicated Internet access, private networking and data transport services, local and long distance voice, as well as residential voice and Internet bundles.
Photo courtesy Karendesuyo/Flickr.
]]>From the start of Startup Weekend Honolulu, 15-year-old Liam Clive’s maturity and self-awareness gave his competitors two to three times his age a run for their seed money. The annual entrepreneurship competition, sponsored by Hawaii National Bank, took place over Father’s Day weekend in Kakaako with more than 100 participants and guests.
Clive took home first with his winning idea and newly formed startup team Mentorship.link, while Anna Kimata, another 15 year old was part of the 2nd place team Grumble. A total of 12 teams were formed out of rapid-fire pitches, chosen through MeetingSift’s mobileactivated voting system. On pitch night, eight teams presented their pitch decks at ProtoHub Honolulu with the help of Empowered Presentations after 54 hours of nonstop work at BoxJelly.
The winners were handpicked by four local judges: Peter Rowan, most recently the corporate vice president, New Ventures of Coinstar, Omar Sultan, managing partner of Sultan Ventures; Steve Haumschild, serial entrepreneur; and Ben Trevino, president of Bikeshare Hawaii. The winning startups are:
Once the competition is over, teams are encouraged to continue growing their startups and ready them for the next phase, whether its raising funds, seeking investors or applying for an accelerator program. Often times, teams may break up and form new companies with each other or other SWHNL participants. SWHNL organizers will provide a free workshop to participating teams to find out more information about launching a startup. SWHNL will host a second event this year, November 20-22, as part of the Up Global Startup Battle, which was recently acquired by Techstars, one of the largest for-profit accelerators and investment fund. Both SWHNL competitions are being sponsored by Hawaii National Bank as the local title sponsor, Sultan Ventures, mBloom, Blue Startups, HI Growth, High Technology Development Corporation, and Startup Capital Ventures. For photos and social media snapshots of the event, be sure to like the SWHNL Facebook page at www.facebook.com/swhnl and follow along with #SWHNL.
About Startup Weekend
A global grassroots movement of active and empowered entrepreneurs who are learning the basics of founding startups and launching successful ventures, Startup Weekend is the largest community of passionate entrepreneurs, with over 1,000 past events in 100 countries around the world, starting over 8,000 companies. While headquartered in Seattle, Startup Weekend organizers and facilitators can be found in over 400 cities around the world. From Mongolia to South Africa to London to Brazil, people around the globe are coming together for weekend-long workshops to pitch ideas, form teams and start companies.
]]>The post State Fighting Trespassing Hikers with Social Media appeared first on Hawaii Social Media.
]]>Calling social media “our latest, greatest little technological warfare device,” the state Department of Land and Natural Resources has been trying to counter blogs and other websites that encourage people to hike and climb illegally on state land. The message? Seriously, Stay Away from Sacred Falls. Denby Fawcett catches up with the campaign this week, which is built around a web video featuring Sacred Falls, on Civil Beat:
Dan Dennison, DLNR’s senior communications manager, says when he made the video to counter message bloggers, he knew he had to hit back hard. “We wanted to do something directly in your face,” says Dennison. The video has received almost 16,000 hits since it was released in February. And since then, major websites such as Yelp and Exploration Hawaii have voluntarily stopped promoting the Sacred Falls Trail and now post DLNR’s video. After the video went online, there have been fewer criminal citations issued to trespassers. Last year, more than 120 were cited. This year nobody has been cited since February.
The state has also posted signs that include QR codes directing people who scan them with their smartphones to the video. Fawcett reports that more than 50 people have scanned the codes at Sacred Falls. “It means at least 56 people have illegally sneaked onto the trail since the QR code signs were installed two weeks ago,” she writes.
Earlier this year, state officials even pressured trespassing hikers to post messages to their own social media accounts warning their friends and contacts to stay away.
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]]>The post Jobs: Reputation & Social Media Analyst at Hilton Hawaiian Village appeared first on Hawaii Social Media.
]]>The Hilton Hawaiian Village, with 2,860 guest rooms and over 150,000 square feet of function space on 22 oceanfront acres in Waikiki, is looking for a Reputation and Social Media Analyst.
The analyst will be responsible for executing hotel-level online marketing initiatives to position the hotel effectively and profitably in the market in the company’s continuing effort to deliver outstanding guest service and financial profitability. He or she will also ensure all hotel online activity aligns to overall strategy as laid out by corporate eCommerce Manager. Specific duties include:
Benefits for this full-time position include a competitive starting salary and, depending upon eligibility, a vacation or Paid Time Off (PTO) benefit.
Job details and availability subject to change without notice. Photo courtesy mandolin (CC/Flickr).
Details: Reputation & Social Media Analyst – Hilton Hawaiian Village
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]]>The first event is on Tuesday, April 14, at the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii Innovative Learning & the State of Education Address. During the event, Cameron Evans, CTO of Microsoft Education, will discuss the importance of education, transformational learning and technology’s impact on educational outcomes in today’s world.
he second event is a Microsoft YouthSpark in Schools session at the 6th annual Hawaii STEM conference in Maui on Friday, April 17. In the YouthSpark in Schools session, educators will discover free programs, resources, and tools they can use to connect their students to STEM skills and opportunities in the classroom tomorrow. The session will explore:
Photo courtesy Hawaii Stem Conference. Information courtesy Amanda Gibbs, Waggener Edstrom Communications.
]]>The massively popular “Eat the Street” street food festival and its organizer Street Grindz has a new home in Kakaako, thanks to an agreement with The Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
The festival had to leave its longstanding site at 555 South Street with construction set to begin on Keahou Lane, a condominium development by Stanford Carr and Kamehameha Schools. For the next “Eat the Street,” the event will move to Kakaako Gateway Park.
But the park is a popular gathering place for homeless people, and the state went as far as to say that it was hoping the popular festival would drive them away. Street Grindz told KHON: “We have no intention of displacing the homeless community or removing them permanently. Street Grindz is merely renting the park space from HCDA for one day each month.”
While April’s “Eat the Street” will still happen at the park, the new agreement with OHA will allow “Eat the Street” to explore ways to make use of the site of the former Fisherman’s Wharf at the bottom of Ward Avenue beginning this summer. The official OHA press release follows:
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs announced today it is leasing the lot that formerly housed Fisherman’s Wharf to Street Grindz, LLC. The agreement provides Street Grindz with interim access rights for daily activities at the site, while OHA prepares a master plan for the use of the 30 acres of land it owns in Kaka‘ako Makai.
For the last few months, Street Grindz has been diligently working with MoJo – The Business of Food, and actively collaborating with OHA planning and conceptualizing future plans for Kaka’ako Makai. “We are fortunate that OHA is on board with our concept for the space, giving us the opportunity to go back to our roots of supporting local, small businesses while focusing on our passion for sustainability in Hawai‘i” said Poni Askew, Owner and CEO of Street Grindz.
“Street Grindz has created exciting and interesting dining concepts,” said Kamana‘opono Crabbe, Ka Pouhana (CEO) of OHA. “This interim use will help make our Kaka‘ako Makai lands a gathering place while we continue to work on a master plan for future development.”
Plans for construction will begin as soon as April, with an expected completion date this summer. Askew said, “A lot of the inspiration for our concept draws from our experiences with markets and dining around the world and in the US. You’ll just have to watch it all unfold in the next couple of months.”
Updated to clarify that “Eat the Street” will still take place at Kakaako Gateway Park in April. Photo illustration courtesy OHA.
]]>Testing will take place on the lower slopes of Mauna Kea at the PISCES Planetary Analogue Test Site, allowing students a unique opportunity to experience being a NASA scientist first-hand. Mock lunar landers constructed by ‘Iolani and Kealakehe students will be lifted, then touch down, at which time a gas cylinder will blast high-velocity air to simulate the dust plume kicked up by a lunar lander on the moon. Upon touching down, students will power up their electrodynamic dust shield prototype to determine how well it removes dust from a camera lens and the foot pad of their lunar lander. Students will repeat the process, changing variables each time, to help determine what works best under different dust conditions.
“We are excited to have the students at ‘Iolani and Kealakehe join us on Mauna Kea for the first round of tests of the prototype dust shields,” said Rob Kelso, executive director of PISCES. “NASA is working with the students to solve the dust problem in space, and with NASA as their mentors, our Moon RIDERS are gaining real-world aerospace engineering experience through this collaborative STEM education project.”
The dust shield experiment is the culmination of many years of NASA research and development. The technology repels and removes planetary dust, which collects on surfaces like solar panels and space hardware, by using a high voltage, low current device. This technology has been tested extensively on earth, and even in low gravity flights, but has not yet been tested in space or on the Moon.
PISCES is a Hilo-based Hawaii state government aerospace agency, placed under the State Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT). The Center develops and tests planetary surface system technologies for use on the Moon and Mars, and tests these systems on Hawaii’s volcanic terrain under the jurisdiction of the State Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR).
Established in 1997, Kealakehe High serves about 1,600 students living in diverse communities spanning 50 miles in West Hawaii. As the largest public high school on Hawaii Island, Kealakehe High places a strong emphasis on citizenship and has identified three main values: building relationships, showing respect, and being responsible to self and the community.
Founded in 1863 by King Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma, ‘Iolani School is situated on a 25-acre campus and serves more than 1,880 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. A culturally diverse, co-educational, college preparatory school with approximately 306 full-time faculty and staff, ‘Iolani is rated among the best independent schools in the country for its academic, arts and athletics programs.
]]>The teams have the potential to receive up to $50,000 for completing the program and are eligible for $100,000 in follow up funding.
Selected from more than 70 team applications, the 10 finalists are represented by faculty and student researchers from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa’s John A. Burns School of Medicine, Institute for Astronomy, College of Engineering and the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.
“We are thrilled to welcome the finalists for our second cohort at XLR8UH,” said Omar Sultan, managing director of XLR8UH. “The diversity and quality of our teams are a wonderful showcase of the talent, innovation and commercialization opportunities present at the University of Hawaii.”
The teams are currently in the first phase of the program, where they will be assessing and developing their business models based upon the Lean Startup methodology. Teams selected to advance on to the second phase will immerse themselves into further business development efforts and in the third phase they will develop and practice their pitch to investors. Throughout the entire program, the teams will have access to valuable mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs and investors.
“The XLR8UH proof of concept center is a cornerstone to the successful commercialization of our research,” said Vassilis L. Syrmos, UH vice president for research and innovation. “By developing talented entrepreneurs from our ranks and fortifying the entrepreneurial ecosystem at UH, we are also contributing to the Hawaii Innovation Initiative in its efforts to diversify the state’s economy.”
XLR8UH Second Cohort Finalists
About XLR8UH
XLR8UH is the University of Hawaii’s first proof of concept center. In a collaborative effort along with the Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship and the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, XLR8UH seeks to identify, fund, mentor and empower University of Hawaii entrepreneurs with the skills, connections and expertise needed to drive startup success. For more information, see http://xlr8uh.com.
About the Hawaii Innovation Initiative
The University of Hawaii is working in partnership with the private sector and government to build a thriving innovation, research, education and training enterprise in Hawaii that will develop a third major economic sector for the state and addresses the challenges and opportunities faced by Hawaii and the world. For more information, see http://hawaii.edu/innovation.
]]>The post #LetHawaiiHappen TV Spots Unveiled appeared first on Hawaii Social Media.
]]>The Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau has posted its new #LetHawaiiHappen TV spots to YouTube. #LetHawaiiHappen is the HVCB’s 2015 theme, according to Pacific Business News, the use of the hashtag making it clear that social media will be a key part of the campaign. The agency announced just last month that it had selected Shift Communications to launch several new initiatives to engage advocates and influencers across social channels.
But as the well-produced TV ads (created by local ad agency MVNP) show, #LetHawaiiHappen “won’t just feature amateur photos and videos,” and while they’ll be aired on the Travel Channel and HGTV, the HVCB tells PBN that some of their budget has been set aside to run ads on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
A trip to Oahu takes a twist when a traveler keeps running into the girl of his dreams. Watch the fireworks when they #LetHawaiiHappen.
Watch what happens when two best friends on a Hawaii Island vacation put down their smartphones and #LetHawaiiHappen.
Even the best honeymoon plans on Maui can have a few hiccups. Watch as newlyweds go off the beaten path and #LetHawaiiHappen.
A lone traveler on Kauai discovers there’s more to the islands than he thought. All he had to do was #LetHawaiiHappen.
Updated to add MVNP’s video credit and to correct the agency selected by the HVCB, which was Shift Communications. The HTA selected Digital Mediums.
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]]>As cold and impersonal as all this sounds, there is a tradition of highly competent social engineering through master-planned communities inside this tale. Basically, a couple of the country’s most successful waterfront revitalizations, and several of its original and largest start-from-scratch communities, like Summerlin, come from the General Growth Properties/Howard Hughes Corporation hui, which includes another, seminal developer, the Rouse Company.
If you’ve visited and liked Boston’s Faneuil Hall seafront and New York City’s South Street Seaport, then you’ve fallen under the spell of Rouse Company’s main innovation, the “festival marketplace.” Though Rouse was absorbed by GGP in 2004, we’re still living in its world of theme-park-like commercial spaces filled with niche boutiques, open-air kiosks, repurposed and historical elements, and stocked with approved buskers and entertainers. It’s safe to say you’ll encounter the look and feel, the vocabulary and grammar of Faneuil and South Street, in the new Kakaako.
Don Wallace is a long-time magazine editor and author, and was the literary and film editor for the Honolulu Weekly.
Read the full story:
Urban Hawaii: Who Is Remaking Kakaako? – Civil Beat
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]]>The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA), the state’s tourism agency, today announced the selection of Digital Mediums to manage its social media services program. The company will provide social media marketing and consultation services, and technical support for all of the HTA’s international major market area social media portals including Japan, Oceania (Australia and New Zealand), China, Korea, Taiwan, Europe and Latin America.
“Social media has become an increasingly powerful tool for growing destination awareness and influencing travel, which is why it is so important that we align and customize our branding and messaging across our social media networks in all markets,” said Ronald Williams, HTA CEO. “Digital Mediums is a local company that knows the Hawaiian Islands and has the experience and innovative spirit to communicate our unique people, place and culture through multiple social media channels.”
“The entire team at Digital Mediums is honored to have the opportunity to continue to work with the HTA and its international marketing contractors,” said John Hochroth, Digital Mediums general manager and COO. “As technology rapidly advances, the behaviors and expectations of the international traveler are changing just as fast. Social media is undoubtedly one of the most effective channels to reach and influence these travelers.”
Digital Mediums will be responsible for:
The HTA’s social media services contract with Digital Mediums commenced on Oct. 1, 2014, effective through Dec. 31, 2015. The HTA had contracted with Digital Mediums from July 2013 to August 2014 for a similar contract.
About Digital Mediums
Based in Honolulu, Digital Mediums is a new-media software company specializing in custom software development, internet solutions, online marketing applications, and social media. Since its inception in June of 2000, DM’s innovation in design and technology has helped its clients increase productivity, efficiency and revenue. DM was named one of the fastest-growing of the 50 Hawaii small businesses honored by Pacific Business News in 2004, and again in 2005. DM’s sister company AcitvityRez, which provides a reservation platform for travel activity vendors, recently made the list in 2013. For more information about Digital Mediums, visit http://www.digitalmediums.com/.
About the Hawaii Tourism Authority
Established in 1998, the Hawaii Tourism Authority, the state’s tourism agency, is responsible for strategically managing tourism to optimize benefits for Hawaii that integrates the interest of visitors, the community and visitor industry. Tourism is our state’s leading economic driver and largest employer and the HTA continually works to ensure its sustainability well into the future. For more information on the HTA, please visit www.hawaiitourismauthority.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter (@HawaiiHTA).
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]]>The post Hawaii Visitors Bureau Hires Mainland Social Media Firm appeared first on Hawaii Social Media.
]]>The Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau has hired SHIFT Communications as its Social Media Agency of Record. The HVCB is a nonprofit organization that promotes Hawaii’s islands to travelers throughout North America. SHIFT Communications is an award-winning integrated communications agency with offices in Boston, NYC and San Francisco.
SHIFT Communications will work with the HVCB to build and implement strategy across the organization’s social media platforms. SHIFT will also work with the HVCB and its partner agencies to unveil and promote a new campaign in 2015, enhance content creation and launch several new initiatives to engage advocates and influencers across social channels.
“We are excited to have the opportunity to work with the HVCB in support of their social media efforts for 2015,” said Victoria Boed, Vice President of Account Services at SHIFT Communications. “Given Hawaii’s incredibly storied culture and vast appeal to a diverse range of travelers across the continent, we’re honored that HVCB has selected us as its partner to help showcase this incredible destination.”
“Social media is an important pillar of HVCB’s new, integrated marketing campaign putting our social fans in the limelight,” says Michael Ni, Digital Strategist at HVCB. “Our partnership with SHIFT will help us better reach and engage our resident and visitor social advocates who take thousands of photos and videos of their Hawaii experiences. These posts are shared with family and friends helping us reach potential visitors to the destination.”
About the HVCB
The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau represents the Islands of Hawaii in the highly competitive arena of destination marketing. The mission of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau is to create sustainable, diversified, travel destination demand for the Hawaiian Islands. The strategic principles of innovation, integration, inclusion and accountability serve as the foundation of HVCB’s marketing direction. HVCB is a private, non-profit, 501(c)(6) corporation. It is truly a public-private partnership: a marketing organization with visitor-industry and general business representation, government funding, Island Chapters which promote the interests of the individual counties, and specialized divisions which focus on vertically integrated areas of expertise.
About SHIFT Communications
With a dedication to innovation in communications and social media, SHIFT Communications is an award-winning, privately held national public relations firm that represents some of the best-known technology, consumer and consumer technology brands, including McDonald’s, Toyota and AOL as well as numerous groundbreaking startups. The Agency’s 135 employees are located in the Boston, New York and San Francisco metros. For more information on SHIFT’s public relations, marketing technology and creative programs, visit http://www.shiftcomm.com.
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]]>The post Nonprofits Aspire to Embrace Social Media appeared first on Hawaii Social Media.
]]>Eric Batalon, director of development at the Aloha Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, tells Pacific Business News: “Most nonprofits don’t have the resources to do social media. They’re lucky if they even have a marketing department. It’s hard to find someone to do it all well, because it’s time consuming and you have to stay on top of it 24/7.”
Caroline Hayashi, executive director of the Waikiki Community Center, explains how it took a young board member to consolidate their seven different Facebook pages into one. And she notes that the WCC tried its hand at crowdfunding with Indiegogo.
“It allows you to educate people about what you do through videos and photos — our community board members liked it because it they didn’t necessarily have to explain everything, they could just send a link,” she tells PBN. “Indiegogo was a real departure for the organization, but we’re trying to bring ourselves into the 21st century.”
Read the full article:
Hawaii nonprofits embrace use of social media — if they have the resources
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]]>‘The Collection’ sold out in August, with 54 owner-occupied lofts (including 48 studios) selling for between $349,000 and $580,000 (for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom loft). The project is being built by Alexander & Baldwin, with the 3.3 acre site acquisition completed on Oct. 6.
For more information, visit TheCollectionHonolulu.com.
]]>The new facility will offer many of the same things that the Kalihi location did, including the factory, showroom, and performance area to showcase artists and community partners. But there will also be a new area for both visitors and locals to purchase unique made-in-Hawaii merchandise created by KoAloha Ukulele artisans, and items featured by up-and-coming local vendors. Plans for the future may also include classes on ukulele instruction.
“With the on-going popularity of ukulele around the world, we find that many are wanting to learn more about this little instrument,” says Alan Okami. “And along with learning more about ukulele, comes interest with learning about Hawai`i, its culture, and people.”
“In a small way, all of us at KoAloha feel as if we are helping to share the good word of what Hawai`i is all about via our humble wooden ukulele instruments,” adds Paul Okami. “Being closer to the hub of Honolulu and the new developments surrounding the Kaka`ako neighborhood is great because now we will be within walking distance for many visitors who stay in the Waikiki area, as well as closer to a lot of local businesses.”
Paul and Alan are the sons of KoAloha’s founders, Patricia and Alvin “Pops” Okami.
]]>]]>In so many ways, the live/work/play promise of Kakaako seems to better match the emerging 21st century way of life than the rest of Oahu. The area’s redevelopment is still in its early stages and likely to span another two decades, so it’s not clear if it will deliver on its promises. But even though Kakaako is not for everyone, the robust sales of both workforce and luxury condos indicate that urban planners and developers were right: Build it and they will come.
Mother Waldron Park will reopen Monday after more than $500,000 went into the greening of the Kakaako park. The facelift is thanks to developer Stanford Carr, who built the affordable rental project next to the park. Hale Hauwila Place came in under budget, so the extra money went to redo the playground and upgrade the bathrooms.
— KITV
]]>]]>The HCDA held an open house Saturday to encourage community input.
Charts, maps and photos covered the walls of its meeting room, but there is a real space just outside the doors of the building, and residents are concerned about what the future holds for the neighborhood.
“On a piece of paper, it looks just fine, that by 2030, we’re going to have 30,000 people in Kakaako,” said area resident Eva Gallegos. “But people need to realize that this is a postage stamp-sized piece of land. Where are they going to bring in 30,000 people (to) live here?”
“We will brainstorm action plans and prototype tactics to liberate more open government data,” notes the event’s organizers, “Bring your creativity and appetite.”
If you RSVP for the Saturday event, which will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., lunch will be provided.
The event is presented by Hawaii Open Data, Interisland Terminal, Startup Weekend Honolulu, Common Cause Hawaii, and Code for America.
‘The Internet’s Own Boy‘ follows the story of programming prodigy and information activist Aaron Swartz. From Swartz’s help in the development of the basic internet protocol RSS to his co-founding of Reddit, his fingerprints are all over the internet. But it was Swartz’s groundbreaking work in social justice and political organizing combined with his aggressive approach to information access that ensnared him in a two-year legal nightmare. It was a battle that ended with the taking of his own life at the age of 26. Aaron’s story touched a nerve with people far beyond the online communities in which he was a celebrity. This film is a personal story about what we lose when we are tone deaf about technology and its relationship to our civil liberties.
]]>Pacific Business News reports that Definition Personal Fitness is moving to a new space at 815 Waimanu Street and will change its name to Kakaako Fitness. The gym is owned by Michele Tokuda.
“It would appeal to people who need the one-on-one attention, that personalized training,” Tokuda told PBN. “We’re not a membership gym.”
Michele Tokuda received her degree in Exercise Physiology in 1991 at Oregon State University and started off as a group exercise instructor as well as a fitness manager for a corporation. She opened Definition Personal Training in 2008, which has evolved into a training studio and a group fitness room for additional classes (Zumba, Yoga, Belly Dancing, TRX, Boot Camp, and Jiu-Jitsu).
]]>The post Social Media and the Law Workshop appeared first on Hawaii Social Media.
]]>The workshop, “Social Media and the Law,” will be held at the Manoa Innovation Center on Thursday, Aug. 21. from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
Hew provides transactional and compliance services including entity formation, corporate governance, and licensing and registration with government agencies. When not working directly with clients, he blogs about the benefits of LLCs and corporations, social media use, contract law, intellectual property protection, and B2B relationships.
The HTDC is a state agency established by the Hawaii State Legislature in 1983 to facilitate the development and growth of Hawaii’s commercial high technology industry.
Photo courtesy Ryan K. Hew/HawaiiEsquire.com.
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]]>The post Did Facebook Violate Informed Consent Rules? appeared first on Hawaii Social Media.
]]>The title of the research paper is certainly scholarly. In “Experimental evidence of massive-scale emotional contagion through social networks,” the results of a “massive experiment on Facebook” were published in The Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences. They showed evidence of “emotional contagion” by exposing some users to more positive news stories than usual, and others to more negative stories.
The mainstream media had fun with the story. “Facebook emotions are contagious!”
But as the story spread online, and notably after this report in The A.V. Club, actual researchers took notice. And many are upset.
The problem is “informed consent,” a fundamental principle of research involving human subjects. And it can get complicated.
Read more at Hawaii Blog >>>
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