Voice of Business Podcast by the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii Chamber of Commerce Hawaii

In many cases, mental health begins with you. Cultivating a healthy relationship with yourself sets the stage for maintaining your well-being as you navigate through the different experiences of life. 

Join us as we sit down with Unyong Nakata of Nakata Advosiry, LLC on the importance of hard wiring who you are and what you stand for in each season of your life. Nakata also explains how  to give yourself grace as you let those values guide you through your personal and professional journey. 

Mental health awareness is a topic that benefits people in all walks of life, and Mental Health America Hawaii works to ensure that everyone has access to the tools and support needed to thrive. Join us as host Katie Kaahanui sits down with Dr. Mestisa Gass, Program Director at Mental Health America Hawaii to learn more about recent, eye-opening workplace mental health statistics and explore ways our local business leaders can incorporate mental health practices into the daily lives of not only themselves, but their teams. 
 Interested in being an advocate for mental health and not sure where to start? Tune in to learn how to serve our community and become a voice for mental health awareness in a variety of ways. 

Hawaii's new Office of Wellness and Resilience is the first of its kind in the nation, tasked with the important work of helping residents work through personal trauma and other mental health issues through an intentional, trauma-informed lens. Join us as host Katie Kaahanui speaks with Tia Roberts-Hartsock, Director for the Office of Wellness and Resilience to learn more about what trauma-informed framework looks like, and how the state is beginning to pave the way in showing that addressing society's issues at its root can have positive, long-lasting results when it comes to preventing future instances of crime, substance abuse, and homelessness. 
During a time of post-pandemic community rebuilding, creating a space for collective healing and support is more critical than ever before. Tune in to hear more about how Hawaii is taking a national lead in making that a reality for residents. 

Nationally, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience a degree of intimate partner violence in a given year. Equating to more than 10 million people impacted by domestic violence annually, a large number of survivors continue to make up our nation's workforce. In this episode, Nanci Kreidman, CEO of the Domestic Violence Action Center and a tireless advocate for domestic violence awareness for four decades, joins host Katie Kaahanui to dive deeper into the reality of how common domestic violence issues are within our local business community and how our workplaces can serve as a unique place to support employees and provide critically needed resources. 
Tune in to learn why domestic violence awareness is a not commonly discussed, yet pivotally important issue for our business leaders to be aware about and get connected to existing community resources for people who are ready to get assistance, right now. 

In today's shifting workforce environment, it is critical for business leaders to cultivate a culture of workplace wellness within their organizations. In this kick-off episode to our Mental Health Awareness Month Mini-Series, host Katie Kaahanui sits down with Chamber President & CEO Sherry Menor-McNamara to discuss why mental health awareness should be a primary focus for our business community. 
Tune in to explore ways that companies can make mental health discussions more normalized and accepted, and hear some preliminary responses from the Chamber's statewide survey on the status of mental health resources as they pertain to Hawaii's workforce community.  Additionally, learn more about the Chamber's upcoming events, initiatives and webinars to continue the discussion on how the state can collectively shine the light on mental health awareness in the state. 

Amy Asselbaye, is the Executive Director of the Office of Economic Revitalization for the City and County of Honolulu. Amy has over 20 years of policy experience in creating and passing federal and local legislation to benefit local communities. 
 
 Amy discusses the great work that the Office of Economic Revitalization is doing in the community, including details about its partnership with the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii to administer the Oahu Business Recovery grant. The grant is intended to help small businesses that were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic get financial relief, especially for the small businesses that were not eligible for other relief programs. 
The Office of Economic Revitalization is the “master gatherer” of information that can help Oahu businesses with assistance and give direction on best resources. Amy explains that Mayor Rick Blangiardi is focused on shaping policy that grows the economy in Honolulu.