Page 5 - MidWeek Kauai - Dec 15, 2021

DECEMBER 15, 2021
KAUA‘I MIDWEEK 5
Shindo Adds Perfect Game To His Duties
FROM PAGE 4
inning, the information gets captured into the system, which means that all of the scouts and all of the people Iwatching across the country can see and sift through it,” he explains.
home from college (he re- ceived his bachelor’s de- gree in accounting from the University of Washington and his master’s in busi- ness administration from the University of Virgin- ia), Shindo was shocked to discover the Hilo operation was about to be sold to a mainland company.
Hoku Scientific in 2001. “Hoku was a hydrogen/ fuel/cell component compa- ny that also did solar, and we took it public on Nasdaq in 2005,” he recalls. “In a peri- od of 10 years, I raised about a half-billion dollars in cap- ital through various sources, and we were even able to
students to act as early-stage venture capitalists while learning to make important investment decisions; and the Big Island-based Com- munity First, which features a number of programs aimed at improving community health and wellness.
n the late 1800s, Shin- do’s great-grandfather, Katsuichi Shindo,
build a big plant in Idaho.
“I thought we would help the environment through the company, and I believe we did because if you look around (Honolulu), there are solar systems all over the place that we were involved in,” says Shindo, adding that business was eventually sold during the financial crisis in
(Inset) In 2007, Dustin Shindo celebrates the opening of the Nasdaq stock market in Times Square, New York City, with wife Jamie, daughter Brooke, and Hoku Scientific business partner Karl “Kaleo”Taft. (Above) Baseball is an important part of Shindo’s life. Here, he attends a tournament held last December at Cactus Yards in Arizona with sons Tyler, 12, and Sean, 10, and daughter Brooke, 15. PHOTOS COURTESY DUSTIN SHINDO
started Hilo Soda Works — a Pepsi Cola distribution business that the family operated for generations. Naturally, as a product of entrepreneurial stock, Shin- do was expected to contrib- ute to the business from a young age, and that includ- ed learning to wash tanks and deliver soft drinks.
“It happened three months after I got back from col- lege,” he recalls. “At the time, I was pretty disap- pointed since (continuing to work there) was obviously my plan.”
“A lot of the nonprofit work I do is just for the great- er good,” he says. “I don’t get paid, so for me it’s just about making a difference. Early on, I chose to focus on busi- nesses that would help and that I hoped would be mean- ingful, whereas now there’s more of a balance between that and the nonprofits.”
dence stems from his belief that a merger with another company will happen in the coming year, and thus offi- cially complete his first-ever SPAC.
Perfect Game in the islands will increase the number of college scholarship offers to “a broader range of kids,” and looks forward to hearing more “inspiring stories” from Cal- vin Shindo Venture Fund par- ticipants — specifically, how the program has “positively” impacted their lives.
“My parents worked hard, and they put me to work ear- ly on,” he acknowledges.
The regret was short-lived, however, as circumstanc- es would lead him down a path of new opportunities. In the mid-’90s, he launched Mehana Brewing Co., and followed that up by starting the renewable energy venture
2009.
In recent years, Shindo
“Hopefully, there will be some benefit for Hawai‘i,” Shindo says. “It’s also pos- sible I might do (another SPAC) again.”
But soon after returning
has chosen to invest much of his time in philanthropic pursuits. Beyond his baseball nonprofit, he’s also helped establish the Calvin Shindo Student Venture Fund at Uni- versity of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, a program that’s named after his father and one that allows
“I really hope to hear more of that in the coming year,” Shindo says in finalizing his wish list for 2022. “That would make me feel like this has all been worth it.”
Like many, the prominent businessman expects better days ahead following the global turbulence of the past two years. Part of that confi-
More importantly, he be- lieves his nonprofits will continue to flourish and en- hance the lives of many. He’s positive that the presence of
Fill in the blank cells using numbers 1 to 9. Each number can appear only once in each row, column, and 3x3 block. Use logic and process of elimination to solve the puzzle. The difficulty level ranges from Bronze (easiest) to Silver to Gold (hardest). Answers are on page 7
RATING: BRONZE