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Kady Pascual

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

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<title>🚧 Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Good times and tan lines</title>

Today’s social media find comes from @Kirajbeltran, with a mean tan.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Good times and tan lines

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ASD Staff

Sports

Real Estate

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Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

Nearly $130 million in federal grants to Hawai‘i nonprofits is at risk of funding cuts, warns the University of Hawai‘i.

A report by the UH Economic Research Organization released Thursday found that 74 federal grants — together worth $126 million — to nonprofits in the state are “politically vulnerable” and potentially subject to cuts, based on the continuing mission of the presidential administration to slash federal spending.

UHERO Executive Director Carl Bonham said Thursday that many of the grants deemed politically vulnerable involve or mention terms that the President Donald Trump administration has targeted, such as DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) or Native Hawaiian rights.

The bulk of these at-risk grants are to healthcare-related organizations, with some $64 million in unpaid funding for various medical services that could be rescinded with little to no warning. Other sectors, such as housing and human services, also seem to be prime targets for cuts.

The report noted that only 201 out of the roughly 8,200 registered nonprofits in Hawai‘i received direct federal grants in the 2025 fiscal year, and that nonprofit grants as a whole make up only a relatively small share of the federal government’s overall social spending.

Nonetheless, Bonham said that, between the risk of these cuts and ongoing cuts to Medicaid, there is a compounded strain on Hawai‘i's social safety net that is already being felt by the state’s vulnerable.

Mary Scott-Lau, founder of the nonprofit Women In Need, said her organization has already had to close one women’s shelter on Kaua‘i — “the only clean and sober house we have on the island,” she said — and has laid off half its employees.

The report was commissioned by the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, which announced earlier this week that more than $97 million in federal funds to Hawai‘i nonprofits have already cut or delayed.

In the face of these cuts, HCF announced Tuesday that it is reactivating its Hawai‘i Resilience Fund, a COVID-era pot of money funded through donations to attempt to keep nonprofits running.

HCF CEO Terry George admitted in a Thursday media conference that “philanthropic dollars can’t replace federal dollars,” and that the Resilience Fund will only be a drop in the bucket compared to the millions of federal dollars on the chopping block. He said that HCF hopes to have at least $1.8 million available in the fund by the end of the month.

HCF program director Justine Acevedo-Cross said the Resilience funds will be used to assist nonprofits in restructuring in order to remain operational. One of the two grants already awarded through the Resilience fund was a $46,000 grant to UHERO to commission the report released on Thursday.

Michelle Bartell, CEO of Aloha United Way, said some of the federal funding cuts could be successfully challenged and overturned in court, but that isn’t reliable enough for nonprofits to plan around it. Even if the court does restore a particular grant, it could take months for those funds to finally return to the nonprofit, and still longer before it helps people in need.

<title>🚧 $126 million for Hawai‘i nonprofits at risk from federal cuts, UHERO reports</title>

UHERO report warns that nonprofit healthcare services are in particular danger.

$126 million for Hawai‘i nonprofits at risk from federal cuts, UHERO reports

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Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

, the 21-year-old Kaua‘i-based beauty brand inspired by Hawai‘i's flora, continues to blossom.

Founded in 2004, Mālie — which founder Dana Roberts says, means calm, serene and tranquil — is still headquartered on the Garden Isle.

The company has recently expanded with a new shop at 

"Mālie is Hawai‘i's premier beauty brand," Roberts says. "We literally started the company out of our garage, in our kitchen, and grew one product at a time into over 175 products that make up our beautiful collection of products."

The brand offers body care and skin care items, soaps, shampoos and conditioners, home ambiance products and more in scents like mango nectar, plumeria, koke‘e, pikake and tiare.

Roberts originally hails from California and recently told Aloha State Daily that her entrepreneurial journey first began when she and her husband, Shaun, created a company that sold a line of Earth-friendly commercial and industrial cleaning products to the likes of port authorities, municipalities and school districts.

The company expanded, but when she became pregnant with her daughter, Roberts says the couple decided they wanted to move to Hawai‘i to be closer to nature and the environment, and away from Southern California, "where we felt like there was a lot of consumerism and we wanted to raise our children in an environment that wasn't as focused on that lifestyle."

"We then sold the rights to that company and created Mālie," she continued. "When we first moved to Hawai‘i, we really wanted to use chemistry and formulation to create a new range of products using Hawai‘i's bounty and really the uniqueness of Hawai‘i to share with the world."

Roberts says her husband had been coming to the Islands his entire life and the couple had been coming to Hawai‘i together for about six years before they made the move.

"When we came to Hawai‘i, we knew that we needed to develop something and create jobs and opportunities and not take them," she says. "We were definitely planning on being entrepreneurs here to create opportunity. Since then — that was 21 years ago — we buy from about six suppliers throughout the entire state, we manufacture thousands of products right out of our Beauty Lab at Kilohana on the Garden Island of Kaua‘i, and, as you can see now, we are creating more jobs with our retail store expansion."

The company's Beauty Lab is located at Kilohana Plantation in Līhu‘e. There, they distill Hawaiian 

 and handcraft small batches of products, its website notes.

With its new location at International Market Place, Roberts says there are now four branded Mālie retail boutiques, including shops at The Royal Hawaiian hotel in Waikīkī, 

 and The Shops at Kukui‘ula in Po‘ipū. A fifth retail location is expected to open at 

"When we think about our growth strategy and where we are today, what we've decided to do is really engage our customers directly where they are," Roberts says about the decision to open at IMP. "We want to touch our customers in an authentic way and give them personal experiences with the brand. We really feel like retail is an amazing way to do that, so we decided to open [in] International Market Place. I think that this shopping center is going through some transitions where really they're leaning in on more local companies and brands, and we decided that that would be a good fit for Mālie."

Here's what else Roberts had to say about running a small business in Hawai‘i, other things on the horizon and more.

What are some of the challenges and also some benefits to operating a small business in Hawai‘i?

One of the benefits to operating in Hawai‘i, of course, is that you can really establish long-term partnerships and relationships, and I think that those relationships really matter and grow over time.

The relationship, for example, with Kilohana Plantation, we grew our first flower farms there 21 years ago, and then it took 20 years to be able to set up our manufacturing facility there, and we're just now, after 21 years, being able to open our store there. But that relationship has been an important relationship in our lives for many years. I think one of the benefits [of] doing business in Hawai‘i is really being able to value long-term relationships.

One of the challenges in doing business in Hawai‘i is, I think, just being able to hire enough people. If you look at our team members at Mālie, the average team member has been with the company for over a decade. We have several employees that have been with us for over 20 years. I think that while Mālie has really thrived in maintaining our team members over the long haul, as we grow and expand, getting enough new team members is our most difficult challenge.

[{"type":"text","text":"[Mālie currently has fewer than 30 employees.]"}]

You mentioned opening a fifth retail location this year. What else is on the horizon for Mālie?

Next year, we'll be launching a new collection of products called 'Vanilla Rum.' This is going to be a little bit of a new direction for the company — that is it'll be a very male-centric collection of products. We're really going to lean into our very warm, sophisticated, musky aroma and we're really looking to create something that we think men are really going to enjoy.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"What is your favorite part about what you do?"}]

At this stage, Mālie is definitely a lifestyle for me. My favorite part of what I do is just being able to live the lifestyle that is Mālie. I've always really believed in a work-life balance, so being able to live my career in a way that I think honors being able to be parents, being able for my employees to be parents, to have that balance in our lives, where we can come to work and enjoy what we do and leave work and be who we are outside of work.

If your 2004 self saw you today, what would surprise them the most about where Mālie is?

I hate to sound pretentious, but I'm exactly where I expected to be. The plan all along was to have a small business that can possibly be a multi-generational business. Our goal was always to be small and to be individually owned — there's no shareholders in this business — and to possibly leave something that can be taken care of by the next generation.

My daughter [Jordan] is currently in the store working while I'm here doing this interview. She is definitely involved in the business on an everyday basis and learning new responsibilities everyday. 

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Dana Roberts Malie 091825

<title>🚧 Mālie Organics opens new shop at International Market Place</title>

Mālie — which founder Dana Roberts says, means calm, serene, tranquil — was founded on Kaua‘i in 2004.

Mālie Organics opens new shop at International Market Place

Hawaii History

Kāhala Mall — the first enclosed, air-conditioned shopping center in the Islands — celebrates its 55th anniversary in October.

“Celebrating 55 years really means the world to us, and we truly couldn’t have done it without the incredible partnerships we’ve built with our merchants, the loyalty of our customers and the unwavering support of this amazing community,” 

Ezy Paeste said in statement. “Over the years, we’ve witnessed so many special moments unfold here — teens landing their first jobs, couples on their first dates, families and friends turning visits into lasting traditions. Some folks have been coming here for generations, and now we’re seeing their children and grandchildren strolling through the same halls. It’s been an absolute honor to be part of those memories and to grow alongside this community through the years.”

Now home to nearly 100 retailers, restaurants and service providers, the East Honolulu retail hub opened in 1970. But its origins date back even earlier.

What was then called the Wai‘alae Shopping Center opened in November 1954 by Bishop Estate, according to a timeline included in a recent announcement from the mall. It featured a Piggly Wiggly grocery store, later Star Market, and Longs Drugs, and had the state's first Woolworth variety store and Wai‘alae Bowl.

In 1957, Kāhala Barber Shop, which is still in operation today, opened in phase 2. The next year, Liberty House opened in a 70,000-square-foot space.

[{"type":"text","text":"Here are some more timeline tidbits:"}]

 formed the Kāhala Center Co. to redevelop the open-air Wai‘alae Shopping Center into the state's first fully enclosed, air-conditioned shopping mall.

: Construction begins and the existing anchor stores — Longs Drugs, Liberty House and Star Market — remain opened. The H-1 freeway is also under construction at the same time.

: Kāhala Mall officially opens, with anchor tenants that include JC Penney, Longs Drugs, Liberty House, Star Market and other early merchants like Yum Yum Tree, Zales, Kāhala Barber and Reyn's.

: Compleat Kitchen opens in 1976 and Calista by Cotton Cargo opens in 1979. Both shops are still open today.

: Consolidated Theatres opens its eight-screen complex, which underwent a complete renovation in 2020-21, during the Covid-19 pandemic.

: California Pizza Kitchen opens its first restaurant in the Islands — and the first outside of California.

Pizza Hut (1986), Jeans Warehouse (1987), The Paperie (1991), Marsha Nadalin Salon & Spa (1993), Sanrio Surprises, GNC (1996), 

, American Savings Bank (1997), GameStop, Pictures Plus (1998), Panda Express (1999) and Chili’s (2000).

: Starbucks opens its first Hawai‘i location at Kāhala Mall.

: Flash flooding on March 31 damages about 60 of the mall's 90 businesses but the mall quickly reopens.

: Whole Foods Market opens its first Hawai‘i location in the space formerly occupied by Piggly Wiggly and Star Market.

: Kāhala Mall spans 414,000 square feet with nearly 100 tenants. Thirty merchants have operated there for a decade or more.

commemorative merchant flags featuring photographs of longstanding tenants will be displayed throughout the center, the announcement noted.

According to the mall, popular gift-with-purchase promotions will showcase the colors and design of the Kahala Mall carpet, a recognizable feature of the center for decades. You can receive these limited-edition gifts in September and throughout the holiday season.

Follow @kahalamall on social media to see photos of the Center's early days and through the years. Customers also can share their own memories of Kahala Mall by tagging #KahalaMall55 for a chance to win Kahala Mall gift cards and a grand staycation at the Kahala Hotel & Resort.

Kahala Mall is located at 4211 Waialae Ave., and open from 

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Old Longs Drugs

<title>🚧 55 years of Kāhala Mall</title>

The first enclosed, air-conditioned shopping center in the Islands celebrates its 55th anniversary in October.

55 years of Kāhala Mall

Aloha Spirit

, has spent nearly five decades in Hawai‘i real estate.

On Sept. 3, Hawai‘i Realtors — a statewide professional trade organization founded in 1967 — named Apisa the 2025 Hawai‘i Realtor of the Year. Since 1967, the organization has annually recognized an outstanding Realtor in the state for their work in the interest of fellow Realtors, the profession and the community.

Apisa was still in disbelief about the award when she spoke to Aloha State Daily earlier this month about her early life, her 46-year real estate career and the Realtor of the Year recognition.

Born and raised on a small farm in Michigan, Apisa was the sixth of eight kids, who she described as self-sufficient.

"It's cool today to be self-sufficient. You did it then because you didn't have any money and you had to exist."

She believes that we're "products of our childhood," she told ASD. Her parents have passed away, "but they've given me the core values of everything I have today."

As a young girl growing up in a small town in the 1950s and 60s, Apisa says college wasn't an aspiration, but she's always been interested in learning.

[{"type":"text","text":"And deep down, she says she's always wanted to be in business."}]

"I didn't know what that meant, but my direction was there," she says. "I knew I wasn't destined to be a farmer — and I love farming, I love the background, but it just isn't where my passion is. And I thought it might be being a bank teller or a secretary. In fact, shorthand and typing were my favorite subjects."

Apisa was a secretary for many years and one day it dawned on her: she wondered what it would feel like to sit on the other side of the desk.

She says that the "angel sitting on my shoulder" has guided her through life, with "amazing opportunities" popping up at each step. That's how she eventually bought a condominium and later a house, never planning to until the opportunities came.

"I feel so blessed that these opportunities came up before me," she told ASD. "And then I thought, 'Well, gee, I have a house and a condo, I should see what this real estate is all about.' [I] was really sent out there with no training and [they] said, 'Go sell real estate.' That was my initiation."

She started her career on O‘ahu in 1979 but moved to Kaua‘i for work in the summer of 1981 and fell in love with the Garden Isle. It was rural like where she grew up, the people were friendly and it was "just my lifestyle. This is home for me now."

She earned her broker's license in 1981 and founded Oceanfront Realty International Inc. in 1985. That brokerage was recently rebranded as Aloha Sotheby's International Realty after expanding offices on both Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i Island, according to a recent announcement from Hawai‘i Realtors.

Here's what else Apisa had to say about her work in real estate and the latest recognition.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"What do you like most about real estate?"}]

It's just the personal relationships I've built. One of my slogans is our clients become our friend, and [I] still remain in contact with current and past [clients]. Everything goes back to my growing up on a small farm. It all goes back to what I learned back then, the traits and culture, which is very much like ... aloha. It's a wonderful thing.

How do you feel about being recognized as Realtor of the Year?

I was very surprised. I'm humbled. There are so many wonderful Realtors in the state that I'm truly humbled and I'm honored that I was chosen.

What's the biggest difference doing real estate today compared to when you started?

We went from a book that was published like every two weeks to a computer with AI. Our contracts have gone from one-page, handwritten carbon paper to [digital]. We've gone from fax and express mailing contracts and now we've got scanning and emailing. Instead of driving to a meeting, we've now got Zoom. Technology has done wonderful [things].

Our clients are much more informed today. They have knowledge at their fingertips and so it's definitely changed a lot. But change is inevitable and the world changes, and if you don't change with it, then you're going to be left behind. We embrace technology and go with it and try to be on the cutting-edge.

Is there anything else you'd like to add or think people should know?

I think part of the award is based on community involvement and I'm a total believer in the community and supporting the community. I come from a humble background and I'm so grateful for the people [who] have helped me along the way, I hope and try to be a helping hand to others when I can. ... Myself and our whole organization are quite active with the Kaua‘i Habitat for Humanity, YWCA, Boys and Girls Club. We try to support local schools and athletic groups — just try to be community-minded.

Donna Apisa REALTOR of the Year

<title>🚧 Donna Apisa named 2025 Realtor of the Year</title>

Since 1967, Hawai‘i Realtors — a statewide professional trade organization —  has annually recognized an outstanding Realtor in the state for their work in the interest of fellow Realtors, the profession and the community.

Donna Apisa named 2025 Realtor of the Year

A new University of Hawai‘i economic forecast predicts a difficult next few years as recession looms.

Carl Bonham, executive director of the University of Hawai‘i Economic Research Organization, described a newly released third-quarter economic forecast as “bleak,” with multiple national and global factors driving down the state’s prospects.

[{"type":"text","text":"“The risks seem stacked against us,” Bonham said."}]

The forecast, released Friday, predicts a “mild recession” in the state over the next year as tourism falters: “not too deep or not too long,” Bonham said, with the worst impacts expected toward the end of 2026 before a gradual recovery over the following years.

Bonham said the state has been relying on domestic tourism, with international tourism still having not quite recovered from the impacts of Covid-19 and the Lahaina fires. But as the U.S. economy weakens, Mainland tourism has seen a sharp downturn. By mid-2026, UHERO predicts 5% fewer tourist arrivals than at the end of 2024, with quarterly tourist spending expected to fall by more than $600 million.

At the same time, tariffs proposed by President Donald Trump’s administration have left businesses feeling “overwhelming uncertainty,” Bonham said. He said some businesses are unable to get any quotes for materials more than three months out because nobody can predict how much more anything will cost that far away.

UHERO predicts that, by the end of 2026, “tariffs will have raised Hawai‘i prices by about 1.5% over what they would otherwise have been. This will represent a permanent annual cost of perhaps $1,400 for a median-income household.”

Compounding the issue is the loss of unauthorized immigrant labor, which will continue to increase the price of produce. Between the impact of immigration crackdowns and impacts of tariffs, UHERO forecasts an inflation peak of about 4% at the end of 2026 — which, UHERO notes, is a lower peak than previous predictions, thanks to recent reductions to inflation. 

[{"type":"text","text":"But UHERO predicts broader losses across the entire labor market. "}]

"Job losses will be seen across virtually all local industries," the forecast warns, expecting about 2,400 job losses among federal workers alone. As cuts to federal contracts compound and the tourism industry shrinks, knock-on impacts will spread across the state's private sector.

Hawai‘i employment is still about 15,000 jobs below pre-pandemic levels, and Bonham said that this year’s estimated job growth is predicted to stand at about 0.7%.

“The number of jobs in Hawai‘i basically hasn’t changed since January,” Bonham said.

Bonham said it isn’t only bad new across the board. The construction industry, he said, is expected to be the only sector in the state to grow during the recession, with the redevelopment of Aloha Stadium, the construction of the last leg of Skyline, and other military construction projects expected to bring nearly 40,000 jobs over the next five years.

Even so, the jobs gained by construction will hardly offset the total job losses predicted statewide. By the end of 2026, the UHERO report predicts about 1,000 additional construction jobs compared to this year — and more than 5,000 jobs lost in other sectors, primarily in government positions.

Through all of this, Bonham said there are some potential off-ramps. For example, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on whether the Trump administration tariffs are legal in November. Depending on that verdict, he said, the worst of the tariffs may not go into effect, staving off the worst impacts of the recession.

But Bonham was not optimistic. Even if the tariffs are partially reversed, there is no guarantee that the Trump administration can’t reintroduce them in different forms — once again leaving businesses uncertain about the future.

“There is a possibility that some of the new threats at the federal level will convince Democrats to come to the table and we avoid a government shutdown,” Bonham said. “I think the biggest off-ramp is … the U.S. economy bouncing back. With all these investments in AI infrastructure … maybe the U.S. economy will surprise everybody.

“What could help is if the very wealthy continue to thrive,” Bonham said. “The top end of the income distribution contributes enormously to visitor spending here.”   

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Good times and tan lines

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

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Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Good times and tan lines

Authors

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

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Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Daddy Day Care

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