Remembering Bobby Senaha – Hawaii Business Magazine

The former Hawaii Business publisher and Blackletter Group founder was born and raised in LA, but he was a local boy at heart.

When they moved to California in 1957, Shigeru and Rosalinda Senaha – from the plantation towns of ‘Ewa Beach and Waipahu – were determined to preserve their culture and identity. They and their four children traveled as often as possible between Monterey Park and O‘ahu, building connections that ultimately drew their son Bobby to the islands.

After earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California, Bobby moved to Honolulu to make his mark on the professional world. After other positions in Honolulu, he joined Hawaii Business Magazine in 2004 as advertising director and became publisher in 2013.

During his 12 years at Hawaii Business, he created meaningful connections within the local business community. From employees to CEOs, Bobby truly cared about the people he worked with, and his passion and authenticity allowed him to forge strong, lasting relationships.

As Bobby took on leadership and mentoring roles, he witnessed firsthand the impact of brain drain on Hawai‘i’s talent pool. Wanting to make a difference, he left Hawaii Business and ventured outward.

Bobby was always an entrepreneur at heart and in 2017, he took a leap of faith and founded Blackletter Group, a boutique marketing agency with the mission of supporting local businesses’ brand and advertising needs. He was determined to create local jobs to keep talent in Hawai‘i while serving as a launchpad for new voices. Blackletter Group has helped elevate iconic Hawai‘i brands such as L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, Young Brothers, W&M Bar-B-Q Burgers, Kupu and Hawai‘i Gas.

His dedication to our island community ran deep. Bobby served on the boards of the YMCA, the Hawaii State Bar Foundation and the American Diabetes Association, advocating for causes near his heart. Through Blackletter Group, he worked with the Department of Human Services to improve access to social services for families facing hardship, championed an effort with the Department of Education Food Services Division to feed keiki healthy food during the pandemic and raised awareness for the Salvation Army’s outreach programs.

Bobby was a local and professional success, but the family he made with his wife, Dana, was his greatest pride and joy. He was a familiar face at school drop-off and pickup, jiu-jitsu and breakdancing classes, forever cheering on his sons, James and Jacob. On any given Saturday, all four could be found watching a USC football game, clad in cardinal and gold, chanting his alma mater “Fight On.”

The battle cry took on new meaning with Bobby’s pancreatic cancer diagnosis in 2022. For 22 months, he fought valiantly, gracefully and faithfully – beating the odds to stay just a little longer for his family.

On August 25, Bobby left this life, surrounded by those he loved well. We remember him for his kind heart, sound advice, infectious laugh and ironclad faith. With every action, he modeled what it is to be a Christian father, husband, brother and friend.

Goodbye brother.