Even from an early age, Kelly Ueoka, president of Pacxa, always had a “strong passion for technology.”
“I grew up in Lihue, Kauai, playing 'Ghostbusters' on a Commodore 64,” he said.
Ueoka followed this interest and earned a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems from Southern Oregon University.
In his role as president of Pacxa, where he has served since 2010, Ueoka oversees day-to-day operations, works to enhance the company’s core technology solutions with global partners, and drives Pacxa’s strategic growth in Hawaii and beyond, according to Ueoka.
Today, he has more than 20 years of experience in the tech industry in developing advanced cybersecurity solutions.
“I believe an effective leader leads by example and inspires team members to follow suit,” Ueoka told Pacific Business News. “I do my best to exemplify Pacxa’s core values and contribute to the frontline work for our customers. Rarely are company leaders in the field, so I pride myself in being able to work in all capacities, whether installing equipment or crafting strategic goals.”
Pacxa offers customized technology solutions to nearly 400 commercial, government and nonprofit organizations across the state. It offers a range of consulting services such as project management, application implementation, database administration and maintenance. It designs, implements and manages custom-built Cloud services in order to “ease the financial and technical burdens of hardware systems,” according to the company’s website. Pacxa also offers managed services, which are tasks handled by a third party, such as IT operations and maintenance, managed Microsoft 365, and IT support.
What’s new with Pacxa? Pacxa has experienced tremendous progress due to the state’s rising demands for digital transformation. Our team is growing rapidly, and this growth will enable us to bolster our impact through technology for our customers and community. Community involvement has been a deep-rooted priority for Pacxa, and in 2022, we concentrated our resources into esports and workforce development initiatives. Through a partnership with TRUE Initiative and the Hawaii State Library System, we helped open a STEM-driven esports center at the Waipahu Public Library in July. We also introduced a training program designed to help individuals build and augment their IT skills to develop local talent and help individuals launch new careers in IT.
What are some trends for consumers to watch within the tech industry? We have started to see “cybersecurity” morph into “cyber attack defense,” which is a slightly more proactive framework. Cybersecurity is a basic necessity for organizations, regardless of industry or size. Cyber attack defense is a transformed structure that places more emphasis on solutions that actively resist attack.
We will also continue to see the proliferation of cloud-native and hybrid cloud technologies. Especially after the pandemic drove local organizations to adopt modern work environments, there has been an increase in digital transformation initiatives, often involving cloud solutions.
What is the biggest challenge Pacxa is facing currently? Keeping pace with the soaring demand for digital transformation has been a challenge. This is part of why Pacxa has become committed to workforce development initiatives, contributing to the up-skilling of our current team members and individuals in the community. We hope to launch and accelerate IT careers in the local workforce and ultimately empower organizations in Hawaii to succeed.
What goals do you have for the company in the new year? In 2023, Pacxa will focus on augmenting our business capabilities and expanding our community impact. These are long-standing goals that we have continued to build upon and set new, higher benchmarks for. We have been able to work toward these goals by developing our service offerings and contributing to community-driven esports and workforce development initiatives, and we hope to do even more in the year ahead.
Kelly Ueoka
President, Pacxa
Address: 1000 Bishop St. #701, Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: 808-585-0444
Website: pacxa.com
