Deep conversations with leaders to connect, learn, heal, and grow.
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Chenoa Farnsworth, managing partner of Blue Startups, sits down with Evan Leong for a wide-ranging conversation that moves from Hawaii's startup ecosystem to the inner life of the people who build it. She traces her winding path from a Big Island macadamia nut farm to health policy in Washington, D.C., to founding Hawaii Angels, Kolohala Ventures, and Blue Startups — and why she turned down a Silicon Valley VC job to raise her kids at home. Along the way she and Evan dig into the shame that quietly powers so many founders, the loneliness epidemic haunting high performers, the sexism that lives
Long before Washington, D.C., Ed Case was a kid from Hilo who describes his childhood as "Norman Rockwell, but Hawaii" — the only haole in his class, surfing after school and never once thinking about race or ethnicity. In this wide-ranging conversation, Ed traces the unlikely path from a small-town upbringing on Hawaii Island to the U.S. Congress: the family that left a Kansas law firm generations ago, the culture shock of an elite New England college, the poster on a career-office wall that sent him to D.C., and the lessons he absorbed working for Senator Spark Matsunaga. It's an honest look
From the deadliest mass shooting in American history to the most devastating wildfire tragedy in modern U.S. history, Chief John Pelletier has spent his career leading through the unthinkable. As incident commander during the 2017 Mandalay Bay shooting in Las Vegas and now Chief of the Maui Police Department during the catastrophic 2023 wildfires, Pelletier opens up about what it actually takes to make life-or-death decisions under unimaginable pressure — and what it costs him personally as a husband and father. He shares the moment his wife told him to leave for a hostage rescue on Christmas
Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami sits down with Evan Leong for a rare, unfiltered conversation about leadership, loss, and legacy. From surviving Hurricane Iniki as a teenager to losing his mother, father, and brother within eighteen months, Derek opens up about grief, mental health, and why he refuses to stay silent about his brother's suicide. He shares how his wife Monica's wisdom shaped his run for office, why he built Kauai's first inclusive playground, and what's driving his campaign for Lieutenant Governor. Watch now to hear why real leadership starts with honesty, not perfection.
Steve Sawyer grew up in a home where silence was the deadliest weapon — and rage could erupt without warning. As founder of the Developmental Trauma Training Institute, Steve draws on his own childhood wounds to reveal how unhealed trauma shapes every relationship, addiction, and behavior we carry into adulthood. From the neuroscience of the nervous system and the four core survival wounds identified by Anna Freud, to the life-changing power of repairing better as a parent, this conversation is a roadmap for breaking generational cycles and reclaiming connection. Watch now to discover why heal
What if the key to healing trauma, anxiety, and depression has been misunderstood for decades — and the answer lies in a medicine most of us were taught to fear? Mike DeMattos, Chair of the Bachelor of Social Work Program at the University of Hawaii, joins Evan Leong for a deeply honest and wide-ranging conversation about psychedelic-assisted therapy, the roots of self-rejection, and what it truly means to heal. Mike shares how his initial skepticism gave way to compelling research — and how psilocybin, MDMA, and other psychedelics may offer something traditional treatments have struggled to p
Brad Yates spent six decades coaching elite athletes, leaders, and even legendary college football head coach Bill Curry — and his hardest lesson came from looking inward at his own unprocessed anger. At 84, the former Punahou School educator and high-performance coach sits down with Evan Leong to unpack "Accept Love," his framework for elite performance, why most of what we call passion is actually stored anger, and how grief, fear, and agency intertwine in every leader's life. From getting recruited to Georgia Tech to coaching at Punahou for 30 years, surviving FBI protection alongside Bill
Scott Simon walked away from a high-paying executive career to become a leadership coach — and the journey that led him there is anything but ordinary. From playing D3 volleyball at Santa Clara after turning down Princeton, to navigating corporate law and a company bankruptcy, to ultimately trading a corporate paycheck for the freedom to build something on his own terms, Scott brings a rare depth of lived experience to every coaching conversation. In this episode, he and Evan Leong unpack the mindset shifts, practical frameworks, and personal turning points that define a life built around cont
Pal Eldredge has lived one of Hawaii’s most extraordinary sporting lives — from a three-sport athlete at Punahou and a College World Series competitor at BYU, to decades coaching baseball, scouting for Major League Baseball, and teaching fifth grade to a boy the world would come to know as Barack Obama. Evan Leong sits down with Coach Pal for an unflinching conversation about aging, legacy, physical decline, and what it truly means to give back to the game and the people who shaped you. Pal shares raw and moving reflections on losing his brother and sister, raising daughters he’s fiercely prou
What if a tech CEO isn’t self-made—but community-made? In this powerful conversation, Forest Frizzell shares his raw, deeply personal journey from a troubled childhood marked by learning struggles, self-doubt, and survival, to becoming the co-founder of a globally recognized clean energy company. This episode goes beyond entrepreneurship—it’s about being “Hānai’d” (nourished and lifted) by people who believed in him, finding belonging in Hawaii, and redefining success through impact, humility, and service. Forest opens up about overcoming the belief that he wasn’t smart, learning to lead witho
Sherry Menor, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, sits down with Evan Leong for one of the most candid conversations about leadership, identity, and personal growth you'll hear from a Hawaii executive. Born in Tokyo and raised in Hilo in a strict Japanese-Filipino household, Sherry's path to becoming the first female CEO in the Chamber's 175-year history was anything but linear — it included detours through Hollywood extra work, a stint with Elton John's production team, a statewide political campaign, and years of learning to stop performing and start being herself. She op
What does it really mean to lead with Aloha in business? In this episode of Greater Good Radio, Pacific Business News Publisher Lei Pedro shares how her Hawaiian heritage, family legacy, and life experiences shaped her approach to leadership, connection, and community. From growing up in a family of traditional lei makers to becoming one of Hawaiʻi’s most influential business media leaders, Lei explains why great leaders connect people, speak with radical candor, and always lead with purpose. This conversation explores the deeper meaning of Aloha, culture in the workplace, and how business suc
In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Evan Leong sits down with Christine Camp — Korean immigrant, single mother, runaway teen, and founder & CEO of Avalon Group — for a raw, unfiltered conversation about survival, identity, healing, and what it truly takes to build something meaningful in Hawaiʻi. Christine opens up about leaving Korea as a child, losing her father shortly after arriving in America, running away from home at 15 and working multiple jobs to survive, and the defining moment that sent her back home and set her on a path toward education, real estate, and purpose. From fo
In this deeply personal and inspiring episode, Johnny Chankhamany joins Evan Leong to share his remarkable journey from growing up in a low-income immigrant household to becoming a respected finance leader, venture capital connector, and mentor helping others break into Wall Street and beyond. Johnny opens up about watching his parents sacrifice everything, the mindset shifts that pulled him out of scarcity, the grit it took to navigate college and corporate finance, and how pivotal mentors changed the trajectory of his life. He talks candidly about rejection, imposter syndrome, financial lite
In this powerful episode, Evan Leong sits down with Ian Kitajima for a deeply personal conversation that traces Ian’s journey from a childhood shaped by freedom, curiosity, and trust to a career defined by courage, innovation, and purpose-driven leadership. Ian reflects on how early life experiences influenced his willingness to take risks, challenge conventional paths, and step into uncertainty—both in business and in life—while sharing lessons on resilience, creativity, and staying grounded in values as responsibility grows. This episode goes beyond titles and achievements, offering an hones
In this deeply honest and emotionally powerful episode, Evan Leong sits down with Corey Campbell, CEO and Founder of Akamai Training & Consulting and a Hoffman Process teacher, for a raw conversation on pain, grief, shame, and the lifelong work of emotional freedom. Corey opens up about childhood conditioning, identity, racial awareness, imposter syndrome, losing his brother, becoming a father, and how unprocessed emotions live in the body—shaping our patterns, leadership, and relationships. Together, Evan and Corey explore inner-child work, trauma, surrender, somatic release, the voice in our
In this deeply personal and vulnerable episode, Nolan Hong sits down with Evan Leong to unpack a lifetime of self-doubt, fear of failure, and abandonment—and the long, courageous journey toward self-love and wholeness. Nolan opens up about growing up with shame and anxiety, navigating ADHD, perfectionism, and fear-driven success, and how storytelling, healing work, and honest emotional connection have helped him reconnect with his heart instead of just his mind. Through powerful reflections on childhood wounds, identity, purpose, and what it truly means to “just be,” this conversation explores
In this powerful conversation, Josh Green sits down with host Evan Leong to share the deeply human journey that shaped his path from physician to Governor of Hawaiʻi—one defined by service, lived experience, and a commitment to bringing people together. Drawing from childhood health challenges, medical missions in India, Africa, and Samoa, years as a community doctor in Kaʻū, and leadership through crises like COVID-19 and the Maui wildfires, Governor Green explains how frontline healthcare and compassion inform his approach to policy, homelessness, public trust, and healing divided communitie
In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi opens up about the defining moments of his life—his parents’ sacrifices, the pain of loss, the challenges of fatherhood, the guilt and growth that shaped him, and the enduring love that guided every major decision he made. Rick reveals vulnerable stories about raising his children from afar, rebuilding after heartbreak, honoring his father’s legacy, and striving to live with purpose in the “twilight” of his career. This episode goes far beyond politics, offering an intimate portrait of a man shaped by family, res
In this powerful and emotional episode, Mano Nguyen opens up about his family’s escape from Vietnam, the challenges of growing up as a refugee, the sacrifices behind his parents’ strength, and the deep sense of duty and resilience that shaped him into a veteran, entrepreneur, and community leader. This conversation dives into identity, gratitude, cultural values, family legacy, and how community support becomes the backbone for overcoming life’s toughest battles. Mano’s story is a reminder that healing, success, and purpose all begin with the people who stand by us—and the courage to keep goin
In this heartfelt episode of Greater Good Radio, Monty Pereira, General Manager and Sales & Marketing Director of Watanabe Floral, shares the most difficult experience of his life — his daughter’s devastating concussion and the lessons it taught him about faith, patience, and letting go. From his Hawaiian roots in Hilo to his 29-year journey leading one of Hawaiʻi’s most beloved floral companies, Monty opens up about family, resilience, and the deeper purpose behind his work: bringing happiness and connection through flowers. His story is one of love, loss, and learning to trust life’s process
Dive into an inspiring, no-ego masterclass with longtime Shidler College of Business dean Vance Roley, as he shares the leadership habits that powered two decades of growth at UH Mānoa: putting faculty first, building a culture of transparency, and partnering closely with alumni and donors to expand scholarships, endowments, and global opportunities. In this candid conversation, Vance talks recruiting top professors, the Direct Admit (freshman) pipeline, why study-abroad changes lives, how dedicated career services boost job placement, and what’s next as he transitions back to the classroom. Y
From a college apartment startup to a $700 million acquisition, Brett Brewer’s journey is the real story behind MySpace, Intermix Media, and the early internet boom. In this inspiring conversation, Brett shares how luck, hustle, and relentless belief turned failure into one of tech’s biggest success stories. He reveals the lessons from 150 investor rejections, the origins of “fake it ’til you make it,” the inside story of selling to Rupert Murdoch, and how he’s paying it forward through venture investing and youth entrepreneurship. This episode is a masterclass in perseverance, timing, and sta
What does it really mean to live a life well lived? In this inspiring conversation, Jeff Zimmerman—co-owner of AdWalls and founder of Environmental Graphics Hawaii, sits down with Evan Leong to reflect on 40 years in Hawaii, the lessons of resilience after surviving a stroke, and his daily practice of “seeking beauty” in work, family, and community. From building a career in real estate and advertising to mentoring his children and embracing gratitude, Jeff shares candid stories of growth, creativity, and finding purpose beyond success. His journey is a powerful reminder that true fulfillment
What does it take to rise to the top without a college degree? In this inspiring episode of Greater Good Radio, Dennis Francis—President and Publisher of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser—shares his journey from humble beginnings in Ohio to becoming one of Hawaii’s most influential media executives. Dennis reveals how grit, people skills, and instinct shaped his career, why he chose entrepreneurship over corporate structure, and how community service became central to his leadership philosophy. Whether you're an aspiring leader, college dropout, or seasoned entrepreneur, this candid conversation of
