Pono Suganuma is an award-winning public relations and strategic communications professional. In 2023, the Public Relations Society of America – Hawai‘i Chapter recognized Pono as the 2023 Hōkūpa‘a Young Public Relations Professional of the Year. She specializes in strategic planning, crisis communications, message and multimedia content development, project management, and media relations to help clients navigate complex issues and win the hearts and minds of key stakeholders. Her suite of clients includes those in interisland transportation, affordable housing and real estate, education, development, and nonprofits that serve Hawai‘i’s keiki.

Before joining Bennet Group in May 2019, Pono was a Legislative Aide for Hawaiʻi State Representative Nicole Lowen and a Digital Content Producer for Hawaiʻi News Now. She is a Public Relations Society of America – Hawai‘i Chapter member and enjoys volunteering with organizations like Sustainable Coastlines Hawai‘i, Paepae o He‘eia and North Shore Community Land Trust.

Born and raised in Honolulu, Pono is a proud alumna of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama and Utah State University and regularly returns to each campus to educate students about the world of public relations. In her free time, she enjoys diving for seashells off O‘ahu’s shores and going to the library to select a new stack of books to read.