About PVA

A family business advisory firm

About

An advisory firm providing highly specialized learning experiences for family and non-family businesses

Passion.
Vision.
Action.

The concept behind PVA Knowledge Group was born several years ago when I was conducting research on high performing athletes in partnership with a sports psychologist. Together, we were trying to uncover the elements of peak performance that made these individuals leaders in their sports and businesses.

Ultimately, we wanted to develop a company that could take what we learned and combine it with best practices, effective tools, and expert delivery to help individuals and businesses to learn from these high performers. After more than two years of interviews and analysis, we found that all our subjects shared the same core features:

  • They had a passion for what they were doing
  • They had a clear vision of where they wanted to go
  • They knew how to construct clear plans of action for getting to their destination

Together, these three elements form the PVA model for performance.

Today, PVA Consulting brings these elements together with more than 15 years of experience in education, human systems, behavior, and mentoring to support our clients to cultivate highly effective relationships that will allow them to grow and thrive.

About me

I have been working with families and individuals in educational, behavioral, and business settings for more than 15 years. I have a passion for learning and I’m very comfortable stepping into conflict to find harmonious solutions. In 2018, I completed a PhD in Educational Psychology at the University of Hawaii, Manoa where my research focused on mentoring relationships between family members (familial mentoring) and organizational behavior. I am also a licensed mental health counselor in Hawaii.

Also in 2018, I launched a study exploring mentoring relationships in the context of family owned businesses.  The study is drawing support from an international group of families and professionals. I’ve published numerous academic papers and two international book chapters on topics related to education, behavioral health, mentoring, and the use of assistive-technologies in group learning.

As a speaker

I have presented at local, national, and international conferences. In addition to my work at PVA, I regularly collaborate with leaders in the fields of family business advising, education, and mentoring.

As an author

I’ve published numerous academic papers and two international book chapters (for SAGE and Routledge) on topics related to education, behavioral health, mentoring, and the use of assistive technologies.

Personal life

My wife and I live in Kailua with our young son. Since 1998, I have been an active member of the Hawaii watersport community in roles that include athlete, organizer, and spokesperson.

Academic

In 2018, I completed a PhD in Educational Psychology with a cognate in Organization Behavior at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. I also hold a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Chaminade University which was completed in 2003.

Associations

Aspen Family Business Group LLC

I’m currently as associate member of the Aspen Family Business Group, a consortium of thought leaders and experts in the family business field with decades of local and international experience.

Coaching and Mentoring International (CMI)

In addition to my work with the AFBG, I am also an independent regional associate of Coaching and Mentoring International (CMI), a European based consultancy that specializes in mentoring program development, implementation, and training.