BYU-Hawaii Willes Center

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BYU-Hawaii Willes Center Helping BYU–Hawaii students become disciple entrepreneurs
Competitions • Scholarships • Workshops

Aloha! My name is Sam Grigg, and I am a junior studying hospitality and tourism management. Although I am not minoring i...
18/06/2026

Aloha! My name is Sam Grigg, and I am a junior studying hospitality and tourism management. Although I am not minoring in entrepreneurship, I have had a strong interest in it since high school. I come from a small town in eastern Oregon called Burns. My first business idea was a frozen yogurt shop called The Frozen Yeti. After that, I came up with several other ideas, and during my mission I wrote my first business plan. Since coming to BYU–Hawaii, I have participated in every business competition I could.

During my sophomore year, I took a social entrepreneurship class that taught me how entrepreneurship can create jobs and innovative solutions to help people. Since then, I have been searching for a business I can start in Indonesia, where I served my mission, that will positively impact others. I have explored a variety of ideas, ranging from waste collection and an online tour agency to a murder mystery Airbnb, which I have presented in the Empower Your Dreams and Great Ideas business competitions.

Through these competitions, I have had the opportunity to network with successful entrepreneurs who are working to develop multiple resorts in Bali. This spring and summer, I will intern with them in Bali and help lay the foundation for their new business, giving me hands-on experience in high-level entrepreneurship.

The most important lesson I have learned throughout my journey is to dream big and pursue your goals with determination. Although none of my Empower Your Dreams or Great Ideas business concepts have made it to the finals yet, I have learned that never giving up—continuing to try no matter the outcome, and trusting in the Lord—is what makes it possible for dreams to come true in unexpected ways.

13/06/2026

Here’s an inside look at the musical that students from BYU–Hawaii Theatre Program will be performing this summer in Edinburgh. This musical integrates performing arts with the entrepreneurial skills of planning, rehearsing, and putting on a performance for an international audience.

10/06/2026

Meet Sebastian and Dolly Delemose, 2nd place winners of Empower Your Dreams 2026. Their business idea, Ek Nai Pehchaan, is an AI learning tool to help underprivileged children in India. The Delemose’s share their experience preparing for the competition and how mentorship helped them succeed!

My business idea was to create an app that allows users to write positive messages to themselves which they will receive...
09/06/2026

My business idea was to create an app that allows users to write positive messages to themselves which they will receive in a random time within the day, week, or month. Its purpose is to hopefully reinforce positive self-talk in its users and lessen the habit of self-criticism. It’s a very simple app that anybody can create, so I’m giving it away for free. It’s my small way of advocating that mental health wellness is a universal right and people shouldn’t have to pay lots of money just to acquire it.

My entrepreneurship journey isn’t really that special. Initially, I just wanted to join the scholarship contests for the prize money. But as I took more and more entrepreneurship classes, I realized that there were problems that needed solving, and I know I’d regret it in the end if I didn’t at least try to offer a solution. Now, I’m looking at opportunities for solutions to problems not just for the money anymore. It just feels like a sense of responsibility and accountability.

03/06/2026

Meet Aela, an Emerging Entrepreneur Scholarship recipient and 2026 EYD semifinalist! Aela shares the story behind her business idea, a dating app called BetterHalf. The goal of BetterHalf is to use challenges and self improvement to encourage users to become the right one before finding the right one.

02/06/2026

This summer, is taking “Stay” to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world’s largest arts festival. Sponsored by the Willes Center, this project gives 15 students the opportunity to plan, rehearse, and advertise the original production “Stay”.

“Stay” was created to reflect the diversity and culture of BYU–Hawaii, especially the voices and stories Asia and the Pacific. At its heart, the musical explores questions about faith, identity, and belonging. This production especially highlights the struggles young people face when deciding what their faith means to them. Through music and storytelling, “Stay” aims to connect with audiences from all backgrounds while showcasing the incredible talent and cultural richness found at BYU–Hawaii. Follow along as we bring AAPI to the world stage!

28/05/2026

Meet .bacudo an Emerging Entrepreneur Scholarship recipient, from the Philippines, majoring in music. Dallin shares how he hopes to use his talents to create an affordable music training program in the Philippines.

Salam sejahtera! My name is Mervin Raja, a senior studying Computer Science with a minor in Entrepreneurship at Brigham ...
27/05/2026

Salam sejahtera! My name is Mervin Raja, a senior studying Computer Science with a minor in Entrepreneurship at Brigham Young University–Hawaii. I grew up in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where I have seen how flooding can disrupt daily life and impact communities.

SmartDrain AI was inspired by the idea that flooding doesn’t happen instantly as it builds up over time due to blocked or poorly monitored drainage systems. I wanted to explore how technology could shift this from a reactive problem into a predictive solution.

I developed a prototype using a water-level sensor, Arduino, and Raspberry Pi to monitor drainage conditions in real time. Through trial and error, I worked on stabilizing sensor readings, improving system communication, and integrating a GSM module to automatically alert when water levels become critical. I later added a dashboard and AI-based logic to analyze trends and estimate potential flooding.

Presenting SmartDrain AI at the Great Ideas 2025 competition pushed me to think beyond just building the system. It helped me clearly define the problem, communicate its value, and consider how it could be scaled into a real-world solution.

SmartDrain AI is one of my successful projects and it reflects my interest in combining programming, IT systems, and real-world problem solving to create practical and impactful solutions.

I’m excited to continue developing SmartDrain AI into something scalable for smarter and more resilient communities.

Join us this Thursday, May 28 at 11 am in HGB 273 for a workshop with Elder and Sister Hill. This will be the first work...
27/05/2026

Join us this Thursday, May 28 at 11 am in HGB 273 for a workshop with Elder and Sister Hill. This will be the first workshop of their Love & Money series which focuses on helping couples strengthen their relationships and build strong financial patterns. Follow the link in our bio to sign up for the lunch (served while supplies last).

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Monday 08:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 08:00 - 11:00
12:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 08:00 - 17:00
Thursday 08:00 - 17:00
Friday 08:00 - 17:00

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+18086754814

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