The Founders

Hardware Science is a result of Ace owner Wayne Kamitaki’s personal experience as business owner and father. He credits his son, Nolan, with inspiring him to help others become excited about science and learning.

Wayne’s passion for retail is part of his heritage. In the mid 1940s, Wayne’s grandmother Shikano Kamitaki opened a dry goods store in Kahului, Maui, Hawaii. Her children, Tadami Kamitaki and Matsuko Mizoguchi,  opened their first Ben Franklin Store in Kahului, Maui in 1950. The family business continued to grow over the next 65 years and today, they own Ben Franklin Crafts and Ace Hardware stores in Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest, and Las Vegas. Today, with 29 stores, over 450 employees in 4 states, and interests in Japan, the business continues to expand in new and creative ways. While the goal continues to be providing the highest level of service to local neighborhoods, their size now allows them to leverage resources and technology to create programs on a much broader basis. They impact communities regionally and hope with Hardware Science to do so nationally.

Steven Jacobs is an accomplished scientist, educator, author, and media personality. He has built a career of making science fun and accessible. His experience is unmatched:

• Academic degrees and affiliations: BS,MS, EdS;  Fellow of the Royal Institution, Fellow of the American Institute  of Chemists
• Over 15 years of classroom teaching & administration.
• Director of Science Education at Children’s Museum of Wichita & Mr. Wizard Studio, Hollywood.
• Creator and on-air host for Jake’s Attic for FOX Television.
• Author of product for Discovery Channel, Toys-R-Us, Play-Tech & The Nature Co.
• Science consultant to Disney, National Public Radio (NPR), the Smithsonian, PBS, Nickelodeon, Paramount Television and FOX Television.
• Judge of contests including Discover Educational 3M Young Scientist Challenge.
• Dubbed Wizard IV In 1995 at the Royal Institution of Great Britain.