Tech executives, startup leaders, policymakers, investors and others in the tech ecosystem are set to gather for Honolulu Tech Week, held from Sept. 16 to 22 at various locations across the city.
The inaugural Honolulu Tech Week is comprised of a series of events, including panel discussions, presentations, networking opportunities and more.
It is led by volunteers from companies and organizations within the local tech scene, and organizer Michael Bennett said that he came up with the idea after being inspired by similar events on the Mainland.
“There’s this concept of tech weeks that happen throughout all the major tech hubs and emerging ones — they’re really focused on elevating the companies, the people and the organizations within the community,” said Bennett, who grew up in Hawaii and worked at various startups in San Francisco for a decade before returning home a few years ago. “… What we wanted to do was replicate the success that had happened in other areas but with our own unique Hawaii culture and with the focus being on our companies here.”
Bennett said as he floated the idea by others in the local tech industry, “more and more” people began to step in to offer their support — including Hub Coworking, which has offered Entrepreneurs Sandbox, a Kakaako coworking space that it manages, to host a number of the events.
Honolulu Tech Week, Bennett said, will “really encompass everything from panels and presentations to pau hanas and product launches.” He also noted that featured speakers and guests will include local industry leaders, as well as investors and entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley.
He said that there are more than 50 events scheduled throughout the week, noting that there is something for nearly every interest area. Sessions explore a range of topics that include, for instance, recruiting and retaining tech talent, scaling globally, blockchains, artificial intelligence and defense technology.
With the breadth of events, Bennett said that Honolulu Tech Week is relevant for “anyone in the tech ecosystem or who’s interested in technology.”
“And I don't define technology as just software or just AI. When you think about it, we have ocean tech, we have climate tech — it really touches every aspect of our lives. Technology really touches all of us.”
Bennett said that attendees can pick and choose which events they want to go to.
“We really do want that vibe and style where you don't have to take work off the entire week. You don't have to go to everything. You get to pick and choose what's most relevant to you,” he said.
When asked what aspect of the event he is most excited about, Bennett said it’s bringing together “the full ecosystem here from student and startup founder through policymaker and corporate executive.”
“Our goal is really to be a platform to elevate and highlight the incredible entrepreneurs and investors and corporate executives and policymakers that are pushing for the technology industry here,” he said. “The purpose really is to connect, inspire, educate and elevate the tech community in Hawaii. The core goal of what we want to do is accelerate the growth of talent, capital and new technologies in Hawaii's ecosystem. And then our longer-term vision is to help transform Honolulu and Hawaii overall into a global technology and innovation hub.
“At an individual human level, I want every single person to leave Tech Week having made one connection that changes the trajectory of their career, company or life,” he added, explaining that that could entail a student landing an internship, or a founder meeting a new investor.
For more information on Honolulu Tech Week, click here.
