Growing up in Hakalau, Duane Kurisu can’t remember a single house in his neighborhood that wasn’t “swept and mopped clean and tidy,” or a yard where the grass wasn’t cut.
“We grew up in a community where we had dignity and where our parents and our neighbors (instilled) upon us things like responsibility,” said Kurisu, who is founder and chairman of the Honolulu-based company aio. “… And it’s those values which have become core to me and core to … the culture of aio. It’s about being the best you can be with what you have.”
Kurisu was one of five Hawaii business leaders who participated in a talk-story panel discussion Friday centered around the topic: How to make the local-style ways of doing business succeed in the modern economy.
It was part of Hawaii Business magazine’s SmallBiz Academy luncheon and business expo at the Grand Naniloa Hotel in Hilo.
More than 200 people attended the event, which aimed to give “valuable tips, insight and data” for local small businesses.
“For us, we try to go to a place where nobody else has been,” said panelist Allan Ikawa, who is chairman and CEO of Big Island Candies.
Ikawa said many island residents bring visitors to Big Island Candies to show “there’s a business in Hilo that can compete with stores in San Francisco and L.A. and (elsewhere).”
“We try to be creative and one step ahead of everyone else,” Ikawa said. “Because if someone is going to copy us, we want to make sure they can’t do it better.”
Other panelists were Colbert Matsumoto, executive chairman of the board at Island Insurance; John Komeiji, chief administrative officer and general counsel at Hawaiian Telcom; and John Dean, executive chairman of the board at Central Pacific Bank.
Panelists also shared their thoughts on millennial-age workers and their take on Facebook’s previous motto to “Move fast and break things.”
They also were asked about their stance on a recent controversy surrounding Starbucks after two African-American men were arrested in one of the company’s Philadelphia locations. Starbucks has since announced it will close 8,000 stores for one day for employees to undergo racial-bias training.
“I do think the CEO is making a good effort,” Dean said of Starbucks’ response to the incident.
“When you’ve got 20,000 to 30,000 to 40,000 employees, you’re going to have bad stuff happen. So it’s more, not just setting the values, but when that stuff happens, how do you react to it? Hiding is the wrong thing, going after it is the right thing.”
Hawaii Business magazine has hosted SmallBiz Academy events elsewhere in the state but Friday’s marked its debut in Hilo.
Another SmallBiz Academy is slated for November in West Oahu.
Email Kirsten Johnson at kjohnson@hawaiitribune-herald.com.