Chaminade University of Honolulu

Hogan Entrepreneurs Program

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.”

Alum’s Passions Turn into Business Ventures

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It’s not often that our childhood fantasies turn out to be true. For many of us, our dreams of going to the moon one day or riding on the back of a garbage truck are never realized.

But for the lucky ones, like Dan Mangum ‘18, the life they envision as a child turns out to be exactly what adulthood is all about. 

Dan Mangum '18

Growing up, Mangum had two passions in life: music and basketball. And a family trip to Hawaii in the fourth grade left him determined to make the islands his home as an adult.

Now, as a young professional, Mangum has made a career for himself in both music and basketball, all from his island home in Honolulu.

As a high-school senior in New York, eight years after that life-changing trip to Hawaii, Mangum had his eyes set on studying in the Islands. He explored a few schools, but Chaminade stood out. He liked that the classes were small and that he would be able to form relationships with his professors and classmates.

“I didn’t want to be just another statistic in the classroom,” describes Mangum. “I was hoping to develop long-term relationships with my professors and classmates, which, looking back, was absolutely the case.”

His parents were also impressed with how responsive and attentive the Chaminade staff was. It’s not easy for a parent to agree to let their child travel 5,000 miles away and across the Pacific for school. But the Chaminade admissions team took the time to answer all of their questions, no matter how small they were. That put his mom at ease.

At first, Mangum was struck with culture shock. Hawaii was polar opposite to New York—he had grown up with long, cold winters and a fast-paced energy, and suddenly he was surrounded by a warm tropical climate where everything operated on island-time.

Chaminade was also the most diverse school he had ever attended.

“At Chaminade, my immediate group of friends included people from American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii and Australia,” says Mangum. “I don’t think you’re going to get diversity like that many other places.”

It didn’t take long for Mangum to adjust to the island lifestyle. He’s always been an outdoorsy person, and Oahu had so much to offer. He knew a lot of people that went off to college and started spending a lot of time at parties and at bars, but he didn’t want that for himself.

“I didn’t want to fall into the trap of just going to bars for four years,” he recalls. “Being on an island gave me healthier choices and provided alternative sources of fun, like hiking, surfing and diving.”

He remembers one of his philosophy professors, Dr. Peter Steiger, taking him and a few of his friends out surfing one morning during his freshman year.

“He woke us up at 5 a.m. and took us to this awesome local surf spot,” says Mangum. “He spent the day surfing with us and teaching us about local culture. I don’t think there’s a better place to learn philosophy than during sunrise on the ocean.”

But Mangum’s favorite class was news writing with Adjunct Professor Kim Baxter. He liked the class so much that he took it twice. Mangum was a writer for the student newspaper, the Silversword, and Baxter used to work for ESPN. She knew Mangum was a huge sports fan, so when the Clippers came to Honolulu for their pre-season games, she got Mangum a press pass to attend the team’s games and practices.

“I remember sitting courtside at this game, and I was right next to the reporters from the L.A. Times and ESPN. And here I was this 21-year-old kid from Chaminade,” says Mangum. “Not only was it an experience that I don’t think you can get at any other school, but it really gave me confidence that a professor who I had a lot of respect for was willing to put her reputation on the line for me.”

Dan Mangum '18 with Bro. Bernie Pleoger (9th president of Chaminade University)

At Chaminade, Mangum was also part of the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program. Students who participate in the program meet several times a week to learn the ins and outs of starting and running a business, and they network with business leaders around the Island. He found a second family through the Hogan program and a true mentor in retired Hogan director Dr. John Webster, and it gave him the connections he needed to launch one of his companies post-graduation—an adult basketball league.

Today, the league meets weekly at the Honolulu Club and encompasses four teams and over 30 players. The sales manager at the club was familiar with the Hogan program, and had faith enough in Mangum to offer up the space for the league’s games. One of Mangum’s Hogan mentors now also plays in the league.

Dan Mangum '18

As a communications major, Mangum took away two key lessons: how to write and how to market. He believes he’ll use those skills for the rest of his career.

After graduating he became the full-time marketing director for Nextdoor, a cinema lounge and concert hall in Honolulu’s Chinatown. He promotes their concerts, secures sponsorships and works with musicians to encourage them to visit Honolulu while on tour.

He also started his own company to book shows for musicians on the neighbor islands, and to market and promote events and small businesses. He loves his job—it puts him in contact with some of the musicians he used to idolize as a teenager.

Dan Mangum '18 and his parents

“These are all musicians that I was a huge fan of in high school,” says Mangum. “And now, just a few years later, I am able to be in business and work with them, which was a pretty cool realization.”

Coronavirus lockdowns have put much of his career on hold—concert venues are closed, musicians have paused their tours and the basketball league is postponed. But as a Chaminade graduate, the importance of adaptation and change is deeply ingrained in him. The core Marianist value has proved crucial as he finds ways to navigate the future.

“We’ve been adapting with various strategies to make sure we stay relevant, to find new ways to operate,” says Mangum. “I definitely credit Chaminade’s core values for helping me think through that.”

Mangum doesn’t know what the future holds, but if he can continue on his current path, he’ll be a happy man.

“I really love what I do now,” says Mangum. “I just hope to keep expanding and do it on a larger scale. Some day, I’d love to sell out something like the Blaisdell Arena. For now, I’ll just keep working harder and doing more.”

Dr. Roy Panzarella Named Director of the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program

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Chaminade University is delighted to announce a familiar name—Dr. Roy Panzarella—has been appointed director of the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program. He will begin July 1.

Dr. Roy Panzarella

Panzarella, who served as vice chair of the Board of Regents and volunteered as a Hogan Entrepreneurial Program mentor, brings his wealth of leadership experience to the role.

His business acumen and commitment to serving others have taken him around the world—and eventually brought him to Chaminade.

Panzarella is truly a perfect fit for the Hogan program, a signature initiative at the university that relies on strong collaborations with executives and challenges students to turn their ideas into business plans.

Panzarella sees Hogan students as ethical, transformational and innovative leaders-in-training.

Among Panzarella’s many previous leadership roles was as chief executive of Lockheed Martin-United Arab Emirates. As an Army colonel, Panzarella also served as the US defense attaché to Poland.

And in academia, Panzarella also wore many hats, including as dean of student affairs at the George Marshall Center for Security Studies in Germany.

Panzarella holds a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from the University of Oklahoma.

He also has master’s degrees in Human Development and in International Relations, from Boston University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, respectively.

Panzarella received his bachelor’s degree from the US Military Academy at West Point.

He considers serving others his lifelong calling and has volunteered his time with a long list of organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce, advisory board of NYU Abu Dhabi’s Department of Engineering and the Board of Trustees for the American School of Warsaw.

Please join the entire Chaminade ‘ohana in congratulating Dr. Roy Panzarella on his appointment.

Virtual Hogan Entrepreneurial Graduation 2020

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Over 50 students, parents, mentors and friends attended the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program graduation ceremony on April 29. Typically held on campus in the Mystical Rose Oratory, this year’s ceremony took place online via Zoom due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The ceremony celebrated the accomplishments of Chaminade students who have spent the past one to two years participating in the community service projects, academic coursework, mentorship activities, networking events and weekly lectures that are hosted by the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program. Funded by the Hogan Family Foundation, the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program provides students with the skills and knowledge necessary to become successful entrepreneurs, with an emphasis on community service. The program’s motto is “doing business things that make social sense and doing social things that make business sense.”

“As we do every April, we look to this celebration as a time to recognize the most important players in this program, and that’s you, our students,” said Dr. Webster. “You’ve heard me say before, our aim is simple: it’s to give you, some of Chaminade’s best students, the knowledge skills and motivation to start new things.”

The celebration began with a prayer from Brother Edward Brink, Chaminade’s rector and vice president for mission. Next, Dr. Lynn Babington, president of Chaminade University, welcomed all in attendance and offered well wishes for the graduates who were moving on to the next leg of their journey.

The ceremony continued by awarding students from each class year with the Outstanding Student Awards, including juniors Elijah Abramo and Yoshlinda Note, and seniors Isabella Tessitore and Natalie Burton. Charlie Clausner took home the Outstanding Graduate Student award, and Esther Patterson took home the overall Outstanding Hogan Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Charlie Clausner was also one of two student speakers who shared spoken word poems they had written to inspire and uplift, joining fellow graduate Fabian Patterson.

Dr. Babington also had the pleasure of introducing the next director of the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program, as Dr. John Webster will be retiring in June following 18 years of service to Chaminade University.

Dr. Roy Panzarella will begin his role as director of the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program on July 1, 2020. Dr. Panzarella most recently served as the vice president of operations at Alaka‘ina Foundation Family of Companies. He is the former general manager of Lockheed Martin in the United Arab Emirates and retired from the Army as a Colonel after 33 years of service. He will be stepping down from his role as vice chair of the Board of Regents at Chaminade University to join the Hogan program.

“I’ve known Roy Panzarella for a number of years, and have long been convinced that he would provide the leadership that you would expect from the Hogan program,” said Dr. Webster. “He has the values and the heart to make you, and Chaminade, proud of your program.”

Congratulations to the 2020 Hogan Entrepreneurial Program graduates. As Dr. Babington said, “You are our future, and we have great hope and high expectations for all of you.”

The Outstanding Hogan Entrepreneur of the Year Award:
Esther Patterson, Owner of Captured Imagery, Kapolei

The Outstanding Graduate Student Award:
Charlie Clausner, MBA, Springfield, Illinois

The Outstanding Senior Awards:

  • Natalie Burton, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Granada Hills, California
  • Isabella Tessitore, Business Administration, San Diego

The Outstanding Junior Awards:

  • Elijah Abramo, Accounting, Mililani
  • Yoshlinda Note, Accounting, Marshall Islands

The Aloha Spirit Awards:

  • Kylee Kaczmarek, Business Administration, Kapolei
  • Lekeleka Kiner-Falefa, Business Administration, Honolulu
  • Kayla Maher, Criminal Justice, Laguna Miguel, California
  • Musuai Pauulu, Environmental + Interior Design, Waianae

The Community Service Awards:

  • Tomoko Hotema, Master of Science in Counseling Psychology, Tokyo    
  • Lailane Tangonan, MBA graduate, Philippines

The In the Arena Award:
Ashley Maha’a, Criminal Justice, Kailua

Media Coverage

Hawaii News Now

KITV News

Chaminade University Receives $40,000 Grant from the Freeman Foundation

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HONOLULU (January 16, 2020) – For the seventh year in a row, Chaminade University has received $40,000 from the Freeman Foundation in support of its Hogan Entrepreneurial Program’s China Summer Study and Internship program. The innovative program provides Chaminade students with an immersive cultural learning experience to broaden their understanding of China and Chinese business practices.

“Thanks to the Freeman Foundation, Chaminade has been able to offer this enriching and transformative experience to our students over the last six years,” said Dr. Lynn Babington, President of Chaminade University. “The impact has been great for our students. After the experience, they come back to Hawai‘i stronger, more confident and with a deeper appreciation of and respect for the diverse cultures and people of China.”

The Hogan Entrepreneurial Program’s China Summer Study and Internship program combines guided tours and cultural visits with tangible work experiences with entrepreneurs in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Macau. The students are chaperoned by Dr. Caryn Callahan, Professor of Business, who is an expert in East Asian Studies. Through the experience, students become informed global citizens and better prepared for a world requiring a global perspective.

Chaminade University’s Hogan Entrepreneurship Program is a one- or two-year certificate program. Students learn first-hand from experienced Hawai‘i business leaders and entrepreneurs about the business of getting a new idea up and running. This involves academic coursework, mentorships and internships with business leaders, weekly lectures, study trips, and programs like the nonprofit business plan competition. For more information, visit chaminade.edu/hogan

The Freeman Foundation was established in 1994 through the bequest and in memory of the businessman and benefactor Mansfield Freeman, a co-founder of the American International Group, Inc. (AIG). This private and philanthropic foundation, based in Stowe, Vermont, is dedicated to augmenting international understanding between the United States and the nations of East Asia. It created the Undergraduate Asian Studies Funding Initiative to provide grants to numerous American colleges to strengthen and expand their Asian studies programs to increase access to Asian studies courses and to increase the number of students in the United States studying about Asia.

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About Chaminade University. Chaminade University of Honolulu provides a collaborative and innovative learning environment that prepares graduate and undergraduate students for life, service and successful careers. Established in 1955, the university is guided by its Catholic, Marianist and liberal arts educational traditions, which include a commitment to serving the Native Hawaiian population. Chaminade offers an inclusive setting where students, faculty and staff collectively pursue a more just and peaceful society. For more information, visit chaminade.edu.

Hogan Kick-Off Event: Lessons from the Business World

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Anton Krucky speaking at the Hogan kick-of event

Anton Krucky, whose decades of business leadership experience include years as an executive in marketing, sales and product development at IBM, now consults corporations and government agencies on how to effect organizational change in ways that will inspire employees and boost morale.

But at the Hogan Entrepreneurs kick-off event earlier this month, Krucky wasn’t consulting business leaders. He was talking to a group of business leaders-in-the-making – Hogan Entrepreneurial Program students who are working to build their business acumen and pursue their dreams to start a company or help one grow.

Krucky, the keynote speaker at the October 15 event, told attendees that he first dipped his toe into the business world with a paper route. He made $120 month, putting about $100 in the bank and spending the rest on anything he wanted. But in business, he said, spending and saving doesn’t work that way.

And herein was the first lesson of his speech: “If you run a company, every dollar is like your grandmother’s dollar,” he said. “You have to know where it comes from. You have to know where it goes. Once you take an investor’s money, you have to tell them what you’re doing with that money.”

Krucky should know.

In addition to serving at IBM, he co-founded a regenerative medicine company called Tissue Genesis, Inc. in 2001 and now serves on its Board of Managers. He’s also invested in emerging tech businesses.

On top of all that, Krucky also dedicates significant time to the community. He’s vice chair of Chaminade’s Board of Governors, is on the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program Advisory Board, and serves on the boards for Bishop Museum and Child and Family Service.

Anton Krucky speaking to students t the Hogan kick-of event

The Hogan kick-off event is an annual gathering and always draw a healthy crowd. In addition to students, dozens of leaders from across the business community attended the Pacific Club gathering.

Over the course of his speech, Krucky sought to impart key lessons for young business leaders.

To help highlight the value of problem solving and leadership over skills alone, Krucky pointed to his years at IBM. He was hired for a highly-competitive spot at the company, he said, because he was able to demonstrate how his previous work experience – as a lifeguard and a traveling representative for a fraternity – made him personally accountable for his performance and required him to adapt quickly.

“You’re looking for responsibility,” Krucky told the IBM recruiter after initially being turned down.

“Is there any more responsibility than saving a life? … They ended up hiring me as a system engineer.”

Once at IBM, Krucky found that he was doing well – sometimes better than those trained at elite Ivy League schools – because he applied himself. He recounted one episode early on in his career at IBM in which his boss – who didn’t seem to like him much – handed him a complicated formula and asked him what he made of it. His boss walked away and Krucky got to work, turning to colleagues elsewhere in the company for their expertise. Within short order, he handed a folder to his boss with an answer.

“He opens up the folder and he walks back to his office, shaking his head,“ Krucky said.

A short time later, the boss calls him into his office for an explanation. Instead of taking credit for the work, Krucky talks about how he’d turned to colleagues he knew – and colleagues they knew — for help in deciphering how to proceed. In other words, he told the truth. And that was the right thing to do.

Within two hours, Krucky was being offered the coveted job of marketing rep.

Anton Krucky speaking at the Hogan kick-of event
Anton Krucky, Dr. Lynn Babington and Dr. John Webster

The branch manager for IBM said Krucky was getting the promotion because of his creativity and initiative. But, the manager added, “It wasn’t just that you were good. You were honest.” Krucky said the words resonated with him. “People buy from people who are honest,” he told attendees.

Later in his career, Krucky built a model to help CEOs and their executives understand how people change in an organization. It’s called the “four box model,” and it uses a basketball analogy to ensure those across fields can understand it. In the model, box four is for the best high school basketball players in the country. Their competency is high and their morale is high, he said.

But once they get recruited to a college basketball team, they’re in a new box: Box 1.

Box 1, Krucky said, is the announcement box. It’s where a new recruit is told they’ll have to change.

With the right coaching, though, they can get to box 2: Where they understand they’re on a journey. “This is the teach box,” Krucky said, in the keynote address. “You have to learn the journey you’re on.”

The problem? The morale in box 2 is pretty terrible, and the competency isn’t any good, either.

Those elite high school players want to retreat to box 4. But their old box 4 isn’t there anymore.

If they can push through, a player learning the ropes can progress to box 3. That’s where they’re changing to meet a leader’s expectations. Here, competency is going up and morale is going up, too.

And eventually, with enough practice, they find themselves in a new box 4.

Krucky told the Hogan students that employees’ journey through change happens again and again in healthy companies. And leaders need to know how to inspire and mobilize employees so when they are going through the tough process of change, they don’t want to retreat to their old boxes, he said.

“You have to let the people know there is this model,” Krucky said, “so they know they will be happy” – if they put the work in to change for the better.