More than 40 alumni gathered at the Sky Lounge at Media3 in midtown Manhattan in late January for PAA New York’s (PAANY) “Pau Hana with the Pros” event to network with alumni who have forged their path in their careers at such top-notch companies as Nike and Venmo.
Jarrett Yoshida ’86 of Jarrett Yoshida Interior Design told the many young alumni in attendance that these alumni professionals “want to help you, so please come talk to us.” Each professional took the time to share what they took from their Punahou experience that helped them in their careers.
Some talked of forming close relationships, and others talked about such extracurricular activities such as Punavision, which helped the evening’s host, Damon Haimoff ‘85, start his career in the broadcast television arena. The attendees also heard from Punahou’s Vice-President for Institutional Advancement, Noelehua Lyons ‘91 Archambault, who shared about new programs and initiatives at Punahou.
The event was designed to allow for organic connections to take place between alumni and professionals in an informal setting. Knowing from the recent alumni survey in 2021 that Punahou alumni are seeking more networking/mentoring events, the Office of Alumni Relations wanted to test this event to assess its interest with our alumni community.
The views from Damon’s spectacular event space at Sky Lounge proved to be a magnificent backdrop to the lively conversations and connections that were made that night!