Take a closer look at many of Hawaiʻi’s rising leaders, and you’ll find a common connection: the University of Hawaiʻi. This year’s Pacific Business News 40 Under 40 list is a striking example. Half of the honorees have ties to UH.
Two of them are current UH employees serving Central and West Oʻahu communities: Darian Padilla, the UH Foundation’s director of development for UH West Oʻahu and Leeward Community College, and Hailey Zhou, product development manager at Leeward CC’s Wahiawā Value-Added Product Development Center (WVAPDC).
Darian Padilla
Padilla builds philanthropic partnerships for both campuses, connecting people and resources with opportunities that strengthen education, support workforce development and serve Hawaiʻi’s communities.
“Being named to PBN’s 40 Under 40 is both humbling and meaningful,” Padilla said. “I don’t see it as an individual achievement. Instead, I accept it on behalf of the many people who have guided, supported and inspired me along the way.”
She added, “Working with UH has shown me that meaningful impact is rarely the result of one individual. It comes from people coming together around a common purpose and investing in the success of others.”
Hailey Zhou
Zhou leads product development initiatives at the WVAPDC, where she has supported more than 150 Hawaiʻi food entrepreneurs to commercialize their products. She secured funding from the Ulupono Initiative for a dozen clients and assisted a Hawaiʻi baby food product in earning a 2026 NEXTY Award.
“Being named to PBN’s 40 Under 40 is incredibly meaningful because it recognizes not just my individual accomplishments, but the work happening across Hawaiʻi food ecosystem,” Zhou said. “My work at Leeward Community College and the WVAPDC has given me the platform and freedom to be innovative in designing solutions that meet the needs of the communities we serve.”
20 out of 40
UH’s connection to the 2026 40 Under 40 class extends across the 10-campus system. Eighteen additional honorees are UH alumni:
- Davin Aoyagi (BA ‘13, UH Mānoa)—senior manager of government relations, Turo
- Joseph Castaneda (BBA ‘11, UH Mānoa)—principal broker, REMAX Hawaiʻi West Oʻahu
- Louie Gangcuangco (MS ‘20, UH Mānoa)—medical doctor and HIV specialist, Waikiki Health
- Cosmo Hirai (BA ‘13, UH Mānoa)—bishop, Hawaiʻi Tōdaiji Temple
- Chanel Josiah (AA ‘18, Leeward CC)—chief operating officer, Hawaiʻi Community Lending
- Katie Kaahanui (BA ‘21, UH West Oʻahu)—director, Safe & Sound Westside, Department of the Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney
- Jai Keep-Barnes (BA ‘10; JD ‘17, UH Mānoa)—partner, Lung Rose Voss Wagnild
- K. Sean Kekina (BS ‘12, UH Mānoa)—deputy administrator and chief operating officer, Office of Hawaiian Affairs
- Kris Kokame (MBA ‘17, UH Mānoa)—Hawaiʻi lead, external affairs, AES Hawaiʻi
- Richmond Luzar (BA ‘20, UH Mānoa)—principal, Aura Strategies LLC
- Marc Malate (BA ‘12; MSW ‘17; MURP ‘18, UH Mānoa)—licensed clinical social worker, Marc Joseph Malate
- Kelsey Nishi Darling (attended UHMānoa)—founder and executive director, Make Lemonade Project; owner, calligrapher and graphic designer, Hawaiʻi Calligraphy
- Jordan Odo (MBA ‘17, UH Mānoa)—first vice president and compliance associate, American Savings Bank
- Nahelani Parsons (JD ‘17, UH Mānoa)—founder and president, Pacific Government Relations
- Keane Santos (BBA ‘10, UH Mānoa)—vice president, product strategy department manager, Hawaiʻi State Federal Credit Union
- Sara Strona (JD ‘14; MBA ‘15, UH Mānoa)—director, Starn O’Toole Marcus & Fisher, A Law Corporation
- Cody Winchester (MURP ‘18, UH Mānoa)—community resilience planning manager, G70
- Jamie Yoshikane (JD ‘13, UH Mānoa)—assistant general counsel, Hawaiʻi Gas
As these leaders continue to drive change across every sector of our islands, they serve as a powerful reminder of UH’s role in cultivating leaders who are building a bright future for Hawaiʻi.
—By Devon Bedoya
