University of �鶹��ý students helped reimagine an iconic local company by pitching bold new ideas for Meadow Gold Dairies �鶹��ý at a fast-paced innovation event. Hosted by UH Mānoa’s (PACE), the spring 2026 competition took place on March 28 and April 4, at the Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center.

Community connections take top prize

The team of Danielle Grace Banggo (dietetics, UH Mānoa) and Leticia Rodriguez Gutierrez (liberal arts, Honolulu Community College) won the $2,000 grand prize. Their strategy focused on a grassroots “Community Growth Campaign” designed to be both budget-friendly and ready for immediate rollout.

The plan involves deploying Meadow Gold trucks and vans to high-traffic local venues such as the Honolulu Zoo and community marketplaces. By utilizing brand ambassadors to engage directly with families, the team aims to strengthen the bond between the iconic brand and the local community.

“Innovate 808 taught me that your background doesn’t define your ability to make an impact,” Banggo said. “It encourages you to step outside your comfort zone, share your ideas and collaborate with others to create meaningful solutions. This experience empowered me to think creatively, communicate confidently and realize that even small ideas can make a big difference in the community.”

Three other teams won $1,000 runner up prizes, and another team won the $500 innovation award. Beyond the competition, Innovate 808 is designed to connect classroom learning with real-world experience. Students worked in interdisciplinary teams to tackle an active business challenge, building career-ready skills in communication, critical thinking and creative problem-solving while engaging directly with industry professionals.

Creative solutions for a new era

Concepts pitched during the competition included:

• Lani Moo Milk Candy: A sweet extension of the company’s famous mascot
• NIL Deals: Partnering with UH athletes to reach younger demographics
• POG 2.0: New bottle designs and updated formulations for the passion-orange-guava juice

Kimia Sadeghi, sales and marketing manager for Meadow Gold, said, “I wanted to hear from the next generation and how they think of executing solutions, and that’s exactly what happened.”

Meadow Gold Dairies �鶹��ý sponsored the project and prizes.

A “sprint” across all disciplines

Facilitated by Jeff Hui, entrepreneur-in-residence at PACE, the competition is designed to put real-world problems in front of students and see how they meet the challenge through research and innovation.

“The most exciting part for us is seeing students from all disciplines—business, engineering, computer science, art, education, anthropology and food science—coming together to come up with real solutions,” Hui said.

The University of �鶹��ý Board of Regents approved awarding an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters to Walter A. Dods Jr., recognizing his decades of leadership in �鶹��ý’s business community, his extensive philanthropic impact and his longstanding commitment to the university.

The regents voted at the board’s March 19 monthly meeting, held at Leeward Community College. The honorary degree will be formally conferred during the UH ����ԴDz�’s spring 2026 commencement ceremony, where Dods will also serve as commencement speaker.

“I am deeply honored and grateful to the University of �鶹��ý and the regents for this recognition,” said Dods after the vote. “UH has played an important role in my life, and it has been a privilege to support the university and its students over the years. I share this honor with the many people who have inspired me and worked alongside me to strengthen our community.”

Alumnus, business leader, philanthropist

A 1967 graduate of UH ����ԴDz�’s Shidler College of Business, Dods is widely regarded as one of �鶹��ý’s most influential business leaders. Over a 36-year career at First Hawaiian Bank, he rose from an entry-level role to chairman and CEO.

“Walter Dods represents the very best of what the University of �鶹��ý hopes to inspire in its graduates: leadership, service and an unwavering commitment to community,” said UH President Wendy Hensel. “His impact on �鶹��ý’s economic development is profound, but equally important is his lifelong dedication to giving back and creating opportunities for others. He has opened doors for generations of students and strengthened this university in lasting ways.”

Deep UH support

His ties to UH span nearly five decades. Dods has been a donor since 1975 and previously served as president of the UH Foundation Board of Trustees. He chaired the university’s 1998 Campaign for �鶹��ý, which raised $116 million, and currently serves as campaign chair for the ongoing $1-billion “For UH, For �鶹��ý” fundraising effort.

His personal philanthropy includes a $5-million gift to support student innovation and entrepreneurship at UH ����ԴDz�, resulting in the naming of the Walter Dods Jr. RISE Center, as well as a $1-million endowed scholarship supporting immigrant students and their children.

Dods has previously been recognized with the UH Distinguished Alumni Award and the Shidler College of Business Hall of Honor Award.

The honorary doctorate recognizes individuals of national or international distinction whose contributions have had a significant impact in areas such as business, public service or scholarship. Regents cited Dods’ extraordinary career and enduring commitment to the university and the state as meeting and exceeding those standards.

A new art exhibit at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa’s Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center pays tribute to a defining force in �鶹��ý’s modern art movement: the Metcalf Château—a pioneering collective of Asian-American artists who convened their studio practice in an old house on Metcalf Street, later hailed as the “Metcalf Château.”

Initiated by longtime UH supporter Walter Dods and curated by Allison Wong, the exhibit features the works by artists Bumpei Akaji, Satoru Abe, Tadashi Sato, Edmund Chung, Tetsuo “Bob” Ochikubo, Jerry T. Okimoto and James K.K. Park.

“Their work spoke to place, identity and innovation—and it still speaks to us today,” said Dods. “I got to know them first as people, and I liked them. I admired their character as much as their creativity, and it’s an honor to help share their legacy.”

Center for creativity and community

Much like the Charles H. Atherton YMCA—now the Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center—the Metcalf Château served as a lively center for creativity and community. Over six transformative months, Akaji, Abe, Sato, Chung, Ochikubo, Okimoto and Park converged at the house, pushing artistic boundaries and propelling �鶹��ý’s modern art movement forward. The group later expanded to include artists Isami Doi, Keichi Kimura, Sueko Matsueda Kimura, Harue McVay, Toshiko Takaezu and Harry Tsuchidana.

In 1954, seven members of the Metcalf Château opened an impromptu exhibition that profoundly reshaped the local art scene and captured the attention of Robert Griffin, director of the then-Honolulu Academy of Arts, who organized a subsequent group exhibit that propelled these artists to wider recognition.

Dods is preserving their legacy by cultivating an inspiring environment where students, alumni, donors and friends of the university feel a powerful sense of connection and creativity—a space where innovation and entrepreneurial thinking can flourish.

“The Metcalf Château artists were visionaries who redefined what art could be in �鶹��ý,” Wong said. “This exhibition is a celebration of their courage, creativity and connection to the islands. It’s also a reminder that the spaces where we gather—whether a house on Metcalf or a center like RISE—can become launchpads for meaningful, transformative work.”

Nine University of �鶹��ý faculty members were celebrated for transforming their classrooms through entrepreneurial thinking at a May 16 showcase hosted at the Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center.

The event marked the culmination of the inaugural season of the , a year-long professional development initiative designed to help faculty integrate experiential learning, entrepreneurship and engineering design into their curricula.

“These frameworks are designed to help students develop critical skills for the modern workplace, preparing them to grow into innovative, problem-solving contributors to society,” (PACE) Executive Director Sandra Fujiyama said.

The faculty members in the inaugural cohort—from disciplines such as architecture, business, esports and nutrition—were awarded digital badges, certificates and stipends in recognition of their efforts to reshape how UH students learn.

Student wins reflect faculty impact

EL3vate participants Associate Professor Kacie Ho (), Assistant Professor Yasushi Ishida () and Assistant Professor Xiaodan Mao-Clark ( in the ) introduced their students to PACE business and innovation competitions. Ho and Ishida’s students were among the awardees in the Innovate 808 competition with their kimchee and marinara flavor chip seasonings and an architectural storefront makeover, respectively.

“I’ve had the privilege of coaching Kalo Grants student entrepreneurs for over a year now, and their creativity, expertise and passion for their community continue to inspire me,” Mao-Clark said. “Their projects not only drive my teaching to foster an entrepreneurial mindset in the classroom but also propel my research to improve community sustainability.”

Collaborations spark cross-campus creativity

In addition, Ishida partnered with a UH Maui College faculty member on a Lahaina-focused course initiative, blending design and business perspectives. In a separate collaboration, Mao-Clark worked with a UH Hilo faculty member on an initiative where students engaged with the community, strengthening their learning experience through real-world connections.

“From using the PACE 3D printer to create a scale model of Lahaina for my ‘Rebuilding Lahaina’ seminar, to students in the capstone studio clearly communicating their designs with printed models, hands-on tools make a significant impact,” Ishida said. “I’m eager for more opportunities like Innovate808 that allow our students to connect their unique skills outside the university setting.”

Gaming meets entrepreneurship

UH Esports students are gaining invaluable entrepreneurial skills and industry connections through a dynamic collaboration between Nyle Sky Kauweloa (UH Esports director and UH ����ԴDz� specialist faculty for interdisciplinary studies) and PACE.

“Over the previous three years, PACE has been critical with expanding support for the UH Esports program by giving our esports players, student leaders and video game community a broader vision of how to align their interests in digital games and entrepreneurship,” Kauweloa said. “With our new UH Esports arena opening up soon (right across the street from PACE), there is more to come!”

PACE, housed in the Shidler College of Business, continues to lead systemwide efforts to foster entrepreneurship and innovation in education. Faculty interested in future opportunities, including the EL3vate program, can find more information at this . The EL3vate program is a collaboration between PACE, and Maui Economic Development Board.

When Jonavan Gonzalez walks across the Stan Sheriff Center stage on May 17, it will mark the culmination of a six-year journey—one that began at Nānākuli High and Intermediate School and led to two degrees from the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�. After earning his bachelor’s in in 2023, Gonzalez is now graduating with a master’s in , a rare academic combination that reflects his drive to blend technical innovation with business strategy.

“It’s just an exciting time,” Gonzalez said. “I’m looking forward to seeing where everything I’ve learned takes me next—ideally at Disney, NASA or SpaceX.”

A journey shaped by inspiration, family

Born and raised in Nānākuli, Gonzalez said his early aspirations were shaped by both his aspirations and his imagination.

“Tony Stark, Iron Man, is like my idol and he’s also a mechanical engineer,” he said. “That was my main motivation for mechanical engineering. I knew I always wanted a higher education degree after high school, but I know it’s rare for Nānākuli graduates to get their bachelor’s in engineering.”

That perception shifted when Gonzalez’s older brother pursued a civil engineering degree at .

“Watching him do it showed me that it was possible and that as long as I follow his footsteps, I’ll be good,” Gonzalez said. “The degree is what I want, so why not go for it?”

Bridging the gap: Engineering meets finance

He enrolled at UH ����ԴDz� in 2019 and dove headfirst into mechanical engineering.

Meet more amazing UH spring graduates

“I earned my undergrad degree in mechanical engineering because I’ve loved solving complex problems and coming up with innovative solutions,” he explained. “But I realized I was also passionate about finance and business. I didn’t want to quit engineering, and it was too late to get a minor in business, so I decided to get my master’s in finance.”

Gonzalez sees his combined degrees as the perfect foundation for a future that blends technical expertise with business acumen.

“With my double degrees, I’m hoping to start in the workforce, whether at Disney, NASA or SpaceX as a mechanical engineer, or at Disney, they call themselves ‘imagineers,’” he said. “And from there, I’ll work my way up the corporate ladder to more business-related roles, elevating from product manager to executive roles in either finance or operations.”

Mentoring the next generation

At UH, Gonzalez served as a PACE Leader at the in the , mentoring fellow students on prototype design, product development and pitching. In 2024, he received the Mamoru and Aiko Takitani Foundation Scholarship for RISE, and in 2025, Gonzalez was a semifinalist in the UH Venture Competition for his work on COCO, an AI-powered app designed to reduce food waste.

“I’ve been with the program for about two years now. As a PACE leader, I’ve had the opportunity to mentor and support other students interested in entrepreneurship and innovation,” he said. “But most importantly, it’s just the networking aspect of it all, especially as someone like me in my position living here at the Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center. It’s just so convenient and perfect.”

Inspiration for the future

Despite his technical expertise and accomplishments, Gonzalez stays grounded in where he came from and offers advice for others in his community.

“Especially for Nānākuli or similar schools, it’s not where you start. It doesn’t define where you go, especially in your career,” he said. “If you put in the work, believe in yourself, you can achieve pretty much anything, and that includes higher education.”

“UH means so much to me. It’s my local college. It’s where I grew up here personally and grew here professionally. My time at UH Manoa gave me the foundation to chase my passions in engineering, finance, and leadership. Beyond academics, UH gave me the community, lifelong connections and the confidence to take on bigger goals. It’s truly been a place that shaped who I am today.”

—By Marc Arakaki

The was awarded LEED Gold from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most widely used green-building rating system in the world and an international symbol of excellence. Through design, construction and operations practices that improve environmental and human health, LEED-certified buildings, including the Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center, are helping to make the world more sustainable.

“Achievement of LEED Gold marks a significant milestone for RISE Center,” said project lead Mike Lam, senior vice president of Hunt Companies �鶹��ý. “Creation of a sustainable facility reflects the vision of the public-private partnership team, who were committed to developing a 21st century facility with a reduced carbon footprint that offers a healthy indoor environment for the students, educators and community members who use it every day.”

By designing to a LEED Gold standard, the University of �鶹��ý, and Hunt Companies �鶹��ý developed a cutting-edge project that features:

• More than 30% reduction in energy consumption through the installation of LED lighting, efficient HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems and equipment, a 104-kilowatt photovoltaic system and a solar water-heating system that measures 60 square meters;
• More than 30% reduction in indoor water use due to low-flow fixtures and other water-efficient technologies;
• More than 75% of construction waste diverted from landfills through aggressive recycling and reuse; and
• Low-emission and/or non-toxic materials used throughout the design and construction process.

The LEED Gold certification process required a comprehensive third-party review of the project, evaluating it on nine elements including indoor environmental quality, water efficiency, sustainability of the site, transportation, energy and atmosphere, and materials and resources.

“RISE’s LEED Gold certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership,” said Peter Templeton, president and CEO, USGBC. “LEED was created to make the world a better place and revolutionize our buildings and communities by providing everyone with access to healthy, green and high performing buildings. RISE is a prime example of how the innovative work of project teams can create local solutions that contribute to making a global difference.”

Housing, entrepreneurship, innovation

The $70 million live-learn-work RISE Center opened to its first UH student-residents in August 2023. It was the first new UH student housing in 15 years, successfully repurposing the landmark 1930s Charles Atherton House building into a state-of-the-art modern institutional facility flanked by two new six-story student residential wings. This first-of-its-kind entrepreneurship-and-innovation center for �鶹��ý is located on the corner of Metcalf Street and University Avenue at the flagship UH ����ԴDz� campus.

“This LEED Gold certification underscores our commitment to environmental sustainability,” said John Han, vice president for administration and chief financial officer at UH Foundation. “RISE was designed with the intent to have a smaller environmental footprint by reducing carbon emissions, enhancing energy efficiency, and safeguarding the health and environment of the project’s surroundings.”

The Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center has garnered local and national accolades since first opening, including the CoStar Group’s Redevelopment of the Year in its 2024 Impact Awards �鶹��ý program, the �鶹��ý section of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Grand Overall Winner and Best Large Project at its 2024 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Awards and NAIOP �鶹��ý’s 27th Annual Kukulu Hale Public/Government Project Award.

In 2019, Hunt Companies �鶹��ý, UH and the UH Foundation entered into a public-private partnership (P3) to design, build and finance RISE—the first P3 for the university. It is fully funded with private, non-taxpayer money.

Following RISE and set to open in fall 2025 is the Hale Haukani graduate students and faculty housing facility on Dole Street.

Susan Yamada, chair of the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�’s (PACE) Board of Directors and alumna, has been named the (PBN).

PBN cited Yamada’s work to diversify �鶹��ý’s economy through new businesses and higher education. She will be honored alongside the Women Who Mean Business honorees at an event on March 13 at The Royal Hawaiian.

As director of UH Ventures, Yamada championed a groundbreaking effort to create the —a student entrepreneurship and innovation facility with housing for 374 students that opened in August 2023. From 2008 to 2017, Yamada was the executive director of PACE, during which she quadrupled the number of programs, fundraised and opened a coworking space at the Shidler College of Business.

Read more about the Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center

“Special thanks to Dean Vance Roley and the PACE team for allowing me the opportunity to pursue my passion and to serve the students at UH,” Yamada said. “I have been so fortunate to have the support of many in the business community who see the value of an entrepreneurial mindset in our future workforce.”

Prior to assuming her positions at PACE and UH, Yamada spent 17 years working, transforming and investing in startup companies in the high tech, health care and travel industries. Since moving back to �鶹��ý from California in 2001, Yamada has dedicated her life to building a robust startup ecosystem in �鶹��ý and providing young talent the opportunities to build, develop and thrive as entrepreneurs. In 2024, Yamada received the Startup Paradise Champion award at the �鶹��ý Entrepreneur Awards.

A one-of-a-kind nursing simulation center, innovative classroom spaces, and student-made satellites launched into space were some of the highlights from the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa Talk Story: Campus Tour on June 26, which invited new state legislators to discover and support the university’s academic and research spaces.

“We were glad our lawmakers were able to get a better understanding of what we are doing here on campus,” said UH Mānoa Provost Michael Bruno. “The tour showcased some of our exceptional programs, spanning from innovative learning spaces to creating a workforce pipeline in space science. Our representatives also had the opportunity to meet some of our incredible faculty, staff and students who make this campus the world class institution that it is.”

�鶹��ý state legislators from the House participated in the tour including Reps. Trish La Chica, Darius Kila, Luke Evslin, Andrew Takuya Garrett, Jackson Sayama and Kirstin Kahaloa.

Related UH News stories:

• State lawmakers get insights about how UH Mānoa is innovating, March 1, 2024
• UH faculty, state lawmakers share ideas on public safety, April 19, 2024

The tour began with a welcome message at the Queen Liliʻuokalani Center for Student Success. The first stop was the UH Translational Health Science Simulation Center in the , where theatre and dance students portray patients and their families while nursing students practice patient interactions through .

“This was actually my first time touring the campus,” said Kila. “The highlight for me was seeing where the university is positioned for almost this tangible strategic future plan. I’m truly impressed with the nursing facility that we got to tour. I’ve been impressed with every facility that we’ve seen and the quality of staff, faculty and students. Now I can actually visualize the programs here and I am proud of the work that’s being done.”

The highlight for me was seeing where the university is positioned for almost this tangible strategic future plan.
—Darius Kila

Representatives also toured the ’s glass blowing classroom; innovative learning spaces in Sakamaki Hall and the (LAVA Lab); and the , where students are trained to engineer small satellites that are being launched into space. The tour concluded at UH’s Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center for a Q&A session.

“As a mom raising two young kids here, I’m constantly thinking about ways to enable our youth to stay,” said La Chica. “One of the highlights from today was the �鶹��ý Space Flight Laboratory and learning about the opportunities to diversify our economy and create pathways for high tech jobs here. And looking at how �鶹��ýis creating opportunities for our students to get a world-class education and a strong start in their careers. It was just a wonderful experience today. And I’m looking forward to continuing to get more exposure and learning how else we can best support the university.”

University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� alumni Walter Dods, Jr. and Jay H. Shidler have gifted a sculpture by the late Bumpei Akaji to their alma mater. The sculpture, “RISE,” was installed outside the Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center, and dedicated in a special ceremony prior to the official grand opening of the center on June 15.

The sculpture “RISE” was created in 1979 by Kauaʻi-born artist Bumpei Akaji as a gift for the late Masaru “Pundy” Yokouchi, founding chairperson of �鶹��ý’s State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. Dods and Shidler purchased the sculpture from Yokouchi’s estate on Maui. Dods named it “RISE” with permission from Yokouchi’s family.

“I thought it’d be cool to name it RISE, and bringing it back to Metcalf Street is just incredible,” Dods said.

Akaji was one of seven local artists who attended UH ����ԴDz� after World War II and lived at the “Metcalf Chateau,” an old house they rented in the 1950s on Metcalf Street, a short distance away from the RISE Center. Akaji, who was a member of the famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team during the war, stayed in Italy to study painting and sculpture before returning to attend UH and became one of the first to earn a master’s in fine arts degree from UH ����ԴDz� in 1952.

RISE grand opening

The RISE building was named for Dods in honor of his gift of $5 million, which supports the RISE programs operated by the (PACE) at the UH ����ԴDz� . The student entrepreneurship and innovation center with housing for 374 students opened in August 2023.

RISE was built under a public-private partnership between UH, and Hunt Companies �鶹��ý. UH Foundation recently moved its headquarters to the second and third floors of the Charles Atherton House at RISE.

“This project is such a powerful example of what can happen when we innovate in our thinking and embrace creative partnerships to re-imagine our state’s future,” said Gov. Josh Green, MD. “These projects serve as an example that there is a way to improve facilities without relying solely on taxpayer dollars, and in UH’s case, tuition monies.”

“We are proud that UH Foundation is a partner in this groundbreaking project that will nurture and inspire generations of student entrepreneurs,” said UH Foundation CEO Tim Dolan. “We’re excited we get to work here in this historic building and grateful we get to admire this wonderful gift from Walter and Jay, the sculpture by Bumpei Akaji, every day.”

PACE Board Chair Susan Yamada noted that her first trip to the University of Utah’s Lassonde Studios, which served as the model for RISE, was just seven years ago. The groundbreaking was in January 2022 and the building was completed in August 2023.

Related UH News stories:

• New state-of-the-art UH ����ԴDz� RISE center inspired by Utah’s Lassonde Studios, June 4, 2023
• Space for 3D printing, fabrication, sewing, more in new UH ����ԴDz� RISE center, July 5, 2023
• RISE to host student entrepreneur events, funding incentives, July 30, 2023

“The journey to this grand opening was very challenging,” Yamada said. “Overcoming adversity by working as a team and persevering are traits we want our students to acquire while studying at UH.”

In addition to gifting the RISE sculpture to UH, Dods brought it from Maui to ����ԴDz� with help from Matson, Royal Contracting and Island Movers, each of which donated their services.

Artist and consultant Kelly Sueda oversaw a restoration of the sculpture to its original glory, as well as the installation.

Products created and produced by University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� students including non-alcoholic ginger beer, hand-sewn accessories, stickers, air fresheners, baked goods, handmade cosmetics, education STEM kits and an app for skin disease identification were on display at the Walter Dods Jr., RISE Center.

The display was part of the Shidler College of Business ’s (PACE) inaugural PACE Founders and Friends Showcase, held at the end of the spring 2024 semester.

More than 70 PACE alumni and members of the center’s network of volunteers had the chance to meet 10 UH student entrepreneurs, who used the time to gather feedback about their ideas and products, and practice selling and networking skills. The showcasing student entrepreneurs represented a variety of disciplines, including molecular biosciences and bioengineering, education, psychology, information technology management, marketing and entrepreneurship.

“It was truly an honor to participate in the event and engage with the attending community,” said student Luphane Bonhomme, who created stickers with wellness messages. “I had the opportunity to connect with numerous partners and presenters. This event marked the debut of my product, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.”

, an attendee and serial entrepreneur with more than 40 years of career experience said, “The experience of the event was great, more than I expected. The tour and students showcasing their products gave more meaning to the program.”

PACE plans to host a PACE Founders and Friends Showcase every semester.

Goals of the newly-established include:

• Connecting PACE alumni with each other and with current students
• Re-engaging alumni with PACE and UH
• Building a network of founders who support each other and mentor the next generation of business creators
• Growing an ecosystem of entrepreneurs who are born at PACE, raised by the community and who become positive contributors to �鶹��ý’s economy

It’s happening organically, and it’s the right time for us to establish a program that intentionally brings generations together.
— Tracy Taira

PACE aims to bring together generations of students who participated in PACE programs, and those in �鶹��ý’s startup community who dedicate their time and knowledge to UH‘s startup community. To learn more, .

“After more than 20 years in operation and offering its resources to students, our team is seeing past participants returning to PACE to serve as mentors, judges, speakers and donors to the center,” said PACE Program Manager Tracy Taira. “It’s happening organically, and it’s the right time for us to establish a program that intentionally brings generations together.”