Choosing to Take Chances

“Throughout our history, we’ve always said, ‘We’re in,’” says Gina Mangieri. “We have benefitted from never being scared.” Whether embarking on a journey to the Caribbean or taking out hefty loans to start a business, Gina and husband Doug Ewalt are ready to take a chance. Together, this journalist and boat captain have become co-founders and co-owners of two thriving businesses, Hawaii Nautical and The Cole Academy. While attending community college in upstate New York, Doug became increasingly tired of gloomy winters. One day, his friend brought him a crumpled up postcard of a sunny Caribbean scene and Doug was inspired to escape. Growing up on a river in New Jersey, he had spent his childhood sailing, fishing and crabbing. Doug recalls, “At 12 years old, I would say to my mom, ‘Low tide’s around two, I’m going crabbing from two to three and I’ll be home around four.’” At 21 years old, he was Caribbean-bound and thrilled to discover that he could make money doing what he loved. He soon got work with a small St. Thomas resort as a captain for its sailing excursions.Colorado-born Gina took the same chance. Colorado-born Gina took the same chance. During her time at Northwestern University, she grew accustomed to working in big cities like Chicago, New York, and London. But, after acquiring bachelor and master degrees in journalism in just three-and-a-half years, she was offered a job as an editor for the Virgin Island Daily News, a Pulitzer prize-winning publication. Being young and up for an adventure, Gina thought, “Maybe there’s more to life than big-city journalism.” Despite her mother’s concerns, she headed south. After finding each other in the Virgin Islands, Doug and Gina married and moved to San Diego. But Doug wanted more sunshine and more opportunities to sail. In 1999, Gina landed a job as managing editor for Pacific Business News and they moved to Hawaii. A year later, Doug purchased a catamaran and founded Hawaii Nautical, a charter company that offers cruises out of Ko Olina Marina. As the Ko Olina resort area continued to grow, his cruises were a success and in high-demand. Taking out a large loan for a second, larger catamaran was a gamble, but it was a risk Doug wouldn’t regret. Hawaii Nautical now also has a double-decker boat for scuba tours and an excellent reputation for quality sailing and service. This couple’s most recent venture was the 2003 founding of The Cole Academy, a child development center with a focus on kindergarten preparation, and named after their oldest son, Cole. When Cole was born, his parents realized that working while raising children might be more problematic than they expected. “We thought you had a baby and you could just drop them off at a daycare center,” Gina laughs. But as they encountered more and more lengthy waitlists for schools, they wondered, “Well, are we going to leave him with a babysitting service or do we want to focus on his early years and all of his early childhood development?” With support from their bank, Gina and Doug immediately drew up a plan and searched for a team to help them develop the ideal daycare and preschool program. They worked hard to locate and remodel the perfect space (the downtown Merchant street location), and now offer care of children, six-weeks to five-years old, at three different locations, with a fourth opening soon in Windward O‘ahu. With Doug manning Hawaii Nautical and Gina currently a full-time reporter at KHON 2 News, their sons, Cole and Rowen, are two of 400 students benefitting from the Academy. Along with the pride of creating more than 115 great jobs within both of their companies, Doug and Gina are happy to “help the economic drive of Hawaii by letting smart moms and dads stay at work.” Being able to give other parents like themselves the choice to continue doing what they love, reinforces the chances they took to make it all happen. Doug Ewalt and Gina Mangieri Co-founders and co-owners Hawaii Nautical www.hawaiinautical.com res@hawaiinautical.com 808.234.7245 The Cole Academy thecoleacademy.com info@thecoleacademy.com 808.531.4500

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