Startup Hawaiʻi Hui - Event Recap
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How many times have you heard that “there is no one in tech on Hawaiʻi Island?”
No one can say that after last week’s virtual meetup.
I am not only blown away by the number of people who showed up (66!) but also by the active conversation, the ideas that resulted from that interaction, and the diversity of geographies represented.
If you prefer watching, here’s the video recap:
During the meeting, participants had the chance to learn more about Startup Hawaiʻi, how individuals and organizations can get involved, and then break out into small groups to discuss what the future of the ecosystem looked like to them.
Here are some of the takeaways:
One thing was very clear based on comments made during and after the event:
This work may change the make-up of our economy and the expectations of the community, but it should not change the values that the Island holds most dear.
That’s why our next event will focus on exploring the history of innovation in Hawaiian culture, what values are important to hold close to keep us true to ourselves and this island (e.g., respecting the ʻāina) and how can we integrate these values into this ecosystem.
Geography
While I was pleasantly surprised to see such great interest from outside of Hawaiʻi Island (32%), there are still underrepresented regions of Hawaiʻi Island where more outreach needs to occur (Puna and Kaʻū).
Community Expertise Diversity
This meetup demonstrated an interest in and a need for a technology ecosystem and the positive impact it can have on Hawaiʻi Island. However, we need to increase the diversity of the group's expertise and backgrounds to better represents the Islandʻs population.
Expertise of meeting attendees.
What’s Next for Startup Hawaiʻi?
We’ve identified a few gaps that we see existing in our community that will serve as the focus of the programs that we create going forward:
Bridging the gap between higher education and professional opportunities, particularly focused on access to remote roles
Providing technical assistance to companies scaling beyond the early stage of development
Putting structure around startup investment activities including sourcing and diligence
There are a number of resources already available on our island and accessible here
Keep an eye out for more events, a podcast amplifying local leaders and founders, and an online community to connect across the ecosystem.
Join the community to stay informed!
How to Get Involved
There are a number of ways to get involved as an individual or organization, whether you just want to stay informed or be actively involved.
More details on each of the roles below can be found here: Get Involved
Join the community to stay up to date on news and events!
If you missed the event, a recording of the presentation portion can be found here:
