Chevron donates $350K for public school projects
Teachers at 110 Hawaii public schools statewide received valuable classroom resources purchased with $350,000 that was raised through Fuel Your School, a collaboration between Chevron and DonorsChoose.org, an online organization dedicated to helping students in need.
Chevron contributed $1 when consumers purchased eight or more gallons of fuel during the month of October at participating Chevron stations throughout the state. The resources purchased will benefit 406 public school classroom projects in Hawaii, support science, technology, engineering and math curriculum, and impact 32,650 students.
This year, the Fuel Your School program generated nearly $7.1 million for classrooms in 16 U.S. communities and positively impacted more than 900,000 students.
CPB Foundation supports several charities
The Central Pacific Bank Foundation awarded $476,182 in 2013 to more than two dozen charities including Aloha United Way, Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii and Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council.
The foundation was established to strengthen Hawaii communities by creating opportunities for youth and fostering social progress. The foundation support focuses on the areas of education and community development.
Donation will benefit typhoon victims
The Hawaii Lodging &Tourism Association and its chapters on Kauai and Hawaii Island, joined by the Maui Hotel &Lodging Association, have collectively donated $35,000 to the American Red Cross in support of the victims of Typhoon Haiyan that devastated areas of the Philippines in November.
The check was presented to the American Red Cross during the Kokua for the Philippines event Dec. 15 at Hilton Hawaiian Village.
The Hawaii Lodging &Tourism Association is a statewide organization representing hotels, condominiums, timeshares, and other lodging entities.
Applications sought for accelerator program
Blue Startups, a Hawaii-based accelerator founded by Henk Rogers of Blue Planet Software, is recruiting its third cohort of up to 10 high-growth companies for its spring accelerator program.
Applications must be submitted by Feb. 1 at bluestartups.com/apply. The program will run March 17 through June 6. Blue Startups uses the lean startup method of rapid company development and iteration in its 13-week intensive mentoring program. Blue Startups targets scalable high-growth companies from Hawaii and around the world. Each company is given $20,000 in up-front funding with the possibility of up to $50,000 in follow-on funding upon completion of the program.
The Spring Blue Startups program culminates in a new regional investor event called East Meets West Demo Day, which aims to attract deals and investors from the major regional economies of Asia.
Blue Startups has invested in 15 companies since its founding in 2012, raising more than $3 million in follow-on funding, and continues to gain market traction.
For more information, visit bluestartups.com.
— Movers &Shakers —
Horton heads Hawaii Dental Association
Lili Horton, an orthodontist practicing in Honolulu, was named president of the Hawaii Dental Association for 2014 at the 111th annual session of its house of delegates. The statewide professional association represents more than 970 licensed dentists in Hawaii, and is considered the leading advocate of oral health in the state.
Hawaii Dental Association’s other officers for 2014 include: Honolulu pediatric dentists Lynn Fujimoto, president-elect, and Christopher C. Lee, treasurer; and Kauai general dentist Robert M. Long, secretary. Other members of the executive council include: Honolulu general dentist Curt Shimizu, immediate past president, and Hawaii Island general dentist Patsy Fujimoto, speaker of the house.
Association members will participate in the National Give Kids A Smile Day Feb. 7. Dentist volunteers and their staff will provide dental screenings, education and, if needed, referral and treatment to underserved children across the state.
Hawaii Family Dental Centers names new head
Hawaii Family Dental Centers has appointed John Bower as its new president of operations. Bower brings over 20 years of business experience to his new role having previously served as CEO for the online company uBoost. Bower replaces Tim Mobley, who joined the company as president of operations in 2005.
Bower has a consistent record of generating significant value for the companies that he oversees through creative funding, team building, and effective sales and marketing efforts. Prior to uBoost, Bower was the founder and managing director of Sennet Capital, LLC where he was involved with venture and private equity investing, mentoring portfolio companies and developing financial models and strategic plans.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Bower was recognized by Pacific Business News as one of “40 under 40” in 2003 and serves on the boards of several charitable and for-profit entities throughout the United States.
Tiki Shark Art signs distribution deal
Brad Parker’s Big Island-based company Tiki Shark Art Inc. has announced the signing of an exclusive distribution deal with Oahu based KC Hawaii. This new arrangement will expand exposure of Tiki Shark Art to mainstream buyers across the Hawaiian Islands and nationwide. A new line of souvenir tiki items is scheduled to hit the market as early as this spring.
Bank contributes to Philippines relief efforts
Central Pacific Bank has donated $25,000 to Aloha for Philippines to help with continued relief efforts to repair the destruction and devastation left by Typhoon Haiyan.
“What the people of Hawaii have done to help has been tremendous and we are very happy to be a part of this effort,” said John Dean, president and CEO of Central Pacific Bank.
The money will support relief efforts of the Filipino Community Center and American Red Cross, including helping with immediate recovery needs, rebuilding communities, and restoring quality of life to affected families.
For more information visit centralpacificbank.com.
Landrum explains legislative process
Kona Kohala Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Vivian Landrum will give a presentation to help attendees understand Hawaii’s legislative process at noon Tuesday at the West Hawaii Civic Center Community Hale. Also included will be a discussion on past bills the chamber advocated for or against and what bills are expected to surface this year.
The program is free to Chamber of Commerce members. Nonmembers are welcome at a cost of $15. For more information and to register visit kona-kohala.com or call the office at 329-1758.
Kokua Kailua scheduled Sunday
Kailua Village’s monthly Kokua Kailua takes place Sunday along Alii Drive, which becomes a pedestrian-only thoroughfare from 1 to 6 p.m. Entertainment begins at 4 p.m. on the lawn of Hulihee Palace. Kokua Kailua is designed to rally support for merchants and restaurants and to remind residents to shop, dine and buy locally.
The next Kokua Kailua is slated for Feb. 16.
Air Methods buys Blue Hawaiian Helicopters
Air Methods Corporation, the global leader in air medical transportation, announced in December that it had completed its acquisition of Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, a helicopter tour operator based in Hawaii, and its affiliates.
Founded in 1985, Blue Hawaiian is one of the world’s largest aerial tour operators, offering 12 scheduled tours on five of Hawaii’s islands. Blue Hawaiian operates a fleet of 24 Eurocopter AS350s and EC130s helicopters. Blue Hawaiian generated consolidated revenue of approximately $47 million for the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2012.
By local sources