"Every local business deserves the same digital tools as the big guys. Hawaiʻi's local businesses are the heart of this island, and they deserve to be seen."
— Giovanni Valdes, FounderGiovanni Valdes
Founder & Developer, Groundwork StudiosGroundwork Studios was founded by Giovanni Valdes, a Guam-born entrepreneur based in Honolulu and a Spring 2025 graduate of the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, with a B.S. in Business Administration concentrated in Finance.
After working in the service industry and helping operate a café, Giovanni saw firsthand how much local businesses were overpaying for platforms they didn't own — and how far behind they were falling because of it. He started building websites and digital systems to change that.
What makes Groundwork different is the combination of backgrounds. A finance degree means every project is evaluated as a business investment — not just a design exercise. A systems-builder mindset means the work goes beyond pretty pages to build infrastructure that actually runs a business. And deep roots in the local Hawaiʻi market mean we understand our clients because we've worked alongside them.
Every decision starts with a business question — what does this need to do, who is it for, and what's the return? Design follows function, not the other way around.
The code, the domain, the content. No platforms holding your site hostage. No revenue cuts. No permission required to make changes to your own business.
No contractors, no handoffs, no disappearing after launch. You work with one person who knows your business from the first conversation to ongoing maintenance.
We build for Hawaiʻi because we're from here. We know the neighborhoods, the businesses, the community. That context shapes everything we build.
Tell us about your business. We'll respond within 1–2 business days.