(Article courtesy Pacific Business News)
Mark Tawara, a serial entrepreneur, has recently started his fifth company in Hawaii, one that focuses on creating digital signs for businesses and condominium associations.
Bright Light Digital is the latest company created by Tawara, who has more than 20 years in the marketing and operations of architectural, engineering and construction firms and has also started such businesses as Projectors Hawaii, Canine Cots, Marketability and Manageability, which he still runs.
Thus far, Bright Light Digital, which eventually will have an office at the Manoa Innovation Center in East Oahu, is part of the state High Technology Development Corp.’s Virtual Incubation Program.
The program gives Tawara’s company access to resources at the Manoa Innovation Center, such as legal representation.
He noted that the idea to get into the digital signage industry originally stemmed from the creation of his first company, Projectors Hawaii that sold media presentation products.
“My long-term goal is to develop my own proprietary software and sell it as a service and then grow the business so that it expands into the Asia-Pacific region and the Mainland,” Tawara, who had an executive role with SSFM International and Belt Collins Hawaii, told PBN. “I really envision the business to develop our own software and build a large subscription base of clients who will see the value of our products.”
Thus far, Bright Light Digital has installed signage at a couple of Wyndham-branded properties and even at a condo in East Oahu.
“This is for any business or organization that needs to push content to their business or their customers,” Tawara said. “When I talked to potential clients, they mostly tell me that they are working with offshore firms. I saw an opportunity to provide services that, up until now, were provided by offshore companies.”
Duane Shimogawa covers energy, commercial real estate and development for Pacific Business News.