Dates: Thursday June 4 and Friday June 5, 2026
Location: Ala Moana Hotel
Audience: HIDOE teachers and educational specialists, UH Faculty and IT Staff, Industry partners
Speakers and Presenters
Please click a speaker or presenter name to see their bio.
Dr. Karen Lee
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Honolulu CC
Karen C. Lee
HonCC
Bio: Dr. Karen Lee was appointed as Chancellor of Honolulu Community College on December 2, 2022, where she is working to prepare students for living wage careers or successful transfer into baccalaureate universities. Lee previously served as Honolulu CC Interim Chancellor and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs.
Before joining the Honolulu CC leadership team in 2017, Lee served as the Executive Director of Hawaiʻi P–20 Partnerships for Education, which works to strengthen the education pipeline from early childhood through higher education, and Associate Vice President for Student Affairs for the UH System, responsible for systemwide student affairs policies and initiatives. Lee also served in dean and director positions at Columbia and Colgate universities.
Lee holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in higher education administration from Columbia University, and a doctorate in education from the University of Southern California.
Dr Nasser Alaraje
NSF
Bio: Dr. Nasser Alaraje is an NSF rotating Program Director in the Directorate for STEM Education. He supports the ATE, IUSE, S-STEM, ETSTE, AI-Ready America, IUCRC, RITEL, and ITYC programs and serving as the Lead program director for ETSTE, and the Co-Lead program director for ATE and ITYC. He began his professional career in industry, spending seven years as a senior hardware design engineer with a focus on Embedded Systems design and FPGA design at Lucent Technologies and vLogix. Subsequently, he spent fourteen years at Michigan Technological University as a faculty member and as chair of the Electrical Engineering Technology program (including a sabbatical year pursuing international outreach activities as a 2013-2014 US Fulbright scholar at Qatar University), followed by his role as a full professor and chair of the Engineering Technology Department in The University of Toledo’s College of Engineering. Dr. Alaraje’s research focuses on engineering/engineering technology education, with primary interests in curriculum development, workforce development, program outcomes assessment, and continuous improvements; his research has been funded by a variety of federal and state agencies, industrial, and foundation sponsors, with total funding exceeding $5.0MM.
Dr. Kim Siegenthaler
Opening Remarks
Kim Siegenthaler
UH System
Bio: Kim L. Siegenthaler, PhD, is the Senior Advisor to the President at the University of Hawai’i System, where she drives strategic initiatives focused on institutional transformation and student success. She is currently spearheading the implementation of a system-wide “standard of care” for student success, utilizing data-informed strategies to improve outcomes across UH institutions. Dr. Siegenthaler is passionate about providing equitable access and comprehensive wrap-around academic and non-academic supports to ensure every student thrives. Previously, she led major academic innovation and student success initiatives at The City University of New York and Georgia State University.
Chris Barton
Keynote Speaker
Chris Barton
Founder of Shazam
Bio: Chris Barton wanted a way to identify songs anywhere he heard them. There wasn’t one – so he invented an app called Shazam. Chris’s creation is nothing short of pure magic and changed the way the world discovers music. It was the first mass consumer AI product in history. Chris delights people by using technology to make seemingly impossible ideas come to life.
Shazam is just one of them. In addition to creating Shazam, Chris holds twelve patents and played key roles in the early days of Google and Dropbox. Chris’s newest venture, Guard, aims to use AI to detect drowning in swimming pools – a never-before accomplished effort. In his speeches, Chris’s story and storytelling completely captivate audiences. He inspires people to make big things happen in their organizations – to create magic in defiance of the obstacles.
Dave Free
Keynote Speaker
Cisco
Dave Free
Cisco
Bio: Dave Free leads Learning Product Strategy for Cisco Networking Academy, serving more than five million students each year as they prepare for entry-level ICT careers. During his fourteen years at Cisco, he has held leadership roles in platform product management, product marketing, and global learning strategy. Before Cisco, Dave launched multiple education and technology ventures and spent ten years at Intel in finance. He holds a BS in Accounting and an MBA in Finance from Brigham Young University. He enjoys spending his spare time with his nine grandchildren.
Ian Kitajima
PICHTR
Ian Kitajima
Moderator/Innovation Leader
PICHTR
Bio: Mr. Ian Kitajima is a technology and innovation executive with over 30 years of experience at the intersection of business, technology, education, and community. He co-founded Design Thinking Hawaii, and initiated the computer science movements in public education in Hawaii. He is an active member of Hawaii’s business, technology, and education community which has been recognized with “Social Impact Enterprise of the Year” by the Hawaii Venture Capital Association, as an honoree by the Public Schools of Hawaii Foundation. He brings an innovation and community mindset to several boards including the Hawaii Health Information Exchange, Hawaii Institute for Public Affairs, and the University of Hawaii Alumni Association. Today, he continues his technology and community work at the Pacific International Center for High Technology Research (PICHTR.org) as its president, and as the co-founder and facilitator at Design Thinking Hawaii.
Marty Beach
Anthology FINN Partners
Marty Beach
Anthology FINN Partners
Bio: Marty Beach is the Associate Vice President of User Experience at Anthology FINN Partners, bringing over 25 years of marketing, UX strategy, design, and development experience to the stage. As a dedicated advocate for exceptional user experience, Marty has guided diverse industries toward creating better digital solutions. Recently, he has turned his focus toward the cutting edge of AI visibility, helping businesses ensure they are discoverable within generated answers from major Large Language Models (LLMs). He is deeply passionate about empowering local businesses to succeed in today’s modern web through robust UX, clean code development, accessibility, and AI search optimization (AEO/GEO).
Katie Adams
SAFAL
Katie Adams
SAFAL
Bio: Katie Adams is Chief Delivery Officer for Safal Partners, a national management consulting firm focused on the “K-to-Career Continuum,” building stronger American classrooms, workplaces and communities through public sector service. She is a nationally recognized subject matter expert in Registered Apprenticeship (RA) and workforce development and serves as Project Director for the firm’s U.S. Department of Labor National Industry Intermediary contract for Apprenticeship Expansion in cybersecurity, IT and AI. She has worked closely with the White House Office of National Cyber Director as part of Safal’s role in the White House National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy. She has developed and led over $100 million in federally funded projects in education and workforce development. She serves as co-chair of the NIST National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Apprenticeship Community of Interest.
Apple Presenters
Apple Education
Apple Presenter
Apple Education
Bio: Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh computer in 1984. Since then Apple has designed products and programs that help unleash the creative potential in every individual, no matter how they learn and what they love to do. Apple Education is dedicated to helping schools around the world expand what’s possible for learning, create new opportunities for teaching, and establish dynamic environments that inspire both.
Branden Baker
Intech Hawaii
Branden Baker
Intech Hawaii
Bio: Branden Baker is President of Intech Hawaii, a Honolulu based managed IT, cybersecurity, and compliance firm. He helps local businesses use technology securely and effectively, with a current focus on practical AI adoption, cybersecurity readiness, and helping Hawaii organizations turn AI into measurable business impact.
Mahdi Belcaid
UH-Manoa
Mahdi Belcaid
UH-Maona
Bio: Mahdi Belcaid is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Information and Computer Sciences at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. His work focuses on artificial intelligence and data science to support innovation across disciplines. Mahdi earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and holds graduate degrees in Bioinformatics and Computational Systems from the University of Quebec in Montreal. Mahdi’s work is guided by a commitment to ethical and responsible AI, and by a belief in its potential to benefit science, education, business, and society. He is especially passionate about education and workforce development, leading initiatives that expand AI literacy and technical skills for diverse learners, from high school students to working professionals. Through this work, he helps prepare the next generation of AI innovators while promoting thoughtful, equitable applications of AI that empower communities and strengthen public institutions.
Nicole Bentley
SAFAL
Nicole Bentley
SAFAL
Bio: Nicole Bentley is a Registered Apprenticeship Subject Matter Expert with national management consulting firm Safal Partners. She serves as a member of the team that leads work for the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Registered Apprenticeship Program Expansion Industry Intermediary Contract. She has spent her career working in economic development with a specialized focus in workforce development and registered apprenticeship growth and expansion. Nicole previously worked for Apprenticeship Carolina, South Carolina’s state agency for apprenticeship growth and expansion. In addition to her duties as an Apprenticeship Consultant, Nicole supported a variety of projects including serving as a Grant Administrator for Jobs for the Future’s Center for Apprenticeship and Work-Based Learning cooperative agreements as well as Interim Grant Administrator for the YARG grant. As a Principal at Resource Development Group and a Sponsorship Associate at the International Economic Development Council, she developed an expertise in c-suite level executive management, strategic partnership and relationship management, high profile fundraising and consulting initiatives, and public speaking.
Dr. Debasis Bhattacharya
UH-Maui College
Debasis Bhattacharya
University of Hawaii Maui College
Nicole Cacal
TRUE Initiative
Nicole Cacal
TRUE Initiative
Bio: Nicole Cacal, a Pacific Business News 40 Under 40 honoree, is Executive Director of the TRUE Initiative, leading statewide efforts to help Hawaii’s organizations adopt technology and create local tech jobs. Previously, she founded Forbes Ignite, advising global companies like American Express, Salesforce, Accenture, and Colgate on
innovation at the intersection of technology, sustainability, and social impact. A lecturer at Parsons School of Design and a Virtual Professional-in-Residence at UH’s Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship, Nicole is also a keynote and TEDx speaker on topics from AI essentials to Hawaii’s innovation mindsets.
Brook Conner
UH-Manoa
Brook Conner
UH-Manoa
Bio: TBA
Sarah Dunton
NSF
Sarah Dunton
NSF
Bio: Sarah Dunton is a strategic partnership officer in the US Nation Science Foundation’s Strategic Partnership Hub (SPH) in the Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships Directorate. As a catalyst level leader, she develops high-impact partnerships across industry, government, education, and research.
Most recently, Sarah served as the director and co-pi of the Expanding Computing Education Pathways (ECEP) Alliance, a 30-state computer science education Broadening Participation in Computing Alliance funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation. In this role she built a trusted coalition of state teams seeking to increase access and engagement in K-16 computer science through advocacy and policy efforts.
Sarah holds a BA in Women’s Studies from the Commonwealth Honors College at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and a Master’s in Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is a sought-after advisor and collaborator, engaging with leaders from community-based non-profits to big tech and state and federal government.
Sadie Flick
UH System
Sadie Flick
UH System
Bio: Sadie Flick is a software engineer, AI strategist, and learning designer. In her current role as the AI Learning Systems Architect for the Office of the President at the University of Hawai’i, she serves as technical lead for specialized courseware, consulting SME for AI learning content, and AI R&D specialist, which includes building prototypes for AI-related initiatives.
Prior to her work at the University of Hawai’i, Sadie was a Software Engineering Curriculum Developer and instructor, focusing on Java and Python, and has over a decade of experience in basic to continuing adult education, and workforce readiness.
Sadie is currently working to build “glass box” AI systems that prioritize traceability, knowledge fidelity, and provenance to ensure reliability in educational and workforce software development.
Sujit Ghosh
HPE
Sujit Ghosh
HPE
Bio: Sujit Ghosh is a veteran network engineer and technical marketing executive with over 32 years of enterprise networking experience with a CCIE from 2001. He currently leads a high-performing technical marketing team, specializing in AI-driven operational efficiency, cloud-managed architectures, and enterprise wireless solutions.
Throughout his distinguished career, Sujit spent 22 years at Cisco driving technical marketing for Catalyst wireless networks and Wi-Fi standards, followed by more than five years at HPE/Juniper focusing on Mist AI, automated root-cause analysis, and self-driving network architectures. Recognized as an industry expert, he frequently presents deep-dives into campus networking and AIOps at major global technology forums.
Monir Hodges
PCATT
Monir Hodges
PCATT
Bio: Monir Hodges is A Computer Science professor, software engineer, and technology leader at the Pacific Center for Advanced Technology Training (PCATT), she specializes in full-stack development, enterprise systems, and advanced web technologies. She focuses on adopting and teaching emerging technologies, including generative AI as a copilot in education and software engineering. Her work spans Java, Spring Boot, Python, PHP, MySQL, mobile apps, UX/UI, React, and technology solutions that support higher education and workforce development across the University of Hawai‘i Community College system. She currently uses GitHub, GitHub Copilot, and IntelliJ IDEA to support rapid application development.
Dr. Wayne Lewis
PCATT
Wayne Lewis
PCATT
Bio: Wayne Lewis is the Cisco Academy Manager for the Pacific Center for Advanced Technology Training (PCATT), based at Honolulu Community College (HonCC), and the Legal Main Contact for the CCNA/CCNP/Network Security Cisco Academy Training Center at PCATT/HonCC. Since 1998, Wayne has taught routing and switching, wide area networking, network troubleshooting, network security, wireless networking, IP telephony, and quality of service to instructors from universities, colleges, and high schools in Australia, Canada, Mexico, Central America, South America, United States, American Samoa, Guam, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Singapore, Korea, Japan, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, and Great Britain, both onsite and at PCATT/HonCC. Cisco has sent Wayne to several countries to conduct inaugural Networking Academy teacher-training sessions to certify the initial cohorts of instructors and kick off the training centers for these countries. Before teaching networking, Wayne began teaching at age 20 at Wichita State University, followed by the University of Hawaii and HonCC. In 1992, Wayne received a Ph.D. in math, specializing in finite rank torsion-free modules over a Dedekind domain; he now works on algebraic number theory research in his spare time. Wayne works as a contractor for Cisco , performing project management for the development of network security, CCNA, and CCNP curriculum. He and his wife, Leslie, also run a network consulting company. Wayne enjoys surfing the South Shore of Oahu in the summer and surfing big waves on the North Shore in the winter.
Kevin Mateo Lim
Leeward Community College
Kevin Lim
Leeward Community College
Bio: Kevin Mateo Lim teaches Information and Computer Science at Leeward Community College. Before joining LCC in 2024, he spent twenty years in the tech industry: working on speech models and e-commerce at Google, co-founding Popcuts.com in 2008 with YCombinator backing, and leading the devices team at NBC News. He holds a BS in Computer Science and an MA in Communication from Stanford and a Master of Information Science from UC Berkeley. His current work focuses on the effective use of AI in education. Outside the classroom, Kevin organizes Hawaii Tech Mentors and serves as CEO of Tech Outreach Hawai’i, two organizations dedicated to connecting Hawaii’s technology students and professionals. He lives in Makakilo, O’ahu with his wonderful wife and daughter.
Ben Mendes
Hawaii State Federal Credit Union
Ben Mendes
Hawaii State Federal Credit Union
Bio: Ben Mendes CIO of Hawaii State FCU with 25 years’ experience modernizing regulated enterprises, leading high-performing teams, and advancing cybersecurity, data governance, and resilience to improve member experience, operational performance, and sustainable growth.
Chad Morita
FHB
Chad Morita
FHB
Bio: Chad Morita is an Associate Security Architect at First Hawaiian Bank with a primary focus on vulnerability management and additional expertise supporting cloud security and application security initiatives. In addition to his work at First Hawaiian Bank, Chad teaches CompTIA certification and AI courses with PCATT and is a lecturer at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Seiichi Nagai
Civic Nexus
Seiichi Nagai
Civic Nexus
Bio: Seiichi Nagai is co-founder and CEO of CivicNexus, a Hawaiʻi-based platform that uses AI to help organizations and citizens influence legislation, now serving over 125 organizations across the state. He was previously VP of Engineering at Shifted Energy.
Dr. Gloria Niles
UH System
Gloria Niles
UH System
Bio: Dr. Gloria Niles is the Chief Academic Technology Innovation Officer for the University of Hawaiʻi System. In this executive role in the Office of the President, she leads technology innovation across all 10 campuses. Dr. Niles is responsible for driving the comprehensive integration of information technologies, with a specific focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies. She spearheads the development of system-wide strategies and roadmaps to advance student access, research productivity, and administrative efficiency. Her work ensures that the university remains at the forefront of the ethical and impactful deployment of advanced technology solutions.
As a thought leader, Dr. Niles builds governance frameworks for responsible technology adoption and leads initiatives to improve digital literacy across the university community. She also manages academic technology infrastructure and fosters collaborations with industry partners to align university research with workforce demands. Dr. Niles holds a Master’s degree in a technology-related field and a PhD in Education, and brings extensive experience in senior IT leadership, specializing in strategic planning, academic technology, and the integration of AI within higher education.
Noah Pomeroy
Mindful Work
Noah Pomeroy
Mindful Work
Bio: Noah Pomeroy is the founder of Mindful Work, named Impact Business of the Year 2025 by Chamber of Commerce Hawaiʻi, and a former Professor of Practice at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. His work sits at the intersection of human performance and emerging technology. He has worked with organizations including Punahou School, the Hawaiʻi Leadership Forum, the U.S. Army, and UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center.
Victoria Rivett
Federated Knowledge
Victoria Rivett
Federated Knowledge
Bio: Victoria Rivett leads Programs, Partnerships, and Innovation at Federated Knowledge. She has extensive experience in managing AI workforce development and education initiatives in collaboration with leading tech companies and universities. As a program innovator, she is passionate about all things related to emerging tech, education and the future of work. She is dedicated to empowering people and fostering communities to thrive in an evolving workforce.
Todd Robertson
Hyperspective
Todd Robertson
Hyperspective
Bio: Todd Robertson is CEO of Hyperspective, where he uses story, design, and media to inspire positive change for Hawaiʻi’s people, environment, and future. His work is grounded in helping communities and organizations communicate with clarity, emotion, and impact, and his AI workshops for Hawaiʻi leaders focus on using AI as a human-led tool to reflect mission, define audiences, build strategy, share stories, and uphold local values. Through workshops such as AI for Strategic Visioning, he helps leaders explore AI not as a replacement for human judgment, but as a way to strengthen purpose-driven communication, cultural alignment, and community-centered futures.
Lionel Derrick Roxas
eWorld Enterprise
Lionel Derrick Roxas
eWorld Enterprise
Bio: Lionel Derrick Roxas is the founder of Hexcelerate, a Waipahu High School alumnus, and a UH Mānoa graduate recognized as the 2026 HVCA Student Entrepreneur of the Year. He previously worked on the Workforce Innovation team at the UH Office of the Vice President for Community Colleges and is currently a software engineer at eWorld Enterprise Solutions, building govtech solutions that serve Hawaiʻi’s citizens.
Paul Sakamoto
OVPCC
Paul Sakamoto
UHCC
Bio: Paul Sakamoto with more than 10 years of experience owning and operating an automation company, UHCC IT brings a unique blend of technical innovation, hands-on problem solving, and creative design. His work has included automating routes for two robots at Tripler Army Medical Center, where the robots delivered food and medication throughout the facility.
He was also among the early Smart Home installers in Hawaiʻi, where his programming experience began with IoT devices and connected home automation. In addition to his technology background, he is an accomplished sculptor who has completed private commissions for many clients, including Horita, Seiko, and members of the Coca-Cola family.
He currently works for the University’s Office of the Vice President for Community Colleges as an Application Developer, API Developer, and AI Solutions Developer. In this role, he applies his experience in automation, programming, and innovation to help develop practical technology solutions that support higher education.
Dr. Kimberly Scott
NSF
Dr. Kimberly Scott
NSF
Bio: Dr. Scott is on detail from ASU to the National Science Foundation where she serves
in dual leadership roles as Staff Associate for Outreach and Engagement in the Directorate for STEM Education and Strategic Partnership Officer in the Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships.
A prolific scholar, Dr. Scott is the author or co-editor of several books and has published nearly 100 articles, reports, and policy papers. Her work has earned national recognition and international speaking invitations. She was also selected to complete the High Potentials Leadership Program at Harvard Business School and serves on nonprofit boards.
Dr. Lulu Sun
NSF
Lulu Sun
NSF
Bio: Dr. Lulu Sun is a rotating Program Director in the Directorate for STEM Education (EDU) at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and a Professor of Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She manages a portfolio of programs that advance STEM education, and workforce development including Advanced Technological Education (ATE), Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE), Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program (S-STEM), and the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (Noyce). An ASEE fellow, Dr. Sun has more than two decades of experience in engineering and STEM education. Her research interests include engineering education, STEM workforce development, and AI education. She contributes to the NSF AI Education Working Group and co-led NSF’s participation in the Presidential AI Challenge, a multi-agency national initiative designed to advance AI literacy, innovation, and responsible AI use among students and educators.
Brett Tanaka
HIDOE
Brett Tanaka
Hawaii State Department of Education
Bio: Brett is an Educational Specialist providing statewide K–12 support in Computer Science and AI education. He is dedicated to broadening participation in computing for all students and supporting professional development for CS and AI teachers aligned with the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) K–12 Computer Science Standards. Brett holds a Master of Science in
Information Systems (MSIS) from Hawaii Pacific University.
Gabriel Yanagihara
Hawaii-Based AI Education
Gabriel Yanagihara
Hawaii Based AI Education
Bio: Gabriel Yanagihara is a Hawai‘i-based emerging technology educator and consultant. He teaches AI, computer science, and AI at ‘Iolani School and leads workforce training and tech leadership initiatives statewide. Gabriel has trained thousands of locals and contributed to AI literacy policy development, and advises schools, businesses and nonprofits on sustainable, values-driven AI integration.
