Last month we held our fourth annual winter networking event for the Paubox Kahikina Scholarship. 

What's happening: For the past four years, we've held a winter networking event for the scholarship at The Pacific Club. 

Who showed up: Nine of our 32 scholarship recipients attended, along with 80 other advisors, customers, prospective customers, friends, and even a few prospective scholarship recipients.

Recipients who attended:

  • Bryan Pontanilla (Portland State University)
  • Dane Keahi (Yale University)
  • Dylan Dinio (Northeastern University)
  • Joshua Parker (Harvard University)
  • Kaimana Kau (Stanford University)
  • Kainoa Hottendorf (UC Berkeley)
  • Koa Chang (Stanford University)
  • Logan Lau (Stanford University)
  • Taysia Morioka (University of Michigan)

Companies and organizations who attended:

  • Adara
  • ALTRES
  • And1 Advisors
  • Blacksand Capital
  • Blue Rock Partners
  • Bowers + Kubota
  • Damien Memorial School
  • Envision Network Solutions
  • Finance Factors
  • Google
  • Hawaii Hui LLC
  • Hawaii Kidney Specialists
  • Hawaii National Bank
  • Hawaii News Now
  • Hawaii VA Loans
  • HMSA
  • Inkinen Executive Search
  • K Bay Capital
  • Kokua Kalihi Valley
  • Makai Ocean Engineering
  • Malama Ola Health
  • Netflix
  • Pacific Invitro Fertilization
  • Palolo Elementary School
  • Polynesian Voyaging Society
  • Purple Maiʻa
  • Scholar's App
  • Shifted Energy
  • Startup Capital Ventures
  • The Caregiver Foundation
  • The Kālaimoku Group
  • The Queen's Health System
  • Twitch
  • Upena Systems

 

About the scholarship: The primary objective of the Paubox Kahikina STEM Scholarship is to encourage Native Hawaiians to pursue careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).

The scholarship is recurring in nature. In other words, recipients receive $1,000 per year until they graduate.

The bottom line: We know connecting our recipients to our professional network will always be of interest. It's one of the big ideas behind the scholarship. We should therefore endeavor to achieve this.

See also: 

Enjoy the pics!

Scholarship recipients and guests networking at a holiday event, wearing lei

Koa Chang and Dane Keahi learning more about the importance of SQL from Leroy Kane (Paubox Kahikina STEM Scholarship advisor) in the business world

Professionals networking at the Paubox Kahikina Scholarship winter event

Connie Lau meeting Joshua Parker for the first time

Scholarship recipients and mentors conversing at Paubox Kahikina networking event

Dane Keahi and Kaimana Kau meeting Traven Watase (Scholar's App)

Scholarship recipient meeting with Bowers + Kubota Information Security and Technology Manager at networking event

For the second year in a row, Bryan Pontanilla flew in from Maui (on his own initiative) to attend the event. An architecture major at Portland State, he wanted to meet someone from Bowers + Kubota. Here he is meeting Charissa Wong, Information Security and Technology Manager for Bowers + Kubota.  

Networking at the Paubox Kahikina STEM Scholarship winter event

Aukina Hunt (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo) showing Greg Hoffman (Sr. Enterprise Account Executive, Paubox) and Evan Fitzgerald (VP Finance, Paubox) pics of Molokai

Kainoa Hottendorf (UC Berkeley) connecting with Donavan Kealoha (Startup Capital Ventures) | Paubox Kahikina STEM Scholarship winter networking event (2023)

Kainoa Hottendorf (UC Berkeley) connecting with Donavan Kealoha (Startup Capital Ventures)

Scholarship recipients and guests exchanging lei at Paubox Kahikina winter networking event

For the third consecutive year, Siana Austin Hunt (ALTRES) graciously bought lei for our scholarship recipients. She also serves on our Board of Directors.

Attendees at Paubox Kahikina STEM Scholarship winter networking event conversing indoors

Now CEO of Damien Memorial School, Arnold Laanui and I did some work together during his time at the FBI.

Three people seated at a round table at a networking event

My devoted wife Lisa and her parents (Roger and Joyce Lerud)

Group photo of Paubox-Kahikina STEM scholarship recipients and event organizers at winter networking event

Group pic of our scholarship recipients and my coworkers who helped make the event a success

People networking at a Paubox scholarship event, with two men in the center conversing while holding beverages

Scholarship advisor Forest Frizzell (CEO, Shifted Energy) with Nathan Nahina (Purple Maiʻa)

People networking at an indoor event, with two men in Hawaiian-print shirts conversing while holding drinks.

UH Manoa graduate Greg Hoffman doing a demo of Paubox from his iPhone

People networking at an indoor event with white tablecloths and tropical plants

Dylan Dinio (Northeastern University) networking with scholarship advisors Taylor Ho (Twitch) and Asia Lum (Netflix)

Two people at the Paubox Kahikina Scholarship winter networking event

Paubox supporters Charissa Wong (Bowers + Kubota) and Ryan Ozawa (Hawaii Hui LLC)

Two scholarship recipients at the 2023 Paubox Kahikina STEM Scholarship winter networking event

Taysia Morioka (University of Michigan) and I

Two people smiling at a networking event with tropical plants in the background

The 2023 class of the Paubox Kahikina STEM Scholarship is loaded with achievers. Koa Chang (Stanford University) is one of them.