What's behind the name "Kuhio"?

"Kuhio" isn't just some startup trend of using catchy sounding Hawaiian words for a business name (Akamai, Wiki, etc.) but it has a personal connection which I will explain later in this post. Although Kuhio is a Hawaiian reference to Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole also known as "Prince Kuhio". You can learn more about his impressive background on Wikipedia where it also cites the translation of "Kuhio" to be "Chief who leaned forward as he stood". And "Kalanianaʻole" means "ambitious Chief," or "Chief who is never satisfied". Throughout my career I have always strived to lean forward into new digital technologies. At this stage of my career I am filling the gap of "Chief Marketing/Digital Officer" for companies that lack that position in their org chart to help their company grow.

On a more personal level "Kuhio" reflects my perspective on personal, professional, and business growth. Growing up I never really traveled outside of the east coast, but always dreamed of visiting a tropical location. In college (Connecticut College) the administration was very supportive and even pushed for students to broaden their experience with a semester away. I definitely wanted to do a semester abroad but didn't gravitate towards any of the existing programs in the US, Europe, or elsewhere. I wanted to go to Hawaii. So a friend and I pitched the Dean on the idea. As Environmental Studies majors it provided an opportunity to study a completely different ecosystem than New England. The Dean loved the idea and we worked together to make it happen. Officially we took a leave of absence and submitted to transfer to the University of Hawaii with mutual understanding we would return to Conn College. We got accepted but did not get housing. We worked connections prior to leaving but no luck, so we hopped on the flights and stayed at a "motel" that made hostels look like the Ritz. We hit the streets and found an apartment to rent and part-time jobs at Honolulu restaurants. The apartment was located on Kuhio Avenue.

My parents had asked me if I was worried about traveling 5,000 miles away without a place to stay. Somehow I was confident I could make it work out. It was one of the best decisions I've made. Not only was my time in Hawaii amazing (early morning classes, surfing/exploring in the afternoon, and working at the restaurant at night) but at 20 years old I came up with an idea, pitched it, and made it happen. Fast forward to 2002. Working at a digital marketing agency in the original dot-com era I believed in the power of search engines as a truly targeted marketing channel vs. other options like costly AOL sponsorships. I put together a quick business plan for an SEO agency and worked to flesh it out. I co-founded UpWord Search Marketing with another partner and we bootstrapped the agency. Bootstrapping the company was stressful but we both took on side jobs and made it happen. We grew it over 10+ years until it was time for a change and we successfully exited via an acquisition. After an enjoyable stint at leading Digital Products for a demand gen company I pursued a role in private equity. I don't fit the typical Ivy / MBA profile, but I was able to find a position where I could specialize in helping portfolio companies with digital growth initiatives. My growth journey started with finding that apartment on Kuhio Avenue and I'm excited to see where this next chance to build something takes me and hopefully your company.