 Welcome to Business in Hawai'i with Reg Baker. We are a show that broadcasts live every Thursday from 2 to 2.30, from the downtown studios of Think Tech Hawai'i in Halalulu, Hawai'i. We are a show that focuses primarily on successful individuals and companies in Hawai'i and helps share some of the various methods that individuals have used to accomplish success. There's a lot of challenges, particularly in Hawai'i, but there are also a lot of successes. And we're here at this show today to talk a little bit about that. Today I'm proud to have another young professional, one that is truly amazing. He's been in Hawai'i for his entire life. We're going to share a little bit of that family history and background, but his involvement in the community is extensive and impressive. So I just want to welcome Kendrick Chang to the show today. It's great to have you here, Kendrick. Yes. Thank you, Reg, for having me. Just wanted to share with the audience a little bit about your background. Your family has been in Hawai'i for quite a while. Yes. I'm a fifth-generation Chinese-American. Actually, my first ancestor came from China, my great-great-grandfather, and basically he was a banker in China. When he came in the late 1800s, he actually got his Hawaiian citizenship at the time. Hawaiian citizenship? Yes. Interesting. With the Kingdom of Hawai'i. From there, he owned a store and a hostel right above the store in Chinatown. My grandfather was actually in the first graduating class of Farrington High School in 19... Farrington. Yes. There's a lot of people that are well-known that have graduated from Farrington. My grandfather served in the Navy, and actually during World War II was when he was part of the Corps of Engineers that built the runways in Guam in the Philippines. When he came back after the war, he got into the construction industry, was a general contractor his entire career, and it's successfully, and then he initially worked with a couple construction companies, and then it went independent. Wow. Good for him. And then your father also worked for a pretty well-known company, too. Oh, yes. My father was the one who sold the coffee in the Red Bang White Coffee Company, actually. Lion Coffee. Lion's Coffee, that's right. It's a very well-known, well-recognized, and the red color, does that come from the Chinese? No. No, that's been the brand that Lion Coffee has, and actually it's part of Hawaii Coffee Company, so they do Lion Coffee and Kona Coffee. Okay. Very good. Well, your family's been here for a long time, and you grew up whereabouts in Hawaii? Yes. So I was born and raised, and I was born in Kapiolani High Hospital, and like President Obama, and then... He was born here? He was born in Kapiolani High Hospital. Okay, we'll go with that. All right. And basically, I grew up in Hawaii, Kai, went to Kaiser Ice School, and then from a very young age, one involvement that I really got a lot out of was scouting, and then I was in Boy Scouts, and I got my Eagle Scout when I was 15, and then through my experience in scouting, I think I really got to see as far as how you can really get involved in the community, and from there, through the spirit of scouting and service, I mean, how much you can accomplish and how much you're able to really be part of the community. So that has been something that's been true to me. Now, we can talk a little bit about the Boy Scouts at a second, but Kaiser, when did you graduate from Kaiser? Yes, I graduated two years ago, class of 2015, Kaiser High School, and currently, I just finished my second year of undergraduate at the George Washington University. George Washington University, and that's where I'm kind of headed with this. And part of what I'm trying to share with the audience today is how important it is to a person's success in being involved and doing things and getting that experience. I mean, you're two years out of high school, you're in your second year of college, but yet your experience and your background is very broad, and it's impressive. Now, Boy Scouts, tell me a little bit about the Boy Scouts. You're an Eagle Scout. I think we all heard that, but it takes a lot to get there. And actually, I started Cub Scouts. So Cub Scouts, when I was six, my soccer coach at the time, I played AYSL Soccer. He had an interest in scouting, and he decided to start a Cub Scout pack. I was a Tiger Cup from six, and then eventually I moved on to Boy Scouts. And then basically, with Boy Scouts, the transition from Cub Scouts, really Cub Scouts is really a father-son relationship. But once you hit Boy Scouts, when you're in middle and high school, it's really a boy-lit organization as far as what you do in the community. And you have different rankings, second, first, different types of rankings within the Boy Scout. And besides just the rank requirements, you also have to serve in leadership positions. And also, you have to get merit badges. So there's some requirement merit badges, like emergency preparedness first aid, really applicable skills that you wouldn't not necessarily get from just going to school. Right. And there's literally hundreds of different types of badges that you can earn. I was in the Boy Scouts, too, but I never made it to Eagle. That's a tough, long road to make it to Eagle Scout. And you have to have a lot of different types of merit badges in order to get to Eagle at level, right? Yeah. Do you remember how many badges you needed to have? Yeah. So actually, to get Eagle, you need at least 21 merit badges. I recall I finished off with about 32 merit badges. But the merit badges themselves take a lot of work. I mean, there's a lot of requirements that you have to do in order to earn that badge. Yes. But basically, I mean, the key component is really being in a good troop, your unit organization. And I was very fortunate. My dad was an assistant scout master at my Boy Scout troop at the time growing up. And actually, from my Boy Scout, you were based on Hawaii Kai. We are and were sponsored by the Hawaii Kai Lions Club. And actually, my year when I got my Eagle Scout, there were seven fellow Boy Scouts in my trip at the time that we're the same age. And we all got our Eagle Scouts within a two-year period. So I think it's just basically having a united group that was motivated. And with that, I think the final key requirements, the Eagle Scout project, which basically you have to plan and execute a community service project on your own. And what I did was the old White Loopy Elementary School, which was closed down by the DOE. So I came in in 2012, and then at the time that was when the city parks department took over. And then they needed to do some refurbishing and enhancement repainting in their classrooms. So that was my Eagle Scout project. Right. And you had help to do some of this, right? Yes. Basically, it was, you know, my Boy Scout troop were the primary volunteers. And we were fortunate that we were able to finish the project in one day. Basically, Eagle Scout projects, every scout kind of can find what they want. And basically, it's really up to them. It's not where your scout master or whoever is above you is telling you, directing you. They're there to guide you. But in the end, it's really up to the scout to finish the project. They don't force you in any one direction. You have to make that choice yourself. Yes. And I guess one of the side benefits of this, if not a primary benefit, is that you really get engaged with the community. I mean, you learned an awful lot during this process in Hawaii, Kai, by going through the scouting program. Yes. Particularly, there are two community service projects that I've done during my time in scouting, and both then kind of developed into something. One was with Level Hawaii, Kai Kui, a conservation nonprofit out in Hawaii, kind of East Honolulu. And one of my fellow scouts who was doing his Eagle Scout project did it at the organization's nursery. And that's how I met their president, Elizabeth Riley, who has since has been a great mentor to me. And with that, that's how I started forming a relationship with her. And then eventually, through Kaiser High School, there were other club projects that we ended up partnering with Level Hawaii, and doing it at their, at their parcels that they're working to conserve and preserve. And also the other key project was Representative Jean Ward does a yearly Earth Day, along the Kauai Coastline. I've seen that, and I've heard about it. Yes. And so you participated in that every year? Yes. Sure, scouting. So eventually, in my high school years, I ended up interning for the representative in his office, and primarily I was focused on his constituent work and community projects. And that's just another way of getting engaged with the community, or at least being aware of. Right. He's a representative out in Waikai, and you learned about a lot of the issues that he was involved in as well. It's fortunate that in high school, at the time they had an internship program for public high school students to enter under their respective representative, or state senator, Woffender District. And representative, or I call him Jean now, was very gracious at the time. And then from there, basically, you know, I got to learn both the grassroots, but also the policy level. Right. Which is important. How the sausage is actually made. Yes. It's an eye-opening experience, isn't it? Yes. And so you went through the Boy Scout program, you were with Kaiser. You've done some of these community projects that were very worthwhile. All of that helped you, I guess, in your application for George Washington University, right? I mean, that all comes into play. No, I mean, for someone who was always interested in, you know, civil engagement, and actually, I was always, my dream from high school was to, you know, eventually become a lawyer, and that's still my plan now. And I had a school field trip in middle school to Washington, D.C. In middle school? Yes, in middle school, eighth grade. And I actually fell in love with the D.C. area in Washington, D.C. And when it came to my applying for colleges, I felt was either I go to U.H. or I go to an institution in Washington, D.C. And then I was lucky that the George Washington University accepted me. Now, when you went over there, was it during the wintertime? No. Well, actually, yeah, I did experience my first winter. Okay, yeah, because it gets cold over there in the wintertime. Yeah, fortunately, in December, you know, I get a one-month winter break, so I come back home. That's the tallout. Yes. And I go back in the coat again. Yeah. Well, and so you started really thinking about going to college on the mainland in the East Coast, I guess, in middle school. Well, actually, I would say, you know, middle school was more of just a dream because I really didn't know if, you know, because it's very competitive as far as, you know, just applying admissions. Oh, yeah. I think the two key things for me when it came to applying during my senior year of high school was one was the academic rigor and curriculum that Kaiser High School offers. Kaiser High School offers the international baccalaureate program, which I was in, and I took college-level courses. And it was really a part of a program, which includes also writing a 4,000-word research essay. Holy moly. Yes. That's a lot of writing. You know, that's impressive. And real quickly, because we've got to go and break, but what was the title of that 4,000-word essay? Oh, I forgot the title, but it was about Hawaiian history and land development. Land development. Okay, so you're still focused on that land issue sign. That's great. Yeah. We're going to take a quick break. We're going to come back shortly. We're going to talk more about George Washington and your future law plan. This is business in Hawaii with Reg Baker. We're here today talking with Kedrick Fang, who is a successful young entrepreneur or successful student that's attending George Washington University. And we're going to learn more about what his plans are for the future here out right after the break. Aloha. I'm Tim Apochella, host for Moving Hawaii Forward, a show dedicated to transportation issues and traffic. We identify those areas where we do have problems in the state, but also the show is dedicated to trying to find solutions, not just detail our problems. So join me every other Tuesday on Moving Hawaii Forward. I'm Tim Apochella. Thank you. Hello, everyone. I'm DeSoto Brown, the co-host of Human Humane Architecture, which is seen on Think Tech Hawaii every other Tuesday at 4 p.m. And with the show's host, Martin Desbang, we discuss architecture here in the Hawaiian Islands and how it not only affects the way we live, but other aspects of our life, not only here in Hawaii, but internationally as well. So join us for Human Humane Architecture every other Tuesday at 4 p.m. on... Aloha. And welcome back to Business in Hawaii with Reg Baker. Today we're talking with Kendrick Chang, who is on home break, a summer break from George Washington University, but he was born and raised in Hawaii, graduated from Kaiser High School, and has done a lot of community engagement over the years. And he's going to be sharing with us a little bit now about, you know, George Washington University, and you've got future plans to go to law eventually or law school. Yeah, and actually I do want to wind back as, you know, we were talking earlier about, you know, basically my adolescent high school years, as far as being involved in the community, scouting, represent a ward, and also just in school. And I think with all that combined, I really built an interest in land use issues and development and, you know, environmental rights. And I think the prime came right after I graduated from Kaiser High School, was May 2015. And Elizabeth Riley at the time who came to my graduation. That's when she first shared with me about that she and level Hawaii, partnering with the trust public land, we're working to preserve the Kiwi coastline. And that has been something in the works. And even though that... For the audience that may not have a background in some of the Hawaii issues, explain to me or to the audience what that coastline issue is. Yeah, so basically the Kiwi coastline, which is adjacent to Sandy Beach and Makaputu. The land right in the middle. Right, on the southeastern tip on Oahu. Actually, Henry J. Kaiser, when he developed Waikai, he actually envisioned that coastal front to be potentially the second Waikiki by building a hotel resort. And the community at the time, Hawaii was really built as a residential community. And a lot of people did not want to have another commercial beachfront in that area. And successfully over the years from the safe Sandy Beach movement, one by one, they were able to preserve from Sandy Beach to the Kiwi Makai lands, which is along the ocean. And then the last parcel was the Kiwi Malka lands. So basically, 188 curves right along that mountainside of Kiwi partnering next to Sandy Beach and Makaputu. A very beautiful area. And at the time when it came around 2015 was when basically the land was up for sale because the previous landowner wanted to develop it. Had to sell it because it was a land court. And a little Waikai who he stepped in and said, you know, if it this was our opportunity to purchase the land and keep in preservation forever, instead of keep fighting from one developer to the next. So it was really a proactive step. And I got involved during the last part, which was basically the state in the city partnered and gave $3.5 million combined. But we needed the remaining $500,000 to finish out what needed. And it was kind of part where from the community side, it's kind of showing the community really wants to be part of this. And the city and the state, respectively, they want to see that if they're showing him money, that the community is actually really wants that to go through. So that's what happened. And basically, You protected it? Yeah. It was within the Shreemund period. So I was pretty much the sign waving camp in the couple media appearances and basically did a lot of administrative and grassroots campaigning side. And really the beautiful part of that effort was where you would see people from all different sides. I mean, there's a lot of issues that I found my community that people that were part of the PV campaign, they were on different sides in the past. But when it came to an issue that everyone had a connection to growing up or just living in Hawaii, they all came together and wanting to preserve that parcel. That's great. And so you were able to raise that money and close the deal. Yes. Very good. And it's that type of leadership and engagement that has really helped round you out as a truly successful young professional. The experience like that is something that not very many people have. Yeah. Even older people. Yeah. And I think the key aspect for me just coming out of it was really just interacting, working with all different people of diverse backgrounds. You have people from the grassroots side that they're out there. They don't have the personal fortune to give 500,000, but they were willing to invest time as far as sign waving, stuffing envelopes among other activities. And there's those who may not have the time, but they're able to throw in money. One fortunate donor, Randy Cheng, who actually was a high school teacher and very involved in the environmental community in this year in Hawaii, gave $100,000. Well, I didn't know we paid our teachers that well. So no, it's good, but you get to meet those people. You get to work with the community. You can see how they all come together. And you can get a good idea of how powerful that can be when it's done correctly. Yes. I'm curious, Kendrick. What are they planning on doing? Are they going to leave it totally undeveloped or are they going to make a park out of it someday? Or what's the plan for that area? Do you have any idea? The plan? Because even though the money was raised back in the summer of 2015, it took a year and a half for the purchase agreement to finally be finalized. And that was announced back in April of this year in 2017. And I'm still part of Little Hawaii Kikuli as a youth advisor that they asked Elizabeth Riley and the organization they just asked me to stay on to help them, not only on Kiki, but other projects for our organization. And they're still in the works and trying to present a plan, but basically the key is to just keep in preservation. And I think that is what the community wants. We want to respect the community's wish, is that if we're not going to allow anyone to develop, let's keep it that way. That's very good. And then I guess as we were ending the first part in transitioning to the break, we kind of mentioned that you were planning on going into law school, but it's your interest in law is in what area? Yes. So I think with the Kikuli campaign, I saw how much can be done, how much land in Hawaii is very scarce. And, you know, especially in Oahu right now, we see there's a need for affordable housing. There's a need for to help the homeless, but at the same time, you know, we want to protect and preserve our pristine coastlines and respective parcels on Oahu. That really means they're not only to different communities, but also makes us very attractive to the tourism market. And, you know, we have a lot of balancing out that needs to happen in the coming years. And I think just from my experience just seeing that different development and environment issues that has gone in the East Oahu community, that's why I'm looking at, you know, land use law as a possible specialty and zoning. Right. And, you know, certainly we all can appreciate the fact that we're on an island. Right. And, you know, as the population grows and as commercial enterprise grows, you know, land is becoming a scarce resource. So, you know, it's not just on Oahu. I mean, there are issues like this on every island. Yeah. And so this sounds like a very interesting opportunity for you. And I would, you know, the law school you're planning on going to here is local, right? Well, I think in the end, I want to practice land use law and zoning in Hawaii. So, right now, I would look, I'm considering returning to law school by me. I haven't really slept. Because I've still got another two more years. And I can still decide maybe I want to get a one or two more years of professional experience if we're going to law school. So, I haven't really picked out a specific path. I think regardless of my career path, I want to be back home one day and really being involved as far as land use policy and how we can make our state beautiful. But at the same time, a welcoming state that can serve the housing and commercial needs of everyone. You know, that's an awful, that's a big mouthful. I mean, there's a lot involved in that. And, you know, there's going to be a lot of opposing positions on that. So, you're picking a very interesting area to get into. Yeah. But, you know, we got both big picture, like, you know, big housing, you know, in Kakaako or even in Koalina and on the west side of Oahu. But we also even have more minute, you know, land use issues, especially in residential communities when it comes to, you know, Airbnb and rentals and even public access to beaches like Port Locke and Kahala. Which are two big issues that are, you know, being addressed or at least discussed in Hawaii. Yeah. But I think there's a lot, you know, as far as land use, access, zoning that, I mean, right now, Hawaii, we got to really figure out not only what our priorities are, but how are we able to address them in a way that will bring everyone together. And I think, at times, it's very easy to just look at to the other side and say that, you know, they're not really having their best interests and, you know, let's keep fighting. But other times, there are other ways and issues that you can come around and find common ground and where everyone can win in the end. And that's where I got that experience from the Covey Coastline and Malcolm Lans preservation effort. And I think that's an approach that we need something to take the step back and recognize that, you know, we may all have different, you know, plans, we may all have different goals. But in the end, we all want to live in Hawaii. And we want to enjoy the environment and we want to have the peaceful type of lifestyle of living in Hawaii should bring us. You know, yeah, it's a great thought and I'm looking forward to you making that happen. Good luck with that. Let me see, what else, you know, so you're in your second year at George Washington now. What are some of the big differences as a student? You know, and there's a lot of parents out here whose, you know, daughters and sons are planning on going off to college here soon. You know, we're in the summer and the college classes may start in August or September. So, you know, when you made that transition to George Washington, which is about as far away as you can get from Hawaii, you know, what were some of the big challenges that you had to address? Well, I think it's just the change in lifestyle. I think those who decides to go to the mainland for college, they want a different experience and it really depends on where they, when I was fortunate when I went to GW that there's a Hawaii club and two years later I'm now the vice president of the club. That doesn't surprise me. And I think it's just where, you know, you got to pick areas, you know, as a student, as a freshman student, which areas do you want to explore, where do you want to be independent from maybe what you're comfortable back home? But at the same time, what other areas, like maybe food or dancing to hula, that you want to still maintain, you know, that experience while you're still away? And I guess in your case you were able to find that. Yes. But did they find you or did you find them? I think both. With the Hawaii club, I was very fortunate that a couple of upperclassmen friends from Hawaii and they really welcomed me into the Hawaii club immediately. And at the same time, I think it's just exploring your options. Like at GW, because we're in the center of DC, I think the special thing is doing internships during the semester and this past semester I interned at the trust republic land and that's the same organization back in their Hawaii branch. They were instrumental in helping secure the Kewi coastline and I was able to get the experience and seeing the other side of what the trust republic land does in their DC office. That's good, so there you are back in that land, legal land area again. That's great and we're going to be wrapping up here in about one minute. And so I guess what I'm hearing is that when these students are going to college on the mainland, it's good for them to explore all the different options and see the different areas that they can get engaged with and contribute to at the university. And don't wait, if they don't come to you, you go to them and you start looking. And sometimes that's not an easy thing to do but obviously it has worked well for you. And I think the key for me throughout my entire life is that sometimes get out of your comfort zone and even when it comes to the Kewi coastline there were other individuals that were part of the effort that based on what I read in the newspaper or what I heard about them in the past I have completely different opinions on other issues but when it came time to come together now we're friends, we talk and there are other areas you just have your separate opinions but I think just being able to reach out and have the diversity and understanding all different perspectives and philosophies, I think that's the key. That's a very mature attitude to have and we can certainly use more of that here in Hawaii. Kendrick, congratulations. There's no question in my mind that you're going to be very successful in your career. So thank you for being on the show and enjoy the weather because when you get back to DC it's going to be hot. All right. This is Business in Hawaii with Reg Baker. I was here today with Kendrick Chang who is sharing with us his experiences in Hawaii, Kai growing up graduating from Kaiser High School and then moving on to George Washington University an amazing young man that I think has a very bright future here in Hawaii or wherever he ends up. We broadcast live every Thursday from 2 to 2.30 and we look forward to seeing you next week. Until then, aloha.