Sustainability and Conservation in Hawai‘i
Description:
This award honors an individual or business that has shown an ongoing commitment to sustainable, green living in one or more of the following areas:
- Promoting education and training.
- Advocating green lawmaking and policies at the legislative level.
- Engaging in green practices within their own organization.
- Creating, sustaining, or promoting programs in response to environmental issues.
- Developing, implementing, or sponsoring green events to get their local community involved.
Nomination Criteria:
- Is the nominee an individual or a business? Both are eligible.
- How has the nominee shown a commitment to sustainability, green living, or environmentally friendly business practices?
- How has the nominee involved their community in their green endeavors and/or advocated for green lawmaking and policies?
- What impact have the nominee’s actions had on their community, the environment, and/or local businesses?
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Native Hawaiian Business
Description:
This award recognizes an outstanding company that is successfully owned or led by a member of our Native Hawaiian community. They incorporate active collaboration across generations and ethnicities, and remain true to their background and heritage while building bridges to the wider community.
Nomination Criteria:
- The nominated business must be owned or run by a member of the Native Hawaiian community and has been in business for at least three years.
- Have at least 25% Native Hawaiian employees working in the business.
- What is the history of the business?
- Do they promote collaboration within the Native Hawaiian community? Please provide a short description of how they do this.
- Does this business strive to provide a bridge to the wider community? Please describe how they do this.
- Does their business model reinforce core family values, family background, and heritage? Please provide a short description of how they do this and in what ways.
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Best Restaurant of the Year
Description:
This award recognizes the best of the best in Hawai‘i’s multifaceted restaurant scene. Nominees in this category have set themselves apart not only with their food, service, and physical establishment but also through their innovation, marketing, good business practices, and a commitment to the community, making them front-runners in their field.
Nomination Criteria:
- The nominated restaurant has been operating for at least three years as of the nomination date.
- How has the nominee set themselves apart with their food, service, and location?
- What makes them different? Do they specialize in a particular cuisine or type of food such as farm-to-table or allergy-free foods?
- In what ways is the nominee innovative?
- What are their marketing and good business practices?
- Does the nominee have an active commitment to their community? Please provide a short description on how they demonstrate that.
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Innovative Tech Company of the Year
Description:
Are you a local tech company that has identified a problem, market gap, or innovation and created an effective and successful solution in the form of products or services? Entries can be newly engineered solutions, significant development, or an integration of other technologies to create a solution.
Nomination Criteria:
- Please include an overview of the problem, solution, and outcome.
- What was the problem that was experienced and what systems did it affect?
- What technical solution was designed, implemented, and proven?
- What was the outcome from the solution? Does it provide a new service or revenue stream?
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Healthcare Leader of the Year
Description:
This award honors an individual within Hawai‘i’s healthcare industry who has helped to deliver results and steer change by taking innovative ideas forward or implementing a practice-based service that has benefited the local community.
Nomination Criteria:
- Nominees must demonstrate a track record of leadership in the healthcare industry or field. These can include both clinical and non-clinical roles. For example, physicians, health practitioners (both traditional and non-traditional/alternative), wellness sector leaders, population and public health, health philanthropy, and/or any health-related fields.
- Highlights of nominee’s accomplishments, leadership, and exemplary efforts in their related leadership role(s), function(s), or field(s).
- How does the nominee set themselves apart from others in their industry?
- How does the nominee show their commitment to health beyond their professional role?
- Provide a short description on how the nominee’s professional role in the industry has shifted or changed to address unique challenges over the past few years.
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Non-Profit Impact of the Year
Description:
This award recognizes an outstanding Hawai‘i non-profit organization for a specific program, activity, initiative, or accomplishment that has had a profound impact on the community. The winner of this award continually seeks to measure and improve their services to the community while also providing exceptional service and leadership.
Nomination Criteria:
- The nominee must be a 501(c)(3) organization and have an operating office located in the State of Hawai‘i.
- They must have a proven track record of giving back to the community and producing measurable results.
- How does this non-profit contribute to the community at-large and how have they demonstrated leadership?
- Describe the specific program, activity, initiative, or accomplishment for which the nomination is being cast.
- How can the nominee’s achievement be a model of inspiration for other associations?
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Lifetime Achievement Award
Description:
The recipient of this award has repeatedly gone above and beyond the standard obligations in his or her industry, while also significantly contributing to the local business community during their professional career.
Nomination Criteria:
- Nominees must have been in the business community for 25 years or longer.
- Provide at least one example of how the nominee has gone above and beyond in their professional position.
- A list of the significant contributions the nominee has made to the business community during their career.
- Has the nominee had a significant presence in their community outside of their business? If so, please describe how they have done this.
- What innovative practices or ideas did this nominee bring to their profession? Please list/describe them.
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Young Professional of the Year
Description:
This award recognizes a young entrepreneur, business owner, or executive of a local company or organization who has made an impressive impact on their industry and exemplifies business excellence, community spirit, innovation, and personal integrity. The Young Professional of the Year serves as a role model for other aspiring young professionals and entrepreneurs.
Nomination Criteria:
- Nominee must be 38 years old or younger (as of nomination deadline) and a significant contributor to their company’s good standing, its vision, and its continued growth.
- How has the nominee exemplified business excellence and pushed for innovation in the company or organization?
- What has the nominee done to create a strategic direction and improve their industry at such an early stage in their career?
- How is the nominee a role model for other young professionals or aspiring business owners and entrepreneurs?
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Business Executive of the Year
Description:
This award honors an executive who has had an immensely positive impact on their organization through innovation, integrity, and growth, while pushing their company to excellence throughout every aspect of the business.
Nomination Criteria:
- The nominee must be an executive in a private or public company.
- What position does the nominee hold?
- List some of the positive impacts the nominee has had on their organization and the business community.
- How has the nominee pushed their company to excellence and innovation?
- What aspects of their company’s business achievements was the nominee responsible for?
- How has the nominee been a positive influence on others; co-workers, customers, and the wider community?
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Best New Business
Description:
New businesses emerge in Hawai‘i regularly. Nominees in this category have set themselves apart not only with their product or service, but also through their innovation, marketing, good business practices, and a commitment to the community, making them front-runners in their field. This award recognizes companies that have been in business for no more than three years (as of the nomination deadline).
Nomination Criteria:
- The nominated business has been operating for three years or less.
- How has the nominee set themselves apart with their product or service?
- What makes them different?
- In what ways is the nominee innovative?
- What are their marketing and good business practices?
- Does the nominee have an active commitment to their community? If so, please provide a short description on how they demonstrate that.
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Best Family-Run Business
Description:
This award recognizes an outstanding company that has successfully merged family and business interests. They incorporate active collaboration across generations, thus remaining true to their background and heritage. This company is committed to reinforcing core family values into a successful business model.
Nomination Criteria:
- The nominated business must have more than one family member working in the business and have been in business for at least three years.
- What is the history of the family-run business?
- Do they promote collaboration between generations? If so, please provide a short description on how they do this.
- Does their business model reinforce core family values, family background, and heritage? If so, please provide a short description on how they do this and in what ways.
- What plans does the nominee have in place to pass the skills and business to the next generation?
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Social Media Influencer of the Year
(NOTE: recommendations, letters, resumes, and other collateral are not required for this category.)
Description:
Social media has revolutionized not only marketing in business, but also created new opportunities for influencers. It has become an integral part of all of our communications. Nominees in this category must have utilized this tool successfully and tracked the impact of their social media marketing on the growth of their brand.
Nomination Criteria:
- How has the nominee’s social media strategy built brand awareness?
- What social media marketing tools does the nominee utilize?
- How does the nominee measure the results of their social media influence?
- How has the nominee’s social media directly impacted or supported the Hawai‘i business community?
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Hospitality Executive of the Year
Description:
This award recognizes a hospitality executive whose skill, foresight, agility, and vision have enabled them to navigate their business or organization through the changing times, while making a positive contribution to Hawai‘i’s critically important hospitality industry.
Nomination Criteria:
- What impact(s) has the nominee had on their organization or community?
- In what ways does the nominee stand out from their peers and colleagues?
- Are there any special programs or projects in which the nominee displayed exceptional performance? If so, please list them and provide short descriptions.
- How has the nominee adapted to the changing hospitality landscape?
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Woman Leader of the Year
Description:
This award honors a woman who has had a positive impact on their company, organization, cause, or industry through effective leadership and a demonstrated commitment to innovation and business excellence.
Nomination Criteria:
- How has the nominee demonstrated leadership in the workplace or community?
- How does the nominee stand out among her peers and colleagues?
- How has the nominee pushed her company to growth, excellence, or innovation?
- What impacts has the nominee had on her organization and the business community?
- How is the nominee a role model for other women in her industry/community?
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Best Real Estate Company or Agent
Description:
This award honors an individual or company within Hawai‘i’s real estate industry who has helped to deliver results and steer change by taking innovative ideas forward or implementing a practice-based service that has benefited families, businesses, and the local community.
Nomination Criteria:
- The nominated business must have a residential and/or commercial Hawai‘i licensed and registered company and/or agents in the state of Hawai‘i.
- Describe highlights of nominee’s accomplishments, leadership, and exemplary efforts in their related leadership role(s), function(s), or field(s).
- How does the nominee set themselves apart from others in their industry?
- How does the nominee show their commitment beyond their professional role?
- Provide a short description on how the nominee’s professional or company role in the industry has shifted or changed to address unique challenges over the past few years.