Young Professionals Program – 2024 Mentor Hawaii

WHAT IS MENTOR HAWAII?

Mentor Hawaii is the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii Young Professionals Program’s signature mentorship program that provides exclusive access to Hawaii’s top business and community leaders across various industries for one-on-one mentoring to support career growth, leadership development, and elevated business acumen.

While the one-on-one mentorship is designed to be tailored to each mentee’s specific goals, Mentor Hawaii provides a structured program with guidelines for suggested discussion topics and best practices to make the most out of the mentorship experience.

Since the program’s inception, over 150 young professionals have leveled up through Mentor Hawaii and have achieved notable accomplishments since their participation in the program, such as being recognized in Pacific Business News’ annual “40 Under 40” list, other notable awards and accolades, promoted to organizational leadership roles, as well as pursuing national opportunities. Nearly 80 business and community leaders have served as mentors over the years.

WHAT CAN SELECTED MENTEES EXPECT?

During the six-month long program, mentors in Cohort 9 can expect:

• Kick-Off Introductory Breakfast– for mentor/mentee pairs to get acquainted and learn more about program expectations and desired outcomes
• Monthly Meetings With Your Mentor– a monthly phone call, in-person or virtual meeting, to be scheduled by each mentor/mentee pairing
• Celebratory Wrap-Up Event– to recap the success of the program and network with other cohort mentees and mentors
• Cohort / Young Professionals Program Networking Opportunities 

WHAT IS THE PROGRAM FEE?

• Early Bird: $275 (accepted until Thursday, January 25, 2024)
• Standard Rate: $300 (until Wednesday, February 14, 2024)

* If you are selected for the program, you will be invoiced according to your application date on the date of the Kick-Off Introductory Breakfast from the Chamber.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE? HOW DO I APPLY?

Applications for Mentor Hawaii Cohort 9 are now closed.

For questions or more information, please email the Mentor Hawaii Program Committee at YPMentorHawaii@gmail.com or Tricia Fetui at tfetui@cochawaii.org

Meet the 2024 Mentors

• Rear Admiral Kristin Acquavella, Director of Logistics, U.S. Pacific Fleet
• Lance Askildson, Provost, Chaminade University
• Meagan Beyer, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Risk Director, American Savings Bank
• Captain Patrick Brown, Director, Logistics Readiness, U.S. Pacific Fleet
• Robert Bruhl, Executive Vice President & Chief Investment Officer, Tradewind Group LLC
• Mike Ching, Managing Partner, Ernst & Young LLP
• Malcolm Inamine, Executive Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer, Hawaiiana Group Incorporated
• Jamie Kawamoto, Vice President, Marketing, Hawaiian Telcom
• Mike Kaya, General Manager, City Square Management Services
• John Komeiji, Retired General Counsel/VP
• Lisa Truong Kracher, Vice President, Array Corporation
• Marie Kumabe, Principal, Kumabe HR
• Bryan Luke, President & Chief Executive Officer, Hawaii National Bank
• Lorrie Luke, Vice President, Contracts & Reimbursement, Hawai’i Pacific Health
• Avi Mannis, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Hawaiian Airlines
• John McNamara, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications, Hawai’i Pacific Health
• Tammy Mencel, Market President & Publisher, Pacific Business News
• Sherry Menor-McNamara, President & Chief Executive Officer, Chamber of Commerce Hawaii
• Tim Mobley, President, Connext Global Solutions
• Brennon Morioka, Dean, College of Engineering at University of Hawai’i Manoa
• Unyong Nakata, Founder & Principal, Nakata Advisory LLC
• April Rutherford, Senior Vice President & Executive Creative Director Advertising, Anthology
• Kelly Sanders, Executive Vice President, Operations, Highgate
• Jesse Sheley, Director & Market Executive, Pacific Islands at Merrill
• Jim Takatsuka, Enterprise Account Manager, Amazon
• John Ward, Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing & Product Officer, American Savings Bank
• Gwen Yamamoto-Lau, Executive Director, Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority (DBEDT)

TESTIMONIALS 

Here’s what previous cohort mentees have to say about their experiences with the Mentor Hawaii program.

My Mentor Hawaii experience was invaluable for so many reasons. My mentor was Kit Milan, Senior Vice President at Alexander & Baldwin, provided a fresh, objective perspective on my professional career and helped identify and ultimately overcome my blind spots. While having an amazing circle of trusted friends is great, having a mentor with life and career experience who can provide insight, coaching, and mentorship to help you thrive and succeed is worthwhile.
– Francis Choe, Mentor Hawaii Cohort No. 6 and 2023-2024 Co-Chair, Mentor Hawaii Committee 

I was mentored by David Okabe who carefully listened as I described how I coordinated job shadowing for a student I mentored. David recognized me from a picture featured during a virtual meeting on Healthcare Workforce Initiatives hosted by Healthcare Association of Hawaii and congratulated me on doing a great job with my mentee. After a few months of mentorship, I joined the board of Friends of CASA Hawaii, a 501(c)3 that serves neglected and abused children in foster care. Pursuing board membership did not seem within reach a few months ago, but after hearing examples from David on his involvement on many boards over the years, I felt more confident that it’s worth pursuing to level up while making a difference.

– Mizuki Lee, Mentor Hawaii Cohort No. 8 and 2023-2024 Co-Chair, Mentor Hawaii Committee 

Enrolling in the Mentor Hawaii Program was one of the best career decisions I have made. The program and mentor provided me with the insight I was seeking to further develop and accelerate my career progression. At the start of the program, I recently moved into a new leadership role. Having recurring 1:1’s with my mentor helped me gain the insight and advice I was seeking to navigate in my new role. As I progressed in the program, I was able to take many of the recommendations and put them into action, which led me to be offered my ideal position in the company. My experience was invaluable, and I truly believe it is worthwhile for anyone looking to further progress their personal and professional outlooks.

– Tiana Brede-Kapu, Mentor Hawaii Cohort No. 8 (2023) & Mentor Hawaii Committee Member (2023-2024)

I was fortunate to be paired with Captain Alexander Hutchison, who was at the tail end of a storied career with the Navy. He graciously took me under his wing and showed me around Navy Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Headquarters, sharing insights on NAVFAC, the Navy, and the U.S. military’s role in ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific. He also answered questions I had regarding the NAVFAC chain of command and way of doing things, which helped me in my job as Officer in Charge of Construction, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, as well as some unsolicited but useful advice. We were also able to relate in our shared Korean heritage. I’m glad to have been matched with him and gained a mentor for life.

– Phil Mok, Mentor Hawaii Cohort No. 8 (2023) & Mentor Hawaii Committee Member (2023-2024)

I cannot speak highly enough of the Mentor Hawaii program. My mentor, David Okabe, provided a listening ear, sound advice, and the perspective of a seasoned executive for every challenge I threw at him. The connections I’ve made through the mentors and mentees in my cohort have been critical to my professional growth. The program also gave me the opportunity to participate more actively the Chamber’s YP group, which continues to provide me with a like-minded group of young professionals, helpful programming, and social networking opportunities I would not otherwise have access to. I am so thankful for this program, which continues to provide benefits long after my cohort has ended!

– Nikki Yamauchi, Mentor Hawaii Cohort No. 4 (2019), 2020 Mentor Hawaii Committee Member, and

2021-2022 Co-Chair, Mentor Hawaii Committee