On Wednesday, July 30, 2025, Junior Achievement of Hawai’i Island will honor its 2025 JA Business Hall of Fame inductee, Jimmy Chan, owner of the Hawaiian Chip Company. Lee Wilson will also be presented with the organization’s Distinguished Supporter Award.
Jimmy Chan started the Hawaiian Chip Company in the year 2000 by making sweet potato chips on a little table fryer to sell at the open markets. Eventually, stores took notice and KTA on the Big Island was the first supermarket to pick up the chips. However, by the second year Hawaiian Chip Co. was stuggling and on the bring of bankruptcy due to inexperience.
To keep the chip company afloat, Chan got a full time job at Waldenbooks that paid monthly bills and provided medical insurance. He also got to keep, as many as he could carry at the end of each shift, the empty shipping boxes for books. For the next five years, those boxes were what the chips were sold in. With guidance from other leaders in Hawaii’s business community, the company survived.
The company is now profitable, with the chips sold statewide including Costco. It also has a factory retail store in Kalihi featuring taro and sweet potato chips that are made to order. Chan has also served as a board member of the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, the Hawaii Export Council, and the Hawaii Food Manufacturers Association.
Lee Wilson was born in upstate New York but grew up on Maui, where he developed an appreciation for community, creativity, and connection. After earning a degree in Business Administration from Boston University, he jumped into the world of marketing, advertising, and business development.
For the last 20 years, Lee was a key part of HPM Building Supply, first leading its marketing efforts and later taking on broader company initiatives to support growth and innovation. His work played a role in strengthening HPM’s brand and expanding its retail presence across the state. Before that, he held marketing leadership roles at Sprint, Verizon, and various Hawaii advertising agencies.
Beyond his career, Lee has spent more than 30 years giving back to his community. He’s been an active volunteer with Junior Achievement, helping young people develop business and financial skills. Lee also has served on both the state and local Big Island boards for Easter Seals Hawaii, supporting programs for individuals with disabilities.
But above all, family is at the heart of everything he does. Lee and his wife, Adri, take pride in the lives and accomplishments of their two adult sons, Reyn and Rhys. Now retired, Lee is embracing this next chapter—spending more time with loved ones, exploring new interests, and continuing to find ways to contribute to his community.
This year’s Business Hall of Fame dinner and reception to honor Chan and Wilson is slated for 5:30 pm on Wednesday, July 30 at the Event Center at the Arc of Hilo. If you would like to make a donation to the silent auction, please contact Ronnelle Hayashi at jahihof@jahawaii.org.
Proceeds from the reception will support Junior Achievement of Hawai‘i Island’s mission to inspire and prepare young people for success in the global economy through financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and career readiness, while also helping to expand opportunities for youth in our local community.
