On Da Rock

Erin is the proprietor of Choco Leʻa, a local chocolate confectionery. We have a real and honest conversation about her business in the COVID era, which needed to shift from a tourism-reliant business to local consumption. She's upfront about their challenges but is definitely up to the task of overcoming them! She also keeps a blog that's been chronicling her experience as a mother and business owner since Honolulu's March shutdown. 

Be sure to visit them at https://www.chocolea.com and on Instagram at @chocoleahawaii!

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Took a short break last week but we're back!

We're joined by Bob McGee of Pono Provisions (www.ponopork.com), a provider of locally sourced animals. They sell natural products, selling them direct to online customers as well as wholesale. Their stuff tastes great and it supports our local economy! Mahalo for joining us, please subscribe and rate us!

This week we're joined by my homie, braddah Ross Yamasaki. Ross is a retired architect turned government affairs consultant. We chat about all kinds of stuff ranging from tiny houses, UH Football, and our economy. He also serves on the Stadium Authority for Aloha Stadium, so we chat about that too.

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Tyler Tokioka, Chairman of Island Insurance, who has been an awesome resource for me over my career. We chat about all kinds of stuff, including business, politics, and community. 

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KUMU morning show DJ, emcee extraordinaire, former Hawaii Legislator, and my senpai, Devon Nekoba, joins me for a great episode. 2 Hours!! We talk about all kinds of stuff in this one, so buckle up!

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I got to know Matt Lynch from my time at Kupu. Matt is a practitioner of permaculture with an awesome career path, which led him to his current role as the Director of Sustainability Initiatives at the University of Hawaii.  Every time we chat, I leave feeling way smarter! We chat about systems, permaculture, life, and all kinds of other stuff.

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If you're eating ramen in the USA (or maybe even Europe), you're probably munching on noodles from Sun Noodle. Sun Noodle is celebrating their 40th anniversary after being founded in Hawaii by Mr. and Mrs. Uki in 1981. Kenshiro and his sisters are the next generation of Uki's that are taking over leadership of the company as they become 2nd generation, business owners. We talk story about their company, the ramen boom, business in the COVID Era, and some futbol. 

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Believe me, that non-profit life is tough but rewarding! Jennifer Oyer has been helping me make that transition from the private sector to non-profit from the jump, always teaching me about fundraising. Her mission is to make non-profits in Hawaii stronger and she's really, really good at it. She joins us to chat about the COVID era landscape for non-profits, fundraising during these times, fast food, and Hilo.

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Super fun yet informative one this week! Amanda Corby Noguchi and Mark "GOOCH" Noguchi are the wife & husband team behind the Pili Group, the force behind the Chef Hui program. When COVID-19 shut our schools down, the Pili Group jumped into action and started feeding kids who depended on getting most of their meals at school. The program grew and now they're feeding communities all over the state. Amanda and GOOCH are spectacularly accomplished individuals, but as a team, they get shit done. Mahalo for joining our talk story. Please subscribe and rate our podcast!

We're joined by Kalani Ka‘anā‘anā from the HTA. We talk about what tourism can look like coming out of COVID-19 lockdown, and how we can change the framework to better our islands. We also talk about a bunch of other things, including me relearning the word "haole". Mahalo for joining us, please subscribe and rate our podcast!