About Us
Braddahhood & Sistahhood Grindz is in its third year of supporting UH Athletics. With 25 participating restaurants and over 40 corporate partners, total contributions by the end of the 2024-25 season will exceed $1 million. While the program aims to help all sports teams at UH Athletics, participating teams to date include football, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s golf, and women’s soccer.
Career development has been the newest addition to Braddahood & Sistahhood Grindz, assisting players with professional development, resume building, mock interviews, and job placement. Over the last three years, there have been 16 job placements, over 40 events, and over 10,000 meals provided by this community NIL collective.
“Braddahhood Grindz is helping with player retention and recruiting,” said Timmy Chang, UH head football coach. “Our boys pour their hearts on the field and one of the greatest feelings is knowing the community they play for supports them.”
“I am so appreciative to all of the participating restaurants and businesses for supporting this innovative nutrition, team-bonding, and career development program to give UH athletics an edge in recruiting,” said Ryan Tanaka, founder of Braddahhood & Sistahhood Grindz.
Background:
Ryan Tanaka, a local businessman and Managing Partner & CEO of Giovanni Pastrami, CJ’s, and Round Table Pizza at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, and Pounders Restaurant at the Polynesian Cultural Center, created Braddahhood Grindz in the summer of 2022 to support University of Hawai‘i (UH) Football Head Coach Timmy Chang in an effort to feed his players during the offseason. In its inaugural year, the program fed players and staff supported by four restaurants – Giovanni Pastrami, Gyotaku Japanese Restaurants, Kuhio Ave. Food Hall, and Ruby Tuesday Hawaii – who took turns providing one meal per week over eight weeks during the summer 2022.
To execute the Braddahhood Grindz program in alignment with NCAA player guidelines, Tanaka entered into Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) Agreements with each UH football student-athlete. Under the agreement, players “Help, Thank, and Promote” program partners by sharing their experience in the program via their personal network and/or social media accounts.