Junior Achievement’s ‘Business Hall of Fame’ to honor Sig Zane, Nalani Kanakaʻole

On Saturday (Aug. 26), Junior Achievement of Hawaii Island will honor its 2017 Business Hall of Fame inductees, Sig Zane and Nalani Kanaka‘ole of Sig Zane Designs in Hilo.

Zane has lived his entire life in Hawaii. He was raised in Kaneohe, Oahu, and is a graduate of Roosevelt High School.

A surfer, fisherman, designer, retailer, Hawaiian cultural artist and practitioner, Zane moved to Hilo for college.

Nalani Kanaka‘ole was raised in a traditional Hawaiian manner and is a fifth-generation kumu hula. She is an art history major, teacher and cultural leader, and has lived her entire life in Hilo. She grew up on homestead lands in Keaukaha.

Zane and Kanaka‘ole opened the doors to Sig Zane Designs in 1985 in downtown Hilo, when other shops wouldn’t carry their work. Their art can be recognized far beyond aloha shirts to airplane livery, hotel rooms and on buildings.

Past Big Island recipients of this prestigious award include Bobby Fujimoto of HPM Building Supply (1990), Allan Ikawa of Big Island Candies (1995), Tony Taniguchi (1998) and Barry Taniguchi (2010) of KTA Super Stores, Monty Richards of Kahua Ranch (2009), Ric Maiava and Debbie Ching-Maiava of Ponds and Ken’s House of Pancakes (2012), and many more pillars of Hawaii Island’s business community.

This year’s Business Hall of Fame dinner and reception to honor Zane and Kanaka‘ole is slated for 5 p.m. Saturday at Nani Mau Gardens, 421 Makalika St. in Hilo.

Tickets are $75 each or $600 for a reserved table of eight. Proceeds from the event support Junior Achievement of Hawaii Island’s financial literacy and entrepreneurship programs, which are delivered to more than 4,000 K-12 students on the island annually.

For more information and to purchase tickets, call or email Sharon Scheele at 989-5788 or scheele4ihrc@yahoo.com.