Chaminade University of Honolulu

Business & Communication

First-Place Winners

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Chaminade Edges out Nine Other Teams to Capture IACBE Award

As guest speaker during the Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Graduation/Induction, Michael Rose ’23 spoke highly of his fellow graduates, commending them for recently winning the Best Practices Award at the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE) Competition in Orlando, Florida.

“There were a lot of late nights, and a lot of data to absorb and synthesize,” said Rose during the Graduation/Induction ceremony. “We worked hard as a team to bring home this award.”

Rose, along with classmates Epifania Petelo, Ashley Yoshikawa, Michael Rose and Tino Colleo presented to a billion-dollar boat manufacturer, Correct Craft, which chose their findings and recommendations on optimizing the company’s supply chain to mitigate risk and maximize efficiency.

The Chaminade Team included professors Richard Kido, Eddie Merc, Dean of the School of Business and Communications Bill Rhey, Wera Panow-Loui and Guanlin Gao, and students Michael Rose, Ashley Yoshikawa, Epifania Petelo and Tino Colleo.

“It was a great way to apply my learning in the classroom to a real-life issue,” Petelo told Talanei News. “It also gave me networking opportunities and an avenue to expand beyond the island community.”

Mentored by professors Guanlin Gao, Richard Kido, Eddie Merc and Wera Panow-Loui, the students’ presentation, according to School of Business and Communication Dean, Bill Rhey, was “the most professional, both in depth of content and professional delivery, that he has ever seen.”

“It wasn’t just good,” praised Rhey of the Chaminade Team’s presentation, “it blew me away. It’s always wonderful to share our students’ accomplishments, and they’ve made us so proud of their accomplishments.”

According to IACBE.org, it is the leading outcomes-based professional accrediting organization for business programs in student-centered colleges and universities throughout the world. The IACBE exists to promote, develop, and recognize excellence in business education.

IACBE judges noted “the winning presentation demonstrated excellence, as it pertains to an institution’s or program’s assurance of learning activities or quality enhancement initiatives.”

To win the award, the Chaminade Team submitted a well-written, carefully edited, and organized description of the poster presentation, including a brief abstract, a detailed description of the methods used for measuring outcomes and conclusion(s) drawn from the assessment results. The submission also provided recommendations based on the conclusion(s) and next steps for further supporting the assurance of learning activities or quality enhancement initiatives. 

“It was an incredible experience for our students,” said Dr. Guanlin Gao. “They worked really hard to put together their presentation, and we couldn’t be any prouder.”

Hogan’s Heroes

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Hogan Program Graduates and Inductees Share the Stage

Addressing attendees during the Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program Induction/Graduation Ceremony, Glenn Hogan said it is an honor to continue the legacy that his late parents, Ed and Lynn, began 21 years ago when they invested their time and knowledge, and shared their experiences with aspiring entrepreneurs at Chaminade.

“My parents always believed in giving generously,” Hogan said. “At an early age, our parents taught us our ABCs. As entrepreneurs, they defined it as A for Attitude, B for Behavior.  And being parents married for 65 years, they didn’t always see eye-to-eye, but they always came together. And so the C, my mom believed that behavior resulted in Consequences, and my dad believed in behavior and Character.”

Hogan students have also learned another “Hoganism” known as the five Ds: Desire, Dedication, Devotion, Discipline and Determination. “Entrepreneurship is not just about starting a business, though it’s that, too,” explains Hogan Program Director, Dr. Roy Panzarella. “Entrepreneurship is about acquiring the skills of success, and we try to teach those skills in the context of entrepreneurship.”

Drs. Roy Panzarella and Chaminade President Lynn Babington, and Christine and Glenn Hogan flank this year's Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program Awardees.
Drs. Roy Panzarella and Chaminade President Lynn Babington, and Christine and Glenn Hogan flank this year’s Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program Awardees.

Funded by the Hogan Family Foundation, the eponymous Entrepreneurial Program, aims to educate Chaminade students how to be successful in business through a series of lectures with experienced Hawaii leaders, study abroad missions, community service projects, academic coursework and mentorship. Each year, a new cohort of students from all majors, including undergraduate juniors and seniors and graduate students, are accepted into the one- or two-year certificate program.

“This annual celebration is always a wonderful time to reflect on our students’ contributions to the common good,” says Chaminade President, Dr. Lynn Babington. “They represent our future leaders who will help transform society and make a huge difference in our communities.”

Poised to expand in the future, the Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program, now in concert with the Suzie Martin & Vaughn Vasconcellos Leadership Institute, will train and mentor tomorrow’s leaders and entrepreneurs. The education that students will receive will prepare them to lead with empathy, morality, compassion, and a drive to identify problems and create scalable solutions that can benefit individuals, communities and the globe. 

Christine and Glenn Hogan attended the Graduation/Induction Ceremony.

“My dad always liked to say, ‘Doing business things that make social sense, doing social things that make business sense,’” Hogan says.  “He believed in entrepreneurial practices that benefit the community.”

At the ceremony, the graduating Hogan students were honored for completing the program and the incoming Hogan students were inducted in front of their Chaminade community, friends and family. Four awards were presented, including the Outstanding Hogan Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the Outstanding First Year Student Award, the In the Arena Award and the Aloha Spirit Award.

“When I entered the Hogan program in the Fall of 2020, I wanted to learn more about social enterprises,” says Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Realtor, Ciena Alagao, a Hogan graduate who won the Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year Award. “I wanted to start a business that would make a positive impact in the community.”

Nankuli native Waioli Misajon won the Outstanding First Year Award, while Jacob Fernandez and Faith Chang were recognized with In the Arena and Aloha Spirit awards, respectively. Twelve students were inducted into the program, and a total of 17 students graduated, three of whom received their two-year certificates and the rest earning their one-year certificates.

“We would like to take this opportunity to give a special mahalo to the entire Hogan Family,” Panzarella concludes. “Significant contributions of time, counsel and financial support to Chaminade University for over two decades have allowed us to measurably impact the lives of more than 400 Hogan students as they embarked upon careers, ‘determined to become contributing members of society,’ as Ed Hogan would say.”

Economic Education

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Including indigenous cultures and values into education is not about making the Indigenous populations stronger. They are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.”

Guanlin Gao, Ph.D., adapted from G.D. Anderson’s famous quote about feminism

Economics professor promotes financial literacy

Guanlin Gao, Ph.D., likes to play games. And during the recent National Association of Economic Education (NAEE) Conference at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the Chaminade Economics associate professor and Director of Economic Education Center for Excellence devoted part of her presentation playing the Public Goods Game (PGG), in which players are given tokens—in this case Kona coffee beans—and given the opportunity to anonymously allocate them in either private or public funds.

“The purpose of the game is to let participants experience the indigenous culture through a hands-on game,” Gao explains. “The game is also related to the shared natural resources and land management of ahupua‘a, where people have shared responsibility and contribute to the common good with their expertise.”

This fundamental economic game has become a classic laboratory environment for studying collective group decisions in which participants decide how much to contribute to a common pool. The countervailing effect, however, is that there is an incentive for group members to “free-ride” on individuals who contribute positive amounts to the common pool. 

Guanlin Gao presents at the National Association of Economic Education Spring Conference at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Those who invested in the private fund could keep the funds, and divide the shares among its members. However, for those who invested in the public fund, they could either share the return among all the groups or simply keep the yield within their own group.

“On the East Coast, players would largely invest in private funds,” Gao says. “But in Hawaii, most players contribute to public funds, which evenly distributes the return among all members. We have a more inclusive culture in Hawaii, as opposed to individualism.”

The NAEE’s three-day Spring Professional Development Conference was attended by economic educators at the state and federal level, as well as educational institutions that house the equivalent to Chaminade’s Economic Education for Excellence. One of NAEE’s primary missions is to provide professional development programs and training for educators to promote economics, personal finance and entrepreneurial education in the classroom.

“Right now, the country is having a movement about economic literacy, and it starts at an early age,” Gao says. “We want the younger generation to have a foundational understanding of personal finance and economics. We want to provide them the tools they need to make informed financial decisions, and create a better life for themselves and for those around them.”

The overall goal of the three-day conference was to promote economic and personal financial education from K-12 through college. Various departments of education around the country already stipulate that students take an economics or personal financial class in order to graduate. Gao is working on this with Hawaii Department of Education but, in the meantime, she’s sharing her knowledge with other teachers.

“I wanted the participants to walk away knowing more about the unique, yet diverse cultures, in this country, and promote economics and personal finance education in a way that relates and speaks to the populations we serve,” Gao notes. “I also talked about the traditions of sharing, not owning in Hawaii (for example, abundance means we have a lot to share, not how much we own), and why the conventional economic assumptions of ‘everyone is self-interested’ and ‘the only goal for a firm is to maximize profit’ do not resonate with our students’ identities and beliefs.”

Consider the Facts*

Many young people lack the basic financial knowledge and skills to prosper in life. Like many educators, the Council for Economic Education cares about equipping students with the knowledge they need to improve their futures.

40% of Americans have less than $300 in savings
24%
of Millennials demonstrate basic financial literacy
50%
of America’s youth will earn less than their parents

2 Million+
Students reached by CEE programs and teachers
Over 50,000
Teachers reached worldwide
1,000+
Lessons, guides & activities for teachers

*Council for Economic Education

Building Blocks

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Ayko Group owner Chris Lee ’17 hammers home his commitment to Habitat for Humanity

It wasn’t all bad. In fact, some good did emerge from COVID-19. Vaccine production ramped up. Economic stimulus programs helped families weather financial hardships. And businesses—small and large—received Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to keep their workforce employed during the pandemic. For Chris Lee ’17, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) allowed him to build a relationship with Honolulu Habitat for Humanity.

“During the coronavirus scare, some of our planned/negotiated projects were suspended due to government restrictions,” says Lee, a Chaminade MBA graduate and owner of the construction company, Ayko Group. “Luckily, we received the PPP loans and we were able to keep the employees paid during the shut downs.”

 A community-service-oriented business owner, Lee talked to a friend—the president of a local HVAC company—about business slowdowns, and because of this stagnation, he learned his friend’s company started taking on philanthropic endeavors with their employees. This prompted Lee to call Habitat for Humanity Honolulu and Habitat for Humanity West O‘ahu to see if Ayko could lend a hand in their home builds.

“My thought process being we are carpenters, and knowing that we could assist others at the same time as keeping our skills honed, would be a win-win,” Lee notes.  “Habitat for Humanity Honolulu replied and was interested in this partnership, and we helped them on a few new builds along with some critical repairs.” 

Ayko staff helped build a home for Habitat for Humanity. ©Howard Wolff

In pre-pandemic times, Ayko Group strictly focused on commercial and military projects, given Lee’s background as a former U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps officer, who has worked as a civilian manager for both Navy Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Not keen on pursuing residential builds—because he’s uncomfortable about taking people’s money—his own admission—the 43-year-old entrepreneur decided to make an exception.

“The timing could not have been any better,” says Honolulu Habitat for Humanity CEO TJ Joseph, who is also a beneficiary of a Habitat for Humanity home. “Because of COVID, we had to stop all volunteer efforts, which we largely rely on to start and finish all our projects. So Chris’ call was a true godsend, and if it wasn’t for him coming out, we would not have finished the homes.”

The jobs started small, with some carpentry, drywalling, fire blocks, flooring issues, and leveling and patching a driveway for a new homestead home. Then came the Sniffen home in Waimānalo, which had only reached the demolition stage before the pandemic hit.

“It was just a slab,” Lee says. “So we brought in seven guys to work on-site and we finished the build in probably two, three weeks. I only like to do residential projects with organizations like Habitat.”

Workers framed a home for the Piohia Ohana construction project. ©Howard Wolff

In comparison, Joseph says the timeline for Habitat for Humanity to complete a single project could take months since the workforce consists of volunteers, who may or may not have any construction experience.

“Habitat for Humanity’s business model is based on a community building together,” Joseph explains. “With this old model, we were only able to finish one or two homes a year since we were only building on Saturdays. But now we’re using sub-contractors to lay the foundation, and install the roof, drywall, electric and plumbing.”

The concept that became Habitat for Humanity first grew from the fertile soil of Koinonia Farm, a community farm outside of Americus, Georgia, founded by farmer and biblical scholar Clarence Jordan.

On the farm, Jordan and Habitat’s eventual founders, Millard and Linda Fuller, developed the idea of “partnership housing,” which centered on those in need of adequate shelter working side-by-side with volunteers to build quality, affordable residences. The homes would be built at no profit. New homeowners’ housing payments would be combined with no-interest loans provided by supporters and money earned by fundraising to create “The Fund for Humanity,” which would then be used to build more houses.

Chris and Tara Lee named their company Ayko after their two kids—Ayla and Niko.

Thanks in no small part to the personal involvement of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn, and the awareness they have raised, Habitat now works in all 50 states in the U.S. and more than 70 countries. Habitat’s advocacy efforts focus on policy reform to remove systemic barriers preventing low-income and historically underserved families from accessing adequate, affordable shelter.

“Right now, we have 16 families on our waiting list,” Joseph says. “And of the 16, 14 or 15 of them already have funding.”

Lee plans to continue to help Habitat for Humanity, whenever he is able to do so. Quoting former Hogan Entrepreneur Program director, John Webster, Lee says he is abiding his creed: “Doing business things that make social sense and doing social things that make business sense.” 

“John always stated that before the Wednesday speaker sessions,” Lee says.

“It has always rang true to me, and when given the opportunity to help, I will, especially during a time like Covid. I’m fulfilling my service mission, which lines up with the values of a Chaminade education, and it also matches what my mom instilled in me when I was a kid.”

Living Legacy

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A Place Close to the Heart: Honoring an Alumnus’s Final Wishes

Before losing his battle to hypopharyngeal cancer on July 15, 2017 in San Leandro, CA., Thomas “Tom” Siu-Wing Watt ’68 made his spouse of more than 35 years, Carol-Anne Tucker-Watt, grant him two final wishes: One of them was to have Frank Sinatra’s version of “My Way” played at his funeral and another was “to fly.”

“He made it clear that he was fine with cremation, but he did not want his ashes buried, stuck in a niche or dumped over the side of a boat,” Tucker-Watt says. “He wished for his mortal remains to be ‘free like the wind.’” 

Tom and Carol-Anne Watt were together for more than 35 years.

Indeed, Watt was a free spirit, developing close friends while attending Saint Louis School where he experienced academic success and a penchant for mathematics and sciences. After high school, he aspired to be an engineer—one of three popular professions chosen among Chinese immigrants at the time—and enrolled in the engineering department at the University of Hawai‘i Mānoa. 

Unfortunately, his first-year experience would mark his last. 

“The professors of the introductory engineering classes assumed that the students were already familiar with the fundamentals of mechanical drawing, but Tom was not,” Tucker-Watt recalls. “It did not take long for him to decide that he and UH were not a good fit, and that he would need to pivot.”

Having attended Saint Louis, Watt was familiar with the Chaminade campus, and several of his Saint Louis classmates were already attending what was then Chaminade College. There was one problem: Chaminade did not have an engineering program, so he decided to pass on his engineering books, drafting board and T-square to his younger brother and switched to a business major where he could apply both his math and English skills.

“Chaminade always held a place close to his heart,” Tucker-Watt says. “After retirement from a long and successful career with the Social Security Administration, Tom was able to connect with fellow alumni living in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as students about to start at Chaminade.” 

But having scattered Tom’s ashes in mid-air meant that there would be no headstone. “There would be nothing to mark his time on earth,” Tucker-Watt says. “And so it occurred to me that the best way to give him an ongoing legacy was to endow a scholarship at Chaminade.”

The scholarship has a single criterion: Students have to maintain a 3.5 grade point average, something that Tom successfully managed to do while studying at Chaminade.

“He would have been proud, and glad that he could help young Chaminade students,” Tucker-Watt says. “I miss him terribly, but I still feel his guiding hand. He still has my back.”

One and Done

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Program offers business students a fast track to an MBA degree

One Year MBA students in New Zealand for their international study trip

Unlike the contestants in the “Amazing Race,” Chaminade students did not encounter any detours nor face any roadblocks when they visited Aukland, New Zealand. The adventure was part of the new One Year MBA program that the University introduced in the fall of 2021.

“I had experience with such programs at three other universities,” says Dr. Bill Rhey, dean of the School of Business and Communication. “The data points out that when students look for an MBA program, they consider time of completion, cost, convenience and quality of faculty. This MBA meets all four.”

The cohort model for the One Year MBA program differs greatly from the traditional 18-month track. Foremost, as Rhey explains, students enrolled in this 12-month curriculum are in “lockstep,” which means they all must take the mandatory classes together.

“They start here and they finish here—together,” Rhey emphasizes. “This first cohort of students really bonded and supported each other every step of the way.”

The advantages of enrolling in a one-year program are many. But perhaps one of the most salient reasons refers back to an old adage: time is money. Obviously, paying a year’s tuition—versus two—saves a lot of cash. Tuition also includes books, meals on Saturdays and the international trip. Secondly, classes meet on alternate Saturdays and through online coursework. And thirdly, this type of educational model fosters collaboration and helps develop close bonds with fellow classmates.

One Year MBA students in class

“When I was packing my bags, I began to question my decision, asking myself ‘Why am I doing this,’” recalls Katelin Korman, who moved to Hawaii from her hometown of Surrey, British Columbia. “I didn’t know anyone in Hawaii but it turned out to be the best experience of my life and I have no regrets.

“The hybrid model also meant that I could continue working while also completing my studies,” Korman further notes. “I loved the idea of having a small cohort and a more personalized experience.”

The idea of being in a tight-knit group also drew Rebecca Miller. “I was so fortunate to have been part of this particularly amazing group of people, and I mean that sincerely,” says Miller, a licensed optician with LensCrafters. “Having been able to share this time together helped us learn how we worked with each other as individuals.”

Initially accepted into the traditional MBA program, Mario Macagba later learned about the accelerated alternative and decided this option would work best for his circumstance. The trip to New Zealand was another alluring factor.

“In preparation for the trip, professor Callahan provided us assignments that allowed us to learn about New Zealand,” Macagba says. “We learned about its culture and did research about Hawaii’s link to New Zealand and the similarities with regards to tourism and culture.”

In the past, Rhey has led other student groups on similar trips to Malawi and South African but never to Auckland. According to Rhey, New Zealand was chosen because it’s an island country, which has a Polynesian history and a large tourism/hospitality sector.

One Year MBA students in New Zealand for their international study trip

“It is, also, an English-speaking country with direct flights from Honolulu,” Rhey points out. “I have a friend (Rob Scharar) who is engaged with many leaders and businesses in New Zealand, and he was happy to help design the tour.”

A supporter of MBA programs and education overall, Scharar’s invaluable knowledge and connections provided students with an insider’s look into the New Zealand economy and politics.

“It was a mini business seminar for four days,” asserts Scharar, President of FCA Corp., a 50-year-old leading global investment management and financial advisory firm that also owns a stake in Unparalleled Journeys, which arranged the itinerary. “We had guest speakers from the New Zealand Stock Exchange, U.S. Embassy,  FCA Corp’s investment team, Representatives from the U.S. Commercial Service for Australia and New Zealand, and Commonwealth Australia-New Zealand investment managers. The goal was to give these students some exposure to international trade and business.”

After discussing the impact of COVID on the travel industry, Unparalled Journeys tasked the students to prepare a presentation and summary of strategies and protocols that could possibly mitigate the effects of another potential global pandemic.

“The students had a lot of great ideas, from the use of technology to strategic messaging in anticipation of another COVID-like pandemic,” Scharar says. “They all passed. This was a wonderful group of young adults who were pretty humble and grounded, which made it fun for me.”

“Traveling with Mr. Rob Scharar was a fantastic experience,” Miller says. “He really brought to life a sense of what we were working to achieve. Watching him command a room, and interact with individuals everywhere from Parliament to the Stock Exchange was very enlightening.”

One Year MBA students in New Zealand for their international study trip

Macagba’s biggest takeaway from the trip was a pointed lesson in leading. “Servant leadership is valuable,” he says, “and we need to make sure we serve and lead in our community, home, work and social circles, and to view our culture not as black and white but gray.”

Korman was most impressed with the level of awareness that Kiwis hold for their surroundings, giving her a new perspective on the quality of life and living in general.

“I learned that New Zealand is a lot like Canada where I am from,” says the British Columbia native. “It is extremely similar in the way it’s run and governed, the landscape, environment and climate, as well as the people and their interests and hobbies. Our money and tax system are also alike and both countries are part of the British Commonwealth.”

The one-year program is targeted—but not limited—to mid-management professionals who are already working in a specific industry, and seek a track to the executive level. Its goal is to provide growth, leadership, thoughtful decision-making, engagement and new opportunities.

Before obtaining her MBA, Korman had only worked at small companies with few employees and even fewer opportunities for professional growth. However, this changed in November when she landed a marketing coordinator position with Save-On-Foods, one of Western Canada’s largest supermarket chains.

“I think the MBA definitely helped me get this job,” says Korman, who believes this is her first step to upward mobility. “I learned so much more about business, including data science, analytics, strategic thinking and marketing.”

During a banquet dinner to celebrate their graduation, students from the 2021 class had the opportunity to welcome the next cohort of MBA graduates, passing the torch on to some of the incoming class members.

“I know the students took away a sense of confidence in their ability to make recommendations as business consultants for our host company, Unparalled Journeys,” Rhey concludes. “I also believe that most had their horizons broadened, and experienced a greater appreciation for how business is done, and how different life is outside of Hawaii.”