Story by: King Eddie We recently focused on the APEC summit that will be taking place here in Honolulu in November. The possibilities that ride on the wings of this conference could lead to some very positive shifts in Hawaii’s economy, global status, and overall dynamic. We spoke with Senator Donovan Dela Cruz, and he gave us some of his perspective on the APEC summit, its implications, as well as some of his personal thoughts on Hawaii business. “This is the chance for Honolulu to position itself as globally competitive. This is a rare opportunity. We need to showcase ourselves as world leaders in cultural relations, environmental management, education, technology, agriculture, tourism, and economic development” There are numerous benefits from the summit in Honolulu, and in order to take advantage of them, we must thrust the issues into discussion. Senator Dela Cruz believes that there are some very key points that must be raised in order to the wheels to turn in the right direction. “We need to go beyond tourism. Hawaii does have the best sand, surf and sun, but diversifying our portfolio is critical if we want to reverse the brain drain and create jobs for future generations.  This is our chance also to position ourselves as the diplomatic center of the Pacific.” Ideas for economic growth are a central focus of this entire event and the issues they discuss can be traced all the way down to even the smallest local business. Everything ties together in the web of our economy. With that in mind, Senator Dela Cruz draws from local business models and compares it to the bigger picture. He speaks of the local eatery, The Okazuya. “It’s so local and very, very unique. Because its products are in demand, due to the right mixture of quality and loyalty, the Okazuya defies most rules of business: no parking, little signage, long lines, closed when family goes on vacation, and when food runs out the doors are shut. The Okazuya is able to do this because of limited product in demand.  Hawaii is a limited product in demand, yet we continue to struggle instead of determining how we need to best position ourselves so we’re not reacting to global events out of our control. We need to lead.” With his attention to these kinds of details, Senator Dela Cruz appears to be business minded. When asked what type of business he would start if he would have an opportunity to do so today he replied with : “I would focus on starting a farm. We keep talking about sustainability, but we don’t see young people rushing to become farmers. The only way we’re going to solve our challenges to agriculture is to become more engaged and invested.” As the conference comes closer, it’s great to know that Hawaii’s leaders in Hawaii’s political community are recognizing and addressing key topics to propel Hawaii forward in every positive way that they can.