Eggs ‘n Things Hawaiʻi President and CEO Yuka Nawano earned her business chops on the job, and has run her business with heart for the past eight years. The former Japanese interpreter and translator currently owns and operates three Eggs ʻn Things locations on Oʻahu. Yuka strives to uphold the 42 years of goodwill associated with the restaurant, which began as a mom-and-pop neighborhood eatery. “I need to be firm about what we can afford to do because my decisions impact the lives of my employees and their families,” Yuka says. Her success is rooted in trust, relationship building and placing her business first.

Eggs ʻn Things continues to prosper under her leadership, with each location drawing flocks of brunch-goers hungry to indulge in the sweet and savory, locally inspired fare, complete with Hawaiʻi-sourced eggs, beef and fish. “I see more breakfast-themed restaurants opening up locally as well as all over Japan,” Yuka says. She credits the growing popularity of the Hawaiian pancake to the wide influence Eggs ʻn Things has had throughout the Pacific. There’s typically a wait time of at least an hour at the 16 Japan locations.

In August 2014, Yuka opened the first Guam location in the tourist hub of Tumon. The process was challenging for Yuka and her staff. Proper infrastructure had to be installed in addition to building the restaurant to withstand typhoons. Hawaiʻi-based employees took turns setting up the restaurant and training local Guamanian employees for two to three months at a time. Yuka’s biggest business decision is yet to come as she decides when to retire. For now, she’s perfectly happy as Eggs ‘n Things CEO—or, in Yuka’s words, “Chief Eating Officer.”

On a trip to Hawai‘i in 2003, Maui Brewing Company owner and founder Garrett Marrero was enjoying a local beer that he later realized wasn’t actually brewed in Hawai‘i. Back home in California, the craft brewing scene was booming, inspiring Garrett to make a craft beer for the Aloha State, one brewed with local ingredients in the islands. Maui Brewing Company is now Hawai‘i’s largest craft brewery based on local production. Maui Brewing Company beers are available in 15 U.S. states as well as in 10 different countries.

In 2011, Maui Brewing Company produced more than 11,000 barrels of beer. This year, Garrett estimates they’ll brew four times that number on top of rebranding of Maui Brewing Co.’s iconic bottles, launching a new restaurant at the company’s production room and tasting facility in Kihei, Maui, installing a 1.2-megawatt energy system to allow the brewery to operate completely off the grid and opening an upcoming brewpub in Waikiki. Needless to say, Garrett’s been busy. “None of it has been easy, I’ll tell you that,” he says with a laugh. “It’s definitely been a challenge from day one. The [Hawai‘i] business environment, tax structure, utility and costs, and shipping is a beast to overcome, but it’s been worth it.” Garrett is a board member of the national Brewers Association and was named Entrepreneur of the Year at the 16th Annual Hawaii Venture Capital Association awards in February.

Since being featured in 1999, Christine Camp founded Avalon Development and grew the business from a one-woman real estate consultancy to a team of 27 professionals overseeing the development and management of $300 million in real estate assets. Christine’s industry experience has given her a keen understanding of what local communities need and what drives her employees. She stays closely connected to her team and believes that the key to great leadership is remaining engaged, energetic and action-oriented. She also operates with a lead-by-example mentality. “I wouldn’t ask anyone to do anything that I myself have not tried,” Christine says. “My team members know I have their backs. With mutual trust, we support each other. When that happens, the whole company thrives.”

In the wake of the Great Recession, Christine diversified Avalon Development’s portfolio to include construction, consulting and property management, giving Avalon a significant competitive advantage in a recovering market. “We were able to save our company by becoming more than what we were before the crisis,” Christine says. “We had to re-engineer our goals and redirect our energies towards survival and keeping jobs for our employees. The diversification not only kept the company afloat, it allowed us to leverage the experience into greater successes than before.”