Why does the checkout clerk at the local big box store make significantly less than someone in construction? Sure, there’s the dirty jobs element to it: working inside with low risks to safety and physical discomfort vs physically demanding outside work certainly plays a role, but there are two facts that probably play a bigger...Read More

We’ve certainly had a year to remember…or forget. The near end of 2020 is a welcome sign for many. We’ve all spent a lot of time anxious about our health, our community, and our local economy. With a huge dependence on tourism, Kona, Hawaii, has been hit incredibly hard by the pandemic’s effects on our...Read More

One of the best defenses around castles were moats. Perhaps the most forbidden places in Tokyo is the imperial palace in downtown Tokyo. There are only a few bridges into the palace, and the rest of the area surrounding the palace has a moat. When I lived there, a person trying to cross the moat...Read More

A few days from now, we might have a new president and a shift of power in the Senate. We are sure to have a new mayor for Hawaii Island. Everyone has an opinion about who they would like and which party they prefer. This post is not about who I would like to win;...Read More

Today marks the beginning of something different in Hawaii: the return of tourism. Since March of this year, we’ve seen a 98% drop in tourist arrival, mostly due to a mandatory 14-day quarantine imposed by the State of Hawaii and numerous County of Hawaii rules. Good or bad, it is what is it, and there’s...Read More

In nearly 15 years in business, we’d heard just about every question imaginable. Some questions, though, we hear every week. When we hear these questions, we have a pretty good idea of the desired answers. Here’s our top question. When can you complete the project? About 95% of the time, the desired answer is “now.,...Read More

We generally try to avoid talk of specific politicians or political parties.  Kona Impact has never explicitly endorsed a candidate, nor have we ever had any candidate signs, banners, or handouts visible in our office. Why? It’s simple. We want everyone, regardless of beliefs, to feel comfortable and welcome. I don’t feel talk of divisive...Read More

“Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water” is the famous tagline from Jaws 2. It also describes my perception of what is happening with the COVID pandemic. Signs of hope–the reopening of tourism with a pre-flight test protocol–get crushed, and now we’re stuck with the status quo.  One step...Read More

Tourism in Kona, Hawaii, is the lifeblood of our economy. Hotels, restaurants, small retail, and all the businesses that are supported by them have had a significant part of their livelihood taken away from them since mid-March. Tour businesses and most hotels have had zero revenue, and most restaurants are operating at a fraction of...Read More

Hawaii is one of the only places that I know–the other is Singapore–where everyone is a minority. No one group has a plurality. We’re about 30% Asian, 25% White, 10% Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, and most remarkably, about 25% who identify as multi-ethnic–the highest percentage in the U.S.  This is one reason I love Hawaii...Read More