The 5th Annual
Hawaiʻi AI & Cloud Innovation Summit
Honolulu, HI | November 5, 2026 | Hilton Waikiki Beach Resort
Join Hawaiʻi’s Leading Tech Summit Where Innovation Meets Implementation
PRESENTED BY
ABOUT THE EVENT
The 5th Hawaiʻi AI & Cloud Innovation Summit is where the people who can move the state forward sit in the same room. For five years, this Summit has built the awareness, the capacity, and the solidarity to take AI seriously in our islands. This year we take up the harder question: how do you actually put it to work? The morning main stage lays out where Hawaiʻi’s economy is heading and why AI self-reliance matters, which in practice means locally governed AI: infrastructure, data, and decisions we control. The afternoon hands leaders the playbooks to act on it, from moving pilots into production, to building the governance foundations that make AI durable, to growing AI-ready talent in a way that honors how we work here.
The Summit is convened by TRUE Initiative in partnership with DBEDT/HTDC and the Hawaiʻi Executive Collaborative, and it is built around a table where government, industry, academia, and philanthropy sit as equals. Every session is measured against a single question: does this help Hawaiʻi build a stronger economy and create jobs here at home? Our partners are co-creators in that work. Done the Hawaiʻi way, AI self-reliance means using these tools to help people accomplish more and to create new work. Proven here, it becomes a model other places can follow.
When: Full Day Event, November 5 from 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Where: Hilton Waikiki Beach Resort
Investment: $99 General Admission
Includes: Lunch and coffee breaks
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
This Summit is built for the people who can commit an organization to a direction.
- Business and technology leaders setting AI strategy and accountable for making it work
- State and county leaders shaping the policy, procurement, and programs that set Hawaiʻi’s pace
- Academic and philanthropic leaders building the talent pipeline and deciding where capital goes
- Workforce and HR leaders responsible for hiring, reskilling, and growing AI-ready teams
You will leave with a use case to pursue, a governance habit to adopt, and the relationships to carry them out.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Peter Schwartz
Chief Futurist at Salesforce
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Peter Schwartz is an internationally renowned futurist and business strategist, specializing in scenario planning and working with corporations, governments, and institutions to create alternative perspectives of the future and develop robust strategies for a changing and uncertain world. As Chief Futurist, he manages the organization’s ongoing strategic conversation. Peter leads the Salesforce Futures Team – a collaboration between strategic thinkers at Salesforce and its customers around provocative ideas on the future of business. Prior to joining Salesforce, Peter was co-founder and chairman of Global Business Network. He served as Head of Scenario Planning for Shell from 1982 to 87. He is the author of several works. His first book, The Art of the Long View, is considered a seminal publication on scenario planning. Peter has also served as a script consultant on the films “The Minority Report,” “Deep Impact,” “Sneakers,” and “War Games.” He received a B.S. in aeronautical engineering and astronautics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. |
FEATURED SPEAKERS
Alireza Ali
Co-Founder and Managing Partner, The Blue Dot AI
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Alireza “Ali” Ali is the Maui-based Founder & CEO of The Blue Dot AI, an applied-AI firm that builds and deploys AI with local organizations. Over the past three years his team has taken several large Hawaiʻi businesses from AI strategy to adoption and implementation, and, as a service to the community, has run 13 hands-on workshops, many for nonprofits, reaching 175+ leaders on four islands. A three-time founder, Ali spent 12 years at Google leading engineering for Google Maps and launching products in Google’s incubator. |
Robert K.W.H. Nobriga
Chairman,
Tradewind Capital
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Rob Nobriga is the Chairman of Tradewind Capital. Mr. Nobriga also serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Tradewind Capital’s parent company, Tradewind Group, whose business interests include investments in real estate and in companies across several industries, including insurance and technology. Prior to joining Tradewind Group in 2018, Mr. Nobriga held several Executive and Board positions in Hawaii over the past two decades including at organizations with the largest real estate portfolios in Hawaii. His executive roles have spanned multiple industries, including the banking and healthcare sectors. |
Ed Sniffen
Director, Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation
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Ed Sniffen serves as the Director of the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT), overseeing the state’s critical transportation infrastructure, including airports, commercial harbors, and highway systems. Under his leadership, HDOT plays a vital role in strengthening national security, supply chain resilience, and economic self-reliance. Ed is committed to ensuring Hawaii’s transportation systems support the secure and efficient movement of goods, bolster emergency preparedness, and reduce dependence on external resources. His focus on safety, infrastructure preservation, and operational efficiency enhances HDOT’s ability to protect critical assets and maintain economic stability. Through strategic partnerships and transparent governance, he is advancing initiatives that reinforce Hawaii’s role in national defense, economic growth, and long-term sustainability. |
Deena White Tearney
Founder and CEO, Pacific Point
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Deena White Tearney has an extensive background leading and implementing large complex strategy and business transformation projects, both as a consultant with “Big 5” firms, Capgemini Ernst & Young, and IBM Global Services, and in industry. She has over 20 years of experience implementing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions transforming global companies and organizations to be customer-focused, improving marketing, sales, and service. Deena is a graduate of the University of Texas San Antonio with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Information Systems. Under Deena’s leadership, Pacific Point ranked three years in a row on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America. Deena was recognized by Pacific Business News as a 40 Under Forty and a Women Who Mean Business honoree. She is on the board of TRUE, a nonprofit on a mission to accelerate technology adoption and create a more diversified and sustainable economy for Hawaii. Deena is committed to the Pledge 1% movement and focuses her corporate and personal philanthropy on inspiring youth to pursue careers in technology through sponsorship and volunteer work with a variety of youth programs. In her podcast series, The Audio Project with Deena Tearney, Deena hosts inspiring conversations with executives, and entrepreneurs on technology, business, and leadership. Between building a global Salesforce consulting firm, Deena enjoys getting some fresh air while working on her golf swing. |
Christine Maii Sakuda
CIO,
State of Hawaiʻi Office of Enterprise Technology Services (ETS)
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Christine Maii Sakuda is a community leader with over two decades of experience driving enterprise IT transformation across healthcare, government, and the nonprofit sector. As the first female Native Hawaiian Chief Information Officer at the State of Hawaiʻi’s Office of Enterprise Technology Services, Christine is deeply committed to leveraging technology as an enabler for good—strengthening public systems, connecting communities, and advancing the well-being of Hawaiʻi’s people. Her leadership has been pivotal in modernizing digital infrastructure, enhancing data and cybersecurity, and fostering innovation in public service delivery. Christine’s work is rooted in a deep sense of kuleana (responsibility) to uplift Hawaiʻi through inclusive, community-centered technology solutions that honor local values and empower future generations. She holds a Japan Executive MBA from the University of Hawaiʻi and a BS in Marketing from Santa Clara University. Beyond her professional roles, Christine actively serves in civic and community organizations, championing initiatives that ensure technology serves as a bridge—not a barrier—for all residents of Hawaiʻi. |
Vince Hoang
CISO,
State of Hawaiʻi Office of Enterprise Technology Services (ETS)
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The Office of Enterprise Technology Services’ Cyber Security Program is led by State CISO, Vincent Hoang, who is responsible for securing state government information resources and infrastructure. He brings 25 years’ experience in developing and implementing effective information technology strategies, including the application of cybersecurity, network management and systems design to improve business outcomes. Vincent most recently served as the enterprise architect for Hawaiian Telcom, where he secured infrastructure for customers and conducted network architecture, performance, security risk and systems infrastructure assessments. He also worked as a senior systems consultant for Bank of Hawaii and a security engineer for Munger, Tolles and Olson in Los Angeles, CA. |
Rebecca Cai
CDO,
State of Hawaiʻi Office of Enterprise Technology Services (ETS)
Rebecca Cai is the first CDO for the State of Hawaii. She has established data and AI strategy, data and AI standards and guidelines, and governance frameworks at Hawaii. Before that, she was CDO for the State of New York. Prior to New York State CDO, Cai had worked in leadership roles for over 20 years in private sector with leading strategy and technology consulting firms such as McKinsey, Deloitte, IBM, focusing on digital transformation through data and AI.
William Kumagai
Executive Director, Transform Hawaiʻi Government (THG)
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Bill Kumagai is a seasoned strategy and information technology consultant with years of expertise in major enterprise-wide projects for local, state and federal government. Prior to THG, Kumagai served in various executive leadership roles with Gartner, a leading global technology research and advisory firm based in Stamford, Connecticut, from 1999 to 2021. During that 22-year period, Kumagai led Gartner Consulting public sector practice and was group vice president and region lead for all of North America, Gartner’s largest region; and group vice president of global consulting strategy and operations. Kumagai received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Irvine, and did graduate work at California State University, Fullerton, and Princeton University in New Jersey. |
Nadia Hansen
Global AI Go-To-Market Leader & Industry Advisor for Public Sector, Salesforce
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Nadia Hansen is an experienced CIO, board member, and recognized government leader who brings two decades of enterprise technology experience building a wide range of products, teams, and operations around the world across both public and private entities. At Salesforce, she helps social impact organizations and highly regulated companies modernize digital initiatives to meet the needs of stakeholders. As the former CIO for Clark County, the largest county in Nevada with more than 2.4 million residents, 45 million annual visitors, and an $8 billion budget, Nadia spearheaded the technology innovation, strategy, and delivery of mission-critical services for the organization. She has established Clark County as an innovation and technology hub for startups and budding businesses and is a key driver in engaging regional technology partners. |
Todd Nacapuy
CIO and Partner, Accuity
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From Waialua, Hawaii, Todd Nacapuy is passionate about helping organizations navigate digital transformation and adopt technology solutions that create measurable business value. Todd is a technology executive, consultant, and business leader with extensive experience driving digital transformation, cybersecurity, enterprise architecture, and operational excellence across public and private sector organizations. He currently serves as Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Partner at Accuity Advisors, where he leads technology strategy, AI adoption initiatives, cloud modernization efforts, and business process automation programs.
With a career spanning consulting, government, healthcare, finance, and professional services, Todd specializes in aligning technology investments with business outcomes. His work includes implementing enterprise collaboration platforms, strengthening cybersecurity programs, managing complex systems integrations, and leveraging artificial intelligence to improve organizational efficiency and decision-making. As an active practitioner of generative AI, Todd focuses on the practical application of prompt engineering, AI governance, automation, and emerging AI technologies within the workplace. He is particularly interested in how large language models can augment knowledge work, enhance client services, and drive innovation while maintaining strong security, compliance, and ethical standards. |
Jessica Young
Director, Science & Technology Policy,
Microsoft
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Jessica Young is Director, Science & Technology Policy in the Office of the Chief Scientific Officer at Microsoft. In this role, she works alongside research, product, and policy teams and in collaboration with industry, academia, and civil society groups to further responsible AI research, development, and deployment. Her current areas of focus include advancing media integrity and authentication and democratized access to compute, models, and datasets in support of research by academic and non-profit organizations. Prior to joining Microsoft, she served as AI Policy Advisor in the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy. Jessica holds a MSc. in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University and a BBA from the University of Cincinnati.
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Pete Dooher
SVP, Digital Strategy,
Servco Pacific, Inc.
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Peter Dooher is a technology and operations executive with over two decades of experience leading digital transformation across global retail, e-commerce, and automotive sectors. As SVP of Digital Strategy at Servco Pacific Inc., he oversees the company’s mobility technology operations across Hawaii and works closely to guide digital/technology strategy and support operations across Servco’s Australia operations, directing enterprise applications, data strategy, engineering, product development, and cybersecurity initiatives. At Servco, Peter is spearheading a multi-year digital transformation strategy focused on delivering customer-centric, data-driven experiences and operational enablement. Peter’s career spans senior technology roles at industry-leading companies including J.Crew Group, where he scaled e-commerce revenues to over $1B, led agile transformations, and implemented enterprise solutions that drove substantial revenue and efficiency gains. An advocate for innovation, Peter is currently focused on advancing Agentic AI applications to create autonomous systems that enhance customer experiences, streamline operations, and future-proof Servco’s technology ecosystem. He holds a degree in Physics from Stevens Institute of Technology and serves on several boards, including the Hawaii Employers Council, Honolulu Theatre for Youth, and CyberHawaii. |
Ailin John
Senior Manager, IT Enterprise Enablement Services, HMSA
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Ailin John, PMP, CSM, CSPO, SA, is Senior Manager of IT Enterprise Enablement Services at HMSA. With more than 30 years of experience in healthcare, mortgage, and financial services, she leads enterprise transformation initiatives focused on digital modernization, organizational change, and operational excellence. Ailin also led HMSA’s Project Management Office (PMO) and portfolio management functions, helping align strategic investments, programs, and projects with business priorities while delivering measurable value across the organization. She has also been instrumental in expanding HMSA’s use of the ServiceNow platform to improve business processes, governance, portfolio visibility, and enterprise-wide service. |
Brad Christ
Vice President for Information Technology and CIO,
University of Hawaiʻi System
Brad Christ is the Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer (VPIT/CIO). He has over 28 years of experience in higher education and information technology. Originally from Minneapolis, he holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota. Prior to joining the University of Hawaii, he served as Chief Information Officer at Eastern Washington University and Southern Oregon University, leading major initiatives in governance, ERP modernization, cloud migration, and service transformation.
Kelly J. Ueoka
President, Pacxa
As President, Kelly oversees the company’s day-to-day operations and the expansion of Pacxa’s products and services in Hawaii and beyond. His role includes enhancing Pacxa’s core technology solutions and capabilities in collaboration with global partners to offer the most advanced platform of tools to help Hawaii businesses perform faster, more securely and with greater operational efficiency.
Kelly has over 15 years of technical consulting experience and holds the Virtual Technology Specialist (V-TSP) certification for Microsoft in Hawaii. He is also a Microsoft and infrastructure solutions architect and a certified solutions expert for Private Cloud. Kelly has extensive experience in architecting highly virtualized messaging and collaboration environments as well as advanced systems management.
Prior to joining Pacxa, Kelly honed his skills at Commercial Data Systems, Hawaiian Electric Company, Kauai Island Utility Cooperative and the County of Kauai. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from Southern Oregon University.
Kelly was honored by Pacific Business News as a member of their “2014 Class of 40 Under Forty” and currently serves on the board of directors for Parents and Children Together and the Hawaii State Jr. Golf Association.
Olin Lagon
Co-Founder,
Shifted Energy
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Olin Lagon is a Native Hawaiian technologist, U.S. Navy and Peace Corps veteran, and cofounder of Hawaiʻi-born companies and organizations that have scaled to serve millions of people worldwide, like ChipIn, the first general purpose crowdfunding service, which directed over $100 million to causes around the globe. His community work applies large-scale engineering innovation to tough challenges in Kanaka ʻŌiwi communities, health, finance, and clean energy. He currently serves on the boards of Ceeds of Peace, Hawaiʻi Land Trust, ʻŌlelo Community Media, and the Economic Revitalization Commission. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office featured his story as a national innovator in its Journeys of Innovation series. |
Dawn Lippert
Founder and CEO,
Elemental Impact
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Dawn Lippert is the Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Elemental Impact and General Partner of Earthshot Ventures. Elemental is a nonprofit investor with more than 15 years of experience advancing innovative technologies that drive environmental and local impact. Launched in 2021, Earthshot Ventures is an early-stage venture firm investing in companies to generate market-leading returns and also make a positive impact on climate. Together they enable more capital and support to founders with the right financial instruments at the right time. In addition, Dawn serves as Senior Climate Advisor at Emerson Collective, a company led by Laurene Powell Jobs that invests in entrepreneurs and innovators. Elemental has invested in 160+ companies deploying across 100+ countries, including companies like Fervo and Glacier. Earthshot invests in outlier founders building technologies that will define the era of energy, AI, and critical minerals, including companies like Kobold Metals and Etched AI. Dawn serves as a C3E Ambassador for the U.S. Department of Energy, co-chair of Aspen Energy Week, and advisor to the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Accelerator. Her work investing at the intersection of innovation, local impact, and policy has been featured in The Economist, Politico, Bloomberg, Axios, Heatmap News, and TED. Dawn grew up in Washington state and is a graduate of Yale University and the Yale School of the Environment.
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CONFERENCE TOPICS
Morning Keynotes & General Sessions
The Future of AI Self-Reliance in Hawaiʻi
Peter Schwartz, Chief Futurist, Salesforce
What would it take for Hawaiʻi to shape its own AI future rather than simply adopt tools built elsewhere? This keynote looks ahead at the forces reshaping how organizations work, the choices that will separate places that lead from places that follow, and the scenarios Hawaiʻi should be preparing for now. Attendees will leave with a longer view of what AI self-reliance can mean for an island economy, and the decisions leaders can make today to move toward it.
Early AI Adoption in Hawaiʻi’s Essential Industries
Deena Tearney (Moderator), Founder and CEO, Pacific Point
Ed Sniffen, Director, Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation
Rob Nobriga, Chairman, Tradewind Capital
Alireza Ali, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, The Blue Dot AI
The industries that keep Hawaiʻi running are also among the first to put AI to work. Leaders from government and industry share where AI is already delivering value, what early adopters learned the hard way, and how they balanced innovation with the reliability their communities depend on. This session offers a practical look at what adoption and innovation look like in essential operations, and what other organizations can take from those early experiences.
Inside the Government Perspective on AI Adoption
William Kumagai (Moderator), Executive Director, Transform Hawaiʻi Government (THG)
Christine Maii Sakuda, State Chief Information Officer, Office of Enterprise Technology Services (ETS)
Vince Hoang, State Chief Information Security Officer, ETS
Rebecca Cai, State Chief Data Officer, ETS
How is the State of Hawaiʻi approaching AI, and what does it mean for residents, agencies, and the businesses that work with them? State technology leaders discuss how government is evaluating and adopting AI, how they are managing data, privacy, and public trust, and where they see opportunities to partner with the private sector. Attendees will gain a clear view of the State’s priorities and how to engage with them.
Afternoon Specialized Tracks
Breakout Track 1: Practitioner Foundations
Foundations First: Getting Your Data AI-Ready
Nadia Hansen, Global AI Go-To-Market Leader, Public Sector, Salesforce
AI is only as reliable as the data beneath it. This session covers the groundwork every organization needs before scaling AI: finding and connecting the data that matters, improving its quality, and protecting sensitive information along the way. Practitioners will learn how to assess their data readiness, spot the gaps that most often stall AI projects, and prioritize the fixes that make everything built on top more accurate and trustworthy.
From Skills to Agents: Building AI Automation Your Organization Owns
Todd Nacapuy, Chief Information Officer and Partner, Accuity
Most organizations have experimented with AI, but few have moved from pilots to systems they rely on every day. This session closes that gap. We’ll demystify the difference between AI skills and agents, then walk through the progression from your first skill to full custom applications. Real examples include building a full team of virtual agents that can do actual work. You’ll learn why treating agents like team members, with clear personas and defined roles, makes them more reliable, and what it costs to sustain these systems at scale. This session is for decision-makers and practitioners ready to move from “playing with AI” to building automation their teams understand, control, and own.
Breakout Track 2: AI Playbooks
Write Your Responsible AI Ground Rules
Jessica Young, Director, Science & Technology Policy, Office of the Chief Scientific Officer, Microsoft
Before an organization can scale AI with confidence, it needs clear ground rules. This session walks through how to define responsible AI principles that fit your organization, covering fairness, transparency, privacy, and accountability, and how to turn them into practical guidelines your teams can actually follow. Attendees will leave with a starting framework for writing their own ground rules and a clearer sense of who should be involved in shaping them.
The Journey in AI Adoption for Hawaiʻi-Grown Companies
David Cheong, Chief Information Officer, ABC Stores
Pete Dooher, Senior Vice President, Digital, Servco Pacific
Jason Higa, Chief Executive Officer, FCH Enterprises (parent entity of Zippy’s)
Ailin John, Senior Manager, IT Enterprise Enablement Services, HMSA
Ground rules are the start; playbooks are how they come to life. Leaders from kamaʻāina companies share how their organizations are putting AI to work in ways that reflect Hawaiʻi’s values and serve island communities. Panelists discuss how they turn principles into repeatable practices, what they have learned by working through shared challenges together rather than alone, and how local companies can build AI know-how that stays at home.
Breakout Track 3: People-Powered AI
Building Inclusive AI Governance
Who decides how AI is used, and whose perspectives shape those decisions? This session explores how to build AI governance that includes the communities it affects, drawing on higher education, research, and Indigenous knowledge perspectives. Panelists discuss how Hawaiian values and diverse voices can inform AI policy, and share practical approaches organizations can use to make their own governance more inclusive, transparent, and grounded in place.
Growing Hawaiʻi’s AI Workforce from Within
Kelly J. Ueoka, President, Pacxa
Hawaiʻi can grow its AI talent. Drawing on a track record of successful workforce development initiatives, this session shows how local organizations can build AI capability through internships and hands-on, work-based learning. Using Pacxa’s Huakaʻi program as an example, attendees will see how early-career talent can deliver real results when given meaningful work, strong mentorship, and room to build. Leaders will leave with practical ideas for developing homegrown talent that strengthens both their organizations and Hawaiʻi’s economy.
Afternoon Plenary
Capital, Capability, and AI That Benefits Hawaiʻi
Olin Lagon, Co-Founder, Shifted Energy
Dawn Lippert, Founder and CEO, Elemental Impact
This closing panel brings an investor’s perspective to what the growth of AI means for Hawaiʻi’s energy, infrastructure, economic development, and climate goals. Panelists discuss where the capital is moving, what it takes to build and fund local companies, and how Hawaiʻi can think strategically about where it has a real opportunity to lead rather than follow. The through line is benefit: how the growth of AI can strengthen Hawaiʻi’s economy, its communities, and the systems everyone here depends on.
Presented By
Community Partners
Gold Sponsor
Silver Sponsors
Please join us for a fantastic summit at the Hilton Waikiki Beach Resort!
2500 Kūhiō Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96815
Phone: +1 (808) 922-0811