How do you support local businesses?
As a foodie, I try a new locally-owned small business restaurant about three times per month. It’s incredible how many new mom and pop restaurants and bakeries open up each month across our islands. A few favorites are Tenkichi, Hangang, and Okayama Kobo Bakery.
How do you give back to your community?
As the chair of the Ho‘ōla Nā Pua (HNP) Board of Directors, I give back to my community by amplifying the awareness of human trafficking on our islands. HNP is committed to the prevention of child sex trafficking and caring for children, who have been sexually exploited in Hawai‘i and other states. Human trafficking is a $150-billion-a-year global industry and the perpetrators are becoming more organized and sophisticated with their tactics through on-line grooming and technology.
Children who have been exploited suffer from severe complex trauma. Our highest priority at HNP is to optimize the licensed residential treatment center, Pearl Haven, to help children who have been exploited and suffer from severe complex trauma. We provide girls, who are rescued or escape from the abuse of sexual exploitation, with services for healing from their trauma and reintegrating the girls back into the community.
How can we better support local businesses and entrepreneurs?
The coconut wireless is alive and strong in our community. When you have a great experience at a local business, restaurant, food truck, or shop, share it on Instagram, LinkedIn, or other social media avenues.
What is the biggest challenge you see in Hawai‘i? How do you think it can be fixed?
The biggest challenge that I see in Hawai‘i is the diminishing labor market. We need to invest and build stronger STEM programs earlier at the elementary and high school level. In addition, we need to inject artificial intelligence, business analytics, cyber, data science, and other tech disciplines into the colleges and universities for stronger workforce development.
We need to ensure there are jobs in Hawai‘i that can pay at a competitive rate, so we don’t have a “brain drain” of great talent. Also, we need to create incentives for workers from Hawai‘i who are currently on the mainland and want opportunities to return home.
What resources or programs do you feel are missing in our community?
Many of the challenges in Hawai‘i are multidimensional and extremely complex. The challenges do not have a “silver-bullet” solution. We have to attack the challenges from many different angles and through collaboration with multiple agencies, industry, and communities. We need to break down silos and lead with aloha to make a dent in these challenges.
