Hawaii National Bank Entrepreneurs

It starts with

a vision for the possibilities.

It starts with

a passion to create, build and heal.

It starts with

big responsibilities and bigger dreams.

Meet the entrepreneurs.

Constantly adapting and innovating, these entrepreneurs work tirelessly to run the small businesses that keep our community going.

Rupa Wong

David Souza

Andrew & Alex Le

Craig & Ryan Sugihara

Aloha Personal Training

Candace & Jon Nakasone

Local Joe

Charles Asselbaye

Ask an Entrepreneur

What do you love about Hawaii National Bank?

They are there for us from the beginning. Without their support, a business like family, women-owned, immigrant business would be impossible in Hawaii.

Ahu Hettema

Istanbul Restaurant

You need a bank that understands small businesses. With Hawaii National Bank, you have a personal relationship. They understand the trials and tribulations that we go through.

Steve Scott

Scott Hawaii

They're our customers and friends. We trust them. I love that they give great advice.

Max Yoshikawa

McKinley Carwash

The thing I love most is that they’re a family owned local bank and they really specialize in meeting your needs and walking the road with you and being a part of your business with you.

Colleen Paparelli

The Pâtisserie, Inc.

They understand the dynamics of a family owned business and so our relationship sets them apart from other banks. I’m very thankful for Hawaii National Bank.

Lia Young Hunt

Goldwings

They make us feel as if we are their only company, and we’re a very small business compared to some of their businesses. They take the time to help us, and that’s important in a bank.

Rupa Wong

Honolulu Eye Clinic

HNB was basically the bank that believed in us and for that, I’m very thankful to Hawaii National Bank.

Mark Harris

MD Restoration

They operate the way I envision banks should operate: Where they get to know you as a customer, they get to know your type of business, and they are willing to support your growth. That’s what we need as small business people.

Richard Schuman

Magnum Helicopters

What do you love about Hawaii National Bank?

They are there for us from the beginning. Without their support, a business like family, women-owned, immigrant business would be impossible in Hawaii.

Ahu Hettema

Istanbul Restaurant

You need a bank that understands small businesses. With Hawaii National Bank, you have a personal relationship. They understand the trials and tribulations that we go through.

Steve Scott

Scott Hawaii

They're our customers and friends. We trust them. I love that they give great advice.

Max Yoshikawa

McKinley Carwash

The thing I love most is that they’re a family owned local bank and they really specialize in meeting your needs and walking the road with you and being a part of your business with you.

Colleen Paparelli

The Pâtisserie, Inc.

They understand the dynamics of a family owned business and so our relationship sets them apart from other banks. I’m very thankful for Hawaii National Bank.

Lia Young Hunt

Goldwings

They make us feel as if we are their only company, and we’re a very small business compared to some of their businesses. They take the time to help us, and that’s important in a bank.

Rupa Wong

Honolulu Eye Clinic

HNB was basically the bank that believed in us and for that, I’m very thankful to Hawaii National Bank.

Mark Harris

MD Restoration

They operate the way I envision banks should operate: Where they get to know you as a customer, they get to know your type of business, and they are willing to support your growth. That’s what we need as small business people.

Richard Schuman

Magnum Helicopters

What are some qualities that entrepreneurs should look for in a bank?

What I look for is a bank with people that are going to care about our success as individuals and as a business.

Rupa Wong

Honolulu Eye Clinic

The most important quality is the alignment of goals. I believe that the personnel at the bank need to understand where we want to go, and with that insight they can help guide us. It’s really important to have that partnership in business, because together we can achieve all dreams.

Sig Zane

Sig Zane Designs

Building a relationship with the bank. They have to be able to work with you and be proactive in helping you set up your business.

Aldrin Wong

AW Dental Group

What advice would you give someone starting a business?

Know what it will take to weather the low points. If you have a bank who you believe in and who believes in you, that solves half the issues.

Steve Scott

Scott Hawaii

It is not just whatever business you are doing, like for instance, this is cooking. Cooking is maybe 20% of the business. You have to be ready to fix things, to install things. You have to select good team members who are going to be there for you, and you have to take care of your team members.

Ahu Hettema

Istanbul Restaurant

Treat your business like a child. Feed it, nurture it. Keep investing in it to make it healthier and better.

Lora Nakai

Heaven on Earth

For years, I struggled with giving up control, with investing in my business because I was afraid I would lose it, but in order to grow, you have to just overcome that fear and just do it. Buy that extra vehicle, hire those extra employees that can take some of the load off of you and allow you to grow your business and learn how to make it better.

Mark Harris

MD Restoration

What do people love about your business?

People love our food. It is the #1 plate lunch in Hawaii.

Eddie Flores Jr.

L & L Hawaiian Barbecue

Visitors come from all over the world and when they see the beauty of Oahu and some of our major features like Diamond Head and especially Pearl Harbor, it’s very moving and life changing. They get to experience something they never experienced before, overcome a fear of helicopters, see the beauty of our island and learn some of the history.

Richard Schuman

Magnum Helicopters

More than business, we are sharing our food with people. And this is, I think, what keeps people coming back.

Ahu Hettema

Istanbul Restaurant

A lot of our customers actually feel like old friends. Of course, people love the coffee, but I keep telling our baristas that we’re more in the business of people than coffee. The community aspect of the business sets us apart.

Charles Asselbaye

Local Joe

We are family-owned and bake fresh products daily.

Colleen Paparelli

The Pâtisserie, Inc.

People love Aloha Personal Training because we customize every workout so it’s tailored to your goals, whether it’s fitness, learning new movements or just refining technique.

Candace Nakasone

Aloha Personal Training

I think customers love T&C because of what it represents. It’s a lifestyle of Hawaii and for Hawaii people locally, T&C’s been around a long time.

Ryan Sugihara

T&C Surf

What are some characteristics a successful entrepreneur needs to have?

Running your business with a high degree of honesty, providing for your employees the best you can, and giving your customers something they might not have expected.

Richard Schuman

Magnum Helicopters

You can’t be afraid to put in the work. It’s easy to put money into something, but a real entrepreneur has to lay the foundation of their company, they have to teach their associates and employees the vision.

Kurt Yoshikawa

McKinley Carwash

You have to have passion in what you do. You also have to have good financial support, if not through family and friends, through financial institutions like Hawaii National Bank.

Craig Yoshikawa

McKinley Carwash

What do you love about your work? What keeps you motivated?

What keeps me motivated to keep going through is the fact that there are people out there who want us to succeed. For me, personally, I grew up in West Africa where as a child, I was a refugee in my own country. Resilience is important, it’s something that’s ingrained in me.

Charles Asselbaye

Local Joe

Helping people makes us feel great, and that’s what gets us up at 3:30am in the morning.

Jon Nakasone

Aloha Personal Training

In our industry, you don’t see women in the kitchen much. In our kitchen, 90% of our team members are women. And it shows people, especially the people who think women can only do certain things, that we can do everything as everybody can do everything. That makes me feel good to show people it is a small women, immigrant, family-owned business.

Ahu Hettema

Istanbul Restaurant

Running an honest business, taking care of your employees, making sure when you give a person your word that you come through with it.

Richard Schuman

Magnum Helicopters

AW Dental Group

Aldrin Wong, DDS

Goldwings

Lia Young Hunt

GreenPath Technologies, Inc.

Guy Akasaki

Heaven on Earth

Lora Nakai

Honolulu Coffee Co.

Ed Schultz

Istanbul Restaurant

Ahu Hettema

L&L Hawaiian Barbecue

Eddie Flores, Jr.

Magnum Helicopters

Richard Schuman

McKinley Car Wash

Kurt, Craig, & Max Yoshikawa

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