Inspiration Hawaii Museum Coming Soon
Under Construction at 900 Richards Street, Honolulu 96813
Inspiration Hawaii Museum Coming Soon
Under Construction at 900 Richards Street, Honolulu 96813
Under Construction at 900 Richards Street, Honolulu 96813
Under Construction at 900 Richards Street, Honolulu 96813
Inspiring the world!
Born 2004 in Kahuku, Hawaii
American Idol Winner 2023
Born 1992 in Honolulu
Olympic Gold Medal Surfing - 2020 Tokyo Olympics
World Series Champions 2022
The Inspiration Hawaii Museum tells the untold stories of people who grew up in Hawai'i and how they ended up inspiring the world. It is not a Hall of Fame nor is it an Art gallery. The museum aims to show the youth of Hawaii the impact they can make on the world through the stories of change makers. There are exhibits covering scientists, astronauts, inventors, and noble prize winners. There are highlights from global entertainers, musicians, actors, dancers, fashion designers, athletes, olympians, political leaders, movement leaders, internet influencers, and entrepreneurs.
It provides a community learning space that allows people to challenge themselves by expanding their skill set and knowledge base. The museum hosts master classes, book signings, and talk stories, that appeals to those seeking a better understanding of a career or industry.
For tourists and recent transplants, this museum changes prevailing stereotypes about people from Hawai'i.
Although Hawai'i is a small state, per capita, it has nurtured and raised the most talented people in the country.
Come learn about people from Hawai'i who have inspired the world.
John was born in Honolulu in 1909, his parents immigrated from China. He took art classes at McKinley High School. After graduation, he opened his own gallery on Bethel Street in downtown Honolulu. To supplement his income he painted signs for local businesses and sold art supplies to local painters. He quickly became one of Hawaii's best-known artists. His work exhibited at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington DC, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Israel was a Native Hawaiian musician and songwriter who's "FACING FUTURE" album was the first from Hawaii to go platinum selling over 1 million CDs in 1993. "OVER THE RAINBOW" was #1 on Billboard and has over 1 billion views on YouTube.
Was born and raised in Honolulu where he graduated from Punahou School in 1976. He is the entrepreneur who built America Online, (AOL) into the world's largest Internet service provider during the early days of dialup-internet adopted by the public in the 1990s. AOL was the first internet company to go public in 1992. Steve Case was CEO of AOL, when it was valued at more than $200 billion in 1999.
National Yo Yo Champion
2022 & 2023
Punahou 2014
At age 4, Evan shows Jay Leno on the Tonight Show how to Yo Yo.
16 year-old teen from Waimea, Hawaii is the 2022 Rubik Cube North American Champion.
Hawaii Preparatory Academy 2025
National Breakdancing Champion
"B Boy Hi Jack" from Kaimuki.
In Philadelphia, August 26, 2023
President USA
Punahou 1979
President China
Iolani 1882
U.S. Representative
Maui H.S. 1944
U.S. Senator
McKinley 1942
Space Shuttle Astronaut
Konawaena H.S. 1964
Space Shuttle Astronaut
Punahou 1962
Hōkūléa World Voyage
Punahou 1972
Punahou 1859
World War II
Kauai H.S. 1960
McKinley 1985
Reverend Akaka insisted that the Aloha State had moral and spiritual contributions to make to the nation and the world.
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to the Hawaii State Legislature in 1959. "As I think of the struggle that we are engaged in in the South land, we look to you for inspiration and as a noble example, where you have already accomplished in the area of racial harmony and racial justice, what we are struggling to accomplish in other sections of the country, and you can never know what it means to those of us caught for the moment in the tragic and often dark midnight of man’s inhumanity to man, to come to a place where we see the glowing daybreak of freedom and dignity and racial justice.”
President Kennedy selected the 1963 US Conference of Mayors meeting
in Honolulu to announce his new Civil Rights Bill for America. The racial harmony found in Hawaii was held as an example that the rest of the country should follow.
"This island (state) represents all that we are and all that we hope to become." -- President John F. Kennedy, Honolulu, June 1963.
Brook Mahealani Lee, Miss USA and Miss Universe 1977
(Being Miss Universe) "is about being open to a lot of different cultures. I've been to thirteen different countries in a year, and wherever I go, they think I'm that ethnicity. So it's about being able to accept people for whatever they are. In Hawaii, we're like that by nature. I'm Hawaiian, Korean, Chinese, Dutch, English, French, Portuguese. So they all had to
get along for me to be born!" -- Brook Mahealani Lee, Miss Universe, on The Oprah Winfrey Show 1998.
Hinaleimoana Wong
Educator and filmmaker on the history of transgender inclusion in the Native Hawaiian culture.
Her 2014 award winning documentary KUMU HINA was shown all over the United States and internationally in Berlin, Toronto, Tokyo and Beijing.
The Hawaiian Kingdom boasted the highest literacy rate in the world.
The Hawaiian Kingdom outlawed slavery in its constitution. Any slave that arrived in Hawai‘i would be emancipated.
At the Worlds' Fair in Paris, Hawai‘i was one of 30 countries with an exhibit. The Hawaiian Kingdom was the only Pacific government to be represented at the Exposition Universelle in Paris.
World Tour of Hawaiian King David Kalākaua. The 281-day trip gave Kalākaua the distinction of being the first monarch to circumnavigate the globe. He visited the Emperor Meiji in Japan, had an audience in Rome with Pope Leo, was a guest of Britain's Queen Victoria, visited President Chester Arthur at the White House and spent time with Thomas Edison in his laboratory in New Jersey.
Hawai‘i became the first state in the nation to adopt the "Percent for Art" law. This visionary legislation sets aside one percent of all state building constructions costs for the acquisition of works of art. This law gave art in public places and has been followed by other states.
First state to decriminalize abortion.
First state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment for Women.
First in the nation to provide near universal health care.
Hawai‘i State Supreme Court was the first judiciary in the world to rule in favor of same-sex marriage.
First state in the country to require 100% renewable energy.
In 2015, Gloria Borland was serving on the City's Neighborhood Board for Aliamanu, Foster Village, and Salt Lake, when she came up with the idea for a new museum near the Arizona Memorial and Aloha Stadium. Gloria grew up in Hawaii and spent decades in Washington DC, a city smaller than Oahu with over 70 museums. This new Inspiration museum would change Hollywood stereotypes about people from Hawaii. Residents living in neighborhoods surrounding Aloha Stadium supported the vision for a new museum that would inspire residents and visitors. Grassroots support for the new museum spread throughout Oahu in 2016. The museum was included in the City's Final Plan published in July 2017 for Transit-Oriented Development at the Halawa Rail Station near Aloha Stadium.
In 2018, the State announced redevelopment plans for Aloha Stadium. In 2019, the State announced plans for a New Entertainment District to surround Aloha Stadium. Development plans for Aloha Stadium and the New Entertainment District was delayed in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.
After waiting five years for the Aloha Stadium entertainment site, the Inspiration Hawaii Museum decided to search for an alternative location. In 2023, the museum found an amazing historic
building in downtown Honolulu. The Inspiration Hawaii Museum is planning to open in early 2025. Stay tuned for more details. Subscribe to our mailing list below.
Almost twice as many people visit American museums than attend all major league sporting events and theme parks combined!
Source: American Alliance of Museums.
Paul Kosasa is the President and CEO of ABC Stores a retail chain of 75 stores and 1,900 employees. The first store was founded by his grandparents in Kaimuki in 1917.
- Chairman Hawaii Symphony Orchestra,
- Chair Waikiki Business Improvement District,
- Board, Central Pacific Bank
- Board, Hawaii Community Foundation.
- Board, Hawaii Food Industry Association
- Japanese American National Museum
Former President & CEO of the Bishop Museum. Architect and Museum Designer with 30 years experience developing museums around the world. Principal at Ralph Appelbaum, the world's largest museum exhibition design firm.
- Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC
- Museum of Natural History, New York
- Clinton Presidential Library
- Obama Presidential Center
-Japanese American National Museum, LA
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle
- Musee du Quai Branly, Paris
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art
- New York Public Library
Former President & CEO of the Bishop Museum. Current President & CEO Zephyr Insurance. Chief Consumer Officer Hawaii Medical Service Association, Chief Operating Officer Damon Estate, VP & General Counsel AMFAC.
Chair Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources.
- Board, Hawaiian Electric Company
- Board, Polynesian Voyaging Society
- Board, Kualoa Ranch
- Consuelo Foundation
- Chair, Host Committee IUCN 2016,
- Host Committee, APEC 2011.
- Trustee Parker Ranch Foundation.
Founder & President
Inspiration Hawaii Museum.
Founder www.WeTalkStory.me
Founder www.GlobalVillageNetwork.LIVE
Founder Charter School with Chinese Immersion in Washington DC.
Executive Producer -The Business Owners with Gloria Borland TV series on PBS nationwide underwritten by THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
- Founder & CEO Netless Web Wireless
- Campaign Director Ross Perot for President
- LEGAL TIMES newspaper for lawyers.
- Founder & CEO National Travel Magazines.
- DC staff U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye.
Founder & CEO Wilhelm Group.
Former Trustee Chair of Kamehameha Schools.
Managing Principal Irongate.
Senior VP Kiewit.
Board Member Hawaii Pacific University.
Board Member YMCA.
Partner at the Honolulu law firm Lung, Rose, Voss, Wagnild. His practice areas include real estate and construction litigation, complex business and commercial litigation, and land use.
Former member Manoa Neighborhood Board.
Former Trustee and Chair of the State of Hawaii Employee Retirement System (public pension fund) currently with a $20 billion portfolio. English teacher at Aliamanu Middle School for 45 years.
- Board of Directors HSTA.
- Board Hawaii Education Association
Andrew is an engineer and brings his expertise to organizing the historic building's facilities for the museum's new event business. He is the past president of JCI Hawaii and the Honolulu Chinese Jaycees and on the board of Chinatown 808.
Allan is the owner of Small Potato Photography with his studio located in Moiliili. He brings his technical expertise in sound and video to the museum's new event business. Allan is a board member of the Honolulu Chinese Jaycees.
We are building partnerships with community organizations.
Imiloa is a published writer, public speaker, and movement leader. She has been involved with creating the museum since its inception, collaborating with her mother and giving the youth viewpoint. Imiloa is managing the Hawaiian Fashion Designers exhibit.
Imiloa was Punahou's Holokū Queen in 2020 and gave the 2024 graduation speech at the New School in New York City.
Enki grew up in Aiea and has lived in Tokyo and New York City. He graduated from Punahou in 2020 and recently earned a degree in Economics from the New School and studied photography and communications at the Parsons School of Design in New York.
Enki is managing communications with high-profile people featured in our exhibits. He is an advisor for the museum's social media.
We are providing a place for young people to develop and strategize their careers.
Built in 1927, the old HECO building at 900 Richards Street is near Iolani Palace and the old Post Office. The Inspiration Hawaii Museum is located on the ground floor lobby.
Please help us move-in and set up our museum.
The Inspiration Hawaii Museum, Inc. is a non-profit 501 (3) c.
Your donation is tax-deductible.
Mail check to: Inspiration Hawaii Museum, Inc.
P.O. Box 2693
Honolulu, Hawaii 96803
Phone: 808-312-4111
There's much to see here. So, take your time, look around, and learn all there is to know about our new museum opening at the end of the year.
We hope you enjoy our pre-opening site and will make a contribution to help us finish construction.
Inspiration Hawaii Museum, Inc. is a non-profit 501 (c) (3)
Mail donation: P.O. Box 2693, Honolulu, HI 96803
808-312-4111
contact: Gloria@inspirationHawaiiMuseum.org
Copyright © 2024 Inspiration Museum - All Rights Reserved.
Inspiration Hawaii Museum
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