As a Punahou student, Evan Leong '91 felt overwhelmed juggling the demands of a rigorous workload. Diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Leong had a difficult time focusing on school and often felt he didn't measure up to his classmates.

Years later - with ADHD under control and an Executive MBA from UH's Shidler College of Business earned - Leong, along with his wife and business partner, Kari, would be named one of Pacific Business News' 2006 "Forty Under 40."

Leong's first venture into the business world came when he and his wife created Bubble Tea Supply in 2001. Although business started strong, after the Christmas rush subsided in 2002, so did sales. In an attempt to save their retail distribution business, the Leongs accumulated hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. Devastated yet committed to growing their company, they switched from retail distribution to wholesale distribution. The switch proved to be so successful that they won the Gold Medal Taste Award for four consecutive years from 2002 - 2005, paid off their loans and became one of the largest suppliers of bubble tea drink in the nation.

Soon after, a life-changing conversation with a local entrepreneur helped Leong realize that to achieve true success, he should focus less on material gain and more on giving back.

With his priorities shifted, Leong put his new mantra, "to make a difference in the community," into practice and created Greater Good Radio and TV. Leong interviewed successful Hawai‘i business leaders and started airing the radio interviews in September 2005 on KKEA-AM and on KGMB9 TV from January 2007 - 2008. The interviews were meant to help up-and-coming entrepreneurs gain insight into what helped those leaders succeed.

In 2008, the Leongs published "The Greater Good: Life Lessons from Hawai‘i's Leaders," which shares lessons on life and success. This summer, HawaiiSchoolGuide.com, a resource for parents featuring nearly 900 schools in Hawai‘i, will launch.

All this from someone in danger of not graduating from Punahou School. "Most teachers would cringe at my name," Leong said jokingly. He expressed gratitude to certain faculty, especially Dean Paula Kurashige and Principal William Knowlton, who "allowed me to graduate and supported me when I probably didn't deserve it."

Leong also benefited from art classes - taken initially to increase his GPA and gain credits. "Art allowed me to create. It was no longer about memorization. It was about imagination and execution," Leong explained.