Program Teaches Students Entrepreneurship and Social Responsibility
April 27, 2011-Honolulu, HI– Chaminade University’s Hogan Entrepreneurs inducted 35 students into its program today. It was the 10th induction ceremony for the unique program that encourages its students to use their entrepreneurial passion and academic achievements as the means to contribute to their communities. The program’s motto continues to be “doing business things that make social sense; doing social things that make business sense.” Students graduating from the program were also celebrated and honored.
“Open to all majors and undergraduates as well as graduate students (not just business majors), we recognize that any graduate has the potential to start something new,” said Dr. John Webster, program director. “New ideas that contribute to society and the well-being of communities benefit everyone, but also can make for successful, thriving businesses. This is the variety of entrepreneurial spirit we cultivate in our program.”
Of special note, Hogan Entrepreneurs recognized Debbie Hallof with its Entrepreneurial Lifetime Achievement Award. This is only the second time that this award has ever been presented. Hallof is the president of Business Advisory Group, Inc. and a member of the Hogan Advisory Board. For almost 10 years, she has taught courses and mentored students in the Hogan program. An entrepreneur herself who is an established executive coach and a specialist in non-profit start-ups, she instilled a strong corporate citizenship with her students. She has also voluntarily provided support and training to the Hawaii Women’s Business Center, the Kuha’o Business Center of Molokai, the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and the Small Business Resource Center in Honolulu. She has previously been recognized by the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii as its 2006 Minority Small Business Champion for the entire state. Receiving it on her behalf was colleague and faculty member, Margaret Friedman.
Darren Kimura, the president and CEO of Sopogy, Solar Power Technology, was keynote speaker. Diep Vuong, biology major, was the student speaker. Erin Frana, an MBA student from Oahu, was awarded the 2011 Outstanding Hogan Entrepreneur of the Year Award, given to the student who has achieved the most significant results while consistently embracing the spirit of the program through his or her earnestness and enthusiasm for the underlying values of the program. Representing the Hogan Family Foundation, benefactors of the program, Gary Hogan, president of Hawaiian Hotels and Resorts, and his wife Nadine Hogan were on hand to make award presentations. Gary Hogan is also the chairman of the Hogan Advisory Board.
Other student award winners were:
- Outstanding Graduate Student Award – Linda O’Grady, an MBA student from Phoenix, Arizona;
- Outstanding Senior Student Award – Tony Stanford, a computer information systems major, from Honolulu;
- Outstanding Junior Student Award- Joshua Thinsew, a business major from Yap;
- Aloha Spirit Awards, given to the students that most represented program principles by fostering goodwill and through independent leadership initiatives, were awarded to Diep Vuong, biology major from California; Ray Ke Zhu, MBA student from Sichuan, China; and Natalie Phanphengdy, from Honolulu.
Debbie Hallof does good work. I have read quite a bit about her, and for the longest time I wanted to start a small biz in Hawaii.
Small businesses are the engines that drive our economy, create jobs and enable a better life style. Keep pushing, the more small business that are created the faster we can get out of this recession.
It’s encouraging to see educational establishments taking entrepreneurship seriously, especially in the current economic climate. I have been starting my own businesses over the last ten years and it’s hard graft but ultimately rewarding if you can perservere and never be afraid of failure.