Embracing a digital economy creates a more sustainable future. The best time for Hawaii to start? Right now!

The pandemic quickly revealed that our physical borders matter less and embracing innovation matters much more. Long evaluations and analysis paralysis are a thing of the past and the “test and try” mentality is more prevalent. (Especially with the cost of launching technology coming down.)

Earlier in the year, Governor David Ige gave his State of the State Address. During his Address, the Governor referred to Hawaii 2.0 — the idea of an upgraded, more sustainable local economy. He also stated that a critical component of Hawaii 2.0 is a digital economy, and that’s exactly what this event will focus on.

This event serves as a kickstart to the Governor’s efforts to build a digital economy. By joining the event, attendees will gain valuable insight on the Governor’s vision and how local businesses can play a much needed role in Hawaii building a digital economy, and most importantly, a more sustainable future.

TRUE Initiative — launched after consultation with the Governor and Mike McCartney in August 2019 — is key player in these efforts and is hosting this event alongside organizations, including HTDC, THG, and many more. Together, these organization have been building the path to a digital economy by supporting local businesses in adopting technology and up-skilling our workforce to meet the growing demand for digital services. The Governor will highlight bright spots such as these at the Entrepreneur’s Sandbox, an embodiment of the efforts, where organizations can get support in their digital transformation journey.

Agenda

• Hawaii’s Digital Economy – Governor Ige
• Successes and Progress in the State, Commitment to Digital – Mike McCartney
• Use Cases, Success Stories – Paul Yonamine
• Tools and Resources

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONS

Hawai‘i Technology Development Corporation (HTDC) is a state agency under the State of Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Our mission is to diversify Hawai‘i’s economy by developing a flourishing technology industry that provides quality, high-paying jobs for Hawaii residents. www.htdc.org

The Entrepreneurs Sandbox is a co-working facility in Kaka’ako, owned by HTDC and managed by BoxJelly. As the “front door to innovation”, our mission is to bring together change agents in Hawai‘i to enable transformation for a more dynamic Hawai‘i through technology and entrepreneurship. www.sandboxhawaii.org

TRUE is an initiative of the Hawaii Executive Collaborative, supporting the CHANGE Framework and Movement. Driven by a partnership between the private, public sectors and the State of Hawai‘i, TRUE aims to create tech-enabled jobs by accelerating the adoption of technology. TRUE accomplishes this through collaboration and sharing of solutions to common business challenges, in turn creating more resilient companies and a thriving Hawai‘i. www.hec.org/true

Christine Sakuda is the executive director of Transform Hawaiʻi Government (THG), a non-profit organization that advocates for an accessible, responsive and transparent digital government that enables Hawaiʻi’s residents, communities and economy to thrive. We seek to catalyze the transformation of state government services through an empowered workforce, efficient workflows, and digital infrastructure. We are a consistent and persistent voice to keep modernization a top priority of state government.