Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Laura Night, CEO of Vida by Sip Me Maui.  In this podcast Laura talks about the inspiration to open a coffee shop in 2014,  how she was denied funding 16 times before opening her business, the impact the Maui Economic Opportunity program provided to open Sip Me Maui, the balance of excitement vs nerves when opening a business, the importance of community engagement, how the pandemic impacted the business, innovations from the pandemic that she thinks will stick around, challenges from the pandemic that have not be solved yet within the service industry, her role as chair with the non profit Common Ground Collective who seeks to help with food security on Maui, 

Diane Woodburn speaks with Roger Stettler, Executive Chef & Partner of Taverna.  In this podcast Roger talks about growing up in Switzerland, the early culinary influences of his mother and grandmother, the path that led him from Switzerland to the Caribbean thru Asia and then eventually Maui, winning the Aipono Chef of the Year Award in 2012 while at the Four Seasons Maui at Wailea, the importance of being involved in the local community, his decision to  help open Taverna, what it was like navigating through the pandemic, the ongoing challenge of staffing for the hospitality industry, the upcoming event Taverna will host in June as part of the Kapalua Wine & Food Festival, some of his favorite things on the Taverna menu, & his advice for those looking to move up in the restaurant industry. 

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speak to Yvonne McClean, Community Relations Director of Habitat For Humanity on Maui.   In this podcast Yvonne talks about what the past few years have been like navigating through the pandemic,  how the organization has dealt with the overall labor shortage on Maui, the success of the Brush With Kindness program that helps underserved homeowners help to update and maintain their houses, the ongoing efforts to help construction with Hawaiian Homes in Kula, what it was like to recently hand over the keys to a local family who just had their home completed, details about the upcoming 25th anniversary Silver Hammer Gala that will be held at the Andaz Maui at Wailea on June 3rd, goals for the remainder of 2023 and into the future, details about ReStore where people can donate building materials and household items to be put to use, and how people can learn more about volunteering or donating to Habitat for Humanity.  

Diane Woodburn speaks to Master Sommelier Michael Jordan about the upcoming Kapalua Wine & Food Festival in June.  In this podcast Michael talks about his introduction to the restaurant industry at an early age, how Frank Sinatra became his Godfather, moving to Oahu at a young age, his love of music in Hawaii, what it's been like to see the Kapalua Wine & Food Festival evolve over the years, a preview of the panels & tastings at this years event from June 8th-11th, how the Kapalua Food & Wine Festival helps to raise money for the University of Hawaii-Maui College Culinary Arts Program, how the event has become less intimidating for those who are not regular wine consumers, and how to learn more about the calendar of events along with ticket options (single event vs the festival pass).

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to McKenna Shea, Assistant Executive Chef at Pacific'o on the Beach and recent winner on a March 2023 episode of Food Network's TV series "Chopped."  In this podcast McKenna talks about her interest in the culinary industry at an early age, her path to Maui, joining the Pacific'o team in 2019, navigating through the challenges of the pandemic in 2020, how the industry has been changed since 2020, some aspects of industry changes that she thinks will stick around, challenges the industry is still facing, what it's like undergoing changes with the culinary team & ownership group at Pacific'o, how she ended up on an episode of Food Network's "Chopped" television series that aired in March of 2023, what it's like competing on a television cooking competition series, her goals for the future, her advice for younger women looking to work their way up in the culinary industry, and how to find out more about Pacific'o on the Beach (including some of her favorite dishes).  

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Tapani Vuori, General Manager of the Maui Ocean Center.  In this podcast Tapani talks about what the past few years have been like navigating through the pandemic, why the Maui Ocean Center has made it a priority to be ingrained in the local community, how 2023 will mark their 25th anniversary, the challenge Maui faces with tourism, how the Maui Ocean Center has supported Bill 21 in order to help lessen the impact on native sea turtles and birds, the inspiration for their Kaho'olawe exhibit, how the Humpbacks of Hawaii exhibit evolved, working with local elementary schools, and how to learn more about Maui Ocean Center (including a special $10 entry for local residents on Earth Day).  

Diane Woodburn speaks to Clifford Nae'ole, Cultural Director at The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua.  In this podcast Clifford talks about how he first starting working with The Ritz-Carlton, some of the early history of the property location and the importance of the grounds nearby, the inspiration to start the Celebration of the Arts 31 years ago, how the event has grown over the years, the daily schedule for this year's event, why it's important to keep it free of charge and open to the public, examples of artists and artisans that will be showcasing their work, what to expect at the luau to wrap up the event on Sunday, and how people can learn more about this years Celebration of the Arts including a schedule of events and how to purchase tickets for the luau. 

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Tom Houston, Director of Food & Beverage at the Fairmont Kea Lani.  In this podcast Tom talks about what his role entails, his first introduction to the hospitality industry, his path from Ontario Canada to the Fairmont Kea Lani, starting his new role at Fairmont Kea Lani weeks before the start of the pandemic in 2020, industry innovations and challenges that have resulted from the pandemic, the inspiration for opening a new food truck ('Opihi) on property at the Fairmont Kea Lani, how the beverage trends have evolved over the past few years, details about the upcoming Easter Brunch at Kō, the impact of the late Chef Tylun Pang on Tom, what advice Tom would give those who are interested in the hospitality industry or those who currently work in hospitality and want to work their way up, and how to learn more about Kō and the rest of the Fairmont Kea Lani Food & Beverage operations.   

Diane Woodburn speaks to recently retired Chef / Restaurant Owner Bev Gannon.  In this podcast Bev talks about her decision to retire from the restaurant industry, what it was like opening the restaurant at Hali'imaile General Store in the late 80's, how she navigated the early days of running a restaurant, the challenge of navigating the early stages of the pandemic in 2020, how the effects of the pandemic reinforced her decision to sell her restaurants, how the industry has evolved in the past few years and where she sees changes continuing in the years ahead, how she first started her career in the entertainment industry prior to working in the culinary field, reacting to the recent passing of friend & colleague Mark Ellman, and her advice for chefs trying to work their way up in the restaurant industry.   

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks with John Carty, Vice President and co-founder of the Save Honolua Coalition.  In this podcast John talks about the inspiration behind starting the Save Honolua Coalition, why Honolua is such an sacred place, the original intent for the moorings set up at Honolua Bay for boats, his reaction when he first learned of the yacht that was grounded over the past few weeks, the importance of community involvement to protect natural places, how the response system for an incident like the recent grounded yacht can be improved, the need to have cultural practitioners as part of the decision making process with the county, ways to prevent an incident like this from happening again, his reaction when he saw the boat removed from Honolua Bay, his thoughts on the vessel sinking in the channel, what’s next for the Save Honolua Coalition, and how people can learn more and get involved.