The Book:
Businessmen, politicians, military personnel, and various community leaders parley the roller coaster ride of their lives and careers in a compilation of personal experiences, philosophical views, and practical advice in The Greater Good – Life Lessons from Hawai’i’s Leaders.
The book gathers and assembles the most important messages imparted by guests from the hit radio show Greater Good Radio and its TV counterpart Greater Good Television.
The Greater Good – Life Lessons from Hawai’i’s Leaders blends instructional, motivational, and most of all, inspirational anecdotes for students, budding entrepreneurs, established businessmen, career men and women, and ordinary individuals who are struggling to find meaning in their lives.
The Greater Good – Life Lessons from Hawai’i’s Leaders promotes servant leadership and social entrepreneurship, and stand as a platform for readers to realize the benefits of having a double bottom-line, career- and business-wise, and see community giving as integral to the development and furtherance of one’s personal and professional life.
This compilation of personal stories and professional views provides ordinary citizens and business and community leaders an eclectic material which serves as a guide to achieve their personal and career goals, and as a doctrine which helps them find meaning and purpose in their lives.
The Greater Good – Life Lessons from Hawai’i’s Leaders is an inspirational book like none in its genre, as it contains unbounded words from highly acclaimed personalities who put extra effort in to uplifting the community.
The book features dozens of stories from a diverse array of business people and professionals – from retired Navy captain Jerry Coffee, who spent 7 years and 9 days in North Vietnam as prisoner of war, to Connie Lau, one of the 25 most powerful women in U.S. banking industry, and the only Asian-American woman to lead a Fortune 1000 company; and Duane Kurisu, one of Hawaii’s most successful businessmen who owns or part-owns the San Francisco Giants, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and MidWeek, ESPN 1420, PacificBasin Communications, the Punalu’u Bake Shop and several other companies.
The Greater Good – Life Lessons from Hawai’i’s Leaders displays a variety of anecdotes that is sure to appeal to a broad range of readers, paving the way to effectively spread the message of Greater Good.
The Authors:
Evan Philip Leong
Evan Leong is the Co-Founder and CEO of two distinguished companies in Hawaii: Greater Good Inc and Bubble Tea Supply. In 2007, Evan was recognized with his wife as the SBA Small Business Journalist(s) of the Year for Hawaii, California, Nevada, Arizona, Guam and American Samoa. In 2006, he was recognized by Pacific Business News in their “Forty under 40″ business award. Evan was also selected as one of Hawaii’s 2006 Top High Tech Leaders on behalf of the Pacific Technology Foundation and the Technology News Network.
In 2001 Evan co-founded Bubble Tea Supply which launched the national bubble tea drink craze. Run by Evan and his wife, the company distributes product throughout North America, Hawaii, Guam and Saipan. This makes the Leongs one of the nation’s largest suppliers of the bubble tea product. Under their direction, Bubble Tea Supply has for four consecutive years, won the prestigious Gold Medal Taste Award from the American Tasting Institute; an award which had not been claimed by any Hawaii company in 24 years.
In July 2005, Evan co-founded the highly-acclaimed, community-orientated radio show Greater Good Radio. The radio show is designed to mentor up-and-coming local leaders by giving them access to the candid experiences and life philosophies of the most successful business and community leaders in Hawaii. In producing this highly innovative radio program, Evan has been able to leverage the media, encouraging a new community-giving-driven business ethic for the next generation of Hawaii’s leaders. Greater Good TV launched in January 2007 on KGMB9, Hawaii’s CBS affiliate and Greater Good Moments launched in February 2007 on PBS Hawaii. In 2007, Greater Good TV won the coveted Telly Award. This year will also launch an event and book series. The greatergoodradio.com site has received visitors from over 100 countries. On September 26, 2006 the Mayor of Honolulu proclaimed September 2006 as the Greater Good Month.
Evan attended Punahou School and graduated Cum Laude from Hawaii Pacific University where he was the first recipient of the Distinguished Certificate of Business Excellence. In 2007 Evan was awarded the HPU Paul C.T. Loo Young Alumni of the Year Award. Evan is also a member of the Delta Mu Delta Honor Society. He obtained his Executive Masters of Business Administration from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2005.
Evan is the Chairman of the City and County of Honolulu’s Month in Chinatown and a member of the Mayor’s Pacific Century Fellows. He is a committee member for the University Community Partnership which serves as community advisors to the President of the University of Hawaii. Evan is also a board member of the University of Hawaii Alumni Association. He is a coach and judge for the University of Hawaii Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition. Evan is on the committee of the Aloha Council’s Learning for Life Program. With his cousins, Evan created SenatorFong.com to memorialize the first Chinese U.S. Senator. He coached the championship high school pole vault team for his alma mater Punahou School in 1999 and 2002.
Evan is married with two children. In his free time he enjoys activities such as kite surfing and stand up paddle surfing. He is also a champion kayak surfer.
Kari Leong
Kari Leong is the Co-Founder and President of two distinguished companies in Hawaii: Greater Good Inc and Bubble Tea Supply. In 2007, Kari was recognized with her husband as the SBA Small Business Journalist(s) of the Year for Hawaii, California, Washington, Arizona, Guam and American Samoa. In 2006, she was recognized by Pacific Business News in their “Forty under 40″ business award.
Kari and her husband Evan, began this innovative radio program in July 2005 and already Greater Good Radio has gathered great support in business, the media, and among community leaders. Kari and Evan’s goal is to develop tomorrow’s business leaders by highlighting the achievements and philosophies of today’s successful local leaders in candid and arresting interviews on Greater Good Radio AM 1420.
Along with the radio show, Kari is also presently a school teacher at Queen Kaahumanu Elementary School. In her ten years in teaching, she has helped shape the lives of children from kindergarten to fifth grade at various schools throughout Oahu.
Before venturing out with developing social entrepreneurship in Hawaii through Greater Good Radio, Kari and Evan already had their taste of business, so to speak, with Bubble Tea Supply. With branding, sales, and web marketing sectors under Kari’s direction, Bubble Tea Supply shot to the very top of the bubble tea business in the United States, and holds steady today as the number one supplier in the nation.
Kari’s has built her successes on a strong business background where she is experienced in corporate office management and has held a variety of positions including Assistant Vice President and assistant to the CEO of several national firms. For four years, Kari was also executive director for Advanced Concepts Hawaii, assisting in the company’s national expansion and recruiting and managing a nationwide sales force of 400 employees.
Kari holds a Bachelor’s degree with a double major in Journalism and Elementary School Education as well as a Masters Degree in Administration, Curriculum and Instruction both from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. Graduating Cum Laude for her degrees, she is also a certified elementary teacher and a member of one of the Educator’s Honor Society, Kappa Delta Pi. She is a member of the Mayor’s Pacific Century Fellows.
Her involvement in community associations is exemplified by her work with the American Heart Association and her service assisting in coordinating In-Service Trainings of Volunteers for Meals on Wheels program in Honolulu. She is on the board of directors for the Women’s Fund of Hawaii. She is also a judge for the PACE Business plan competition at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, is an active participant with Mid-Pacific Institute Alumni and serves as a class representative.
Kari is married and the mother of two young children.