2026
Report.

Hawaii Tech Week exists to empower our people, grow Hawaii’s tech economy, and build global connections that create opportunities for us. Year one, we galvanized the community and willed the week into existence. Year two, we showcased Hawaii’s leading CEOs, accelerators, and organization leaders. In year three, we paired the best of Hawaii’s tech and ecosystem leaders with key insights from across the world.

Dawn Lippert shared what it takes to build from Hawaii with global reach. Miki Hardisty brought practical engineering insight. GitHub leaders, Chris Do, and AI policy analyst Aqib Zakaria added expertise from across tech, business, and policy. Across 75+ events, people learned from each other, worked on problems, and built relationships across our islands and beyond.

The week delivered: people were hired, capital was deployed, and new deals were locked, alongside major partnerships and commitments. In the past 28 months since we announced HTW, we’ve built a week that connects the next generation of technologists and builders with people who can help accelerate their trajectory. These are the opportunities we’re working to create for Hawaii.

Hawaiʻi Public Radio and Hawaii News Now helped more people learn about the week and the opportunities in Hawaii tech.

We launched the Executive Forum to bring Hawaii’s business, tech, and government leaders together around the decisions ahead: adopting AI, growing companies, and creating more opportunity here.

Olin Kealoha Lagon pushed us to think beyond legacy approaches. Dawn Lippert brought the perspective of building from Hawaii with global reach. Aqib Zakaria examined the global AI race, U.S.–China competition, and what the next generation of AI models could mean for businesses here.

We built Hawaii Tech Week to bring more of our ecosystem together. Companies, founders, investors, educators, and event hosts brought their expertise to the program.

Gidens brought Chris Do, founder of The Futur, to Hawaii for Rooted Here, Recognized Everywhere. In his full-day workshop, local entrepreneurs worked through value-based pricing, leadership, and decisions facing their businesses.

At Hawaii Pacific University’s AI strategy panel, CEOs and executives from Zippy’s, Bank of Hawaii, and the State of Hawaii joined a discussion about how organizations are approaching AI. Elsewhere, participants connected with GitHub and Microsoft leaders, Y Combinator founders, public officials, and tech and industry leaders from San Francisco and San Diego to Singapore and elsewhere in Asia.

The opening weekend began at Hoʻokuaʻāina on August 29, followed by yoga and recovery the next day. We started with time in the loʻi and a chance to reset before the main program.

Monday’s official kickoff party brought founders, builders, and creators to the Ambassador Hotel in Waikiki. Presented with The Goods Social Club and featuring CALDEE, the party gave people a chance to meet before the week got underway.

The full program, with the people and organizations that hosted each event.

Explore 77 events by day, with the hosts behind them.