Joe Ganahl
Living in Hawaii, we are able to enjoy the beach on any given day (weather permitting, of course), and many divers, swimmers and surfers utilize Intova underwater gear to capture priceless moments.
Intova, established in 1995, found its niche in the waterproof camera industry.
“There weren’t any low-cost, good-quality waterproof cameras on the market,” says president Joe Ganahl.
The company was the first to produce waterproof MP3 players, and also added waterproof flashlights to its array of merchandise.
Intova now is looking to benefit the community, and Ganahl is searching for a few good organizations that can benefit from underwater gear.
“Our goal is not to just give stuff away,” Ganahl continues. “We want to make a difference and find a few good organizations to benefit.”
A great example is University of Hawaii, which received a donation of water-proof fluorescent lights used to study coral reefs.
“Coral reefs are dying,” he says. “Now they can see the polyps growing, and they can scientifically evaluate it. It’s a tool to help evaluate the health of the reef.”
The main goal is to find a group that doesn’t have the funding to do things on their own.
In addition to UH’s marine science program, Intova also does work with American Diabetes Association and sponsors a photography class with Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawaii.
“When we have excess inventory, a lot of times we donate it,” Ganahl says.
Intova has donated many products to school organizations, as well as charitable ones such as the Salvation Army and Goodwill.
But now the company is looking to donate new products to organizations with the greatest need that can do the greatest amount of good. “We want to know how they are going to use it, what is the good that it does, who does it help and how does it help,” Ganahl explains. “We want to touch the most people in a positive way.
“We don’t want to give them to people who are well-funded and have lots of stuff already,” he adds. “We want to find people who can really use our products to make a difference in what they are doing.”
For more information, visit intova.net.
