Sydney Chung ’27 and Maile Dunn ’27 impressed judges at the American Savings Bank (ASB) KeikiCo Competition, High School Division – earning first place with their innovative business plan for Recycle the Runway. “This achievement reflects the entrepreneurial culture at Punahou,” says Case Accelerator for Student Entrepreneurship (CASE) Faculty Yolanda Lau. “We encourage students to turn ideas into action and to discover their purpose and kuleana.”
The ASB KeikiCo Contest challenges students to develop creative business plans that tackle real-world issues. Winners can earn awards ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 for their schools, as well as individual prizes of $250 to $500.
Recycle the Runway combines sustainable practices with a passion for fashion, engaging teens to rethink their relationship with clothing. Through social media campaigns and local pop-up shops, Chung and Dunn have already reached an audience of thousands, promoting inclusivity and slow fashion. “Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do,” Chung explained. “We want to create a world where fashion empowers, not exploits.”
The duo began developing Recycle the Runway last year during the Case Accelerator for Student Entrepreneurship’s Art of Entrepreneurship class, where students develop entrepreneurial skills via innovation sprints. Reflecting on her experience, Dunn shared, “The entrepreneurial mindset I developed in the class has truly shaped how I approach challenges. Recycle the Runway started as an idea, but with guidance, it became a platform for change. Working with Ms. Lau helped us prepare for the ASB contest by giving us practice with sharing our ideas with a wider audience, paving a way to our success.”
Other Punahou students fared well at the American Savings Bank KeikiCo Competition, including finalists Joy Matsuda ’27 and Audrey Wee ’28, founders of Purrfect Homes – which offers handcrafted cat replicas to support Hawai‘i’s stray cats and native wildlife. For their part, finalists Haley Lau ’27 and Megan Ing ’27 showcased Hui Hana Lima, an initiative which hopes to provide affordable retail spaces for local artisans to start and grow their retail business.
To celebrate their achievements, Punahou’s President Mike Latham ’86 brought all three Punahou teams to participate in a pitch session to deans and administrators. “It was such an honor to share our ideas with school leaders who were genuinely interested in our vision,” Wee shared. Ing added, “their encouragement made us even more confident about the impact our projects can have.”