Chaminade University of Honolulu

Business & Communication

Hogan Students Learn About Social Entrepreneurship from Chris Marvin

It was a privilege to hear from Mr. Chris Marvin, principal for Marvin Strategies, a strategy and communications consulting practice that specializes in social innovation, civic engagement, defense policy, and the veteran narrative. He is also the founder and former Executive Director of Got Your 6, a nonprofit campaign that advocated for accurate portrayals of veterans in film, television, and popular media. He served for seven years as a US Army officer and Black Hawk helicopter pilot and is a combat wounded veteran of the war in Afghanistan.

Chris Marvin and Desiree Depondicchello
Chris Marvin (principal at Marvin Strategies) and Desiree Depondicchello (Hogan Entrepreneurs Program student)

Mr. Marvin took us through his journey of being a veteran of the U.S Army. While serving in Afghanistan as a platoon leader, at the age of 25, he came upon a difficult situation. He was involved in an aircraft accident which left him with two broken legs and a broken arm. Many people thought negatively of the situation, but Mr. Marvin’s mentality showed otherwise. He stated, “It was the best thing that happened to me.” Overcoming a difficult situation, creating a positive outcome of obtaining his MBA and working with non-profit organizations are amongst the accomplishments achieved by Mr. Marvin.

His mission is to change how the public portrays veterans. Veterans, as shown in various movies, are portrayed as heroes or victims. He made it questionable as to why we have these stereotypes of veterans and why we only thank them but not bother to learn more about their life. Mr. Marvin is motivated to help the public understand that veterans are a part of the community, a group that should not be segmented out. His mission inspired him to become a social entrepreneur through Got Your 6. Through this organization, he collaborated with Hollywood by networking with TV shows and movies to assist in how military characters should be portrayed. He continues his mission on working with the veteran community as well as integrating his leadership skills and entrepreneur-ism to create social change and shift cultural perceptions.

Mr. Marvin revealed that one of his biggest challenges is being labeled only as a veteran and not who he truly is as a person. Through his inspirational speech, he provided us with advice on positive impact. His speech took us on an educational journey, learning not only about veterans but also about ourselves. Mr. Marvin left us with this message: “Find projects that you are interested in and involve those you enjoy working it.”

Written by: Hogan Entrepreneurs Program student, Desiree Depondicchello
Speaker Session with Chris Marvin: 3/1/17

Maya Rogers Motivates and Inspires Hogan Student

Maya Rogers and Krys Romanczak
Maya Rogers (President and CEO of Blue Planet Software) and Krys Romanczak (Hogan Entrepreneurs Program student)

It was a privilege to hear from Ms. Maya Rogers, President and CEO of Blue Planet Software, where she has led the worldwide business initiatives of the Tetris® brand since 2007. Her expertise encompasses game development, global licensing, brand management, merchandising, and IP enforcement. Prior to heading Tetris, she steered cross-culturalization and development efforts for Tetris Online China, Sony Computer Entertainment America, and American Honda. In addition, she co-founded Blue Startups in 2012 and serves as Partner. She was named Pacific Business News Women to Watch Honoree in 2016 and was selected as one of Hawaii Business Magazine’s 20 for the Next 20 in 2015.

Ms. Rogers provided Hogan students with motivation and inspiration. Through the use of her own daunting journeys and struggles, Ms. Rogers sheds light by revealing her inspirations within each journey. Her speech provided us with valuable lessons and advice to be used in both the business world and in life. She spoke of how a company can be successful with careful thought and consideration to the current market conditions. She shared with us stories about her non-traditional upbringing of being half Japanese in Japan yet still being considered an outsider to most. During her educational journey here in the United States, she was able to rediscover her roots and passion—automotive and gaming industries. Her focus, attention to detail, and inspirational messages left us awake, alert, and wanting more. She left us with this inspirational message: “Be yourself, and remember where you came from.”

Written by: Hogan Entrepreneurs Program student, Krys Romanczak
Speaker Session with Maya Rogers 2/15/17

Chris Eldridge Teaches Hogan Students that Failing is Part of Success

Chris Eldridge and Jordan Caputy
Chris Eldridge (Koa Capital Partners) and Jordan Caputy (Hogan Entrepreneurs Program student)

It was a privilege to hear from Mr. Chris Eldridge, co-founder and Managing Operator of Koa Capital Partners, LLC. Koa Capital Partners invests in Hawaii companies with great potential and strives to create long-term value for shareholders, managers, employees and customers. Their goal with each investment is to help management grow revenue and earnings by expanding sales channels, improving operations, identifying and recruiting talent and providing hands-on, real-world strategic insights along with capital for add-on investments.

Mr. Eldridge is also an entrepreneur and has experience in start-up and management experience in Hawaii having founded and sold companies including America’s Mattress Hawaii, PortaBox Storage and FileMinders.

His story began in a souvenir company in Anchorage, Alaska where he discovered his love of selling and people. One striking similarity I found is Mr. Eldridge’s similar outlook on life as Sylvester Stallone’s character of Rocky Balboa: “if you get knocked down you get back up and you keep on going.”

Mr. Eldridge advised us to be careful of the naysayers and always surround ourselves with positive people who want us to succeed. He also stressed that it is okay to fail because it is a learning opportunity. Learn from your mistakes and do better the next time around. Lastly, he stressed the power of perseverance: as long as you persist, you will be successful.

“If you have the energy and the drive, you can make your mark” – Chris Eldridge.

Written by: Hogan Entrepreneurs Program student, Jordan Caputy
Speaker Session with Chris Eldridge 2/1/17

Chaminade Communication Student Takes on the Big Apple

It’s been a whirlwind week for Chantelle Aguilar, a senior Chaminade communication major, who was named to the American Advertising Federation (AAF) 2017 Most Promising Multicultural Student Class. Flown into New York City by AAF, she spent Feb. 13-16 meeting with professionals from top advertisers, media companies and advertising agencies at the exclusive Most Promising Multicultural Students Recruiters Expo.

Held in conjunction with the Expo, an Industry Immersion program provided her with invaluable networking and learning experiences. The Industry Immersion component of the program allows students to experience the excitement of a career in advertising firsthand by visiting major advertisers, ad agencies and media companies and attending workshops led by industry leaders. In addition, at the “Building Bridges for Our Future Awards Luncheon,” she dined among leading executives and multicultural industry pioneers. The luncheon provided an opportunity for networking and mentorship.

Representing 34 schools, the Most Promising Multicultural Student Class was a carefully selected group of top-tier students in advertising and marketing programs from across the country.  The class was selected for their excellent GPAs, demonstrated talent, leadership and service abilities.

In his recommendation letter, Aguilar’s adviser Dr. Cliff Bieberly said, “Chantelle is an extremely conscientious student who works hard and always takes on new challenges.”  Adding that she is an officer in Chaminade’s American Advertising Federation College Chapter, he pointed out Aguilar’s exceptional GPA.  “This very high-grade average has been earned despite the fact that she is a commuter student, works and is highly involved in our Hogan Entrepreneurs Club, Communication Club, our AAF Student Chapter and the university’s student government where she serves in a marketing communication role,” Dr. Bieberly said.

The 2017 MPMS Judges Committee reviewed the applications from more than 100 highly accomplished students.  Judges came from several top agencies in the advertising profession, including Arc Worldwide, Bloomberg, Droga5, FCB, fluent360, mcgarrybowen, Momentum Worldwide and Omnicom Health Group.  According to the AAF, the judges “were blown away by the talent pool” and that the final selection was quite difficult.

Chantelle is the seventh student from Chaminade to receive this honor since the Communication program began participating in 2004.

Hogan Students Discuss Today’s Politics & Economics with Chris McNally

The Hogan Entrepreneurs Program kicked off its first Wednesday Speakers Series for the Spring 2017 semester with guest speaker, Dr. Chris McNally. Dr. McNally is a Professor of Political Economy at Chaminade University and Adjunct Senior Fellow at the East-West Center in Honolulu. His presentation was titled Strategic Mega-Trends: Making Sense of Today’s Politics and Economics.

According to Dr. McNally, it took three generations to build up the first age of globalization, and a lot of accepted norms are probably going to become unhinged soon. He spoke about the rising flows of foreign direct investment, steady growth in major markets, relatively open trade, decline of transport costs, increased intra-industry trade, and the introduction and spread of information and technology. He added that climate change, inequalities and backlashes against globalization, disruptive technologies, and geopolitical and economic power shift are some major global challenges that are likely to persist.

There have been rapid increases of inequality within nation states, and these inequalities are amplified by lack of opportunity for advancement amongst many in the world. Technology, for example, is going to be the next big thing driving global economies. Combination of new emerging technologies promise to make an impact, specifically the three A’s: Artificial Intelligence, Additive Manufacturing, and Autonomous Machines. Jobs will be replaced and lost due to these new technologies, and much will depend on trends in development labor markets, government policies, and social attitudes.

State capitalism is a magnified role that does not use markets to maximize economic efficiency, but to maximize the powers and survival of the states because it believes in free and fair trade. Dr. McNally’s argument about the age of uncertainty is that global power relations are undergoing a power transition, with power shifting to the great Eurasian powers. He also stressed that we may all fall into some sort of anarchy.

Dr. McNally concluded his presentation with this piece of advice: “Brace yourself for the Age of Uncertainty, learn to hedge and be nimble, and be able adapt to change!”

Written by: Hogan Entrepreneurs Program student, Ferleen Mallarme 
Speaker Session with Chris McNally 1/25/17

Guest Speaker Touts Hawaii as Leader in Eldercare Solutions

Hawaii “has a unique and critical role to play” in achieving a comprehensive solution to America’s “elder boom,” according to Ai-Jen Poo, director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance and co-director of the Caring Across Generations Campaign.

The social activist, named one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” in 2012, spoke on campus Feb. 15 at a public policy forum presented by Chaminade University’s Hogan Entrepreneurs Program.

Every eight seconds, someone living in the United States turns 65, Poo pointed out. And this phenomenon is particularly striking in the rapidly graying Aloha State, where residents enjoy the longest lifespans in America.

Poo emphasized that this demographic trend is a blessing because seniors have more time to spend with their friends and loved ones. But the massive number of retiring Baby Boomers also poses a significant challenge, she cautioned, because America’s eldercare infrastructure is woefully inadequate.

Eldercare professionals typically earn just $13,000 annually, Poo said, thus forcing many to seek other employment. And because about 75 percent of American workers make less than $50,000 per year, they often struggle with the steep cost of caring for aging relatives.

Representing a bold step forward, according to Poo, are the “Kupuna Care” bills (SB534 and HB607) under consideration by the Hawaii State Legislature. These measures would provide up to $70 a day for the respite that family caregivers need to stay fully active in the workforce while caring for their kupuna at home.

If passed by the legislature and signed into law by the governor, the Kupuna Care Program could help pay for homemaking services, adult day care, transportation to doctor appointments, etc. This would allow seniors to continue “aging in place” at home, while postponing or avoiding the transition to far more expensive institutional settings.

Caring for one’s elders is “part of the DNA of this state and this culture,” Poo concluded. And that means Hawaii could serve as an outstanding model for the rest of the nation.

Additional information on the Kupuna Care Program is available at care4kupuna.com.