As the daughter of a wildlife biologist father and kumu hula mother, Ulalia Woodside’s passion for the natural world was rooted in her since childhood. This early passion blossomed into a career in protecting Hawai‘i’s diverse natural resources. She is now Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy of Hawai‘i.
From political struggles to the modern Hawaiian Sovereignty movement, activist photographer Ed Greevy has been capturing Hawaiʻi history since the 1970s. The LA native came to Hawaiʻi to surf as the Save Our Surf movement was ramping up, and it made him aware of threats to surfing breaks on the south shore. He documented this and other land development conflicts over the past 40 years and now has an archive of over 100,000 images.
Get to know Sherry Menor-McNamara, the youngest and first female President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Hawaiʻi. After working in Los Angeles, New York and Tokyo, Menor-McNamara returned to Hawaiʻi and earned post-graduate degrees in law and business. Her interests in public service and business converge in her current role at the local Chamber, which has won national recognition under her leadership.
In 2015, when the University of Hawai‘i named Eran Ganot as the new head coach for the men’s basketball team, many onlookers were surprised. Find out why.
When she was 7 years old, Kim-Anh Nguyen and her family were uprooted from their home country of Vietnam after the war. Nguyen assimilated quickly in America, and she forged a path for herself in science as a researcher. She now heads the Blood Bank of Hawaii, which allows her to do what she says she loves best – connect with people.
Kohala native Manaola Yap grew up processing dyes from native roots and plants, while helping his mother, kumu hula Nani Lim Yap, create elaborate hula costumes for performances. These early experiences now inform his brand of Hawaiian luxury clothing, Manaola Hawai‘i, which made its New York Fashion Week debut in September 2017.
It's hard to think of a choir or chorus without thinking of Nola Nahulu - one of Hawaiʻi's premiere conductors and music teachers. Nola got hooked on music while taking piano and ballet growing up as a child in Mākaha, and she parlayed that passion into a career that has spanned more than three decades.
She has taught and conducted some of the islands' legendary and beloved choral groups - including the Kawaiahaʻo Church Choir, the Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus and the Honolulu Symphony Chorus.
Opera and cockfighting are some of the diverse subjects that Kauai-based documentary filmmaker Stephanie Castillo has covered throughout her career. Castillo released her first film, Simple Courage, in 1992, which drew parallels between Hansen’s Disease and the major health crisis at the time of the film’s release, the AIDS epidemic.
Named for the island where he was born, Lanai Tabura is well-known for his talents as a DJ, comedian, television host, actor and entrepreneur. Now he dedicates himself to one of his earliest passions – cooking – to share aloha across the globe through food.
Hawaiʻi volleyball fans know and revere him as one of the sport’s winningest coaches of all time. Dave Shoji looks back at key moments in his 42-year coaching career and speaks of his retirement focus on family and health.