Hub Coworking Hawaii

Hawai‘i's Best Coworking Space

Hosts

Host Spotlight: Randi Lee

You probably recognize Randi Lee – she’s one of our Host team that helps greet our members and guests and make our space awesome.

Randi is a Business-Mindset coach and a world-class powerlifter, and has a bunch of cool projects on the side. I chatted with her about some of the projects she’s working on outside, and what we can all learn from her motivational mindset reset.

Andrea Bertoli (AB): Tell us more about WomanSpeak, the event you are part of here at Impact Hub HNL? Who comes to WomanSpeak events and why?

Randi Lee (RL): WomanSpeak is a public speaking circle for women that is held on the 2nd and 4th Monday of every month, here at Impact Hub HNL. I got involved with WomanSpeak when the circle started in June 2018. I joined WomanSpeak as I was looking for a way to improve my public speaking skills and loved that WomanSpeak did this with a more feminine approach- instead of the typical masculine approach. At the time I was preparing for my first live workshop. Since then, I have hosted several live workshops, launched a podcast, and spoke on stage at the International WomanSpeak festival.

WomanSpeak believes that unleashing the brilliance of women’s voices is the key to positive change in the world. Women with all different experiences and backgrounds come together to learn how to become more effective public speakers so they can make a bigger impact in their communities.

AB: You got to travel with WomanSpeak a few months ago to Arizona and share your story with women from around the world. What was that experience like for you?

RL: I am a member of the WomanSpeak mastermind, which is a separate program from the WomanSpeak circle. As a part of the mastermind, we worked with the founder of WomanSpeak, KC Baker, to create our signature talk and then in May, we got to give that talk on stage at the International WomanSpeak festival.

I was blessed to have several women from the Honolulu circle travel to Arizona to the festival. It was so incredible to be able to look out in the audience when I was on stage, and see a row of women from my circle at the event, cheering for me.

Speaking on stage at the festival was one of the most transformative experiences of my entire life. As someone who has felt like she has had to try and be someone else for others to earn their love and acceptance, speaking on that stage was the first time I felt fully seen and accepted for my TRUE SELF.

AB: I watched your video, and it’s really powerful. You said in your talk, “Self acceptance is a necessary step on your path to greatness.” Tell us more about this important concept, and how people can start embracing themselves in a fuller capacity:

RL: I believe that we must accept ourselves fully if we want to be able to create the biggest impact possible. If we are consumed by a part of ourselves that we cannot accept, this takes away mental, physical, and emotional energy that could be put towards something that is actually going to help you make a difference in the world. When we accept ourselves unconditionally, we free up all of that energy that was once used towards not accepting ourselves. It frees up so much space in our lives to focus on the things that truly matter.

The first step to accepting yourself is to identify the areas that you are currently struggling to accept. Many people are not even aware of the part of themselves that they are not accepting because it has become so ingrained in who they are.

Once we become aware of those areas- we can determine what the limiting beliefs are that are holding us back from accepting ourselves. For me, the part of me I always struggled to accept was my body. When I identified this, I was able to start breaking down the limiting beliefs that were holding me back from accepting my body at any size.

Watch Randi’s powerful talk at Women’s Speak below!

AB: What’s your newest project?

RL: I recently launched a 16-month calendar with other super heavy weight powerlifters from around the world. As someone who once said, “I will never be a super heavy weight powerlifter,” to currently being the #4 strongest super heavy weight powerlifter of all time- this calendar is my way of showing the world that you can be beautiful and strong at any size. The calendar includes exclusive photos from some of the top ranked female super heavy weights and body empowerment quotes. Use discount code IMPACT to get 25% off on the online shop.

AB: Tell us more about the coaching work you do and how can people work with you:

RL: I work with women to help them build and scale the business of their dreams so they can quit their full time job and make abundant money doing what they love. I have a very high-touch coaching style- I work closely with my clients in all aspects of building their business from creating coaching packages, to marketing, to increasing profit margins. I work with my clients to help them fully embody their mission and purpose so that they can show up fully in their power so they can make the impact and income they desire. Learn more and set up a complimentary breakthrough call by using the link here.

Find more about Randi on Instagram and on her website.

Thanks Randi, for sharing your story and encouraging everyone to share their gifts with the world. 

Meet our Host Team!

Impact Hub HNL has a group of dedicated hosts that work with us to greet new members and facilitate an awesome member experience. Learn more about our team here:

Lawrence Basha

Lawrence retired after a long Army career and is transitioning into something different as a second act. He is interested in organizational development, strategic planning, fitness & healthy living, and progressive politics in Hawaii.

 

Miguel Castrence

Miquel is a geospatial data scientist and managing partner at Resource Mapping Hawaii, a small, locally owned and operated company specializing in aerial imaging and geographic information solutions. He conducts research on wide range of conservation technologies for environmental monitoring over remote landscapes. His latest passion project integrates machine learning and citizen science for mapping marine debris throughout the main Hawaiian islands.

Holger Heine

Holger and his partner Suzanne started Topos Productions in 1996. We worked with clients specializing in corporate events and digital media. Today, Topos Media creates apps, websites and e-books and we help clients with marketing services.

 

Jenn Jiron

Jenn is a graphic designer, illustrator and founder of Waves in Color (a creative atelier). Waves in Color combines Jenn’s East meets West design background and focuses on conveying and creating a visual presence for a wide range of clients ranging from start-ups to established companies. The spectrum of the atelier is wide and includes: brand identity, print/product design, web design, digital projects, pattern creation, illustration and much more. Jenn’s passions include traveling, playing the guitar and helping out in the community.

Joe Heaukulani

Joe describes himself as a Random Citizen helping to transform Hawaii’s communities through enhanced engagement and enduring empowerment. My passions are Technology and Farming, and I am currently skill-building in Amazon Web Services, Machine Learning, Mobile Development, and a small dash of video production on the side.

Ruby Menon

“I have been a host and part of the Hub movement ever since we opened up our doors at the old ProtoHub location on Keawe St. In my day job, I am the Product Manager for a local tech startup, JamBios. In my company, BrainSmart HR, I work with social impact entrepreneurs to provide product design consulting using a behavioral science approach. I also teach Design Your Life by Creating New Habits classes at the Hub. A few years ago, I implemented an Inmate Art project called CARE that works with incarcerated women artists at WCCC. The CARE project promotes and sells their art and craft products so they can earn money for their transition back to the community. I am still involved in this social enterprise project and am always looking for opportunities to promote these talented women’s art work.

Danyale Thomas Ross

Danyale is Founder and Head Instigator in Charge and Mindset Practitioner at InstigateHer™. Her weekly podcast, InstigateHer™ features curated content of women thought leaders and self-help experts while delivering a message in just minutes. Danyale leads the Honolulu WomanSpeak circle, which can be best described as Toastmasters for conscious women a guided process that helps a woman discover her unique story and explores ways to be more fully expressed in the world for herself and her community. Through hosting various themed in person woman-centric events and spaces she encourages women to become a more sovereign version of themself.

Suzanne Savet

My background is in marketing, sales, meeting planning and special event management. My partner Holger and I started Topos Productions in 1996. Today, Topos Media creates apps, websites and e-books and we help clients with marketing services.

My interests include writing; travel; art; photography; film; music; food & wine; and sports, especially, golf, tennis and Formula One racing. As a pastime, I admit to spending too much time online watching hilarious animal (dog, cat) and healthy cooking videos.

Kat Uyemura

“I would be flattering myself if I called myself a Renaissance woman. But, I humbly wish to be an eternal student. I’ve always loved the study of the humanities, arts, literature and music. Anatomy and the fascinating human body has always interested me. I’m a yoga momma who loves travel, hiking, running and anything health related. I also have a great respect and curiosity for technological advances. However, though I believe that it’s integral to advance our society and world, I think what each person yearns for is the beauty of art and culture to transcend us to higher connections to each other, love and spirituality.” Kat says she can be found in any book store.

 

Humans of Impact Hub: Holger & Suzanne of Topos Media

Holger Heine and Suzanne Savet have been a part of our Impact Hub HNL community since we were in our ProtoHub location. Holger and Suzanne are dedicated Hosts, and you’ll see them behind the Host desk at least once per week – but sometimes more often! They are also members of the coworking community and you’ll see them around throughout the week.

I was really happy to sit down and learn more about their current business, their background, and how they ended up here in at Impact Hub HNL.


Currently Holger and Suzanne manage Topos Productions and develop digital apps and games. They originally chose the name topos, which means place, location, or opportunity in classical Greek, as the theme for theirSan Francisco.-based special event production and marketing business back in the 1990s. Today, Suzanne explains, instead of curating real-life events, their mobile and web-based app help create customized experiences in the digital sphere.

Over the years, their business model has shifted its focus on creating stronger social impact, aiming to make the world a little better, especially for digitally underserved communities.

One of their larger current projects is the development of an app for people with mild memory problems. The app aims to create a sense of connectedness and importance in people suffering from early Alzheimer’s and other dementias. In addition to reinforcing personal memories, the app connects people with memory problems to their friends and loved ones, helps them stay in touch, and allows them to express their love. Holger and Suzanne are developing the app together with a professor at the John A. Burns School of Medicine and they are currently looking for additional beta testers for the app. If you or someone you know is interested in beta testing the app, please reach out here.

But Holger and Suzanne have not always been app developers – both of them have pretty diverse backgrounds. Suzanne started her career in the meeting and event industry in Washington, DC, and Holger spent many years in the hospitality and transportation industry in San Francisco.

They met while working together at one of the leading destination management and corporate event production companies of San Francisco. In 1996, they took the leap and founded Topos Productions as a special event production company, curating everything from corporate conferences for thousands of people to small, exclusive VIP wine country tours and incentive travel experiences.

The transition to a digital media production and marketing company started early on: their clients started asking them to make websites for their special events and incentive travel programs. In the late 1990s, these were simple ‘brochure’ type sites, and this got Suzanne and Holger to work more often in the digital space. “We look at websites as interactive events, which allowed us to combine our event production skills with website design and online marketing services,” she said.

“Creating a website (or mobile app) is about creating an experience,” says Suzanne, “focusing on the experiential factor in website and app development led us to emphasize user experience as a key component of successful digital media design.” This movement into the digital space meant they could become ‘digital nomads’ in Europe (starting in 2002, before it was a THING!). In 2008, an opportunity for Holger to pursue a PhD by research at the University of Melbourne came along, and Holger and Suzanne left their beloved San Francisco for a four-year stay in Australia.

During their time “down under,” Suzanne worked at the U.S. Consulate General Melbourne and served in the U.S. State Department and U.S. Department of Commerce, helping U.S. companies develop their business in Australia. After four more years of digital nomading, Suzanne and Holger have moved themselves and their business to Hawaii, providing digital media services with aloha.

We’re so grateful that this smart and interesting pair bring their social consciousness and their bright personalities to Impact Hub HNL everyday. Learn more about their business here.