Hawaii Theatre Center
Gregory Dunn, president and CEO
Hawaii Theatre Center stands out as a bastion of culture and community in Hawaii for several reasons. Chief among them being the center’s enduring history as an arts institution after celebrating its centennial earlier this year. In 2005, the center was recognized as the “Outstanding Historic Theatre in America” by the League of Historic American Theatres and, in 2006, received an Honor Award by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Amid the pandemic, the center pivoted to include hybrid performances in an effort to keep audiences, and the community, engaged. The Hawaii Theatre Center also introduced a new service allowing companies to use the space as a venue for live-streaming performances, and has resumed its lineup of comedic, musical and cultural programming.
Hub Coworking Hawaii
Nam Vu, chief operating officer
With a mission to “create spaces that empower people to do well and do good for Hawaii,” Hub Coworking Hawaii, originally known as Impact Hub Honolulu, has served 1,964 members, held 260 events, booked nearly 17,000 meeting hours, and had more than 202 companies join since it opened with its first location in Kakaako in 2015.
In March of this year, the company opened its second location within International Marketplace Waikiki, a first for the popular tourist destination, expanding its footprint and presenting a space that fosters community for local residents, while serving the needs of business travelers and remote workers in the Islands.
Iolani School
Timothy Cottrell, head of school
Serving more than 2,020 students, the private coed preporatory school that sticks out due to the K-12 school’s “One Team” culture. Recently, Timothy Cottrell, Iolani’s head of school, told PBN that it evolved Iolani’s athletic program to be an ethos for the entire school community, by building a culture that is externally competitive yet internally supportive.
Last year, Iolani School ranked No. 1 in Pacific Business News’ Best Workplaces, in the large companies category, for its ability to adapt in a way that benefitted learning and public health through the pandemic.
One such adaptation was Iolani’s board adding five days off in the school year due to the stressful school environment.
In 2017, 'Iolani also established the Aina-Informatics Network, or AIN, program to bring foundational skills and real-life research experiences in genome science into intermediate and high school classrooms throughout the state. The program is also designed to inspire students to pursue degrees and careers in the fields of life sciences, healthcare, and, in turn, Hawaii's STEM workforce.
Website: iolani.org
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Mana Up
Meli James and Brittany Heyd, co-founders
The Hawaii-based product accelerator has supported seven cohorts of local businesses through its program, which helps entrepreneurs scale their businesses, offers business workshops and provides access to tools and resources.
The accelerator partnered with nonprofit travel2change last year to promote products from local makers. In September 2021, Mana Up also expanded to include a venture capital fund called Mana Up Capital, with $6.3 million to invest in select graduates of their annual program. Through Mana Up Capital, the company established partnerships with former Mana Up participants Big Island Coffee Roasters and Ko Hana Rum.
Since launching in 2017, Mana Up has impacted more than 63 companies spanning the islands.
Shaka Guide
Rita and Andrew Fowers, co-founders
Hawaii-based startup Shaka Guide, which creates self-guided audio tours, was founded by Andrew and Rita Fowers in 2008 before officially launching an app in 2016.
The immersive podcast and guidebook includes guided tours throughout the Hawaiian Islands including on Oahu, Maui, Hawaii Island and Kauai.
In May, the company expanded with its first Mainland offerings including Utah tours of Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, La Sal Mountain Loop and Zion National Park.
In conjunction with the expansion, Shaka Guide has also launched a new version of the app, with all tours now available in one place.
Website: shakaguide.com
