In the spirit of entrepreneurship and creativity, business and community leaders gathered in Chaminadeʻs Ching Conference Center on November 20 to hear and judge five student business pitches in the annual Silversword Business Competition. Director of Chaminadeʻs MBA Program, Masahisa “Masa” K. Yamaguchi, and Dean of the School of Business and Communication, Annette Taijeron Santos, as well as President Lynn Babington greeted guests. Program.
As part of the Business Strategy Class in the School of Business and Communication, student businesses provided goods and services that ranged from baked goods to menʻs hair cuts to fitness. All of the student presentations and business plans were well-done.
1st Place: Open Oven – Team Members: Kyla Castro, Daniella Bali, Lrae Anne Pungtilan
2nd Place: C.U.H. Cuts – Team Members: Jace Tsutomi, Cade Fujii, Max Patterson
3rd Place: Fuel Soda – Team Members: Adrianna Nichols, Marianna Carpenter, Owen Malone
Wags for Wishes – Team Members: Isabella Minaudo, Nathan Medina, Delaney Poling
Step Wealth – Team Members: Eli Loebll, Kira Ferguson, Killen Kawelo
Following each presentation, judges asked students about their finance and marketing strategies as well as provided guidance and advice for their emerging businesses.
Judges included: Eric Fujimoto, MBA ʻ94 member of the Chaminade University Board of Regents and President of Hoʻea Wealth Advisory; Jerry Garcia ʻ82, former Chief Financial Officer of Aria Home Health in Dallas, Texas and and owner of Consolidated Sports Products Hawaii; Alana Iuga, co-owner of Voyage Rental Cars; Stacey Katakura, Chief Financial Officer of Accumulus: Lisa Kracher, Vice President at Array Corporation; Lori Lum, Senior Vice President at Anthology FINN Partners; and Tim Moore, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Hawaii at Republic National Distributing Company.
Mahalo to all of the judges who shared their wisdom, insight and served as role models for students. Special thank you to Eric Fujimoto, MBA ʻ94 who provides the prize money to encourage students to gain real-world experience while applying what they’ve learned at Chaminade to an actual business plan.
