Chaminade University of Honolulu

Honors and Awards

2022 Nonprofit Business Plan Competition

Hogan Entrepreneurial Program and American Savings Bank Nonprofit Business Plan Competition finalists

From vocational training to higher education mentorship and homelessness prevention, the services delivered by the winners of the 10th annual Hogan Entrepreneurial Program and American Savings Bank Nonprofit Business Plan Competition are as diverse as the clients they serve.

But what they all share is a commitment to building a better Hawaii for everyone.

And now they have some additional support to do just that.

Chaminade University was proud to host a special ceremony on April 27 at the Clarence T.C. Ching Conference Center to announce the winners of the annual competition—designed to support innovative proposals in the public good and celebrate the contributions that nonprofits make to the community.

In all, the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program and American Savings Bank awarded $35,000 to nine Hawaii nonprofit organizations who participated in the competition this year. The first-place winner, Ho’ākeolapono Trades Academy and Institute, walked away with the $12,000 prize.

“We are so incredibly impressed by all of the Hawaii nonprofits who submitted proposals for the 2022 Nonprofit Business Plan Competition. It is clear they are embracing innovation as they seek to maximize their positive impact and help our communities thrive,” said Chaminade President Lynn Babington, PhD.

“For 10 years, this competition has showcased the ingenuity of Hawaii nonprofits, celebrated entrepreneurs who are driving positive change, and offered critical support to projects that have helped thousands of Hawaii residents overcome challenges and seek out new opportunities.”

Dr. Roy Panzarella, director of the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program, said socially-motivated entrepreneurship is a powerful tool in addressing some of the biggest issues facing Hawaii families.

“The Nonprofit Business Plan Competition is about pushing the envelope, embracing change and rewarding Hawaii organizations and leaders who are meeting community needs in new ways,” he said. “It is also about recognizing that we can accomplish great things when we all work together.”

In addition to all the competition’s finalists, attendees at the event included Hogan Entrepreneurial Program leadership, Dr. Babington and American Savings Bank Senior Vice President and Director of Community Advancement Michelle Bartell.

Hoakeolapono Trades Academy receiving their award

In their application, first-place winner Ho’ākeolapono Trades Academy and Institute laid out an ambitious proposal for delivering cutting-edge vocational training across high-demand trades, with a special focus on problem-solving and lifelong learning. The nonprofit is geared toward career technical secondary students and has already partnered with several public schools to deliver its programs.

They’re also teaming up with the community on construction projects, involving their student participants in hands-on efforts to make renovations to classrooms and install staircases and ramps. Looking ahead, they’re working to build a training hub on Hawaii Island and they want to launch a “refurbishing thrift shop” that will feature high-need household items restored by students.

“Ho’ākeolapono Trades Academy and Institute was designed to increase employment and advancement opportunities by providing participants with crucial building and construction knowledge and multidisciplinary, 21st-century trade skills,” the nonprofit wrote, in its business plan.

Alii Mentoring receiving their award

The second-place prize of $10,000 went to A’ALI’I Mentoring, a nonprofit that was formed to help students from underrepresented populations to navigate, persist and succeed in higher education. The organization offers one-on-one mentoring, scholarships, career development, community service activities and monthly group workshops on topics ranging from finances to communication.

“Transitioning from high school to post-secondary education remains a daunting challenge for many students,” the nonprofit said. “The support of a mentor, who can serve as a guide as well as a listener, can be an effective intervention in addressing low persistence rates of post-secondary education.”

Family Promise Hawaii receiving their award at the Nonprofit Business Plan Competition

The third-place winner was Family Promise of Hawaii, which provides services to homeless and low-income families. The nonprofit received $5,000 to help support its ‘Ohana Navigation Center, an innovative space seen as a hub for services, a gathering place, and a resource for supplies.

The center will even serve as a shelter space to temporarily house families.

“The project’s proposed design will include a child-friendly campus where families can access various supportive services created with input from Family Promise beneficiaries, staff and community partners,” the nonprofit said. They hope to serve 290 families a year at the center.

Aina Momona receiving their award at the Nonprofit Business Plan Competition

The fourth-place award of $3,000 went to nonprofit Hui Aloha ʻĀina Momona’s Ku’i’ai Accelerator project to provide quality wood to families and organizations so they can make taro pounding boards that will become heirlooms for future generations. The organization offers educational programs focused on food sustainability, local agricultural and indigenous farming and lifestyle practices.

In past competitions, judges chose eight finalists to compete for the top prize. Because of the amount of excellent business plans submitted, nine finalists were chosen this year.

The Five other nonprofit finalists also received $1,000 awards:

Spring Festival of Honors

Chaminade’s School of Business and Communication held a special awards ceremony and dinner recently to honor students and student groups who are embracing a “business for good” philosophy.

School of Business and Communication Festival of Honors 2022

The first annual Spring Festival of Honors on April 13 included a formal celebration dinner and recognition for students who are demonstrating exemplary scholarship and service to the community.

“I am incredibly proud of what all our undergraduate and graduate students have been able to accomplish over the past year,” said Dr. Bill Rhey, dean of the School of Business and Communication. “They are not only excelling in the classroom, but they are also going above and beyond in their efforts to showcase how business—and business leaders—can be a powerful force for good in Hawaii.”

The honors ceremony included video clips of students explaining the stellar work they were doing.

Among those honored was Cara Gutierrez, who is majoring in Communication with a minor in Environmental Studies and has become a passionate student leader for sustainability. In addition to creating a Campus Sustainability Council Club, Gutierrez is vice president of Chaminade’s Surfrider Club and serves as a resource recovery specialist at nonprofit Windward Zero Waste School Hui.

Oliver Carson, who is studying business and a senior in the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program, was also recognized. Carson owns Better Place Brands, which offers a line of private-label coffee brands that help fund animal rescue organizations in Hawaii and around the country. In 2021, his companies were able to donate $10,000 in cash and in-kind merchandise to the nonprofit organizations he’s teamed up with.

And several student groups were also honored for their work, including the winners of the school’s business plan competition in the Fall. Amber Kuitunen, Kelsie Inoue, Michael Cruz, Christopher Diego and Joshua Byrd launched Washed Ashore 808 with $250 in start-up money. And their product—jewelry made from microplastics reclaimed from Hawaii beaches—was an instant hit on campus.

The company was so popular that they decided to keep it going.

School of Business and Communication Festival of Honors 2022

Inoue said the team’s business plan was born out of a drive to help tackle a real problem: Plastics washing 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,” she said.

For their customers, she said, the necklaces are a “reminder of the difference we can make.”

Rhey added that all the student teams in the business plan competition deserve a hearty congratulations for their strong showing. Other groups launched impressive “micro-businesses” that sold sweet snacks, beach clean-up bags and t-shirts with a positive message.

“When students work together to maximize their positive impact, their peers, our university and the community benefits,” Rhey said. “I want to thank all our students for the work they put in this year, and I cannot wait to see what is ahead for them—and for our School—in the upcoming academic year.”

Spring Festival of Honors Awardees

Individual Awardees:

  • Ayu Suzuki: Outstanding International Student
  • Cara Gutierrez: Commitment to sustainability by composting, recycling, and starting a sustainability club on campus
  • Cara Gutierrez: Work in the Sugilanon video series
  • Jacqueline Martinez: Work in the Sugilanon video series
  • Albert Respicio: Work in the Sugilanon video series
  • Caitlyn-Marie Elisaga: Commitment to Hawaiian values and participation in Merrie Monarch
  • Oliver Carson: Entrepreneurial spirit and innovation in creating “Better Place Brands” private coffee label
  • Amber Kuitunen: Service-learning as a School of Business and Communication Ambassador
  • Kelsie Inoue: Work as a School of Business and Communication Ambassador
  • Mackenzie Meiners: Volunteer work on the upcoming Sugilanon video series

Group Awardees:

  • Angela Faye Navor, Jade Unabia, and Tommianne Brockert: Developing a business plan and executing it as part of the fall Business Competition
  • Ashley Yoshikawa, Peyton Oshiro, Michael Rose and Tyrone Rixey: IACBE Student Competition
  • Washed Ashore 808 (Amber Kuitunen, Kelsie Inoue, Michael Cruz, Christopher Diego and Joshua Byrd): Developing a business plan and executing it as part of the fall Business Competition
  • Alyana Nicole D. Alfaro and Kelsie Inoue: Working as a team to develop a 53-page strategic case analysis of Netflix in preparation for the Peregrine exam
  • Hubert Anton, Eri Leong and Emma Sherrell: Developing and pitching a Marketing Plan for the Hawaii Red Cross
  • Aubree Campbell, Dominique Marshall, and Mariana Wheeler: Developing and pitching a Marketing Plan for the Hawaii Red Cross
  • Brooklyn Pea, Kelsey Joy Sablan, and Kylie Pagud: Developing and pitching a Marketing Plan for the Hawaii Red Cross
  • Shandy Cullen and Laakea Gonzalves: Developing and pitching a Marketing Plan for the Hawaii Red Cross

Student Wins SC21 Data Science Competition

Taylor Ishisaka loves to unlock the secrets hidden in data.

There’s nothing more satisfying or rewarding, she says, than translating big data sets into clear, actionable information that communities can use to understand themselves better or tackle existing problems anew. “The world of data science has so much to offer,” said the Chaminade senior.

That passion isn’t only infectious, it’s getting noticed.

Taylor Ishisaki reviewing data science information

Most recently, she was part of a team that took home top honors in the inaugural data science competition at SC21, one of the biggest international conferences on high-performance computing. The competition, held over two phases in October and November 2021, was designed to give students a chance to showcase their computing, problem-solving and data analysis skills in a team dynamic.

Ishisaka, who is a Ho’oulu Scholar and Data Science major at Chaminade, said the competition started with a meet-and-greet opportunity over Zoom followed by details on the expectations for participants. She was put into a team with students from around the nation, including Washington State University and Central Texas College.

The first phase of the competition required students to perform analysis on a data set using a high-performance computing cloud. Ishisaka said the task was designed to test participants’ time management skills, teamwork, and ability to work effectively in the cloud platform.

The data set was a compilation of agricultural and livestock data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture database. Ishisaka’s team looked at crop production and fertilization data over several years, and Ishisaka created a color-coded heat map showing changes over time. A teammate, meanwhile, crafted several graphs that showed crop and soy production over specific Census years.

Ishisaka and her teammates put together a report in order to move to Phase 2, during which participants were challenged to find their own datasets to highlight problems in specific regions. Ishisaka’s team focused on Missouri data, specifically looking at data on bison populations. They took a multi-state view, tying in figures on climate and other environmental factors in their analysis.

The challenges were tough enough, but Ishisaka’s team also lost members over the course of the competition. Two didn’t show up again after the initial Zoom session. A third team member dropped off the map in Phase 2. That left the original team of five with just two members.

“As there were only two of us left in the most critical phase, my team member and I met with our mentor for hours each day discussing our progress on the project and next steps,” Ishisaka said. “We had to retrace our steps and rediscover our project purpose in order to put together our presentation.”

It was no easy task—but Ishisaka wasn’t deterred.

“After hours of putting together our presentation and rearranging everything to make sure that our story flowed, we created a product that we were proud of,” she said, adding that she stayed up all night before presentation day so she could memorize her talking points and deliver a clear message.

She delivered the presentation via Zoom with the judges and other teams all there. When everything was done, she was proud to have completed what she set out to do—and wasn’t thinking all that much about whether she’d actually be recognized for her efforts. “I was honestly surprised when we won,” she said. “I attended presentations of the other competitors and their projects were phenomenal.”

Ishisaka said she’s very happy with what she and her teammate were able to accomplish.

“I decided to keep on going throughout the competition because for one, I was representing Chaminade. And secondly, I know that my progress in the competition was a reflection of the skills and values that I learned throughout my academic journey in data science,” she said.

Ishisaka added she’s not one to leave things unfinished.

“Once I commit to a project, I am in it for the long haul,” she said.

The same goes for her commitment to data science, a major she fell into after participating in the Supporting Pacific Indigenous Computing Excellence (SPICE) Summer Institute in Summer 2019. SPICE, a partnership between Chaminade and the Texas Advanced Computer Center, gives students from all different majors and backgrounds a chance to explore data science and its many applications.

Ishisaka said that she entered the SPICE program not knowing anything about data science, “or that it even existed.” She added, “The following semester, I went to academic advising and switched my major from biochemistry to data science, and honestly it was probably one of the best choices I ever made.”

Inaugural President’s Innovation Award

Two faculty members who spearheaded out-of-the-box programs aimed at expanding educational opportunities to more members of the community and broadening the university’s positive impact were honored recently with the inaugural President’s Innovation Awards at Chaminade.

The recipients were:

  • Dr. Rylan Chong, assistant professor of Data Science, for his student-powered computing program that seeks to put data analytics in the hands of community members. Through a pilot program, his students worked with grassroots groups on the Waianae Coast to develop a community sentiment dashboard aimed at measuring well-being and health metrics.
  • Dr. Janet Davidson, vice provost and professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, for overseeing the successful design and launch of a Chaminade associate’s degree program at a Hawaii prison—the only Second Chance Pell Program currently offered in the state.
Dr. Rylan Chong posing with Dr. Lynn Babington

Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington said all of those nominated for the awards, and especially those who won, underscore how innovation is woven into Chaminade’s DNA. “The pandemic has added no shortage of challenges to our work at Chaminade, but it has also shown the power of innovation in helping us to meet our social service mission and expand our important work,” Babington said.

“I am so honored to say our campus is full of innovators—members of our Silversword ‘ohana who understand that today’s new ideas and new approaches are tomorrow’s successes and best practices.”

The Center for Strategy and Innovation created the President’s Innovation Award program and announced a call for nominations in September 2021. Winners were announced at a Spring Kickoff event for faculty and staff members celebrating the beginning of the new term.

Dr. Helen Turner, vice president for strategy and innovation at Chaminade, described the selection process as rigorous and said a five-member committee reviewed nominations and chose the recipients.

Both awardees said they were honored and humbled by the recognition.

Dr. Janet Davidson with her certificate for the inaugural President's Innovation Award

“I am truly grateful,” Chong said. “Receiving this award acknowledges how data science can unite communities, break down silos and social stereotypes about STEM disciplines, and be a field to catalyze social good. I want to personally thank the Waianae Coast community for their support.”

Chong added that he was particularly proud of the hands-on experiences students got throughout the course of the project—from interviewing community members to presenting their findings and continuously adding to and revising the dashboard as a “living tool” for stakeholders.

“Students made connections on how and when to use the data science and project management skills and tools they learned in their classes toward a real and relevant project,” Chong said. “They also learned a lot of soft skills, networking and working with a diverse group of people with various backgrounds to get real-world experience. And our shared work on this project continues.”

Davidson said the innovation award is a “rewarding validation” of all the work that’s gone into the Second Chance Pell Program, whose first cohort has 14 students. “This award is a reminder of the team behind this. It reminds me of how thankful I am that there has been university support all around. So many people support the mission of this program and its alignment with Chaminade’s values.”

She noted the COVID pandemic meant that faculty members and staff delivering the program were required to quickly pivot so they could continue to meet student needs and program expectations. “This honor means a lot,” she said. “And I look forward to seeing who is honored next year.”

Years of Service Milestones

Chaminade faculty and staff gathered in early December to celebrate the end of the Fall Term as well as the holiday season.

The event kicked off with the Chaminade Christmas Parade where faculty and staff drove through campus showing off their creativity and holiday spirit with decorated carts and cars.

After the parade, dozens of faculty and staff were recognized by their colleagues and celebrated their years of service milestones.

Among those honored: Dr. Chitha Unni, professor of philosophy in the School of Humanities, Arts and Design, who has served at Chaminade for 55 years.

Steven Downey, audio/visual assistant in Client Services, was recognized for 35 years of service and will be retiring at the end of 2021 (we wish him a wonderful retirement). 

And two members of the University ‘ohana are celebrating 25 years at Chaminade. Hector Mamaclay of Facilities and Evelyn Sanqui of the Business Office.

The end-of-the-year festivities are also a time for reflection – as faculty and staff members celebrate the accomplishments of the past year and look ahead to the next year.

Here’s the full list of Chaminade employees celebrating years of service milestones:

5 Years of Service
Dr. Hans Chun
Dior-Ashton Donner
Lynn Haff
Stacey Higa
Dr. Frederique Kandel
Rachel Nagai
Stari Nakano
Julie Tupuola
Kurt Van Lue
Lydia Villoria-Thoulag

10 Years of Service
Eric Bovaird
Sheryl Dohm
Kevin Hashiro
James Kahalewai
Keawe Leong
Dr. Edna Magpantay-Monroe
Terry McCandliss-Dowdell
Dr. Christopher McNally
Guy Paio
Richard Sevilla
Maritel Suniga
Russell Thoulag
Dr. Claire Wright

15 Years of Service
Dr. Joel Kawakami
Hieu Nguyen
Teresita Palma
Dr. Elizabeth Park

20 Years of Service
Dr. Lilia Castle
Steven Hee
Dr. Regina Pfeiffer

25 Years of Service
Hector Mamaclay
Evelyn Sanqui

35 Years of Service
Steven Downey

55 Years of Service
Dr. Chitha Unni

Students’ Stress-Related Project Awarded First Place in National Competition

Stress is a fact of life, but two innovative Silverswords want people to know the story doesn’t end there.

And their work is getting wide recognition.

Aloha Lei Garo and Taylor Ishisaka with their first-place medals

Earlier this year, Aloha Lei Garo ‘22 and Taylor Ishisaka ’22 embarked on a research project aimed at helping their fellow students recognize when their anxiety levels were getting too high and giving them new tools to manage stress, build resilience and seek out opportunities for self-calming and reflection.

The two then spent long hours preparing to present their research at the HOSA-Future Health Professionals’ Virtual International Leadership Conference over the summer. The event features a competition with postsecondary students from around the nation and the globe, all spotlighting their work and detailing its potential implications for the field. Garo and Ishisaka were pleasantly surprised by all the positive feedback they got — and then were even more wowed by their first-place win.

The two took home the top prize in the Health Education category.

The title of their project was “Finesse Your Stress,” and included self-assessments for students, information on why stress can impact your overall health and easy activities anyone can do — from fun games to movement exercises to guided meditation — aimed at boosting resilience.

The presentation also included guidance on when to get professional help.

Lei Garo is studying Biology at Chaminade while Ishisaka is pursuing a degree in Data Science. Both got involved in HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) and its leadership development programming in high school and have remained active members at Chaminade.

“I was very shocked and surprised that we won first place in our category,” Lei Garo said. “It was wonderful to see that all of our hard work has paid off to have this moment for us. I’m glad to not only have represented Chaminade University but also the state of Hawaii.”

Aloha Lei Garo and Taylor Ishisaka's HOSA research presentation

Ishisaka added she’s hoping to continue sharing their research and positive message more broadly, including “just how important it is to take care of yourself because we all get stressed. It is something we all face and it is vital to take control of it. It was our goal to educate young adults on the meaning of stress, how to recognize it and supply them with resources so they can maintain a healthy lifestyle.”

Ishisaka also said they had to remember their own advice as they put together their presentation, especially in overcoming no shortage of obstacles presented to them by COVID. Because of the pandemic, they had to prepare remotely and frequently chatted with each other over Zoom.

“We adapted to every obstacle,” she said.

“And started to expect the unexpected,” added Lei Garo.

Lei Garo said she wants her fellow students and the broader community to know taking breaks and caring for your mental health is just as important as doing well in school or succeeding in sports. “We get so caught up in the moment that we forget we should stop for a bit and take care of ourselves,” she said. “Taking at least a 10-minute break from stress is sometimes all you need to rejuvenate.”