KUKUI Team
We love it when our family grows! Meet the Newest Kukuians: Mark Pavlidis , Sales Executive - Inside Sales Favorite Movie - The count of Monte Cristo Favorite Thing to Do - Anything outdoors Best Childhood Memory - Many Outdoor adventures Favorite Quote - Do the right thing, even when no one’s looking. Armando Ortiz , Sales Executive - Inside Sales Favorite Movie – Boiler Room Favorite Thing to Do – Family Time Favortie Kukui Lead – Amazingness Best Childhood Memory – Living in the countryside of Puerto Rico Favorite Quote – I have so many but I will go with T.G.I.M = Thank God Is Monday! Michelle Salazar , Sales Executive - Inside Sales Favorite Movie - Braveheart Favorite thing to do free time - Read in my backyard Favorite Kukui LEAD value - Enthusiasm Best childhood memory - 10 years old my first stereo equipped with record player, eight track and a disco ball! Many memories of the dance shows we put on for parents! Favorite quote or phrase - Our character is but the stamp on our souls of the free choices of good and evil we have made through life. Steve Freidell , Sales Executive - Inside Sales Favorite Movie: Step Brothers Favorite thing to do in your free time: Camping & Fishing Favorite quote or phrase: "if you ain't first, you're last" We look forward to the future with all of them and hope you do too!
Our team continues to grow! Here are our newest amazing additions: Lauren Flores - Client Marketing Specialist A little about Lauren: Favorite Movie: Disney Pixar’s Up Favorite Free Time Activity: Trips to Disneyland or the beach with my family. Favorite Kukui Value: Love Best Childhood Memory: My favorite memories growing up were our Saturday morning breakfasts. My mom was a single mother of 4 girls and she worked constantly to support us, but without fail, every Saturday morning we would wake up to her cooking breakfast and spent the morning together as a family. Favorite Quote: “You will not always be the smartest person in the room, and you will not always be the strongest or funniest or the most talented. But you can always be brave and you can always be kind, and these are the things you should be every minute of every day for the rest of your life. Because yes, those other things, they’re great things. But these things are better.” Michelle Hjorth - Controller A little about Michelle: Favorite Movie: The Lion King (1994) Favorite thing to do in your free time: Travel and spend time with my husband and kids. Favorite Kukui LEAD value: Discipline Best Childhood memory: Spending summers with all of my cousins at my grandma’s house in Manila. Favorite quote or phrase: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” - Aristotle
We love it when our family grows, and we grew A LOT this month. Meet the newest members of the KUKUI family: Nicole Benjamin - Production Coordinator Ella Durham - Production Coordinator Lisa Schieff - Client Marketing Specialist Mary Smith - Client Marketing Specialist Robyn Tevenpaugh - Client Marketing Specialist Bob Fisher - Account Manager Michael Wiltrout - Account Manager Steve Parker - Account Manager Maria Stango - Account Manager Nick Hernandez - Account Manager Mary Anne Guzelimian - Account Manager Scott Eckert - Account Manager Greg Lawrence - Account Manager Nina Shields - Account Manager Mike Szczublewski - Account Manager Kris Schneider - Director of Engineering
KUKUI has been adding to the team, and we'd love for you to meet our newest members! Shaun Greene joins us as the new Chief of Operations Scott Brown joins us as the new Vice President of Sales Favorite Movie: Tombstone Favorite thing to do in your free time: Golf, tennis & cycling Favorite Kukui LEAD value: Of course they all are important but for me it starts with Enthusiasm! Sonny Huynh joins us as a new Senior Software Engineer Favorite Movie: Star Wars Favorite thing to do in your free time: Rock climb Favorite Kukui LEAD value: Enthusiasm Best Childhood memory: Eating my mom's delicious pho noodle soup on super cold days Favorite quote or phrase: Do or do not. There is no try. We are extremely excited for what the future holds!
Jasper joins us as a Software Support Specialist! Here are some cool details about him: Favorite Movie: The Royal Tenenbaums Favorite thing to do in your free time: Outdoor activities like biking and fishing. Favorite KUKUI LEAD value: Love! Best Childhood memory: Pick up hockey games at the local park. Favorite quote or phrase : I didn’t fail the test. I just found 100 ways to do it wrong. –Benjamin Franklin
Michael joins us as a Client Marketing Specialist! Here are some cool details about him: Favorite Movie: Kingsman Favorite thing to do in your free time: I enjoy playing the guitar. Favorite KUKUI LEAD value: Enthusiasm Best Childhood Memory: My favorite childhood memory was when I got to see my father compete in the Hawaii Ironman World Championship. It was an incredible experience, and it made me understand the values of hard work and persistence early on. Favorite quote or phrase: “Try not to become a man of success, but rather a man of value.”
Carissa Long joins the Kukui family as a Product Manager! Carissa brings over 10 years of experience in product management most recently from Wolters Kluwer ELM Solutions where she performed the dual role of Product Manager and Launch Manager. Here are some cool details about her: Favorite Movie: Using the criteria of which movie I've watched the most in the last few weeks, let's go with Frozen II. At any given point in time, there's probably a 75% chance that one of the songs from that movie is playing on repeat in my head or being sung on repeat by my daughters. Favorite thing to do in your free time: I love going to playgrounds, on nature walks, and bike rides with my husband and kiddos (Amelia 5 and Penelope 2) Favorite KUKUI LEAD value: Love. Loving what you do and the team you work with makes it easier to live out the other values. Best Childhood memory: I grew up in a suburb of Rochester, NY and one summer in middle school, all the neighborhood kids took wood and nails from construction sites of houses being built and we all made these amazing forts in a small wood next to our neighborhood. It was one of those idyllic summers where all the kids were out playing from dawn till dusk and we build some really elaborate forts, complete with bridges. Favorite quote or phrase: This is very random but a quote from Hope Floats (Sandra Bullock movie from the 90s, which I've not seen in probably 20 years) popped in my head last week as I said goodbye to the company I worked at for 13 years and prepared to start at Kukui - "Beginnings are hard. Endings are usually sad. But it's the middle that counts."
Heather joins us as our new Chief Product Officer ! Heather brings over 15 years of experience in development and executive management with a wide range of technology organizations, most recently as Senior Director of Engineering at Innovative Interfaces. Here are some cool details about her: Favorite Movie: The Dark Knight and The Princess Bride Favorite thing to do in your free time: Spend time with family, hiking, visit wineries/breweries, crochet Favorite KUKUI LEAD value: Enthusiasm - As I am learning the industry, products, and the company, I greatly appreciate the enthusiasm that everyone comes with and how helpful it has been for me to get up to speed quickly. Best Childhood memory: No specific moment, but being able to run around outside until the street lights came on, playing tag, football, soccer, and softball. F avorite quote or phrase: Never give up something you really want. It's difficult to wait, but more difficult to regret.
