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Business Administration

Silverswords Business Competition

March 23, 2022 by University Communications & Marketing

Students and faculty who participated in the Silversword Business Competition

It started with a suggestion.

Private wealth advisor Eric Fujimoto, MBA ‘94, who is chair of the School of Business and Communication’s Advisory Board, encouraged the university to craft a real-life business experience for undergraduates. The idea: help them understand all the skills required to run their own venture.

At first, the plan was to have students open and manage a pop-up concession on campus.

But then another approach was decided: in Fall 2021, the School invited students to participate in a business competition that would allow them to show off their creativity, their ability to work with others and their aptitude in everything from marketing to accounting and customer service.

Student teams came from accounting, economics, marketing and social media courses.

Dr. Bill Rhey, School of Business and Communication dean, said each team got $250 in start-up money—which was paid back at the end of the competition—and were told they’d be judged on their net profit, their “business for good” approach and their social media impact. Each of the four teams also had a faculty coordinator and mentor during the competition, which ran from October to December.

And the winners were promised a big reward: $2,500.

Washed Ashore with their $2500 check for winning the Silverswords Business Competition

That winning team was called Washed Ashore, and they created jewelry out of microplastics reclaimed from Hawaii beaches. The idea was an instant hit, and they plan to keep the business alive.

“Living in Hawaii, you go to the beach often,” said student Kelsie Inoue, who was on the five-student Washed Ashore team. “While you’re there, you usually see trash and plastic washed up on the beach. We thought about how these microplastics could be repurposed in a way that would bring awareness to keeping our beaches clean and the impact we make. By making necklaces sourced from the microplastic and sea glass found on the beach, our customers wear a reminder of the difference we can make.”

From the outset, Inoue said, the team wanted to create a business with a strong mission.

And they knew their environmentally conscious message would appeal to lots of younger people, including their peers. That’s why they started by creating an Instagram account with college students as their target audience. Their @washedashore808 handle kept hundreds of customers updated on their product lines, upcoming sales, environmental impact and when they were sold out of certain items.

“The biggest takeaway from this competition was that you always need to adapt,” Inoue said. “Sometimes, you need to think on the spot or adjust to situations that aren’t the most comfortable for you, but by doing so it provides newfound skills and confidence in yourself.”

Rhey said while there was only one winner, all the student participants got something out of the competition. They applied concepts of pricing, operations, marketing, management and leadership.

And along the way, they got to imagine themselves as small business owners and entrepreneurs.

“The idea behind this competition was to give our students a greater appreciation for what they are learning in business, how it is applied in the marketplace and the importance of relationship-building,” Rhey said. “The students showed resilience and resourcefulness that was surprising and gratifying.”

Silversword Sweets' s'more brownies

He said all four participating teams took very limited resources and created “impressive micro-businesses.” One of the other teams, Silversword Sweets, was popular on campus right as the holidays rolled around. Another team, We Over Me, sold beach clean-up bags. And 3rd Avenue Attire created custom art design shirts and got more than 3,000 hits on their social media page from potential buyers.

Dr. Guanlin Gao, an associate professor of economics at Chaminade and mentor for the Silversword Sweets team, said it was wonderful to see students working together to create a product line and seek to entice customers. “Students learn so much from this high-touch, high-impact activity,” she said. “Their biggest challenge was juggling between school, work and this business competition.”

Gao added that she was especially impressed with how well students worked together.

“I hope they gained experience of developing soft skills in team-working,” she said.

Wera Panow-Loui, a marketing lecturer at Chaminade and mentor for Washed Ashore, was also excited to see just how much students got out of the experience. “I am all about teaching theories and models in a way that makes them interesting, relevant and practical for students,” she said. “This was a great opportunity to engage the students and connect classroom learning with practical application.”

She said her favorite part of the competition was getting to see her students’ creativity.

And she is very excited about the future of Washed Ashore. She’s wearing the upcycled necklaces and said the students received interest for their products from people around the state and as far away as Germany. “I strongly encourage my students to keep going and even try to find some investors,” she said.

3rd Avenue Attire t-shirt design

Jackie Martinez, a junior in Communication, was captain for the 3rd Avenue Attire team and really enjoyed getting the chance to bring her artistic skills to the business competition. “I’ve always wanted to see my hand-drawn designs on tangible, wearable articles of clothing,” she said, adding that the “birth of the brand” came after a conversation among team members about the need for positive change.

The name, she added, was a nod to Chaminade and Kaimuki.

“My biggest takeaway from all of this is that anything is possible,” Martinez said. “This business competition gave me the confidence I needed to take on more challenging roles in both academic and employment settings. After seeing what I was capable of in such a short amount of time, I realized that I could realistically accomplish anything I set my mind to if I just approach it the same way.”

She added the clothing line is still taking orders under a new name, “World on Fire.”

And that is music to Rhey’s ears.

He said the competition had students doing everything from handling production to tackling group dynamics to showing off their leadership skills. Rhey added he’s grateful to Fujimoto for his vision and is looking forward to the next steps for the competition. The hope is that it will become a regular fixture at the school. “We’re discussing how we can weave this competition into our future curriculum,” he said.

Filed Under: Business & Communication, Featured Story, Students Tagged With: Accounting, Business Administration, Communication

Student’s Business Makes Paw-sitive Impact

March 16, 2022 by University Communications & Marketing

Oliver Carson, Business Administration student, creator of Better Place Brands

By day, Oliver Carson is studying business. And by night, he’s running one.

The Chaminade University senior and Hogan Entrepreneurial Program student owns Better Place Brands, whose mission of giving back is baked right into the name. Carson started the business with his father in August 2020, launching a line of private-label coffee brands geared toward animal lovers.

“Customers not only want a great product, but they want the product to stand for something. That’s what this company is all about,” Carson said. “It also feels good to make those donations every quarter.”

Carson’s Better Place Brands has different “companies” named after pets.

There’s the Great Dane Coffee Company. The Golden Retriever Coffee Company. And most recently, Carson launched the Cat Rescue Coffee Company. In all, he has 13 private coffee labels. And each of them donates 20% of the proceeds to charities and rescue shelters located across the United States. Two are located right here in Hawaii—Cat People of Oahu and Lanai Cat Sanctuary.

In 2021, Carson’s companies gave $10,000 in cash and in-kind merchandise to organizations.

“We did better than expected,” he said, adding he hopes to donate even more this year.

‘A really perfect fit’
Oliver Carson with his two dogs

Carson grew up in a suburb outside of Cleveland and attended Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School, a Marianist school. As a child, he visited Hawaii several times with his family—and it became a dream to study in the islands. It turned out that dream was much more achievable than he realized.

A basketball coach who used to play at Chaminade chatted with him about the university.

He then learned about the Chaminade Scholars program, which offers up to 75% off tuition to students who are members of a Catholic parish or attend a Catholic or Marianist high school, demonstrate academic excellence, and participate in experiences of service and faith.

Of everything Chaminade had to offer, he was most excited about joining a vibrant community and learning more about Hawaii’s rich cultural traditions. “I grew up in a diverse environment and that has always been something that I’ve been attracted to,” Carson said. “It was a really perfect fit.”

At Chaminade, Carson also found the same values of family spirit, serving others and giving back that he’d embraced at his Marianist high school. “It really felt similar to that tradition I experienced,” he said.

In fact, Carson said he felt a special connection to Chaminade on his very first day in the residence halls. He attended Mass at the Mystical Rose Oratory and met Fr. Marty Solma, SM, who also grew up just outside of Cleveland and attended Villa Angela-St. Joseph High. “It was such a crazy moment,” Carson said.

From there, Carson jumped into life in the islands.

His roommates, who were from Hawaii, showed him the best beaches and taught him how to surf. He became the manager of the basketball team. And, he served as a peer mentor for CUH 100, a welcome course for incoming students.

At the beginning of his junior year, he joined the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program.

Carson said Hogan’s programs and networking opportunities continue to inspire him—and Hogan Program Director Dr. Roy Panzarella has given him the confidence to pursue his own business ventures. “We have been so lucky to hear from entrepreneurs from all over the world doing great things,” he said.

A business that gives back
Oliver Carson's Boxy Brown's Coffee Co pillow and boxer

Carson is busy enough as a student that it’s hard to imagine how he has time to run a business.

At Better Place Brands, he handles everything from customer service to social media. And he’s particularly proud of his business model: Selling a good product while supporting a good cause.

As a Business Administration student, he has been able to use his experience as a business owner for class projects, getting input—and no shortage of encouragement—from his professors and peers along the way. He has also thrived in the School of Business and Communication’s “business for good” approach and believes strongly that everyone has a role in making the world a better place.

After all, he does own a company called Better Place Brands.  

Carson is an animal lover himself and started his Great Dane Coffee Company first in honor of his family’s Great Dane. He then partnered with pet rescue organizations, which were able to promote what he was doing—and help him continue to grow and launch more companies along the way.

He said while he’s gearing up for graduate school—he plans to pursue an MBA degree—he’s also looking ahead to expand his business. “We want to continue to add more brands and to eventually grow beyond the dog rescue world,” Carson said. “Our ultimate goal is to do even more good out there—with the help of our customers and the causes they believe in.”

Filed Under: Business & Communication, Featured Story, Hogan Entrepreneurial Program, Students Tagged With: Business Administration, Chaminade Scholar

Second Chance Pell Program

June 29, 2021 by University Communications & Marketing

Following federal approval, Chaminade University will launch an innovative “second chance” Pell Grant program this fall that will give Halawa Correctional Facility inmates an opportunity to earn an associate’s degree in Business Administration.

While the Pell Grant will not fully cover the cost of tuition and fees, generous donations from Atherton Family Foundation, First Hawaiian Bank and Sidney Stern Memorial Trust to the University, will help fill some of the financial gaps to make the program a reality for the students.

As part of the initiative, inmates will be eligible for federal Pell Grants in order to seek the degree. The US Department of Education invited Chaminade to submit an application for its Second Chance Pell Experiment in January 2020, which waives Pell Grant restrictions for incarcerated students.

And this spring, the federal government gave Chaminade the green light to move forward.

“We are proud to offer this new Second Chance program to incarcerated students at Halawa Correctional Facility, giving them an opportunity to build their skills so they can seek to rebuild their lives,” said Dr. Janet Davidson, Chaminade’s Vice Provost of Academic Affairs. “We cannot thank all our donors enough for their generous support of this program and are also incredibly appreciative of our strong partnership with the Hawaii Department of Public Safety.”

The program will officially launch August 23, with a cohort of 15 to 20 students.

Chaminade professors will deliver instruction in a hybrid model—with in-person classes and supplementary learning through an online platform. In order to participate, the professors are getting special training from the state so they can safely teach at the medium-security prison.

The University is offering incarcerated students a significantly reduced tuition rate; with their Pell Grant awards, they will not be responsible for any out-of-pocket costs. Meanwhile, correctional staff are evaluating prospective students for college readiness, using various reasoning assessments.

The associate’s degree itself will be 60 credits, and take about two years to complete. In addition to completing their general education coursework, the students—attending full-time—will tackle Business Administration courses that cover everything from accounting to statistics to macroeconomics. “Students will move through the program as a cohort, graduating after two years with an associate’s degree in Business Administration,” Davidson said. “We are looking forward to working with this community to help them expand their skills so they can access new opportunities.”

Filed Under: Business & Communication, Campus and Community, Diversity and Inclusion, Featured Story Tagged With: Business Administration

School of Business and Communication Receives Reaffirmation Accreditation

May 17, 2021 by University Communications & Marketing

IACBE logo

Chaminade University is proud to announce the International Accreditation Council for Business Educators recently granted reaffirmation of accreditation to all the University’s School of Business and Communication business and management programs for seven years.

“We are honored to have been granted reaffirmation of IACBE accreditation for seven years. It’s a testament to the School of Business and Communication’s rigor and high academic standards and something only made possible by the incredibly hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff and students,” School of Business and Communication Dean Bill Rhey said.

“The accreditation process is rigorous and includes not only a months-long self-evaluation, but a comprehensive independent peer review. The reaffirmation of IACBE accreditation means our School is continuing to meet nationally recognized standards of academic quality and public accountability.”

In achieving reaffirmation of accreditation, the School had to show it was meeting compliance with nine critical IACBE accreditation principles, including those dealing with quality assessment and advancement, resources for programs and innovation in business education. 

Chaminade President Lynn Babington said the reaffirmation of accreditation is incredibly well-deserved and underscores the School of Business and Communication’s commitment to providing a hub for excellent, relevant and innovative business and management education in the islands.

“Across its undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs, the School of Business and Communication demonstrates an unwavering commitment to not only excellence but continuous improvement and growth,” Babington said. “Congratulations to the entire School for this and special thanks to Dr. Rhey and his team for their tireless efforts to ensure quality programming while continuing to think outside of the box to meet existing and emerging community needs.”

Indeed, the School of Business and Communication is preparing to launch its new One Year MBA program this Fall. The innovative offering, with a hybrid schedule that includes Saturday instruction and online coursework, is geared toward working professionals seeking to take the next step in their careers.

The program is built on a “business for good” philosophy that encourages community partnership. The School also offers a host of other programs, including undergraduate degrees in Business Administration, Communication, International Studies and more. Its traditional MBA program includes several timely concentrations—from Healthcare Administration to Science and Technology Innovation—that allow students to pursue their passions as they seek to maximize their positive impact.

Filed Under: Business & Communication, Featured Story, Institutional Tagged With: Accounting, Business Administration, Communication, Management, Master of Business Administration

Discovering Passion and Purpose in the Family Business

February 27, 2021 by University Communications & Marketing

Leading a company is a challenge at any age, but at just 27 years old, James Deleon Guerrero ’16 has taken on the role of Vice President at JM Holdings. He’s using what he learned at Chaminade and previous work experiences to grow the family business all while giving back to the local community.

A home away from home

James Deleon Guerrero ’16

For Saipan native Deleon Guerrero, Hawai‘i has been like a second home. While growing up, he accompanied his parents on their frequent business and leisure trips to O‘ahu each year including spending summers here. He became very comfortable being in Hawai‘i, with its culture and climate similar to Saipan’s, and pictured himself attending college in the Hawaiian Islands following graduation from high school.

He looked at the various college options on O‘ahu and was attracted to Chaminade University because of the great things he had heard about the private Marianist university from a college recruiter as well as from friends who had attended the school.

Testing the waters

In 2012, Deleon Guerrero arrived at Chaminade to pursue a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Like many Freshmen, he was away from home for the first time, on his own and also living off-campus. He readily admits his schoolwork suffered during his first semester and was humbled by his mistakes. Getting back on track, he joined a Marianas club and quickly found his ‘ohana, making new friends from all over including Guam.

James Deleon Guerrero ’16

Eager and ambitious, Deleon Guerrero pushed himself so that in his senior year, he only had two or three classes left to graduate. He is especially grateful for the close-knit environment at Chaminade that allowed him to easily make connections with his peers and professors. He credits his Chaminade professors for “preparing me for the real world.”

Graduating in 2016 with his business administration degree in hand, his first stint was as a bank teller. This was followed by a position in construction management as a project engineer/coordinator at Unlimited Construction. After two years, he moved into a project management role at Island Sun Solar, now known as Pacific Energy Partners, where he assisted with design, sales and training. James was working as assistant to the chief engineer at Howard Hughes Corporation where he oversaw building maintenance when he was called home to Saipan to help with the family business.

Family First

As the only child, he always knew he was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps by one day taking over the company. However, he also felt it was important to gain work experience on the outside first before joining the family business. “I felt I was on a successful career track in Honolulu and didn’t plan on returning to Saipan so soon,” he admits, “but my parents needed me now.”

James Deleon Guerrero ’16

At 27, Deleon Guerrero was recently named Vice President of JM Holdings LLC, a diverse, multi-faceted company, involved in real estate, land sales, long-term leases, agriculture and farming, building and ground maintenance, house rentals, travel, and more. J.M. are the first and middle initials of his father, Jesus Manuel.

Working closely with his father, who oversees operations, and his mother, accounting, he is dedicated to learning everything about the 30-year-old business as well as upholding its values and ethics. Overseeing 15 employees, he enjoys the flexibility and the variety of tasks that the role offers, including new business meetings and drafting bid proposals.

Forging his own path

For Deleon Guerrero, it’s been an adjustment joining the business at this time, and while there is pride, he also is aware of the big responsibility in carrying on the business’ legacy and sustainability.  He’s confident he “brings skills I’ve developed through my Chaminade education and previous work experience to the company.” Valuable skills such as public speaking and interviewing from professors and sales and reviewing blueprints and drawings from previous employers are all assets. Deleon Guerrero also is studying to a become a certified real estate appraiser and will become the first local on Saipan.

With deep respect for his father, Deleon Guerrero says he knows he has big shoes to fill. His father taught him business sense and gave him a firm foundation, and he’s looking forward to carrying on his father’s vision for business expansion both locally and in Hawai’i. As a young professional, one of the immediate additions James is making to enhance work processes is through the use of social media and a digital platform for clients to easily reach the company. Deleon Guerrero has also joined the Saipan Chamber of Commerce to network with other business leaders.

His dad, who founded the Marianas Visitors Authority, is casually nicknamed the “father of tourism” because of the partnerships that he created with airlines and new events that were launched such as Taste of the Marianas, which was inspired by Taste of Honolulu. Deleon Guerrero understands the importance of caring for the community and hopes to become a next generation leader by giving back to his local community.

His advice for Chaminade students, recent graduates and young professionals is to pursue your dreams and goals; if it doesn’t work out right away, don’t give up. “Do what you have to do until you’re happy with the end result,” James says.

The sky is truly the limit for this Chaminade alumnus.

Filed Under: Alumni, Business & Communication, Featured Story Tagged With: Business Administration

Eco-Minded World Traveler and ‘Gearhead’ Max Karg Lands in Business School

November 21, 2017 by University Communications & Marketing

Undergraduate Max Karg, an ecologically minded world traveler who buys, rebuilds and sells vehicles to make ends meet, eventually touched down on Oahu and found his way to Chaminade University.

Max Karg (Business Administration)A Business Administration major who’s minoring in Environmental Studies, Karg developed a taste for domestic and international travel as a teenager and hasn’t slowed down since.

“I have gone to different countries in Europe for both leisure and on a foreign exchange trip with my high school as I was growing up,” said Karg, a native of North Manchester, Indiana. “When I turned 16 and got my driver’s license, I took a 10,000-plus-mile solo road trip across the United States, exploring many different states and regions in doing so.

“This winter, I plan to visit Cuba and the Bahamas,” Karg continued. “In the future I hope to visit Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, South Korea and Japan in one trip, Australia and New Zealand in another trip, and Spain, Italy, Greece, Austria and Switzerland in another trip.”

Max Karg (Business Administration)To fund his travels and help pay for college, Karg – a self-described “gearhead” – has bought, repaired and sold nearly 70 cars, trucks and motorcycles to date.

“I did this back home beginning at age 15, not thinking much of it,” Karg said. “But it has gained me very valuable business and sales skills that allow me to make practical connections in class.”

Karg said he set his sights on Honolulu after applying to colleges nationwide and receiving a scholarship offer from a university in Hawaii.

“Having never been to Hawaii, I booked a ticket to check out the school and island over the winter,” Karg said. “I fell in love with the island’s rich culture, lush greenery and tropical sun.

“Since I was on the island, I checked out other schools,” Karg said. “I stepped on Chaminade’s campus and something just felt right. I took a tour of the campus and knew that this was somewhere I’d love to attend. I got home, applied and got in with a substantial academic scholarship that made it possible to come out here for my education.”

Chaminade’s small class sizes and friendly atmosphere immediately appealed to Karg.

“I would say my favorite part of Chaminade is the student/faculty ratio,” he said. “This has enabled me to make deep connections with the staff and faculty here that I likely wouldn’t be able to accomplish at larger institutions.”

Karg praised all his Chaminade professors for being “incredibly helpful,” but said two of them “have really stuck out.”

“The first being Dr. (Gail) Grabowsky in the science department, who got me thinking about an environmental science minor,” Karg said. “She’s very passionate about what she does, which clearly shows in her classes.

“The second is Dr. (Margaret) Friedman, who is in the business department and specializes in marketing. She also keeps her class very engaging and brings in lots of real-world examples.

“I’m glad I’m able to call both of these women not only my professors,” Karg said, “but also my advisors and mentors.”

Max Karg (Business Administration)When he’s not in class, Karg participates in numerous extracurricular activities.

“I am on the Student Allocations board,” he said, “served as treasurer of the Communications Club my first year, started the Photography Club and serve as Vice President of the Adventure Club. I also went to a leadership conference on Maui last year.”

Following graduation, Karg said he plans to buy, improve and sell real estate.

“I hope to not only make a property more appealing aesthetically,” he said, “but also more energy efficient and utilize sustainable materials in any reconstruction that may need to be done.

“I am also considering a master’s degree in Business Administration – possibly with an emphasis in sustainability- a little bit down the road.”

For an adventurous world traveler such as Karg, that road could lead just about anywhere.

The Business Administration program offered by Chaminade’s School of Business and Communication helps students become proficient in interpersonal communication and business intelligence through coursework, internships and service-learning opportunities. The Environmental Studies minor offered by the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics focuses on policy and environmental law to prepare students for careers in environmental science, ecology and conservation biology.

Filed Under: Business & Communication, Natural Sciences & Mathematics, Students Tagged With: Business Administration, Environmental Studies

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