Mr. Tom Ferrando
Honolulu, HI – Just over one year after officially establishing a Board of Advisors, the Nakupuna Companies and their non-profit owner organization, the Nakupuna Foundation, have added a new member to this esteemed team of industry experts: Mr. Tom Ferrando.
Mr. Ferrando brings over 35 years of government consulting experience with a focus on technology innovation and growth (Mr. Ferrando’s full bio is below this article). On the board, he joins existing members Mr. Jim Benbow, Ms. Melissa Unemori Hampe, Vice Adm. (U.S. Navy, ret.) Thomas Moore, and Ms. Kate Troendle.
“We were very pleased that Tom decided to join our board of advisors,” said Jason Greenawalt, CEO of the Nakupuna Companies. “He brings a ton of first-hand knowledge and a great perspective about our industry. I am personally excited to work with someone with his depth of experience as we continue on our growth trajectory while extending the reach and effectiveness of our non-profit work by the Nakupuna Foundation.”
The Board of Advisors will continue to provide independent guidance and perspectives as the Nakupuna Companies continue to strengthen their for-profit efforts as a means of supporting the economic development of the Native Hawaiian community. Since its establishment, the board has seen the Nakupuna Companies crest the 600-employee mark and submit a fourth company for certification under the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 8(a) program. Concurrently, this success translated into giveback of over $1.7 million via the Nakupuna Foundation for 2021.
Tom Ferrando
Tom Ferrando has over 35 years of technology leadership experience working with the U.S. government to design, build, and operate world class technology solutions. Tom is currently a member of the Board of Directors for CherryRoad Technologies, GovCIO, and PMCG. He also serves as a member of the advisory board for Seton Hall University’s Buccino Center Leadership Council. Previously, Tom served as President of CherryRoad Technologies from 2000 until 2008, when he founded and became CEO of CRGT, a spinoff of CherryRoad. Under his leadership, CRGT grew into a 2,000-person company supporting multiple federal and defense agencies, and in 2014 Tom led the sale of CRGT to Bridge Growth Partners. Prior to working with CherryRoad and CRGT, Tom was General Manager of Operations and Systems at a major financial services firm, where he led technology research and development among other critical responsibilities. He earned a Master of Science in management from Stevens Institute of Technology and holds a Bachelor of Science in computer science from Seton Hall University.
