Perseverance made it possible.

“There was a time I was living on the street and having to eat out of the trash,” says Anthony. “I don’t want kids to go through what I did. I wouldn’t wish my childhood on anyone.” – Anthony Provenzano, Client of The Private Bank

Anthony Provenzano is an executive vice president with Cushman & Wakefield ChaneyBrooks and one of the top producers in Hawaii’s commercial real estate brokerage community. He’s also a graduate of the University of Hawaii at Manoa Shidler College of Business, a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) and a member of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR), widely considered the most prestigious designation for commercial real estate professionals.

However, if you told a young Anthony that a successful career in finance was in his future, he would have said you were crazy.

In the beginning, life was good for Anthony. Raised on Oahu, he attended Mary, Star of the Sea School and competed in sports. When Anthony was in ninth grade, his father needed a liver transplant at University of California, Los Angeles so they moved to California. After a few months, his father passed away. Anthony returned to Hawaii and without any family to care for him, ended up in foster care.

Having lost his family, his home—Anthony started running away from his foster home at age 14. “When I was in school, I didn’t care about normal kid stuff, like having a new skateboard or sneakers,” says Anthony. “I was worried just about surviving: Where am I going to find dinner? Where am I going to sleep tonight?”

He would often ask strangers for money for food, and looked for places where he could spend the night unnoticed. “I was still just a teenager and thought, ‘Why is this happening to me?’ I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Anthony was homeless—but he didn’t lose hope. When he was younger, Anthony played competitive sports. He honed his skills at a young age, earning two black belts and national gold titles in karate. Before moving to Los Angeles with his father, he attended Saint Louis School for a year on a baseball scholarship. Anthony credits these sports with helping him understand the importance of adaptation and perseverance to achieve success.

While living on the street as a 17-year-old, Anthony spent his time reading books and studying for his GED at Barnes & Noble. To get out of the foster care system, he convinced a second cousin to adopt him under the condition that Anthony help with his cousin’s painting and construction business. Anthony used the money he earned working to rent a room and enroll in pre-college English and math courses at Kapiolani Community College.

While Anthony took care of himself, he began taking care of others, too. He discovered that his younger brother, who had been in a foster home, was going down the same rough path that Anthony found himself as a teenager. At just 21 years old, Anthony legally adopted his 16-year-old brother and became the youngest foster parent in the state. To make ends meet, Anthony sold cars at a Cutter Auto dealership. He transferred to UH and graduated with a degree in finance while making sure his brother also graduated from high school.

After Anthony graduated from the Shidler College of Business, he began working as a commercial real estate agent for PM Realty Group. When Pacific Business News published an article about one of Anthony’s real estate deals, Bank of Hawaii‘s Davin Nakasato, a senior vice president at Bank of Hawaii, saw the story. “Davin and I knew each other from growing up across a park from each other and attending Saint Louis together in eighth grade. We lost touch after my father passed away,” says Anthony.

Davin reached out, and the two old friends reconnected. Through Davin, Anthony met Dirk Yoshizawa, who has helped many of Anthony’s clients find financing for their commercial real estate projects. Thanks to these successes, Anthony also became a client of Bank of Hawaii The Private Bank. Brenda Mitchell worked with Anthony and helped him secure a mortgage for a house where he and his wife, Yuko, could raise their sons. “Growing up, my home life was always so insecure. It means a lot to me that my kids won’t have to experience the same hardships I endured.”  With the Provenzano Ohana at the center, their team works seamlessly to drive success, build financial strength, and turn aspirations into reality.

Those same hardships also led Anthony to serve on the board of RYSE Hawaii, a nonprofit that provides temporary shelter and resources to empower homeless youth. “I can relate to the youth we serve because I spent years living on the street. I know how tough it can be,” Anthony says. “These aren’t bad kids, they just need a helping hand and the right support.”

Even in his darkest moments, Anthony is grateful for the local feeling of ohana. He recalls the many people along the way who invited him to stay for dinner, or gave him extra food to take home. He remembers the clients who gave him his first shot, the companies that believed in him, and especially the friend from his neighborhood who helped him rise even higher. Collectively, they helped a homeless teen reach his possible in way he would have thought impossible.

As he looks back Anthony says, “I know there are many people whose definition of success is making money. My family is my biggest success in life. I want to see my kids grow up, have families of their own, and be financially stable. This has been a long journey. Now I’m focused on our future.”

If you’re ready to Reach Your Possible, connect with a relationship manager at Bank of Hawaii The Private Bank today.

• Dirk Yoshizawa, Senior Executive Vice President and Commercial Banking Group Manager, delivers tailored solutions to meet the unique needs of commercial banking clients.
• Davin Nakasato, Senior Vice President and Team Leader in the Kalai Services Group, provides comprehensive support to clients within the Kalai Services Group and The Private Bank.
• Brenda Mitchell, Vice President and Senior Executive Loan Officer at Bank of Hawaii, provides customized mortgage solutions to meet the unique needs of her customers.