The Maui Nō Ka ‘Oi Podcast Presented By SilverShark Media

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Jason Matsui, lead baker at Stillwell’s Bakery & Café in Wailuku.  In this podcast Jason talks about growing up on Maui, how he made the decision to get into baking while in college, the path that led him to joining Stillwell’s in 1994, lesson's he learned early on from founder Roy Stillwell, what a typical day is like for him with unconventional work hours, the precision required for baking, having to learn patience, the impact of the UH Maui College culinary program across the island, navigating trends through the industry, his favorite part o...

Diane Woodburn speaks to Paula Hegele, President at Maui Wine.  In this podcast Paula talks about joining what was originally Tedeschi Vineyards in 1990, what sparked the original idea to grow grapes on Maui, navigating the pros and cons behind the global success of their pineapple wine, how decisions were made to expand the grape and wine portfolio, why syrah was viewed as an important addition, how the success of the grapes and wines kept the terrain and conditions of Maui front and center, navigating tourism challenges over the years, how the tasting room became a more personalized experience due t...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Caleb Hopkins of Hana Hou Hospitality and the upcoming Lahaina Food & Wine Festival (Feb 18th-22nd). In this episode Caleb talks about his career path in hospitality, the transition from working in the restaurant industry to being an owner in a restaurant group, the original inspiration behind the Lahaina Food & Wine Festival, how the festival is growing from its first year, the lineup of events February 18th through February 22nd including chefs from around the island that are participating, how the Grand Taste event will raise money for the Lahaina Jodo Mission...

Diane Woodburn speaks to Roger Stettler, renowned Executive Chef & Restaurateur on Maui.  In this podcast Roger talks about his early training as a chef growing up in Switzerland, a career path that included stops on the Big Island, Singapore, Seoul, & Maui, adapting to different cultures, his work on Maui that included Four Seasons & opening Taverna, spending time last year as a chef instructor at UH Maui College, his experience teaching the younger generation of chefs, drawing inspiration from his roots when he travels back to Europe, how the culinary experience has evolved on Maui, and after 40 years in the k...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Deron & Kit Furukawa, co-owners of Maui Chili Chili Oil.  In this podcast Deron & Kit talk about what their product is, the inspiration behind launching the business, how they left their tradition career backgrounds to start this business, getting their big break at the Made In Maui festival, the time frame starting with when they created the first recipe to getting products in stores, using their social media to pull back the curtain on running a small business, challenges they've had to overcome while growing the company, developing different variations of products, how M...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Peter Merriman, Executive Chef & Restaurateur with Merriman's Kapalua, Monkeypod Kitchen, & Ulu Kitchen. In this podcast Peter talks about when to make changes on restaurants that have continued success such as Merriman's and Monkeypod, what defines a great guest experience, whether he can dine at his own restaurants as a customer or does work always creep into his mind, what went into opening Ulu Kitchen at the Westin Maui Resort & Spa in 2024, how a resort property can differ from an independent location, determining where a new menu item fits amongst the different restaurants...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Richard Elliott, General Manager of the Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort.  In this podcast Richard talks about his background growing up in Jamaica, eventually moving to Chicago where he got his first job with a hotel property, when he realized there would be potential for a career in the hospitality industry, his path to becoming a general manager, the value of networking, the similarities and differences working with properties in city locations vs tropical locations, his goals when taking over as GM at Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort in 2024, lessons he has l...

Diane Woodburn speaks to Stephanie Mallek, CEO and co-owner of Kula Lodge.  In this podcast Stephanie talks about dealing with the recent fire at Kula Lodge, the history of the property, her father Simon Vodjani's experience in the restaurant industry, an update on the damage that was done to the restaurant, how a small part of the interior was salvaged by a local firefighter, the impact of the fire on employees, the process of rebuilding, her vision for the future of Kula Lodge, how the property will offer a food trailer in the meantime for guests to experience, and a...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Daryl Fujiwara, Event Coordinator for the Festivals of Aloha.  In this podcast Daryl talks about the history of Festivals of Aloha, the logistics behind putting on these events, the importance of communication while planning a festival series like this, a rundown of the two-month long event series starting with First Friday in Wailuku on September 5th and running each weekend until October 26th, the venues involved that include events in Wailuku, Kahului, Kapalua, Wailea, Makawao, Hana, Lanai, & Molokai, the cultural importance behind certain events such as the falsetto contests, hula performances, & paniolo r...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to David Gridley & Maria McMillan about the upcoming 2025 Seed To Cup Coffee Festival on August 10th.  In this podcast David & Maria talk about how they first got involved working in the coffee industry, how the Maui Coffee Association supports local coffee growers and producers, how David founded Maui Oma Coffee Roasting Company and Maria took over in 2018 when he retired, the challenges the industry has faced over the years for Maui coffee growers, what to expect at the upcoming 2025 Seed To Cup Festival, a rundown of events including coffee workshops and a barista t...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Jayson Asuncion, Executive Chef at the Royal Lahaina Resort.  In this podcast Jayson talks about his first culinary influences while growing up in Lahaina, moving to the west coast for culinary school and his first jobs in the industry, when he realized this was the career path he wanted to pursue, working for both independent restaurants and resort properties, what led to his move back to Maui, how he's seen the food scene evolve on Maui over the past few decades, the inspiration behind opening a food truck, the importance of communication i...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Erica Erickson, founder of Da Beehive store in Paia & the Maui Honey Bee Sanctuary.  In this podcast Erica talks about how she got into working with bees, going from weekly swap meet sales to opening a store in Paia, the challenges getting the store opened up, what types of bee products are available, why Maui is an optimal location for bees, why she opened up a bee sanctuary upcountry, the types of tours and experiences offered at the sanctuary, misconceptions about bees, how many bees she typically has on site, why the s...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Owen Campbell, CEO & Co-owner of Mana Recovery Center.  In this podcast Owen talks about the mission of Mana Recovery Center, the inspiration behind starting Mana Recovery Center, what needed to be in place to open Mana Recovery Center, different addiction treatment options offered to the community, the most rewarding part of his job, his advice for overcoming the stigma of needing help to treat addiction, goals for the future for Mana Recovery Center, & how people can learn more about Mana Recovery Center.  

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Ryan Luckey, Executive Chef at The Pint & Cork.  In this podcast Ryan talks about his family ties to Lahaina, how his grandfather and father were involved with The Carthaginian II replica whaling ship in Lahaina, his culinary influences growing up, his first jobs in the culinary industry, his career path at different stops across West Maui, the differences in working with a resort restaurant vs independent restaurants, how he's seen the culinary industry evolve on Maui during his career, how he's overcome the feeling of burnout as a chef, how The Pint & C...

Diane Woodburn speaks to Jeremy Solyn, Chef/Owner of NyloS located in Paia.  In this podcast Jeremy talks about his first job in culinary industry working in the Hamptons as an 18 year old, his career path that eventually brought him to Maui, what it was like to be the recipient of Best Chef's Table at the 2025 Aipono Awards, what guests can expect to experience at a NyloS dinner, how he worked through the economic downturns with the pandemic and Maui fires, dealing with some of the current industry challenges, how people can book a reservation at NyloS, and his a...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Ryan Cruz, Executive Chef at Hotel Wailea.  In this podcast Ryan talks about dropping out of business school to change his career path to the culinary industry, why fried shrimp brings up special family memories growing up, how he started on his culinary path, how public speaking classes from his business course help with his current career, lessons he learned early on in his days working with Wolfgang Puck restaurants, how his career took him around the world from LA to London to Istanbul to New York and then back to Maui, t...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Zach Sato, Chef/Owner of Havens Harborside Fish & Chophouse & Havens Kahului Food Truck. In this podcast Zach talks about how he got his start in the restaurant industry, his favorite family dishes growing up, advancing his career once he became a chef, the decision to open his first restaurant, how the pandemic forced him to pivot on his plans, running his own restaurant vs working as a chef in an existing restaurant, the decision to launch the food truck in Kahului, the approach to menu design for his different locations, opening Havens...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Rhonda Alexander-Monkres, Executive Director of the Ho'ōla iā Mauiakama Disaster Long Term Recovery Group.  In this podcast Rhonda talks about the mission of the organization, bringing together various nonprofits and community leaders to help streamline recovery efforts, how the group supports different recovery needs, working on the challenge of rebuilding owner occupied housing, the importance of flexibility when trying to overcome challenges during the recovery process, the importance of having community led leadership, how people can get involved if they want to support the organization, how people can find out if the...

Diane Woodburn speaks to GM Josh Hargrove & Hotel Manager Selawe Tau of the Westin Maui Resort and Spa and chair of the 46th annual Maui Charity Walk.  In this podcast Josh & Selawe talk about their career paths, the history of the Charity Walk, why the event is important for the Maui community, the goal this year for Maui to raise $2M for local nonprofit organizations, what the role of chair entails for an event of this scale, how people can get involved to either enter a team or donate money, the details for the May 10th event including food & m...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks Meli James, co-founder of Mana Up.  In this podcast Meli talks about what Mana Up does, the inspiration behind launching the company, the process going from the initial business idea to the first day of company operations, initial challenges the company had to overcome, ways that Mana Up helps local businesses, examples of Maui businesses that have grown with the support of Mana Up, how pop-up Aloha Markets like the current one at Haneda Airport in Japan help to promote local businesses outside of Hawaii, goals for the future, her advice to small b...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Kyle Fleming, co-founder & head brewer at Pauwela Beverage Company.  In this podcast Kyle talks about brewing fermented beverages like Kombucha, differences in brewing kombucha vs beer, Kyle’s background that led to this career, starting the business in January of 2020 and having to immediately adapt to the pandemic, their biggest challenge getting the business started, sourcing ingredients from local Maui farms, what was needed to scale up distribution, advice he would give himself 5 years ago when he started the business, what people can expect from visiting the taproom in Haiku, goals for the...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Alexa Caskey, owner of Moku Roots.  In this podcast Alexa talks about her culinary influences growing up, when she made the decision to adopt a vegan diet, misconceptions people commonly have about vegan food, going from an engineering background to opening her first restaurant, the biggest challenge leading up to opening Moku Roots Lahaina in 2018, learning to be more efficient as a business during the pandemic, why a zero waste approach for a restaurant is important, the new chapter of Moku Roots up in Kula that includes farm events like dinners and b...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Isaac Bancaco, VP of Operations for Koholā Brewery.  In this podcast Isaac talks about his first culinary inspirations, his favorite dish to make with his grandmother, his career path in the culinary industry, what he learned from mentors like Ming Tsai and Roy Yamaguchi, evolving his career beyond the role of an executive chef, how the restaurant industry prepares people for any career, how he splits time within different parts of the business, how he approached the menu design, the value of working with successful business leaders, challenges the restaurant industry has be...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Max Novena, Executive Director of the Sentry PGA golf tournament.  In this podcast Max talks about his first introduction to golf, what inspired him to pursue a career in sports, his experience working with major sports leagues like the NBA & NHL, details for the upcoming Sentry PGA Tournament held at the Plantation course in Kapalua from January 2nd-5th, why community engagement and impact is a top priority for the Sentry, a few examples of ways the Sentry has supported local organizations on Maui, some names to watch in this years tournament, h...

Diane Woodburn talks to Taylor Ponte, Executive Chef of Aurum Maui (opening in 2025).  In this podcast Taylor talks about his culinary path, key lessons he learned from mentors along the way, opening the new restaurant Aurum Maui at the Shops at Wailea in the first half of 2025, his approach to creating a menu, why he first decided to get into the culinary industry, how he met his wife who also is his business partner, his advice for couples looking to start a restaurant together (or any business), his advice to younger chefs hoping to work their way up, and h...

Diane Woodburn speaks to Ryan Urig, Executive Chef at the Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort.  In this podcast Ryan talks about how he started his career on Maui, his time working at the Ritz-Carlton Maui at Kapalua, approaching his 10 year anniversary of working at the Grand Wailea Resort, the inspiration behind Olivine which is one of the properties signature restaurants, the types of dishes guests can expect at Olivine, working together with other chefs and community leaders after the 2023 fires to provide meals to those in need, how his community work over the years has been one of h...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Dustin Paradis of the Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute.  In this podcast Dustin talks about what the MOCMI does, his career path that led him to this role, the work they do to protect and grow local corals, the sea turtle stranding response & rescue program that helps turtles in need across the island, the importance of community engagement to make these programs more impactful, and how people can get involved to either volunteer or make a donation. 

**The hotline Dustin mentions for the sea turtle response and rescue program is (808) 286-2...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Chef Alvin Savella and GM Rob Farrell of Coco Deck Lahaina.  In this podcast Alvin & Rob talk about their first jobs in a restaurant and how their career paths eventually intersected, why they decided to partner together on a new restaurant, the phases that led to opening Coco Deck in September of 2024, Alvin's approach to creating the food menu & Rob's approach to creating the bar menu, the importance of sourcing locally when possible, 3 things each of them would recommend to first time guests, why the happy hour has become so popular, the f...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Naomi Cooper, Interim Executive Director of the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association.  In this podcast Naomi talks about her career path that led to her current position, the main goal of the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association, the importance of connecting local businesses in an island economy, how the approach of the MHLA has changed through the pandemic and fire recovery, how the MHLA offers scholarship and educational opportunities in local schools, the success of the annual Charity Walk and how that money raised is distributed back into the Maui community, details on the u...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Anna Kahalekulu, owner & designer of Kūlua, a sustainable clothing store located in Makawao. In this podcast Anna explains the approach of Kūlua, her inspiration for opening the business, how the store keeps manufacturing on Maui, what gave her the confidence as an entrepreneur to take the business from an idea to a storefront, navigating through the pandemic in 2020 shortly after opening a store in Makawao, integrating culture and family in her designs, what it's like to see people wear her products, the importance of supporting Maui businesses, ways Kūlua has...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Dr. Lisa Labrecque, CEO of the Maui Humane Society.  In this podcast Lisa talks about her path to becoming CEO, some of the differences between private veterinary care and working with an animal shelter, challenges for pet owners in Maui, becoming CEO in June of 2023 and then having to navigate the organization through the August fires, some of the new programs the MHS is offering including the Lahaina Pet Resource Center, how people can get involved with the animal foster program, how residents can qualify for pet related financial support along with a...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Tina Carranza, Fundraising Director at the Hua Momona Foundation.  In this podcast Tina talks about how the Hua Momona Foundation first started in 2021, how she got involved with the organization, providing food to the Maui community through the pandemic and the 2023 fires, what goes into organizing large scale food distribution, some of the challenges that come with keeping a nonprofit running smoothly, details for the upcoming 1st annual Maui Food & Music Experience that is taking place September 5th-7th, how people can get tickets to the event, how local residents impacted by t...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Scott Fisher, Director of ʻĀina Stewardship at Hawai'i Land Trust.  In this podcast Scott talks about what the Hawai'i Land Trust does, the type of lands they look to acquire and/or manage, challenges that come with protecting land in locations with on-going development, the work they are doing to restore a freshwater fishpond originally built around 1500 or so in Waihe'e, an ongoing project at the Nuʻu Refuge in Kaupō aiming to restore a native forest designed to protect coastal wetlands from tsunami events, how people can volunteer to work with Hawai...

Diane Woodburn speaks to Nicky Boskoff, Food & Beverage Director of Star Noodle, Aloha Mixed Plate, & Leoda's.  In this podcast Nicky talks about ways the Na Hoaloha 'Ekolu restaurant group provided support to their staff and community, her background growing up on Maui and Kauai, how she first got into the restaurant industry, the original concept for Star Noodle when it first opened in 2010, the dedication of Executive Chef Caesar Perez, the menu approach to Star Noodle, opening in a new location, opening Aloha Mixed Plate nearby, new items that are coming to the Star Noodle menu, the difference in n...

Diane Woodburn speaks to Nicky Boskoff, Food & Beverage Director of Star Noodle, Aloha Mixed Plate, & Leoda's.  In this podcast Nicky talks about ways the Na Hoaloha 'Ekolu restaurant group provided support to their staff and community, her background growing up on Maui and Kauai, how she first got into the restaurant industry, the original concept for Star Noodle when it first opened in 2010, the dedication of Executive Chef Caesar Perez, the menu approach to Star Noodle, opening in a new location, opening Aloha Mixed Plate nearby, new items that are coming to the Star Noodle menu, the difference in n...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to David Gridley of the Maui Coffee Association.  In this podcast David talks about how he first got involved with the coffee industry around 30 years ago, helping to organize coffee growers and roasters on Maui in the early 2000's, challenges the industry faced on Maui when he first opened Maui Oma Coffee Roasting Company, how the Maui Coffee Association helps to support the local Maui coffee industry, the time needed to grow and produce coffee, some differences in Kona coffee and Maui coffee, how new legislation will change how coffee is labeled in t...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Singer / Songwriter Anuhea.  In this podcast Anuhea talks about her first introductions to playing musical instruments while growing up on Maui, how her Aunt was an early inspiration, what led to her performing in public for the first time, what it was like to release her first album in 2009, the process of narrowing down how many songs will make an album, winning Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards in 2009 & 2019, how she has grown as an artist since her first album, what advice she would give her younger self, wrapping up her 2024 summer tour high...

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Sean Corpuel, owner of Cool Cat Cafe. In this podcast Sean talks about his first exposure to the restaurant industry helping his dad run a small burger shack, how that eventually became his career path, opening the first Cool Cat Cafe in California, the decision to open a Cool Cat Cafe in Lahaina back in 2003, challenges in getting the original wharf location opened up, his approach to menu design, how the restaurant immersed itself in the Maui community, continuing the family business with his kids, the inspiration to open Captain Jack's at...

Diane Woodburn speaks to Tetsuji (Tets) Yamazaki, GM of the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa.  In this podcast Tets talks about what brought him to Maui 30 years ago, his path from working as a dishwasher to becoming a general manager, how the Sheraton was an integral part of disaster response last August, how the economic recovery from the August fires differs from the recovery during the pandemic, the history of the Sheraton property which was one of the first resorts to open on Maui, the upcoming Kokua For Maui event on July 5th that will showcase Lahaina businesses, his message t...