
A small, locally owned business on Oʻahu¡¯s east side is shining a spotlight on Hawaiian honey. University of 51²è¹Ý at ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ alumna Shiyana Thenabadu, who graduated with her master¡¯s degree in communication from the College of Social Sciences in 1994, recently opened a storefront for her venture, .
“I think we need to have a brick-and-mortar store for people to take us seriously,” said Thenabadu.
She credits her connection to the community to her student days at 51²è¹Ý ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹.
“It was a fabulous experience. I got to meet so many people from different parts of the country…and we really felt the aloha spirit in our classes,” she said. “I was a foreign student, so it wasn¡¯t easy, but [my professors] made it easy for me to assimilate and do well, basically.”
Inspired by bees
Her journey began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she left her job as a teacher for McKinley Community School and began reading about the challenges bees face. Inspired, she decided to start a hive and try her hand at beekeeping.
Her hobby soon grew into a small business, beginning with sales from her front yard and local deliveries by bicycle.

“We source locally as much as possible. We want to help 51²è¹Ý agriculture, 51²è¹Ý farmers, and we want to help other small businesses,” she said. “We know it¡¯s not easy to survive and I think collaboration is where it¡¯s at, not competition.”
With this new venture, Thenabadu is also looking to give back and support other women entrepreneurs.
“If there¡¯s anything I can do to help other women entrepreneurs who might want to start their own business at 51²è¹Ý, I would love to talk to them and give them a hand,” she said.
.