Hawaii Business
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1955
- HeadquartersHonolulu, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
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.
Hawaii Business firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Hawaii Business industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Hawaii Business is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Honolulu
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Hawaii Business business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- 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.
- Advertising: Revenue from advertising partners who pay to reach Hawaii's business community through the magazine, website, and newsletter channels.
- 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
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Print subscription - monthly issues delivered by mail |
| Subscription | Annual | Digital subscription - online/electronic access |
| Subscription | Annual | Bundled subscription - print + digital combined |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Hawaii Business product offering
Product offeringCore 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.
Companies that use Hawaii Business
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Hawaii Business technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Hawaii Business partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- aio, LLCcoreHawaii 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 UpcoreMana 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)coreHawaii 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)minorBBB publishes partner content in Hawaii Business Magazine. The December 2024 special advertising section on BBB was featured in the magazine.
- Kawaii KonminorAnime 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 EventsminorCompanies 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
Hawaii Business competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad 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
Hawaii Business social profiles
Digital presenceHawaii Business compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Hawaii Business financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hawaii Business leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Hawaii Business funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hawaii Business M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hawaii Business
What does Hawaii Business do?
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.
Is Hawaii Business a public or private company?
Hawaii Business is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Hawaii Business founded?
Hawaii Business was founded in 1955. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Hawaii Business based?
Hawaii Business is headquartered in Honolulu, United States, in the North America region.
How does Hawaii Business make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Subscription Revenue is the primary driver. The others are advertising and event Revenue.
Who are Hawaii Business's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Hawaii Magazine, Fast Company, Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek, Honolulu Magazine and Inc. Magazine. Direct peers are Crain's Chicago Business, Pacific Business News, Portland Business Journal and Crain's New York Business.
Does Hawaii Business have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hawaii Business.
What industry is Hawaii Business in?
Hawaii Business's product category is Business Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAC, Business, Financial & Trade News Publishers, with a secondary code of MPAJADAB, Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital). Its NAICS code is 513120 and its SIC code is 2721.