JUST FOR STARTERS
Guy Kawasaki, born and raised in Kalihi, helped start up Macintosh computers. Now he’s a venture capitalist helping entrepreneurs start up software companies
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Guy Kawasaki is a pioneer and legend in the computer industry, successful entrepreneur and venture capitalist, devoted family man and all-around nice guy.
He’s an Island boy born and raised in Kalihi Valley. Initially known for being the son of long-time state Sen. Duke Kawasaki, he gained his own claim to fame with his work with Apple Computer in the 1980s and ‘90s.
Today the innovative entrepreneur, is passionate about his investments as a venture capitalist and loves spending time with his family in Palo Alto, Calif.
Kawasaki’s seeds of success were planted young. Born in 1954, his family lived in a “tough” part of town.
“Growing up in Kalihi was not easy,” he recalls. “My mother and father made many sacrifices for my sister and me. My mother was a housewife and my father was, at various times, a fireman, real estate broker, state senator and government official. I kind of grew up under a microscope with my father being who he is, but my parents always taught me to not take any crap from anybody and work hard.”
Kawasaki never did think of becoming a politician as his father was. “I admire people who are in politics since you’re always on call and everybody wants something from you,” he says. “I like to support politicians, but not be one like Obama - good Punahou boy,” the good Iolani boy chuckles.
While a young student at Kalihi Elementary School, he says one of his teachers, Trudy Akau, determined the success for the rest of his life by convincing his parents to send him to Iolani School. It was there that Kawasaki excelled in athletics and academics.
“While I was at Iolani my favorite teacher was Harold Keables, who taught English and taught me how to write,” he recalls. “Now I have eight books and a blog. Two other great influences I had from Iolani were Eddie Hamada and Charles Kaaihue.”
It was also at Iolani where he met his good friend, Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann.
“Mufi and I were classmates,” he says, chuckling. “I remember there were two awards: Scholar Athlete and Athlete Scholar awards. We shared the Athlete Scholar award, but I won the Scholar Athlete.”
With a huge smile, he again emphasizes that episode. “Make sure you remind him of that when you see him.”
After graduating from Iolani, Kawasaki went on to attend Stanford University and majored in psychology. He graduated in 1976 and claims it was the easiest major he could find.
After Stanford, in an attempt to make his parents happy, Kawasaki went to University of California, Davis School of Law. But it didn’t last long.
“I tried to be a good boy, make my parents happy and go to law school,” he says. “I dropped out after two weeks because I just couldn’t stand it.”
After the law school attempt, Kawasaki ended up attending the University of
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