Hawaii Business

What Hawaii Business does

Hawaii Business Magazine is a privately held, Hawaii-focused regional business media company founded in 1955 and currently owned by aio, LLC, a Honolulu-based media holding company that also operates Honolulu Magazine, Hawaii Magazine, and ESPN Honolulu. The publication serves Hawaii's business community — primarily C-suite executives, business owners, and industry professionals — through a multi-platform portfolio: a flagship monthly print magazine, a digital publishing website (hawaiibusiness.com), daily and topic-specific email newsletters, a podcast series (currently in Season 2), and an extensive live-events calendar that includes the Leadership Conference, CEO Healthcare Summit, Women Entrepreneurs Conference, Money Matters Financial Conference, Wahine Forum, AI Summit, HB20, Best Places to Work program, Excellence in Business Awards, CEO of the Year, and Top 250 CEO Celebration.

The underlying technology stack is a standard digital publishing platform with content management, email newsletter distribution, event registration, and podcast production capabilities, supported by an SEO-organized taxonomy of more than 30 topic categories. The company also operates proprietary annual editorial franchises — most notably the Top 250 rankings, Best Places to Work survey, and Most Charitable Companies report — which double as recurring sponsored content and audience-engagement engines.

Revenue is generated across three streams. Subscription revenue comes from print, digital, and bundled annual subscriptions sold direct and via third-party platforms. Advertising revenue is sold to Hawaii-based enterprises and organizations targeting the publication's executive readership across magazine, website, and newsletter inventory, supplemented by sponsored partner-content sections (e.g., Better Business Bureau). Event revenue is generated through ticket sales and sponsorships for the company's calendar of paid conferences, awards ceremonies, and networking gatherings, with Hawaii State Federal Credit Union among the named event sponsors. Distribution is primarily direct (Hawaii-domestic print, regional events) with digital subscriptions available globally. The publication has won multiple national "Best Regional Business Magazine" honors, most recently for work published in 2026.

Name

Hawaii Business

Legal name

aio, LLC

Website

https://hawaiibusiness.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hawaii Business Magazine is a privately held, Hawaii-focused regional business media company founded in 1955 and owned by aio, LLC in Honolulu, publishing a monthly print magazine, website, daily newsletters, podcast, and a portfolio of paid conferences and industry awards serving Hawaii's executive and business-owner audience.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Media

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Business, Financial & Trade News Publishers (MPAJADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB), News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO), Corporate Meetings & Conferences (Internal/External Business Events) (MPAGAHAA)

Keywords

• Business journalism
• Regional publishing
• Business news
• Industry events
• Media advertising

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Subscription Revenue: Magazine subscriptions sold in print, digital, or bundled formats with automatic renewal options. Subscription types include 12-month subscriptions and single-issue purchases.
2. Advertising: Revenue from advertising partners who pay to reach Hawaii's business community through the magazine, website, and newsletter channels.
3. Event Revenue: Paid events including Leadership Conference, CEO Healthcare Summit, Women Entrepreneurs Conference, Money Matters Conference, Excellence in Business Awards, and various networking celebrations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hawaii Business publishes a regional business magazine and operates associated digital, audio, and live channels covering Hawaii's economy, companies, and executives. Its commercially sold offerings include a print and digital magazine subscription, email newsletters, a podcast, hosted industry events, an annual Top 250 company rankings program, and the Hawaii Excellence in Business Awards.

Product overview

Hawaii Business is a media company operating a multi-platform publishing business consisting of the core Hawaii Business Magazine (print and digital publication), the Hawaii Business website, email newsletters, a podcast series, and various events and awards programs. The company produces editorial content covering Hawaii's business community, economy, leadership, and innovation. Revenue streams include subscriptions (print, digital, bundled), advertising, events, and partner/sponsored content. The product portfolio centers on the magazine and website as the primary content platforms, supplemented by email newsletters for audience engagement, a podcast for multimedia coverage, and events/conferences for in-person engagement. Rankings and awards programs (Top 250, Best Places to Work, Excellence in Business Awards) serve as recurring editorial franchises that drive audience participation and sponsorship.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hawaii Business Magazine (print and digital) A monthly regional business magazine covering Hawaii's economy, companies, and executives, available by subscription in both print and digital editions for individual professionals and corporate subscribers.
• Hawaii Business Email Newsletter(s) Email newsletters delivering Hawaii business news, analysis, and curated content to subscribers, available to both individual readers and corporate sponsors.
• Hawaii Business Podcast An audio podcast featuring interviews and discussions with Hawaii business leaders, executives, and entrepreneurs, distributed via major podcast platforms.
• Hawaii Business Events and Conferences Hosted industry events and conferences in Hawaii bringing together executives, business owners, and professionals for networking, learning, and community engagement, with sponsorship and registration revenue.
• Top 250 Company Rankings An annual proprietary ranking of Hawaii's largest and most influential companies, published as a signature editorial product and used as a platform for sponsored coverage and award recognition.
• Hawaii Excellence in Business Awards An annual awards program recognizing excellence among Hawaii-based businesses and business leaders, with associated events, nominations, and sponsorship opportunities.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• aio, LLCcoreOthersHawaii Business Magazine is owned and operated by aio, LLC, which also owns and operates Honolulu Magazine, Hawai'i Business Magazine, Hawai'i Magazine, ESPN Honolulu, and other affiliated brands. The parent company handles legal, privacy, and operational functions for all publications.
• Mana UpcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMana Up is an accelerator and venture platform co-founded by Meli James that supports Hawaii-based companies. Hawaii Business Magazine covers Mana Up companies and events, featuring entrepreneurs in editorial content.
• Hawaii Venture Capital Association (HVCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHawaii Business Magazine partners with HVCA for annual awards events, providing coverage and co-marketing for Hawaii's venture capital and startup ecosystem. Magazine coverage of HVCA awards creates visibility for Hawaii innovation.
• Better Business Bureau (BBB)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBBB publishes partner content in Hawaii Business Magazine. The December 2024 special advertising section on BBB was featured in the magazine.
• Kawaii KonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnime convention featured in Hawaii Business Magazine coverage as a launchpad for local creative entrepreneurs. Magazine covers the event and its role in Hawaii's creative economy.
• Various Sponsors for EventsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCompanies sponsor Hawaii Business Magazine events including Leadership Conference, CEO Healthcare Summit, Excellence in Business Awards, and Top 250 CEO Celebration. Hawaii State Federal Credit Union presented the Money Matters Financial Conference.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hawaii Magazine: Sister publication under aio, LLC covering Hawaii travel and lifestyle. Operates within the same parent portfolio with overlapping production, distribution, and advertising sales infrastructure.
• Fast Company: National business media brand covering innovation, leadership, and technology. Comparable as a multi-platform business publisher generating revenue from subscriptions, advertising, events, and partner content.
• Forbes: Global business media brand with regional and local-market coverage plus rankings (e.g., Forbes 30 Under 30). Competes for national business advertisers and reader attention while also publishing local Hawaii-relevant content.
• Bloomberg Businessweek: Global business publication with deep C-suite readership and robust events business. Comparable as a multi-platform business publisher competing for advertiser attention alongside regional titles like Hawaii Business Magazine.
• Honolulu Magazine: Sister publication under the same parent aio, LLC, covering Honolulu lifestyle, dining, and culture. Comparable as a Hawaii-focused regional magazine brand with print, digital, and events, though oriented to consumer rather than business audience.
• Inc. Magazine: National business publication focused on entrepreneurship and growing companies. Comparable as a business-media brand producing editorial rankings (Inc. 5000), events, and digital subscriptions reaching SMB and executive readers.

Direct peers

• Crain's Chicago Business: Long-running regional business publication serving a major metro market through subscription, advertising, events, and rankings. Closest analog in business model and reader relationship to Hawaii Business Magazine outside of Hawaii.
• Pacific Business News: Direct competitor covering Hawaii business news and rankings under American City Business Journals. Targets overlapping C-suite advertisers and readers in the same Hawaii market with similar subscription, advertising, and events model.
• Portland Business Journal: American City Business Journals–owned regional business publication serving Portland. Closely mirrors Hawaii Business Magazine's model of weekly regional business news, rankings, and advertiser events.
• Crain's New York Business: Long-established regional business publication serving the NYC metro through subscription, advertising, and events. Closely parallels Hawaii Business Magazine's regional business intelligence and rankings model at a larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hawaiibusiness
• Facebookfacebook.com/hawaiibusiness
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hawaii-business-magazine

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hawaii Business