Alumni

Alumni

Scaling new heights while shaping the future of digital video

For alumna Qynn Nguyen, VEMBA ’12, the journey from earning her master’s in business administration to now leading strategic initiatives at YouTube has been a story of adaptability, innovation and resilience. As manager of Video on Demand for YouTube TV, Primetime Channels, FAST and NFL Sunday Ticket, Nguyen’s career showcases how core business skills and a passion for learning can propel success in dynamic industries.

Sustainability meets luxury: Alumna leading the charge for regenerative tourism

Taylor Ledgerwood, BS ’23, is a driving force behind regenerative tourism in Hawai‘i through her role as manager of the Kahala Initiative for Sustainability, Culture and the Arts (KISCA). Her work seamlessly integrates what regenerative aims to do– drawing on environmental sustainability, cultural preservation and community engagement to create experiences for guests and residents alike.

Jane-of-all-trades Hisae Uki a bona fide noodle aficionado

Hisae Uki, MBA ’12, has worn multiple hats at Sun Noodle, where craft noodles are produced for restaurants and retail in Honolulu, New Jersey, California and The Netherlands. Since beginning her journey at the family business, founded by her father, Hidehito, and mother, Keiko, she’s held management roles in human resources, food safety, quality assurance, marketing and operations. It’s safe to say Uki’s days are never boring.

A leap of faith across the Pacific Ocean leads to real estate career alumnus loves

Since graduating from Shidler College, Martin Nguyen, BBA ’15, has been on an exciting journey of bold risks and transformative experiences. The young professional has already enjoyed an illustrious career full of big changes, starting when he boarded a one-way flight to Los Angeles the same week he graduated. He didn’t have a job lined up but he had the knowledge and persistence he gained while in college and as a student in the college’s inaugural Direct Admit Program.

Seize the Moment

Steve Sombrero had a colorful career as an entrepreneur long before he came to Hawaii and built a reputation as not only the owner of one of the top commercial real estate brokerages in the state, but also the man who rid Honolulu’s toniest neighborhood of a Japanese billionaire who allowed more than two dozen luxury homes to become derelict.