The University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu hosted nearly 130 business and cyber/IT professionals and students at the Kūkulu Networking Event — held on Oct. 30 in the Campus Center multi-purpose room — where participants could talk story and students had the opportunity to ask real questions to real professionals.
The event, which was first held last year, was co-organized by UH West O‘ahu’s Dr. Katie Landgraf, Associate Professor in Accounting, and Dr. Leslie Rush, Assistant Professor in Business Administration & Hospitality Tourism.
“A successful networking event can only be measured by the level of connections students make with professionals — to me, the 2024 Kūkulu event was a huge success,” Landgraf said. “The energy in the room showcased the conversations being held and the new relationships students were building! I’m excited to hear where these connections led our students. For some students, this was their first exposure to business professionals, and for others, the connections made tonight could very well lead to future employment and lifelong careers.”
Kūkulu drew about 50 professionals from various industries such as accounting, cybersecurity and IT, finance, data analytics, management, insurance, hospitality tourism, and marketing, as well as about 80 UH West O‘ahu students, including six from Kaua‘i and Maui.
Rush said it was amazing to see so many returning professionals and industry experts from the previous year.
“This says a lot about the event and the support from the community,” Rush said. “Additionally, some of these industry experts are alumni from UHWO, highlighting the desire to remain connected to the campus and to help future students find their way to new careers post-graduation. Overall it was a very successful event and many students commented on the quality of conversations and connections made.”
Among the students who attended the Kūkulu Networking Event was senior Troy Bunce, who is obtaining an accounting degree.
“The Kūkulu night was a great experience, where I was able to collaborate with fellow students and business professionals in the industry,” Bunce said. “I met some of the most down-to-earth people and even met a professional who attended college in my hometown in Colorado. I’m sad I won’t be able to attend the event next year since I’m graduating, but I’ll possibly be able to attend as a professional instead.”
Terri Stephens, Learning & Development Manager with First Insurance Company of Hawai‘i, Ltd., also said the event was a success.
“It was a pleasure to meet with so many of the students,” Stephens said. “They were very engaged and curious, and seemed grateful for this opportunity. Great job! This is such a valuable opportunity you are providing for the students and professionals as well. (I) look forward to attending this again in the future.”
Kūkulu has grown from about 115 participants in its first year to nearly 130 this year. Landgraf said she hopes the event continues to grow and she encourages students and professionals to participate next year. For more information, email katiebl@hawaii.edu.
To see photos from the event, visit the Fall 2024 Kūkulu Networking Event album on Flickr.
To see highlights from the event, watch this video, courtesy of Ryan Ishii with Street Cinema.