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
Schedule & Sessions
Thursday, June 4, 2026
08:00 AM
09:00 AM
PCATT Welcome and 25th Anniversary Celebration
University of Hawaiʻi Welcome — Kim Siegenthaler, UH System
09:30 AM
Keynote Speaker
Chris Barton – Founder and Creator of Shazam, Entrepreneur, Inventor, and Tech Investor
Topic – Bring Impossible Ideas to Life
Presenter: Chris Barton
Founder and Creator of Shazam, Entrepreneur, Inventor, and Tech Investor
Description: Technology & AI are dramatically changing what’s possible in our world. Our challenge as we create new things is to dislodge from the comfort of what we already know. Chris created Shazam after being told by every “expert” that his outlandish idea was impossible. It was an idea far ahead of its time – eight years before iPhone apps even existed. In this presentation, Chris helps audiences imagine and then create new visions for the future. He inspires with jaw-dropping stories about creating Shazam and shows how innovation comes from not just an idea, but from a series of insights to overcome obstacles along the way.
Takeaway: Audiences learn a new framework of thinking to drive innovation through technology and AI.
10:30 AM
Track I — Trust in AI
Session — Auntie’s Advice for AI Ethics and Responsible Use
Presenter: Mericia Palma Elmore
UH System and HPU
Focus: Ethical challenges, intellectual property, and news reporting. Two guest reporters
Track II — AI and the Future of Work
Session — Game-Based Learning with AI: From Concept to Classroom
Presenter: Monir Hodges
PCATT
Description: This session explores how AI can be used to design and build an engaging educational game app for students. It will demonstrate how AI tools can help generate ideas, create interactive content, personalize learning experiences, and simplify development—making it easier to turn core academic concepts into fun, accessible gameplay that supports student learning.
Track III — Public/Social Interest in AI
Session — AI 101 Vibe Coding: Build and Launch Your Own Projects
Presenter: Gabriel Yanagihara
Description: In this interactive session, attendees will learn what AI is and what it is truly capable of in today’s landscape. We will then dive into how to use AI to rapidly prototype, build, and launch your own digital projects. Participants will explore the “vibe coding” workflow and leave with their own website, a project plan, and the AI skills needed to improve office productivity for free starting tomorrow.
Track IV — Mechanics of AI
Session — Operationalizing Intelligence in Real-World
Presenter: Paul Sakamoto
UHCC
Description: A practical view of AI adoption within existing systems, workflows, and organizational constraints. The following tools will be demonstrated:
1. AI Career Explorer
2. AI Program Report (education to workforce alignment)
3. AI Data Query (Using AI to write SQL and extract data)
11:45 AM
12:15 PM
Lunch Panel
What should educators learn from entrepreneurs, and what should entrepreneurs learn from educators?
Chris Barton — Industry
Kim Siegenthaler — UH System
Brett Tanaka — HIDOE
01:30 PM
Track I — Trust in AI
Session — AI in Cybersecurity
Presenter: Chad Morita
Description: TBA
Track II — AI and the Future of Work
Session — AI Workforce Resources from the National Science Foundation
Presenters:
Dr. Kimberly Scott
Sarah Dunton
Dr. Nasser Alaraje
NSF
Description: This session will cover AI funding opportunities, partnership possibilities, and guidance on NSF program submissions.
This session is presented virtually.
Track III — Public/Social Interest in AI
Session — AI for Social Good
Presenter: Nicole Cacal
TRUE Initiative
Focus: Solving societal challenges such as climate change, education, and public health
Track IV — Mechanics of AI
Session — Understanding Machine Learning Algorithms
Presenter:Wayne Lewis PCATT
Focus: Supervised vs. unsupervised learning
02:30 PM
Track I — Trust in AI
Session — Regulatory Perspectives on AI Trust
Presenter: Darsh Davé and Hunter Kirihara
Kapi‘olani Community College
Focus: Exploring sources of bias and strategies for mitigation
Track II — AI and the Future of Work
Session — Beyond the Bot: How Building with AI Is Defining the Future of Work in Hawaiʻi
Presenter: Dr. Gloria Niles
University of Hawaiʻi System
Description: The Intelligence Era is swiftly moving beyond the “bot phase” of simply using AI tools into the “build phase” of creation and customization. This presentation explores why the future of work requires employees with specialized skills to build with AI, leading to dramatic improvements in productivity, efficiency, and individual agency across all industry sectors. We will discuss the competencies necessary for this shift and highlight the University of Hawaiʻi’s free “Artificial Intelligence for Hawaiʻi” course (https://aiforhi.hawaii.edu/) as an accessible strategy for all attendees to upskill in AI literacy and drive this new building paradigm.
Track III — Public/Social Interest in AI
Session — Every Candidate Deserves an Interview. Every Employer Deserves a Real Conversation. AI Delivers Both.
Presenter: Lionel Derrick Roxas
eWorld Enterprise
Description: Hawai’i loses talent every time an interview doesn’t happen. Candidates struggle with speaking after growing up in the digital world, and employers make bad hires because they screen people out on paper instead of talking to them first. Hexcelerate, built by UH students for Hawaiʻi’s workforce, fixes both with one conversational AI platform: HexReady for candidates and HexHire for employers. In this session, you’ll get hands-on with our “Tell Your Story” interview prep module, then see how the same conversation scales to employers like Goodwill, WorkHawaii, Oceanit, and HECO. You’ll walk away with the workshop curriculum, a live demo, and a partnership pathway for your school or organization.
Track IV — Mechanics of AI
Session — Apple Intelligence, ML, and AI
Presenter: Apple Presenter Apple Education
Description: Learn about AI, Machine Learning, and Apple Intelligence, and how Apple securely and privately integrates them into products and services you use every day.
03:45 PM
Friday, June 5, 2026
08:00 AM
09:00 AM
Keynote Speaker
Dave Free – Cisco Networking Academy
Topic – Learning at the Speed of AI with Cisco
Presenter: Dave Free
Cisco Networking Academy
Topic Description: The pace of AI innovation is unprecedented, but technical progress is only half the story. As we move from AI as a tool to AI as a collaborative coworker, the true challenge lies in preparing our workforce to keep pace. Join Dave Free from Cisco Networking Academy for an insightful look at how the landscape of ICT roles is shifting—and why 78% of technology jobs will soon require specialized AI skills. In this session, we will explore the “AI fog”—the gap between rapid technical advancement and workforce preparedness—and discuss how educators can bridge it.
We’ll look beyond the hype to examine the essential blend of technical proficiency, ethical intelligence, and human-centric skills needed to succeed in the AI era. Whether you are looking to integrate AI into your curriculum or help students transition from
entry-level learners to expert AI practitioners, this session offers a practical roadmap for building a resilient, future-ready workforce.
10:15 AM
Track I — Trust in AI
Session — Trust by Design in the Age of AI
Presenter: Victoria Rivett, AI in Education
Description: This presentation explores how trust in AI should be developed intentionally rather than assumed. It explores how AI is reshaping the process in academia and other domains in how we come to know what is true, how knowledge is formed and information is interpreted. Participants will gain practical ways to verify and use AI with greater confidence in everyday work and life.
Track II — AI and the Future of Work
Session — Experience AI on Apple Platforms
Presenter: Apple Presenter
Apple Education
Focus: Join us for this hands-on experience to explore the full spectrum of on-device AI, cloud AI, and Apple Intelligence across Apple platforms – iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Track III — Public/Social Interest in AI
Session — How can AI tools help with grading? An ethical and practical dive into four effective techniques
Presenter: Kevin Lim
Description: AI Tools based on Large Language Models (LLMs) are changing education. In this session, I’ll talk about upgrades I’ve made to my process that reduce the grading burden while increasing feedback quality and improving student-teacher relationships.
Track IV — Mechanics of AI
Session — Impact of GenAI in the Classroom – Case Study from a Capstone Course!
Presenter: Debasis Bhattacharya
UH- Maui College
Description: Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), which uses Large Language Models (LLMs), has existed for a few years and has significantly influenced higher education. Although educators understand what GenAI is, they find it challenging to implement it effectively in the classroom. While some disruptions have impacted student learning and assessment, they have also notably affected faculty teaching STEM, Business, and other disciplines.
This session will examine the impact on curriculum development, assessment strategies, and teaching methods for a business course, including a case study from a Business Capstone course in the ABIT BAS program at UH Maui College. Session learning outcomes will include designing an adaptive curriculum, project-based assessments, and oral student presentations that showcase creativity in solving new and unique problems.
This session will cover general topics of interest to faculty, staff, and administrators, including hands-on activities to actively engage a diverse audience.
11:30 AM
12:00 PM
Lunch Panel
Topic: Diversifying our Economy via AI
Moderator: Vanessa Rogers
Panelists:
Katie Adams – SAFAL
Nicole Bentley – SAFAL
TBA
TBA
01:00 PM
Track I — Trust in AI
Session — Misinformation and AI
Presenter: TBA
Focus: Navigating the landscape of fact vs. fiction and the public’s role
Track II — AI and the Future of Work
Session — AI in Health
Presenter: TBA
Focus: Benefits and challenges regarding patient privacy and equity
Track III — Public/Social Interest in AI
Session — The Human Edge in an AI World
Presenter: Noah Pomeroy Mindfulness Catalyst
Description: Competing with machines is a losing game. So what is our human edge? As AI capabilities accelerate, the human capacities that technology cannot replace will matter more and more in education, work, and life. This session brings together current research, reflection, and guided practices to help participants strengthen those capacities and begin putting them to work.
Track IV — Mechanics of AI
Session — Glass Box AI: Knowledge Graphs and Decision Tracing (Part I)
Presenter: Sadie Flick
UH System
Description: In 2026, the greatest hurdle for institutions isn’t the technology’s capability—it’s its reliability. This session explores the transition from ‘Black Box’ LLMs to ‘Glass Box’ architectures. By grounding AI in Knowledge Graphs and Fixed Entity Architecture (FEA), we can move from probabilistic guessing to deterministic navigation. We will look under the hood of a local cybersecurity career navigator to explore Decision Tracing (showing the AI’s work) and Knowledge Fidelity (anchoring AI in frameworks like NIST and ESCO). Attendees will walk away with a practical framework for architecting AI systems that are transparent, auditable, and reliable.
For both technical and non-technical audiences, includes high-level technical explanations with visual demos to clearly demonstrate practical use-cases.
02:00 PM
Track I — Trust in AI
Session — Trustworthy AI
Presenter: TBA
Focus: Understanding why AI works and the risk to human agency
Track II — AI and the Future of Work
Session — The Future is Bright: Building a Resilient Workforce in the Age of AI
Presenter: Nicole Bentley and Katie Adams
SAFAL
Description: The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and its impact on the American workforce have outpaced many individuals’s expectations. Nevertheless, workforce development professionals and educators are primed for the shift. The necessity to adapt, evolve, and modernize is fundamental to establishing a sustainable talent development strategy. This session will utilize the Registered Apprenticeship model as a case study to highlight best practices for incorporating AI literacy, education, and hands-on skills training into essential occupations without supplanting their existence.
Track III — Public/Social Interest in AI
Session — Everybody’s Got a Lobbyist
Presenter: Seiichi Nagai
Civic Nexus
Description: What happens when everyone can play the influence game?
Track IV — Mechanics of AI
Session — Glass Box AI: Knowledge Graphs and Decision Tracing (Part II)
Presenter: Sadie Flick
UH System
Description: In 2026, the greatest hurdle for institutions isn’t the technology’s capability—it’s its reliability. This session explores the transition from ‘Black Box’ LLMs to ‘Glass Box’ architectures. By grounding AI in Knowledge Graphs and Fixed Entity Architecture (FEA), we can move from probabilistic guessing to deterministic navigation. We will look under the hood of a local cybersecurity career navigator to explore Decision Tracing (showing the AI’s work) and Knowledge Fidelity (anchoring AI in frameworks like NIST and ESCO). Attendees will walk away with a practical framework for architecting AI systems that are transparent, auditable, and reliable.
For both technical and non-technical audiences, includes high-level technical explanations with visual demos to clearly demonstrate practical use-cases.