President’s Message
November 2023
Dear OWL Members and Friends,
Our Annual Meeting, “Leading with Aloha: Cultivating Community and Connection,” was a success! We elected our 2026 board of directors, heard an inspiring message from award-winning journalist and author Jan Yanehiro, and celebrated our 2025 Women of the Year.
Congratulations to Leianne “Lei” Pedro and Brittany Montilliano, our 2025 Women of the Year! Both of these women exemplify the mission and values of OWL. They demonstrate excellent leadership in their profession, give back to the community through service, and serve as a role model for other women. It was an honor to celebrate and recognize these two amazing leaders whom I admire.
It has been a pleasure to serve as your President this past year and be a small part of OWL’s rich history. It has been one of the most rewarding chapters of my professional journey. This year has been about community and connection, building stronger bonds and forming new friendships. This is what OWL is all about, supporting each other, creating opportunities, and raising the tide.
As I pass the torch, I do so with full confidence in the future. Please join me in supporting my dear friend Brittany Montilliano as our incoming President as she brings fresh ideas and perspectives. I’ve known Brittany since 2019 and I admire her sense of purpose and passion. Under her leadership, 2026 is full of promise and possibilities.
In closing, this has been an incredible and memorable year, and I’m grateful to have had this opportunity. Thank you for believing in me and for trusting me to lead this very special organization. A special thank you to the entire OWL board for your support and dedication.
Cheers to you, and a successful year ahead!
Mahalo,
Nina Horioka
July 2025
Aloha OWL Members and Friends,
How is your summer going?
I recently attended the Pacific Business News inaugural “For Women, By Women” summit. Nearly 150 women and a few men gathered at the YWCA Oahu for a half-day of learning, inspiration, and connection. The sessions made me laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time. I’m proud to say OWL was well-represented with several members in attendance or participating.
The keynote speaker was Sage Ke`alohilani Quiamno. She openly shared her personal story and challenges, admitting she was not always comfortable with public speaking. Over time she built her confidence and storytelling skills. Below is her advice, what she calls her “five pillars of unshakable confidence.” I am sharing these with you because they are too good not to share, and I believe they are applicable to women in all industries and levels.
Five Pillars of Unshakable Confidence - by Sage Ke`alohilani Quiamno:
Authentic Self-Knowledge
Take 15 minutes every week to reflect on what energized you and what you found draining.
Competence Through Continuous Learning
Identify a knowledge gap you have and create a 30 day plan to hone your skills in this area.
Community Connection
Build your own personal Board of Directors- three to five people who can give you honest advice and feedback.
Resilience Through Reframing
Confidence is not the absence of failure, it's the ability to reframe setbacks as data points rather than defining moments.
Purposeful Risk-Taking
Taking calculated risks can increase confidence and allow you to better align your work with your values.
I hope these will resonate with you at some level. I look forward to seeing you at our July meeting to welcome our own Jennifer Grems as our featured speaker! Jennifer is Head of School at La Pietra and her work embodies our theme of community and connection.
With aloha,
Nina
May 2025
Aloha OWL Members and Friends,
We had a great time at our spring pau hana which was held on April 10th at Arden Waikiki. It was a wonderful time of connection and the staff took good care of us. And the best part is we had 3 new members join as a result of attending the pau hana!
Several OWL members, including myself, attended the Women’s Fund of Hawaii annual gala, Tea & Champagne. It was no surprise to see a strong showing of support for WFH, whose mission is “to help women and girls overcome social and economic barriers, because when women thrive, our communities prosper.”
As we enter May, I am proud to report we are nearly 80 members strong! This is a result of our increased social media presence and referrals from many of you. Thank you for referring your friends and colleagues to OWL! It’s encouraging to see our organization growing and thriving even in these uncertain times.
I would like to extend a warm welcome to Jaci-Ann Chung who is our new Executive Administrator replacing Laurie Nakamoto. We are grateful to Laurie for her many years of service to OWL. Jaci-Ann is an asset to our organization and we are fortunate to have her keeping everything running smoothly.
Summer is almost here and I’m looking forward to my next vacation. Whatever your summer plans are, I hope you are able to recharge while soaking up some rays.
I look forward to seeing you on May 10 and welcoming our special guest, Susan Eichor.
With aloha,
Nina Horioka
2025 OWL President
January 2025
Aloha OWL Members and Friends,
Happy New Year! I trust you had a nice holiday season with family and friends. I am honored to serve as your 2025 OWL President. I would like to extend a sincere appreciation to 2024 President Ananda Ferreira. Under her leadership, we had a very successful 40th anniversary celebration at the Halekulani hotel last November. It was wonderful to see many of you there, and I’m happy to report that we had several new members sign up on the spot. If you are one of them, welcome! You are joining a community of strong, confident women committed to lifting each other up. A special mahalo to the event planning committee who worked diligently to make our 40th anniversary memorable: Bonnie Bise, Ananda Ferreira, Joy Kimura, Lisa Ma, and Brittany Montilliano.
In following with OWL tradition, the President usually selects a theme or word for the year. Our
themes for 2025 will be Connection and Community. I challenge you this year to sit at a different table for our lunch meetings and meet new friends. If you meet just 2 new people at each lunch meeting, by the end of the year, you will have 12
new friends!
Let’s consider how we can serve and support each other. Ask: Who can I introduce you to? How
can I help you (your business, etc.)? Where can I be of assistance? As we serve each other,
we are strengthening our connections and building deeper friendships.
Community has always been important to me and is the reason that I volunteer with
organizations such as OWL. Whether you were born here or have made Hawaii your home, we
are all responsible for making our community a better place. Find your tribe (whether at OWL or
with another organization) and ask how you can be of service.
I hope these themes, Connection and Community, resonate with you and will guide us in the
coming year.
I am grateful for this opportunity and for all of you. Thank you for your trust, your support, and
for being part of this incredible organization.
Cheers!
Nina Horioka