Culinary delights from three brands will accompany Leeward Community College and University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa alumna Tina Wang when she returns to the UH Alumni Makers’ Market in August.
As the owner of Tanaka Ramen, MangoMango Dessert and the newly launched Dumpling Factory, Wang is showcasing more businesses than any other alum at the upcoming event.
“My favorite part is that I get to see all the UH alumni and what they are doing with their businesses,” she said. “After we all went to the same university, we all do different things and can be successful in different areas which is amazing.”
Wang earned a bachelor of science in mathematics from UH Mānoa’s College of Natural Sciences in 2014. She was preparing for a PhD with a full scholarship when an unexpected opportunity changed her path. She moved to Chicago to train under a ramen chef named Tanaka, sparking a passion for entrepreneurship and multiple Tanaka Ramens.
“We opened in Texas, Chicago and Atlanta, and in 2019 we had the opportunity to take all the AGU Ramen spaces,” Wang said. “We decided it’s time to go back to Hawaiʻi, because it has always been my dream to stay in Hawaiʻi after I graduated.”
Wang credits UH with helping launch her journey, and recently established a new scholarship for math students at UH Mānoa.
“Our department only had one scholarship when I was there,” she said. “So I promised myself, if I ever had money, I’d give it back. It’s kind of an encouragement for people to actually appreciate math.”
The UH Alumni Makers’ Market 2025 will be held August 6, at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. General admission includes tastings from Wang’s three restaurants and access to other alumni purveyors. Tickets are available now.
“I graduated from here. I give away scholarships. We do a lot of giveaways, and I feel like I belong here,” Wang said. “I want to participate in the Makers’ Market to make people know that we are actually locally owned and that we support our community.”
Alumni Haliʻa Aloha: Taylor Averill
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