h n l f l o w. c o m
h n l f l o w. c o m
2
h n l f l o w. c o m
CREDITS FOUNDERS
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Vina Cristobal (@veexc_) Peter Cheng (@chengman808)
MARKETING/PR
Raelyn Batacan (@raelynrb) Girlieh Mae Barit (@gbarit)
DESIGNER
Mark Galacgac (@m.ghee) (Assisted by Vina Cristobal)
FRONT COVER:
Model: Brittini Friedlander Photographer: Brittany Reis Design: Mark Galacgac
Jenny Paleracio (@jennyannepal_) Brittany Reis (@brittany.reis) Shawn Saito (@shawnsaito) Rayce Sugitan (@raycecar)
WRITERS
Raelyn Batacan Chelan Crane (@chelanny) Ellie Kakazu (@ellieknowsbest) Ashley Onzuka (@ashkimie)
VIDEOGRAPHERS
Rachel Kamita (@withoutyouitsjustme) Kahealani Uehara (@shakahea)
h n l f l o w. c o m
4
h n l f l o w. c o m
VIDEO FROM THE EDITOR
Click the play button to watch a short clip from our editor-in-chief, Vina Cristobal! It’s insane to think we were just hitting that
So let’s make a toast:
“PUBLISH” button on Issue 1 exactly a year ago. How crazy is it that we’re releasing Issue 5, that
Here’s to the past, the beginning of HNL Flow. We
some of us are graduating soon, and that Flow is
are grateful for those who stepped through our
getting new people at the flick of a wrist?
doors and still come in contact with us regardless of where they are in life. We are grateful of the
I’m not here to brag, of course, but we’ve definitely
memories made in the past year, and all the
come a long way since our inaugural issue came
lessons that we’ve learned.
out. That week in which we released Issue 1 was perhaps one of the best ones of my life.
Here’s to the present, the now. You’ve all been a part of the family, and today, I’m signifying that.
And since then, I don’t regret a single thing about
The readers, the staff, the people featured in any
starting HNL Flow.
of our issues, our followers on social media... EVERYONE. We are so thankful for all of you!
As we say farewell to familiar faces (see “Aloha Seniors!”), we continue on the theme of Flow 2.0:
Cheers to the future.
saying hello to our new members of the family (designer Mark Galacgac and photographers Rayce
Best,
Sugitan and Jenny Paleracio). And more along the
Vina Cristobal
way for Issue 6, of course!
Founding editor-in-chief, HNL Flow
h n l f l o w. c o m
6
h n l f l o w. c o m
m a m a M A V E N TEXT // RAELYN BATACAN PHOTOS // SHAWN SAITO
In a course of two months, Haus of Maven founder Melissa Kim has turned her simple space at the Box Jelly into a co-working powerhouse for women.
h n l f l o w. c o m
“Don’t make women fit the world, make the world fit women.” - Gloria Steinem There are a lot of innovative, intelligent, hard working women, and Melissa Kim is one of them. She’s a full-time mom, wife, Director of Marketing at BoxJelly and founder of Haus of Maven, a pop-up boutique women’s coworking space. She was born in Korea, and after growing up in North Carolina and attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Melissa made her move to Hawai‘i right after graduation. Her first job was at McNeil Wilson, currently known as Anthology Public Relations. Working in public relations for a while, her colleague Maria, who worked with her at Anthology and now in Haus of Maven, started BASH Events an event planning company in 2011. Three years later, she left BASH to spend more time with her son Leo (who has his own Instagram hashtag, #CoolKidLeo). “The coolest kid in the world, said every mom ever,” states Melissa.
8
At that time, she already had the idea of a woman’s coworking space and wanted to pursue that. As an entrepreneur herself, she needed a place to meet with her clients and a space to really do work. Melissa met with Rechung Fujihara, one of the cofounders of BoxJelly - Hawai’i’s first coworking space that rents out desks, offices and meeting rooms to the community of entrepreneurs, creatives and independents - and told him how she wanted to see a woman’s coworking space in Hawai‘i. Melissa asked Rechung to teach her everything he knew and one thing lead to another. She went in as an intern at BoxJelly. After moving up the ladder, she is now the Director of Sales and Marketing.work values. It’s like a dominated industry and she became inspired by the drive and intellect of her colleagues and saw that working with women was potentially profitable.
h n l f l o w. c o m
At BoxJelly, Melissa constantly did research before creating Haus of Maven and she still continues to do so. She saw that there wasn’t anything distinctly for women while men took advantage of the membership model of renting for the day or by the month. While at BASH, most of her clients were brides, and there wasn’t much to inspire them with. So what she did to create the female aesthetic for Haus of Maven and create the community among females was to not only look at what her target market was following on social media but also by the feedback from her clients. Clients left their nine-to-five jobs because they weren’t flexible with their families. They only needed to set aside three to four hours a day in between work at home, spending time with kids, cooking and cleaning. By creating this coworking space women would be able have this environment where they would get together, “… because we’re all women we relate to each other, we think like each other and we face the same issues,” says Melissa.
That’s how the design for Haus of Maven came about. It highlights femininity as strength. “I think women are drawn to that because it makes women feel beautiful and strong,” said Melissa. Haus of Maven held its first Open Haus event in March where individuals were warmed up to the idea of the coworking space and meet with other women. Kim also plans to have the opportunity to hold panel discussion and workshops and gain access to information and experiences from each other that they won’t get anywhere else. “I really want to empower women to advocate for themselves and each other,” says Melissa. Haus of Maven also offers free classes, such as the Creative Co-Op - which acts as a support group where members share what their creative goals are, take ninety minutes to work on that goal alongside other women. Another event that the Haus of Maven has hosted is the
h n l f l o w. c o m
10
“I think women are drawn to that because it makes women feel beautiful and strong...I really want women to advocate for themselves and for each other.�
h n l f l o w. c o m
Crunch Bunch, where guests have the opportunity to learn how to code, get the time to work on their coding skills and improve them, then eat brunch afterward. Haus of Maven was successful, but will be ending its pop-up location on May 15. The purpose of the pop-up was to see if it would be able to work in the Hawai‘i market. Coworking is relatively inexpensive, and by having more clients, Melissa and her team were able to do research and gather data to improve their business by focusing on women, women’s issues and building a community with them. They will continue to search for a larger, more permanent space within the next year. To stay up-to-date with Haus of Maven you can visit their website at hausofmaven.com and sign up for their newsletter or follow them on Facebook.
h n l f l o w. c o m
TEXT // CHELAN CRANE IMAGE // RAYCE SUGITAN AND VINA CRISTOBAL
12
h n l f l o w. c o m
Here in Hawaii, local clothing brands are constantly on the rise, with more and more entrepreneur-like individuals going forth in following their dreams.
Dominion Apparel also strives to prove that contrary to popular belief, “sex, drugs, money and even aloha” doesn’t always sell.
Bronson Kukonu is one of them.
According to Bronson, it doesn’t always need to be like that. Instead, he wants Dominion to be as true to its meaning as possible, even when it comes to marketing and advertising.
Just a few months ago, on New Year’s Day, Bronson launched Dominion Apparel, a lifestyle brand that capitalizes on its message of “knowing your worth.” Dominion Apparel isn’t just another “t-shirt company.” In fact, it’s not really about the apparel at all, but rather, it’s about the message it promotes. The message is to have authority over everything you do, especially yourself. Dominion Apparel represents a way of life, and the whole idea of “knowing your worth” reminds individuals to never settle for less than what they deserve. “I know that a lot of local-based, Hawaii brands go for the island or aloha type of style,” Bronson said. “With Dominion, I’m offering more of a street/lifestyle brand in a positive way.”
Bronson Kukonu (right) alongside his friend and Dominion artist Mark Kawasaki(left).
There are many things that Bronson seems to be doing right, but Dominion Apparel hasn’t quite been all fun and games. In fact, although the brand was launched just a few months ago, a lot has happened since then. Dominion originally started off as collaboration between four people, but has become a solo operation since. “Dominion actually started off with four people,” Bronson said. “So, when I was drawing out some designs and scribbling in my notebook I always knew I wanted to add a four in there somewhere. ‘Till I noticed this one four that I drew also looked like a backwards D, it hit me and caught my eye. A couple hours later I realized that the letter D is also the fourth letter of the alphabet.”
h n l f l o w. c o m
14
Dominion artist Mark Kawasaki performs covers at the Chaminade University Extravaganza. (Click picture to watch Mark’s performance!)
h n l f l o w. c o m
Bronson has also recognized that life as a businessman can be quite stressful, especially in capitalizing on the many ideas he has for Dominion. He has ideas of eventually incorporating music and sports in to his brand. With all difficulties aside, Bronson does have big goals for Dominion Apparel. He says that since it’s launch in January, business has been great. But as of right now, Bronson has been focused on getting people familiar with his brand rather than just on sales. He’s even taken advantage of a few opportunities to do so, such as participating in the Art + Flea events in Kaka’ako, where there is a lot of foot traffic.
We may even see Dominion at the Honolulu Night Market in the near future. In essence, Bronson has high hopes for Dominion Apparel, and we do too. He sees his brand taking him around the world - not just to travel, but to share his positive message with others.
h n l f l o w. c o m
THE REBIRTH TEXT // ELLIE KAKAZU IMAGE // JENNY PALERACIO
Bryant Des-Brisay, founder of Aloha Redux, brings a whole new definition of “aloha,” along with playing the roles of both designer and dad.
16
h n l f l o w. c o m
aloha redux (mark)
h n l f l o w. c o m
Aloha Redux was brought to life in 2013 by UH alum Bryant Des-Brisay. This brand branched out from Virtuoso Dynasty, which is another venture that he created. These two concepts go hand in hand, both striving to preserve creativity and the arts. Bryant believes Aloha is being reborn. “When people think of Hawaii and Aloha, they think of Aloha Shirts or they think of you know... it’s a cliche, but grass huts and grass skirts. And Hawaii is not that way
18
anymore, we are moving on. So off course Aloha needs to be reborn as well,” he explained. Bryant has a vision for the future that will enrich Hawaii’s art scene. It looks something like this. “I have this dream of opening this studio/ music studio/ art studio/gallery, where artists come together and have all the resources at their disposal. They don’t have to worry about anything, they just come in and they create. I’m thinking multi-floor building, basement, music studio, state of the art kitchen...every form of
o w. om h nh lnf ll fol w. c oc m
art. I just want this one mecca, where they can come in and create. It’ll be like a 24 Hour Fitness for the arts, they can come in anytime of the night, anytime of the day, come right of a plane and just create. There’s space for you, there’s everything”, Bryant expressed.
Last year, Bryant became a father and it is something that has changed his life dramatically. Although it requires a lot of responsibility and time to take care of another human being, his daughter inspires him to create something that she can be proud of.
He also noted, “Hawaii is perfectly placed in the middle of the Pacific. You have people from the East and the West, where they converge. I like Hawaii, it’s growing into that hub where people are flocking here for things like Pow Wow, you know it’s just one step.”
“I want to have something where you can be remembered,” Bryant said. “You can look back on your life and think, ‘Hey, I did something.’”
“Spending your time, quality time. Spend your time the right way. If you spend it doing things that you are not happy with, you are not ver y successful.”
Bryant has a lot going on in his life, but he believes spending quality time with loved ones is the best way to live.
h n l f l o w. c o m h n l f l o w. c o m
“Time is limited,” said Bryant. “You only have so much time in your life to do something and why not now? Everybody has an expiration date, you don’t want to have to look back on it and have any regrets.”
that you are not happy with, you are not very successful.” Bryant has put Aloha Redux on hold for some time due to his daughter’s birth, but with new life comes new sparks of creativity.
Many people strive to be successful, yet what does that really mean?
Everything has a time and a purpose. Now that he sees the world a little differently, it may inspire him to create again. If anyone wants to purchase an item or get more information, they can visit www.aloharedux.com or check out his Instagram page @aloharedux.
Bryant shared his definition of success. “Spend your time the right way. If you spend it doing things
“Time is limited. You only have so much time in your life to do something and why not now? Everybody has an expiration date, you don’t want to have to look back on it and have any regrets.”
h n l f l o w. c o m
12 9
3 6
22
h n l f l o w. c o m
VINA CRISTOBAL COMMUNICATIONS (BROADCAST JOURNALISM)
Chaminade University of Honolulu Founding editor-in-chief I’m an artist at heart - I’ve had a passion for art for as long as I can remember. I grew up in a family in which music, dance, and art played a significant role. I’m very happy that I was able to find my artistic passion in HNL Flow. I am about to graduate with a B.A. in Communications (Broadcast Journalism) from Chaminade. After graduation, I’ll be spending time with my relatives who are visiting for a bit. In June, I’ll be in China for a couple of weeks with my entrepreneurship group. But until then, I’ll be looking for fulltime jobs in my career field of interest (which is journalism) and helping out the new Flow team with future issues.
h n l f l o w. c o m
PETER CHENG ACCOUNTING
Chaminade University of Honolulu Co-founder I am currently a senior at Chaminade University and I am going to graduate in May with my Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. Afterwards, I will be going to grad school in late July as well as pursuing my CPA. I am also planning to apply to a full-time job at either a bank or a CPA firm. Being a part of HNL Flow has given me the opportunities to network with small businesses in the community and to work with some great people. Along with Vina and our entrepreneurship group, I will also be traveling to China this summer and intern at a Chinese accounting firm.
24
h n l f l o w. c o m
CHELAN CRANE BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Chaminade University of Honolulu Writer
I’m 22 years old and I will be graduating this May from Chaminade University with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration. What’s funny is that I didn’t exactly want to pursue a career in business administration, but rather a career in the news industry as a writer, and one day, a news broadcaster. Writing for HNL FLOW has given me the opportunity to gain experience in a field that I hope to excel in in the future, as well as a second family that we like to refer to as the “flowfam.”
h n l f l o w. c o m
ELLIE KAKAZU COMMUNICATIONS
University of Hawai‘i at Manoa Head writer
I believe in striving and fighting for what you are passionate about. With hard work and perseverance, limitations are nonexistent. Graduating with a college degree is a hurdle that I am about to overcome. The next chapter of my life’s story will begin to unfold. Although no one knows what the future holds, I do know that with God all things are possible. Working with HNL Flow is a blessing. I love the fact that I can help reflect the creative minds and souls that are in Hawaii. Ultimately, HNL Flow has taught me to do what I love and to dream big.
26
h n l f l o w. c o m
GIRLIEH MAE BARIT MARKETING
University of Hawai‘i at Manoa Marketing/PR
My life revolves around this motto: “Best ideas comes from horseback riding and looking at the sunset.” After getting my Bachelor’s degree in Marketing at UH Manoa, I’ll be attending the MBA program at Hult International Business School in London and Boston with a focus of International Marketing and will pursue a PHD in marketing as well and hopefully use my skills for non profitable hospitals or become a professor. I strongly believe in corporate social responsibility and sustainability.
h n l f l o w. c o m
RAELYN BATACAN COMMUNICATIONS (PUBLIC RELATIONS) University of Hawai‘i at Manoa Marketing/PR
I’m a twenty something year old about to graduate with her B.A. in Communication from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. I do a lot of things that keep me busy that my eighteen year old self wouldn’t have thought I was capable of. With the amount of free time I have, you’d be surprised at how many movies I make it out to, books I finish, blogs I’ve posted and feeds I scroll through. You can definitely catch me at an awesome Yelp Hawaii event or doing errands in Downtown Honolulu. By having two internships this past year, I hope that my invaluable experience and networks I’ve built continues to grow outside of Hawaii and in the golden city of San Francisco.
28
h n l f l o w. c o m
PRESS PLAY* See what the seniors have to say!
*Video will open in new window CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR SENIORS! BEST OF LUCK IN THE FUTURE!
FLOW CLASS
2015
VINA CRISTOBAL PETER CHENG CHELAN CRANE
ELLIE KAKAZU GIRLIEH MAE BARIT RAELYN BATACAN
h n l f l o w. c o m
30
h n l f l o w. c o m
3015
ILLUSTRATION + TEXT // MARK GALACGAC
Even with more “trashcities” growing in our ocean and inside pigeons’ digestive systems, there’s still hope for humanity. While I walked down the streets of Chinatown and Waikiki while looking up at the buildings, it’s clear to me that we have a totally different relationship with nature in some communities. Now, I wonder when technology advances and becomes more prevalent; will our connection with nature grow more distant? Will we ever continue to live in harmony with nature and one day rekindle greater connections, just like our ancestors? I know that it would depend on the intent in technological advances, to aim to improve the relationship of nature and humans in a harmony, or rather create a complete separation to nature. Even with more thrash-cities growing in our ocean and inside pigeons’ digestive systems, there are still hope for humanity. We are capable in imagining a brighter positive future for us. I imagined hundreds years from now, the sustainable infrastructure and lifestyle of human will most definitely improve. Environmental changes and pollution will push us to create a system to maintain and improve our lifestyles. Perhaps in a hundred years we will be living in utopias completely separate from nature, and I have great hope the separation may not be a negative one. I believe sensible nature coalitions and communities of conservatives will find ways to conserve the beauty of nature from the expanding city environments. What if in the year 3015, cities will rise above mountains and stand as mountains itself to reduce contact and impact on nature and the historic city-ruins that are below where former Honolulu once stood? Massive skyscrapers will sit on a plate-shaped base that acts as the ground and sidewalks, that is supported by beams and tubes, which also bring up water and necessities. Natural gases will be a thing of the past while solar power and other resources will be the main energy source of the future. Necessities like meat and vegetables will be accessible in this utopia from large natural farms from down on earth. I imagine the possibility that my great grandson will be looking down from incomprehensible giant floating utopia, standing among the birds and the clouds. He would wake up with the sun filtering through moving clouds hovering across the “city”, and morning mist miles below, blanketing the trees. Magnetic-propelled cars will hover,
h n l f l o w. c o m
scattering all over the sky like birds, and never needing to spew out harmful gases like the original cars. The air will be as clean as ever. However we imagine the future, it takes steps to get there. Our imagined thoughts can be radical, but it could be possible. And we’re not getting there anytime soon. Although..thinking of steps to improve human and nature might be the wrong mindset to go by, because human and nature are one in the same. In a complex relationship, we are part of nature and nature is a part of us. Similarly like everything came from one scientific origin. We are related to the cosmos, and Mars is our very distant cousin. Humans are classified as animals in this sensitive food chain. Majority of the atoms that makes up our body is made of stardust, like most of everything in this universe. We were born because of nature and our corpse goes back where it came from, to the ground either by ashes, dismembered limbs in some cultures. With this understanding, we might begin to understand why less technological cultures have greater connections with their land, and why they respect their land like they respect a family member.
32
h n l f l o w. c o m
h n l f l o w. c o m
34
h n l f l o w. c o m
POWWOW 2015 FLOW TEXT // VINA CRISTOBAL IMAGE // BRITTANY REIS
RAYCE SUGITAN
(WITH ASSISTANCE FROM MARK GALACGAC)
Last year, I journeyed solo to see the full process for Pow Wow 2014. Kaka’ako’s empty white walls were splashed with color as artists from Hawaii and from around the world gathered for an exciting week in Honolulu’s artistic center. The smell of paint cans, spray cans, and cigarette smoke engulfed several blocks of Kaka’ako – even extending itself to the corners of Kalihi and Ward Warehouse (which seemed to be a first for the annual mural festival).
Read more
FRINGING OUT OAHU FRINGE TEXT // ASHLEY ONZUKA IMAGE // NICOLE TESSIER
The Oahu Fringe Festival is an arts and music festival held annually in Chinatown. Slam poets, burlesque dancers, and other underground artists gather for three days – three days that celebrate Honolulu’s distinctive arts scene. I got to sit down and talk to Misa Tupou, the man behind the Fringe Festival, and discuss not only what the Fringe Festival is, but also what it stands for.
Read more
h n l f l o w. c o m
up next..