Dr. Tyrie Lee Jenkins, one of Hawaii’s premier anterior segment and laser refractive surgeons, clearly sees value in the Twestival mission. The Honolulu Twestival is proud to welcome her aboard as a sponsor of this year’s event, taking place next Thursday, March 25.

Dr. Jenkins has been practicing ophthalmology in Hawaii for nearly two decades. Her thriving practice reflects her business acumen, passion and skill. It’s also built on a philosophy of community responsibility.

Dr. Jenkins was a national early adopter in laser vision correction. She was active in the study that led to the FDA approval of LASIK and performed Hawaii’s first LASIK procedure in 1997. She regularly participates in ongoing research in her field. To date Dr. Jenkins has performed over 20,000 refractive surgeries and continues to bring the freedom of glasses and contacts to many. She offers a variety of technolgies to help people live a life free of glasses or contacts.

As part of medical missions to China and Western Samoa, she has helped improve access to eye care in underserved areas. She measures success not in profits alone but in community good. She is currently working on her Master in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Jenkins established Na Kauka for the Cure (Doctors for the Cure™) as part of the Komen Breast Cancer Foundation’s annual Race for the Cure™. She’s president of the Women’s Fund of Hawaii, which makes grants to grassroots programs that benefit women and girls in Hawaii, and is on the board of Hawaii Public Radio. Previously she has been on the board of Hawaii Opera Theater and Goodwill Industries.

Dr. Jenkins has been recognized by Junior Achievement of Hawaii, Pacific Business News, U.S. Small Business Administration and the YWCA. In 2009 she was named one of the top-rated physicians in her field in Hawaii by her peers – fellow physicians in the top five percent of medical practitioners across the nation.

Besides her own practice, Tyrie Jenkins, M.D. Eye Care, she is medical director of the Laser Eye Center of Hawaii, Hawaii’s only locally owned center devoted to laser refractive surgery; she co-owns The Surgical Suites, a freestanding outpatient eye surgery center.

Hawaii real estate company Prudential Locations, the largest locally owned and operated real estate company in the State of Hawaii, has joined the 2010 Honolulu Twestival as a sponsor.

“We are firmly committed to being at the forefront of technology and innovation in the field of Real Estate, and Twitter is representative of those ideals,” said online marketing manager Joe Segal (@surfer9joe).  ”We use Twitter as a communications tool quite often (@hirealestate), and we are excited to help support the charity that the proceeds of Twestival go to, Concern Worldwide.”

Prudential Locations is a multi-faceted real estate company with a rich kama’aina tradition in the islands of Hawaii that boasts four decades of extensive local experience and connections to offer its clients. To benefit customers, the Prudential Locations website shows every home, land, condo and real estate listing on Oahu, Maui, Big Island, Kauai, Molokai, and Lanai, with detailed property information to assist its clients.

By being a leader in real estate market research and knowledge and continually training more than 240 real estate agents, Prudential Locations produced more than $1 billion in sales in 2009. Prudential Locations Hawaii is ranked in the top four percent of all Prudential Real Estate affiliates and recently earned the distinction of Hawaii’s top brokerage firm for both transactions and sales volume by the RIS 2008 Power Broker Survey.

Prudential Locations was established in 1969 with offices and affiliates throughout the state, and is an independently owned and operated member of the Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc.

The Honolulu Twestival is jam packed with great live music, raffle prizes that are still to be announced, great food and drinks and good people coming together for a good cause. We’re honored to have some special guests joining us on Thursday March 25th, whose talent and social media savvy will be key to keeping the fun flowing all night long.

Dave Lawrence (@DaveLawrence) is a veteran radio personality with long runs in major markets Honolulu and Boston. Currently a news anchor on Hawaii Public Radio, the prestigious statewide voice of NPR in the islands, Dave hosts local news and interview segments as part of award-winning NPR shows like afternoon drive staple All Things Considered and popular morning program Weekend Edition. Blanketing approximately 1.2 million people in radio market #64 and beyond, the two channels, KHPR and KIPO, pushed through six towers and frequencies on Oahu, Maui and The Big Island, reach six islands and a combined listening audience in excess of 50,000 listeners. HPR has a unique position in a state with no commercial news radio or other similar competition; so far this year, their listeners have heard Dave interview many well-known performers making visits to Hawaii, including Elton John percussionist Ray Cooper, Rev. Al Green, The Beach Boys, Bon Jovi and others. Dave’s been with HPR since 2009.

Previously, Dave was the Afternoon Drive Personality & Music Director of 105.9 KPOI, Honolulu for over five years from 2002 - 2008. At the time the leading rock station, earning recognition for consistent male 25-54 dominance and strong 25-54 adult showings, Dave consistently ranked number one with men 25-54 and 18-49, including top two averages in four-book composites, year after year. His show was known for strong connection with local listeners and celebrities alike. Hundreds of interviews with stars like Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, Vince Neil, Slash and many others are now featured along with new conversations in the monthly Classic Interview Player online magazine at his site.

Dave also appeared hosting a rock news and video segment, Dave On The Rock, with Hawaii TV/comedy icon Andy Bumatai on The Andy Bumatai Show during it’s latest run in 2009, getting experience on-screen, working with this gifted local entertainer, legendary in the islands as a sort of local Jay Leno and one of Dave’s biggest fans in the local media.

Before Hawaii, Dave’s commercial radio experience began in 1992 at iconic rock station WBCN, Boston, where he stayed until 2001, working through the years as a Production Assistant, Afternoon Drive Producer with top afternoon drive DJ Mark Parenteau, Howard Stern Show board-op and Copywriter; in 1997 he added CBS Radio classic rock sister station WZLX, Boston to his work routine, as Morning Drive Producer for radio legend Charles Laquidara, Weekend and Fill-in Personality, and Production Assistant. He left ‘ZLX in 2002 for Hawaii.

Prior to WBCN, Dave was Music Director and Afternoon Drive Host at WERS, Boston, the Emerson College powerhouse FM with the widest reach in Boston. Dave recorded and produced their first-ever CD, 1993’s NACB award winning “WERS Presents Live On Gyroscope”.

DaveLawrenceOnline.com is his official site, filled with the rock, news and Hawaii-related content that DLTV On Shovio delivers,  as well as social media links, live Hawaii images, surf reports, and other related material.

A nightly rock news and video report, DLTV On Shovio airs weeknights, Monday through Thursday on Shovio AT 10PM EST/7PM PST/5PM HST, bringing viewers the latest rock news and video with fresh rock news, Tour Tracker Video from current shows, events and tours, relevant video flashbacks, and special guest interviews, all broadcast live from Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Traci Toguchi (@TraciToguchi) is a Renaissance Chick. She is a singer, songwriter, actor, marketing strategist, holistic entertainment/e-coach, evolving web developer (CIW certified), and former Miss Hawaii interested in all things tech, art, food, green/organic, and entrepreneur-focused.

Recording Artist/Songwriter/Publisher, including writing and singing the theme songs for “Better” (U.S. syndication) and “More” national TV shows

- Hoku Award nominee for Female Vocalist of the Year

- Miss Saigon Broadway tour cast member

- Actor in TV and films including Lost, Hawaii, BlackMale, The Karate Kid Part II, CDW Technology national commercials

- National Anthem Singer on ESPN live worldwide broadcasts. Won talent competitions including Amateur Night at the Apollo in Harlem, New York.

Besides the above, Traci also enjoys spending time with her loved ones, being an aunt, hiking, playing the guitar, watercolor painting, and researching, exploring and living sustainably. Says Traci, “I’m inspired by people who choose to see the good and let that be their guide through the ups and downs in life.”

Traci Toguchi online: http://www.tracitoguchi.com

Shaggy Jenkins (@ShaggyLive) is no stranger to social media or the public spotlight. Being born in a small town in North Carolina can do amazingly funny things to a person. If you ever needed proof, there’s Shaggy.

Raised in Bessemer City, North Carolina and often surrounded by trailer parks and little else, Shaggy started doing stand up comedy in 6th grade. It was in high school that a random field trip to a radio station sparked his interest in radio and broadcasting. Since then, he’s worked in dozens of markets as an imaging producer until 2003 when he came to Maui to retire from producing. In 2005, “The Big Hawaiian and Shaggy Morning Show” debuted and raised a lot of eye brows with its irreverent attitude and skits. In 2007, Shaggy went on to do his own mid day show and become head of KNUQ, the first every roots reggae station in the United States on the FM band. Shaggy Jenkins is the Program Director for Q103 on Maui and is heard Monday through Friday from 2pm to 7pm.

Shaggy online: http://www.shaggylive.com

Get your tickets online now! $20 gets you in, great pupus, two included drinks (and selected drinks for $3 thereafter), great music, great people… all for a good cause.  Every dollar raised in ticket sales goes direct to Concern Worldwide, the global beneficiary of this global event.

Another fantastic artist has joined the Honolulu Twestival lineup: Lehua Kalima. Now there’s there’s no excuse to miss this incredible pau hana party on Mar. 25th. Sure, the Honolulu Twestival movement is harnessing “the power of social media for social change” — but frankly, Oceans 808 will be the place to be for anyone who wants to have a good time, socialize and listen to some of Hawaii’s greatest musical lineup!

Lehua Kalima is a female singer/songwriter from Hawaii.  A member of the group Na Leo Pilimehana for the last 25 years, Kalima has recently begun work on a solo album with original tunes which run the musical gamut from neo-soul to country to folk to soft rock. Joined by talented musicians Shawn Pimental and Kaleo del Sol, Kalima and company will relax your mind and get you grooving.

The entire Honolulu Twestival team would like to thank Lehua and band for her participation in the 2010 Honolulu Twestival.

Connect with Lehua on Facebook and Twitter or better yet come down and relax to the groove at Honolulu Twestival on Thursday March 25th.

Get your tickets online now! $20 gets you in, great pupus, two included drinks (and selected drinks for $3 thereafter), great music, great people… all for a good cause.  Every dollar raised in ticket sales goes direct to Concern Worldwide, the global beneficiary of this global event.

We’re grateful to welcome Design Nabi aboard as a 2010 Honolulu Twestival sponsor! Mahalo to owner Ji Sun and company for stepping up to help make this great event happen.

Design Nabi offers over 10 years of experience, having evolved from web development to now include social media tools for business, nonprofits and individual clients. Online development services include:

• community building

• brand management

• strategic planning

• web strategy

• training

For more info, please visit http://www.designnabi.com and follow @jschawaii on Twitter.

Every dollar raised in ticket sales to the Honolulu Twestival goes direct to Concern Worldwide. So the fantastic event on March 25th is made possible only through great sponsors like Design Nabi… and an army of hardworking volunteers, generous musicians, and other partners. If you’d like to sponsor this great event, please drop us a line!

We at the Honolulu Twestival team are once again pleased to announce another amazing peformer in our lineup of music planned for the event! Mahalo to Yoza for supporting the cause and sharing her music with Honolulu and the world!

Born on the island of O’ahu, Yoza, has lived a life filled with both weathered hardships and musical prowess.

Like most children in Hawai’i, Yoza is of multicultural decent. She is Okinawan, Honduran, Maya Indian and was raised speaking Spanish.

Yoza took to music early, learning to play the ukulele at age 5. By the time she turned 10 years old, she performed with world renowned ukulele master, Roy Sakuma’s Super Keiki. Not being bound by one instrument, she then began playing the saxophone at age 12 with her school’s symphonic orchestra. The two years that followed were filled with many musical accolades which included being chosen for the Hawai’i State Select Band, holding the “first seat, first chair” in her section, as well as being a Gold Medalist in both Solo and Ensemble. It was clear that Yoza was becoming prolific in every aspect of her musical craft. Her accomplishments also led to her being offered a full musical scholarship to Hawai’i Pacific University.

At age 18 Yoza began to teach herself to play the guitar, and by age 19 she began writing her own music. At age 23 Yoza began playing with the group Ho’okahileo, a Traditional / Contemporary Hawaiian group that performed all over the Hawaiian Islands. But being inspired by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Eydie Gormé and India Arie, while in love with both Acoustic Soul and Motown, musically she hungered for more.

Fast forward to 2009, the year that Yoza’s true musical talents debuted. With a sultry rasp and uncanny style, Yoza has turned acoustic music on its ear. With the fusion of Hip Hop, R&B and Latin influences, she has redefined the sound of “acoustic soul.” From her rich, palpable ballads to her show-stopping upbeat renditions, Yoza truly has a style of her own.

Known for her crowd pleasing live shows, Yoza is currently working on a recording project. Even though she is often found in studio, she still plays the live circuit forever honing her skills.

Get a first-hand taste of Yoza’s beautifully familiar yet newly unique sound at the Honolulu Twestival.  She’ll be performing live, along with other leading local musicians, as part of a global benefit event to raise money for charity.

Be sure to follow Yoza on Twitter, connect with her or fan her on Facebook, and visit her online at YozaMusic.com.

Get your tickets online now! $20 gets you in, great pupus, two included drinks (and selected drinks for $3 thereafter), great music, great people… all for a good cause.  Every dollar raised in ticket sales goes direct to Concern Worldwide, the global beneficiary of this global event.

We’re excited to announce that Sabrina Velazquez (@sabrinaland) will be performing live at the Honolulu Twestival just days after her SxSW tour ends!

Sabrina, is a singer-songwriter from Hawaii. With a mariachi singer father from Mexico, and a hula dancer mother from Hawaii, it seemed natural that she would pick up music at an early age. She began playing the piano at age five, followed by the violin at age seven. After over a decade of playing classical music, she picked up the guitar on a whim while attending college at the University of Southern California. It was then that she shifted her musical focus to songwriting and performing original music.

Since then, the multi-instrumentalist has gone from violin prodigy to guitar-wielding singer-songwriter, capturing audiences in the grip of her heart-laid-bare compositions. Her music is combination of storytelling folk and alt-country hooks, blending the twang of artists like Jenny Lewis with the sweetness of Norah Jones to make a sound that is truly her own.

After turning down the opportunity to attend the famed Berklee College of Music, she took to the road, writing, performing and recording her demo in Los Angeles and Portland in 2007 and 2008.

With fans already in place, she released her debut solo EP “The Anomaly” in March 2009 with help by producer Rob Stroup.

In October 2009 she launched a 60 day funding project on Kickstarter.com called “The LP Project: Help Sabrina Make an Album.” The goal: to raise $5,000 to help fund the recording of a full length album. Thanks to her generous backers, the project was a success. She is set to record her debut LP in April 2010 with help from producer, composer and instrumentalist John Askew.

She likens composing a song to completing a crossword puzzle. “It’s a challenge” finding the correct word and melody to fit in the correct spot. The possibilities are endless but there is always that one that completes the puzzle.” She is “most productive between 11pm and 3am”, as she works on her music in a cottage at the foot of the Koolau Mountains in lush Kaneohe on Oahu. “It’s a time when the world around me is quiet and I can hear my thoughts.”

Mahalo to Sabrina for supporting the Honolulu Twestival and for adding her special musical touch to the music program. Follow Sabrina on Twitter, MySpace and Facebook, or check out her profile on Sonicbids, where you can hear some of her music. But above all, come down to the Honolulu Twestival on Mar. 25 to hear her, and other great acts, LIVE!

Get your tickets online now! $20 gets you in, great pupus, two included drinks (and selected drinks for $3 thereafter), great music, great people… all for a good cause.  Every dollar raised in ticket sales goes direct to Concern Worldwide, the global beneficiary of this global event.

Thanks to the awesome design skills of Valentino Valdez, and the great folks at Spreadshirt, you can now order an official Honolulu Twestival T-shirt! Available in standard and women’s cuts, and in both light and dark colors, there’s no question you can find something to fit your fashion… and support a good cause at the same time.

Twestival’s partnership with Spreadshirt will send proceeds from sales to Concern Worldwide. And, sales of the Honolulu Twestival shirt will be credited to the Honolulu Twestival fundraising total!

Also, order before March 16, and get free standard shipping (with coupon code TWESTIVAL). With Twestival coming up fast, I already placed my order, and yes, the standard shipping offer works for Hawaii!

Order today to ensure you have your shirt in time to show off at the Honolulu Twestival on March 25. And while you’re at it… why not buy your tickets to the Honolulu Twestival as well? It’s Hawaii’s premiere Twitter-powered, social media fortified fundraising event!

We’re thrilled to announce our first act in an amazing lineup that will unfold over the next few days. To kick it off this year we have the amazing duo of “Joni Llamedo” and “Bran Apeles” who combined with friends and guest are simply called “Wait For It.”

Some of you already got a small taste of this new and upcoming band who I introduced at the kickoff of the one year anniversary party for the Two Beer Queers show last December at Rumors nightclub. Now just a few months later the Honolulu Twestival team and myself are ready to introduce their amazing range of sounds and soulful vibe to all of Honolulu AND THE WORLD. Both Joni and Bran come from musical backgrounds and have made appearances with other great local bands ranging from “Tru Rebels” to “Anuhea and Band” just to name a few. These two are an awesome addition to our special laid back acoustic style for Honolulu Twestival this year and in the words of Bran, this band may not have an official bio yet but when they do…it’s gonna be Legen…..Wait For It…..Dary!!!!!!! Oh yeah!

Mahalo to “Wait For It” for kickin off our mellow lineup for the Honolulu Twestival music program this year.

You can connect with Joni on Facebook or follow Bran on Twitter and Facebook as well. If you wanna keep tabs on “Wait For It” the band and follow along with their local gigs around town then be sure and become a fan of theirs on Facebook and Twitter or you could just wait till March 25th and hear them live at the 2010 Honolulu Twestival.

Get your tickets online now! $20 gets you in, great pupus, two included drinks (and selected drinks for $3 thereafter), great music, great people… all for a good cause.  Every dollar raised in ticket sales goes direct to Concern Worldwide, the global beneficiary of this global event.

Photo credit: @madmarv

The Honolulu Twestival organizing team today is proud to unveil its official logo for 2010. It was created by local designer Valentino Valdez (@valdezign) of VALDEZign, who also designed last year’s logo.

“My inspiration for the Honolulu Twestival logo this year was ohana,” Valentino explained. “The multi-colored birds represent Hawaii’s diverse community while the converging, circular shape represents the coming together of this community for a common cause.”

He said he also realized, after the fact, that the logo also resembles a big sushi platter.

“Now that I think about it, a sushi platter is also a representation of the diverse culture of Hawaii… and perhaps indicative of the great food to be served at Oceans 808,” Valentino joked.

Valentino’s contribution, like those of all other Honolulu Twestival organizers and volunteers, epitomizes how the local Twitter and social media community can bring its varied and unique talents together to create and support something with global reach.

“The Twitter community has always been very generous and supportive, and events like this allow me to do a little something and give back,” he said.

A husband and father, Valentino’s day job is as a graphic designer at the University of Hawaii - West Oahu. On Twitter, he is perhaps best known for his customized Twitter T-shirts.