Iolani Alumni

Thomas Park ‘96, owner of Leather Soul, a high-end men’s shoe boutique in the Royal Hawaiian Center, was named the 2008 Hawaii State Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award identifies an individual who has successfully owned and operated a small business, increasing revenue, jobs, and demonstrating potential for long term success for at least three years before reaching the age of 30 at the time of the award.

See the complete list of 2008 SBA Small Business Award Winners »

Park also recently partnered with fellow alum Dean Shimamoto ‘94 to launch Hawaii PaperWorks, a China-based paper production company that specializes in custom paper shopping bags and gift boxes.

Throughout this amazing journey they call life, James Chan ‘98 (shown left), a realtor-associate with Prudential Locations, and Erik Yamamoto ‘99 (shown right), a teacher at Iolani School, learned that “there is much more to the affable essence of a permanent smile in the ocean than forcing your favorite board in unfavorable conditions.” So, in order to maximize the “fun”, the pair along with a friend, Chad Sakumoto (Punahou), created their own company to shape boards that’ll keep you smiling and enjoying life.

Walk Fantastic, an idea, a dream, a reality; to create boards that maximize fun with an eye to soul, style, and function. Handling customers as their friends, there is a piece of each of their hearts in all of their original shapes because in the end it comes down to one truth: In surfing and in life, You Gotta Walk Fantastic!

For those who frequent the Ocean Club, Hokulani Bakeshop may have caught your eye a time or two, but there’s a pretty good chance that if “Ocean’s” was your destination, you weren’t too concerned about sweets. Well next time you head in that direction, make it a point to stop by and visit the dream creation of Iolani alumnus Tushar Dubey ‘94 (right) and his wife Ana (far left). (Photo: Star Bulletin)

Hokulani Bakeshop (formerly Good Kine Cookie Co.) opened in Restaurant Row in 2006 after outgrowing a small kiosk in Ala Moana Center and is known for their island style cookies and cupcakes decorated by hand and baked from scratch. In recent months, Hokulani has been featured on several Japanese media outlets including Travelix, the Japanese Travel Channel, and can be seen on the current edition of Tiny TV on OC16.

A quick collection of gift ideas from Iolani-owned businesses (that I know of):

Great Harvest Bread Company - Kahala, Downtown, Kailua, Aiea - Pick up a gift basket or gift bag from one of their 4 locations throughout the state. They’re sure to please… View their 2006 Holiday Brochure »
Related Alumni: Adam Wong ‘94, Brian Ah Yat ‘94, Anson Shimabukuro ‘94, Justin Walthall ‘96

Crack Seed Center - Ala Moana Center - Pick it up at the store or make a purchase online. They have bunch of gift baskets to choose from including the option to create your own. Gift Certificates available as well. The Perfect procrastination pick… Express Mail Shipping available until the 20th!
Related Alumni: Bryan Li ‘96

Leather Soul - Downtown, Waikiki - Need a great gift for the business professional that seems to have it all?… Leather Soul is the perfect place to find high-end footwear that will never go out of style. Gift Certificates available.
Related Alumni: Tom Park ‘96

Hawaiian Hardball - Online - If you’re a baller in Hawaii, or you know one, then this maybe the perfect gift. Hawaiian Hardball has a complete line of baseball related apparel and accessories for men, women and keiki. Shipping is available, though I’m not sure if it’ll get there in time for Christmas, but I’m sure if you really need it, Jay will take care.
Related Alumni: Jason Arakaki ‘87

Iolani Store - Iolani School - Couldn’t find anything in red and black after spending hours at Ala Moana?… You’re in luck. The Iolani Store has got you covered. Shipping is available, but if you can’t afford to wait for them to ship it, drop by the Iolani Book Store for a pickup instead. (They are closed on Friday of this week for the holidays.)
Related Alumni: Kirk Uejio ‘98

That’s all I could come up with. Please post more in the comments…

As the current head coach of the Iolani JV Baseball team and a member of the 1986 Iolani State Championship team, Jason Arakaki ‘87 surely loves baseball. So much so that in 2005 he launched his own clothing and apparel company, Hawaiian Hardball, to cater to the local baseball loving community.

Hawaiian Hardball features a full line of clothing for men, women and keiki and includes an assortment of tees, dri-fits, hats, stickers and more… They also sponsor several of Hawaii’s top professional baseball players including alumnus Keoni Derenne ‘97 who is currently in the minor leagues in the Boston Red Sox organization.

Check out the full line at HawaiianHardball.com and don’t be shy… buy!

As an aspiring diver, recreational surfer and long-time entrepreneur, Davin Kazama ‘94 seemed destined to create some sort of business that revolved around his interest with and love for the ocean. Well… in the summer of 2004, with his current business, e808.com, on cruise control, destiny became reality as Kai Clothing Company was launched.

Kai, which means “ocean” in both Japanese and Hawaiian, has seen tremendous success since its intial launch, catching on with the local dive scene and breaking into several other untapped ocean sports markets. His products and clothing are currently sold through various surf and dive shops throughout Hawaii and on the West Coast as well as through his own online store, e808.com.

Davin is currently married to fellow classmate, Noelani (Soriano) ‘94 and together the couple recently had their first child (a girl), Sanoe “Sunny”.

Once a Lexus salesman… now a shoe salesman. Huh? Probably doesn’t make much sense… well, until you hear Tom Park ‘96 talk about the shoes he sells. To him, they are Lexus’, but for your feet. And, like the luxury vehicles he once sold, his shoes aren’t cheap, but they’re worth every penny.

In the fall of 2004, Tom opened Leather Soul, a specialty men’s shoe boutique located on the ground floor of Topa Tower in downtown Honolulu. With shoes meant for the sophisticated professional, his clientele includes several of the state’s most well-known businessmen and CEOs, but don’t feel intimidated… his shoes are for everyone. Stop by and try on a pair. Talk story. Watch a basketball game. Eat lunch. Just call it a meeting. Know one will know.