Hawaii Business Magazine's new editor-in-chief sat down with HPR to reflect on her first 100 days and her hopes for the publication in a changing media landscape.
Jennifer Ablan returned home from New York after three decades to take the job.
"I went from one island, Manhattan, to another island, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, and we're discussing the same topics. We're discussing the labor market, inflation, high cost of living, what AI is going to do to our businesses. So I have found that the issues that we talk about, we think are local issues, but they're national issues as well. And so that's one of the things that I'd like to talk about in our pages, that the localized stories are really national stories as well."
As an example, the publication recently launched a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity map, which Ablan said is geared toward the local business community because many hotels, restaurants and small businesses employ immigrants.
Ablan also highlighted Hawaii Business Magazine's presence on online platforms like YouTube and LinkedIn, as well as at in-person events like the Wahine Forum.
She said she's looking forward to a new column aimed at adults in their 20s and 30s.
“I call them the next generation. Some people hate that word, but the debut column is going to talk about young adulthood in Hawaiʻi, and [the columnist] is going to be talking about how she budgets in one of the most expensive states in the nation," Ablan said.
"We want to go out there and not just interview big CEOs and the C-suite executives — we want to talk to everyone."
This story aired on The Conversation on Sept. 29, 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Hannah Kaʻʻulani Coburn adapted this story for the web.
