For University of the Ozarks alumnus Hidenobu “Hide” Kameya ’13, a meal is more than food — it’s a way to connect cultures, spark conversations and create lasting experiences.
Today, the former Walton Scholar is building a career around that philosophy in San José, Costa Rica, where he has turned his passions for hospitality, education and entrepreneurship into a thriving profession. Through his business, El Japonés Latino, Kameya blends his Japanese and Central American heritages while creating culinary experiences that bring people together.
A graduate of Ozarks with degrees in marketing and strategic communication, Kameya serves as a sommelier, chef and educator, carving out a unique niche that combines food, culture and human connection.
Kameya said his work “bridges the worlds of entrepreneurship, food culture, and education.”
“I wear more than one hat, and I love it that way,” he said. “Under the identity of El Japonés Latino, I work as a sommelier and creator of Asian culinary experiences. I also serve as an international judge for prestigious barbecue competitions held by the WBQA (World Barbecue Association) and KCBS (Kansas City Barbecue Society). I also currently teach Japanese. What drives me is the ability to create experiences — around a table, in a competition setting, or in a classroom — that connect people to something they hadn’t tasted, felt, or understood before. Hospitality, at its core, is about human connection.”
After graduating from Ozarks, Kameya initially built a career in business development within the technology sector, leading new program creation and overseeing projects from concept to completion. Along the way, however, he continued pursuing a passion that had long been simmering beneath the surface.
That passion led him to earn a sommelier certification through the Sommelier Association of Argentina, a credential that ultimately opened the door to the hospitality industry.
“That credential has taken me far beyond the classroom,” he said. “I’ve contributed to nonprofit events and served as a judge in culinary competitions that have left a real mark on communities across different countries.”
Kameya said he’s always been possessed with an entrepreneurial mindset.
“I’ve always been wired to look for what’s next, whether that is a new market, a better system or a smarter way to create value,” he said. “Entrepreneurship gives me the freedom to keep learning without a ceiling. But beyond my own growth, there’s something deeply meaningful about knowing that the business you build can become someone else’s livelihood. If I can create an opportunity that gives another person a source of income and stability, that’s not just good business but a purpose.”
Kameya credits Ozarks with helping him develop the skills and perspective that have guided his professional journey.
“Ozarks gave me something textbooks alone can’t teach: the ability to connect with people from every background imaginable,” he said. “That campus pushed my boundaries in the best way. It showed me that discipline and creativity aren’t opposites — they’re partners. That mindset has been foundational to everything I’ve built since. The extracurricular activities such as SIFE, Enactus and PBL provided me with a great foundation throughout my university career. Growing a business systematically requires both rigor and imagination, and I first learned to hold those two things together at Ozarks.”
Kameya is married to fellow Ozarks alumna and Walton Scholar Belkys Fuentes ’15, a senior marketing manager for VMware, and the couple has a young daughter.
“Getting the Walton Scholarship changed everything for me,” Kameya said. “It forced me out of my own frame of reference and placed me in front of realities I never would have encountered different people, different struggles, and different ways of seeing the world. That exposure built a kind of empathy and adaptability that has shaped every professional and personal decision I’ve made since. And beyond the academic journey, I met my wife at Ozarks, and the family we’ve built together is the greatest gift that came from saying yes to that opportunity. I couldn’t have scripted it, but I’m grateful every day that it happened.”
Today, Kameya is helping strengthen that same Walton Scholar network by serving as the head of the Walton alumni chapter in Costa Rica, which includes graduates from Harding University and John Brown University.
“I am incredibly thankful for the alumni who give back each year,” he said. “Sam and Helen Walton created a lasting legacy, and I invite future alumni to continue giving back to their communities using the lessons we learned in Arkansas and across our three universities.”
Topics: Alumni Stories