Henk Rogers, owner of the rights to “Tetris” and founder of Blue Planet Foundation, and Luis Salaveria, director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, will be the featured speakers today from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Startup Paradise Showcase at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, 701 Ilalo St., Room 600.
The event will include pitches from the eight companies of the latest batch at Blue Startups and updates from many of the community organizations making a big difference in Hawaii’s growing innovation sector.
There also will be an industry leaders panel that will include Dave Kennedy, chief revenue officer for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser; Bob Harrison, chairman and CEO of First Hawaiian Bank; Vijoy Chattergy, chief investment officer of the state Employees’ Retirement System; David Striph, executive vice president of the Howard Hughes Corp.; and Bill Hozey, managing partner for Verizon Wireless.
For information go to madmimi.com/s/db2808.
Hawaiian Airlines lifts financial forecast
Hawaiian Airlines revised upward Thursday its financial expectations for the just-concluded second quarter while reporting that passenger traffic rose 2 percent in June from the year-earlier period.
The state’s largest carrier said it now expects its revenue per available seat mile to be up 1 to 2 percent in the second quarter, up from its previous guidance published in April of down 1.5 percent to up 1.5 percent for the period.
Hawaiian also said it expects its cost per available seat mile, excluding fuel, to be up in a range of 3.5 to 4.5 percent. That compares with its previous costlier guidance of up 3.5 to 6.5 percent. In its monthly traffic report, the airline said it transported 969,607 passengers in June compared with 950,761 in the year-earlier period. The load factor, or the percentage of seats filled, inched up 1.9 percentage points to 86.1 percent from 84.2 percent.
Available seat miles, or one seat transported 1 mile, increased 3.8 percent to 1.6 million from 1.54 million. Revenue seat miles, or one paying passenger transported 1 mile, gained 6.2 percent to 1.37 million from 1.29 million.
Industrial hemp program signed into law
Gov. David Ige signed into law Thursday a measure that establishes an industrial hemp pilot program for the cultivation of the cannabis plant for research.
The program through the state Department of Agriculture allows for the distribution of hempseed for purposes of agricultural or academic research.
Meanwhile, Hawaii’s first medical cannabis dispensaries are preparing to open this year.
Act 241, passed in 2015, allows medical marijuana businesses to have two production centers and two retail dispensaries, for a total of 16 dispensaries statewide. Hawaii became the first state to legalize medical marijuana through the legislative process 16 years ago, but patients did not have a legal way to obtain the drug.
On the move
Hawaiiana Management Co. has announced the appointment of Irene Ramiro to management executive. She was previously managing town homes, single-family homes and high-rise communities at Associa Hawaii. Ramiro has 18 years of experience in the Hawaii property management industry and has worked in the accounting field for 25 years, including serving as accounting supervisor and assistant controller.
Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties has announced that Brian W. Matson has joined its Kahala office as an independent agent. He has more than 25 years of residential real estate experience in Hawaii and was previously a Realtor associate with Gold Coast Real Estate.
