Jul 5, 2017 | Education
In May, Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) Women in Technology Project presented the 8th Annual Hawaii STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) Conference at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu. More than 1,000 students, educators, industry partners and community leaders throughout the state and the nation participated in this year’s theme, Download Knowledge, Upload Service. Hands-on STEM activities, competitions, and access to the latest technologies showcased the student’s skills. The conference featured over 40 student and teacher breakout sessions, 14 software competitions, a STEM playground, a formal awards banquet called “The Stemmy’s”, and exhibit presentations.
“Virtually every field in every sector of the economy, whether a small business or major industry, needs STEM professionals,” said Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President. “Preparing our youth to be resilient, well-educated and self-directed learners is at the heart of all MEDB’s STEMworks™ programs. That is what this conference is all about.”
Jadynne Zane, Maui Waena Intermediate School 8th grader said, “Our school won an award in the Project Impact Assessment (PIA) competition. In a designated amount of time, we had to explain to the judges how our STEM club daily demonstrates teamwork, self-directed learning, and critical thinking, and how we interact with the community. One example was about a STEMworks™ team member who created an app that would allow Cystic Fibrosis patients to communicate with each other and their doctors.”
“Allowing the students to select what they are proud of and plan how to present it to a panel of judges is absolutely real life and powerful,” said Jennifer Suzuki, media teacher at Maui Waena School. “They have to organize, work together, and succinctly convey their information. This was just another example of what students can do when they are given the opportunity.”
Caleb Soo Hoo, a senior at Baldwin High School and co-winner, with Chris Kau, of the On-Site Video Competition, concluded, “There are no boundaries when we have the chance to create our own projects. To see our visions realized is the best kind of feeling!”
STEM education has taught me there are no limits to what I can do. Thank you MEDB!
Jadynne Zane, Maui Waena Intermediate 8th grader
Jun 28, 2017 | Education, Stemworks
Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), celebrating their 35th Anniversary, will hold the Annual Benefit Dinner and Auction, Pathways to Our Future, on Saturday August 26 at the Fairmont Kea Lani Maui. Thanks to donors of MEDB’s Ke Alahele Education Fund, STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education is empowering students and teachers throughout Maui County.
“MEDB envisions lives fulfilled in a vibrant economy within the very special culture of Hawaii,” said Graham DeVey, MEDB Program Manager. “An example is Alana Yurkanin, Assistant Marine Coordinator at The Nature Conservancy. Years ago, Yurkanin came to Baldwin High School with a variety of talents and interests, and joined one of MEDB’s after-school STEM programs, Future Scientists and Engineers of America (FSEA). By senior year she’d become FSEA chapter co-president and led a team to victory at UH Engineering Expo, winning international praise for her multi-year science fair project working with sharks.”
“Something about choosing to sit with a group of friends after school in this club opened me up to my own exploration of science,” said Yurkanin. “I felt empowered to ask my own questions and look at my life through a scientific lens. Our time at FSEA allowed us to create electric circuits, simulate the technology used to map the surface of Mars, build and test trebuchets, and parachute eggs from a three-story building. I got to thinking, maybe science wasn’t so scary – it was actually fun and approachable.
“Most of the funding for FSEA came from an organization that especially wanted to engage girls in the sciences, MEDB’s Women In Technology (WIT) Project,” Yurkanin recalled. “I remember WIT staffers visiting our class. I felt so inspired to see women as leaders in this technical field and so appreciative for their encouragement. WIT created incentives for kids to get involved in after-school STEM programs by providing funding for travel and lab materials. I feel that because of this experience, I can now give back to Hawai‘i in meaningful ways!”
MEDB’s STEM programs teach students to pitch in to improve our island environment, working mauka or makai.
Alana Yurkanin, The Nature Conservancy Assistant Marine Coordinator
Jun 14, 2017 | Education
HNu Photonics, a multi-award-winning Maui-based technology company, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. Since its founding, the company has been recognized repeatedly as one of the fastest growing companies in Hawaii. They have taken innovative ideas and transformed them into cutting-edge technologies for commercial, scientific and military applications. The focus of HNu is renewable energy, defense photonics, specialized optics, and medical imaging capabilities.
“HNu has already introduced revolutionary advances in each of these areas,” said founder and CEO Dan O’Connell. “Our core area, solar energy, is now providing enormous quantities of clean, renewable energy in our state.” With 18 patents to his credit, O’Connell and his team have won numerous awards for expertise in technological achievement. HNu has made major efficiency breakthroughs in solar energy generation. “Moreover, HNu Photonics has ventured considerably beyond producing state-of-the-art renewable energy systems,” said O’Connell. For example, HNu has designed and installed the highest-power battery designed for use aboard the International Space Station.
In 2013, the HNu nanoPoint Division exhibited its patented microfluidic system in the state-supported Hawaii Pavilion at the BIO Conference in Chicago. “We were eventually selected to deliver two full space-ready microfluidic systems to NASA, one for deployment aboard the ISS and the other for astronaut training,” said O’Connell.
HNu has a long-standing relationship with Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB). They have partnered with MEDB on a number of initiatives, including collaboration on the electric vehicle project between Japan and Hawaii called JUMPSmart Maui, which includes a network of vehicle charging stations across Maui designed and built by HNu. “We continue to partner with MEDB and UH Maui College to help develop Maui’s future high-technology workforce,” O’Connell said. “Now a leader in many sectors of renewable energy, HNu’s Energy Division employs ground-breaking technology to custom-engineer efficient, eco-friendly homes, businesses, utilities, and communities. Our exemplary team of talented people is committed to a great cause and a great future.”
The company name HNu is derived from the physics formula that defines the energy contained in one photon of light (E=h*nu).
Dan O’Connell, CEO, HNu-Photonics
Jun 7, 2017 | Education, Stemworks
MacKelan Mitchell, a King Kekaulike High School senior, wants to be an aerospace engineer. Luckily, he also happens to be a student in Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) Women in Technology (WIT) STEMworks™ Laboratory. “WIT’s program helps students gain real world experience in a career they are pursuing,” said Mapu Quitazol, MEDB Project Manager. “Mitchell wanted to learn from experts about what they do in their career and what college courses got them where they are. We are fortunate to have a handful of specialists at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) like Senior Aerospace Engineer, Dr. Kim Luu.”
Dr. Luu, who works at AFRL’s Directed Energy Directorate, has been honored by the Air Force for her leadership and management of critical Department of Defense Space Situational Awareness research programs. Dr. Luu has over 20 years experience and is internationally recognized for her technical expertise in satellite characterization, astrodynamics, and space debris.
“It was really great to be able to job-shadow Dr. Luu for a day,” said Mitchell. “She explained about the different aspects of a career in aerospace engineering and what courses will help prepare me in the field. To be honest, I didn’t actually know that there were so many different branches to the space side of engineering.”
Additionally, Mitchell accompanied Dr. Luu to Wailuku to help set up the AFRL portable planetarium for a STEMworks™ outreach event for elementary and middle school students. “The digital planetarium teaches students how to understand astronomical coordinate systems, and how to use significant points to find stars, planets, and even satellites,” said Mitchell. “I learned the importance of ground-based astronomy across the world. After we looked at the night sky in the planetarium, we played a short film about the Curiosity Mars Rover landing and one about going back to the Moon.”
“My day of job-shadowing was very enlightening,” said Mitchell. “I’m thankful to MEDB and WIT for the hands-on opportunities they offer students in the most current technologies.”
Students in STEMworks™ labs are afforded the opportunity to work with local industry partners and gain skills ranging from animation to computer-aided design to engineering design and more.
Mapu Quitazol, MEDB Project Manager
May 24, 2017 | Community, Education
Maui students and best friends, Erica Sawczynec, Kihei Charter School 12th grade, and Celeste Jongeneelen, home-school 11th grade, have received high honors and recognition in astronomy and physics. The girls attended the 2017 Pacific Symposium for Science and Sustainability (PS3) where Jongeneelen was awarded first place and Sawczynec received fourth place. That placement sent them both to the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposia in San Diego where they both placed third in their respective categories in physics. Jongeneelen earned a $4,000 scholarship and both girls were selected as two of eight people who met with Dr. William Daniel Phillips, co-winner of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics.
In May, Sawczynec was awarded second place at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) held in Los Angeles. In addition, she received $500 and an all-expenses-paid trip to the ISEF conference in Washington, DC next January, where she will present her work again. Sawczynec was a summer intern in 2016 with Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) Women in Technology (WIT) Project. Her research as an intern won awards at the three competitions.
“Thanks to MEDB, I learned about the various opportunities we have here in Hawaii for STEM students, something that WIT gives much attention to,” said Sawczynec. “My astronomy project, determining the age and distance of star clusters, is important because it helps us to better understand what is happening in the universe around us. Stars of a certain age have certain characteristics that teach us more about stellar evolution as a whole. This can also aid with identifying stars which could possibly have exoplanets around them, based on how similar they are to our own sun. I would like to major in physics in college because there are still so many astronomical discoveries to be made.”
Thanks to MEDB and WIT for the Summer Internship Program and thanks to my mentor, Dr. JD Armstrong from UH’s Institute for Astronomy, for inspiring me to discover something new about the Universe.
Erica Sawczynec, Kihei Charter School 12th grade
May 10, 2017 | Education
Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) Ke Alahale Education Fund is a key contributor to the innovative use of STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education throughout the state. Thanks to generous businesses and other community stakeholders, MEDB has expanded STEM curriculums, touching thousands of students.
“I am so grateful to Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB)!” exclaimed Liz Buchter, Technology Teacher at Kihei Charter School (KCS). “I received a grant from MEDB’s Ke Alahele Education Fund which went towards equipping my lab with much needed materials, including a 3D (three-dimensional) printer. A 3D printer allows students to participate in the engineering design process from inception to implementation. The students begin by defining a problem based on specific requirements. Then they create design solutions using Autodesk Inventor, a 3D modeling software package.”
A recent KCS project tested the load of newly designed brackets. “The students hooked a bucket to their 3D-designed bracket and they used a potentiometer and a scale to measure how much weight each bracket could withstand,” Buchter explained. “As they kept filling the bucket with incremental units of beach sand, team members graphed how much load the brackets withstood, until the brackets eventually gave way. This hands-on, real-world experience further sparked the student’s motivation for the endless possibilities of 3D modeling and printing, including the advanced technologies that have come about across all fields.”
Dr. Steven Griffin, Senior Technical Fellow and Chief Engineer, Boeing LTS Inc., helped with the setup of the 3D printer and the engineering process. “The 10th graders at KCS generated creative and interesting designs for an engineering challenge that involved computer-aided design, 3D printing, stress analysis and testing,” Dr. Griffin noted. Lucas Lavin, a KSC 11th grader added, “The use of 3D modeling software and printers adds to our creativity and provides us with the opportunities for actual experiences that replicate the engineering process. We hope that one day our ideas and designs will help shape the world.”
It has been a great experience learning how our next generation of engineers crafts solutions to real-world problems.
Dr. Steven Griffin, Senior Technical Fellow and Chief Engineer, Boeing LTS Inc.
May 3, 2017 | Education
In just one weekend, you will experience the highs, lows, fun, and pressure that make up life at a startup. Surrounded by smart, passionate people and with the best tools and strategies at your disposal, you’ll take giant leaps in learning skills to create a business, build a team, and connect with the right people and resources. Ultimately, this experience will put you on the pathway to success. Startup Weekend 2017 is May 19-21, 2017.
Pitch Bootcamp – Prepare for Startup Weekend
Join us for a free introductory Pitch Bootcamp where you’ll receive helpful tips on crafting a strong 60-second pitch for your startup idea and have the opportunity to hone your presentation skills through PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! This free workshop will be held on May 16 from 5pm to 8pm.
For more information and to register, please visit: bit.ly/SUWMaui2017 Call: 808-270-6811 or Email: info@hightechmaui.com
Apr 26, 2017 | Education, Small Business
Petra Marquart
What keeps you up at night? Employee engagement? Service quality? The quality of your customer service can determine your success – or failure!
Petra Marquart, President of Petra Marquart and Associates, will present a comprehensive approach to customer service at the upcoming Hawaii Small Business Conference. Marquart’s topic, “The Power of Service in Small Business Success,” covers the complex issues that affect people’s performance and dedication to work. “I will offer clear instructions on how to create a setting in which productivity, creativity and passion abound,” said Marquart. “The goal is maintaining a high-quality experience for customers.
In a case study, Michael Moore, owner of Na Hoaloha ‘Ekolu, will team up with keynote speaker Maggie Bayless of ZingTrain, Inc., to explain how strong focus on training and leadership development is key to employee satisfaction and retention. “Employee empowerment produces a shared commitment to community engagement,” Moore said. “We’ve been partnering with ZingTrain for many years now. Throughout the history of our businesses, Old Lahaina Luau, Aloha Mixed Plate, Star Noodle, Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop, and Hoaloha Farms, our focus on training and leadership development has been key to employee satisfaction and retention.”
Marquart’s case studies in customer service feature local businesses: Mama’s Fish House, Maui Soda and Ice Works, and Pukalani Superette. “We continue to value the support of our customers,” said Aric Nakashima, owner of Pukalani Superette. “Our store has endured because it has kept up with the times, yet held on to its friendly, neighborhood feel.” Karen Christenson, Mama’s Fish House owner, said, “Our motto is to provide stellar service to our customers.” Agreeing, David Nobriga of Maui Soda and Ice Works said, “Family and community service are our core values.”
On May 4, Marquart will run a 2.5 hour workshop and invites Maui business owners to bring their service and employee issues so that she can explore solutions and answers specific to their everyday challenges. For information and reservations for the 2017 Hawaii Small Business Conference, visit www.HawaiiSmall.biz.
Businesses need solutions and suggestions as to how their organizations can create environments in which people thrive; inspiring them to provide world-class service.
Petra Marquart, President, Petra Marquart and Associates
For information and reservations, visit www.HawaiiSmall.biz.
Apr 19, 2017 | Education, Small Business
Are you confused about the dizzying array of marketing options for your business?
Are you struggling with how to market your business on a tight budget?
You are not alone.
Albert Samuelian
At the upcoming Hawaii Small Business Conference, Albert Samuelian, Managing Director, OMD West and Strategy, will share his expertise on “Powerful Marketing Strategies with a Small Business Budget.” Samuelian will discuss how small businesses can use social media and marketing resources within their budgets to get the word out about their products and services. With more than 20 years of experience, including 6 years with the Hawaii Visitor’s Bureau, he specializes in combining marketing strategies using multi-media communication methods.
“My work focuses on strong integration across all forms of marketing that is consumer-focused and solution-oriented,” Samuelian explained. “I’m most excited about sharing utility-based marketing innovations that impact people’s lives in meaningful ways.”
Risk Management is another area that businesses need to consider. Drew Nagai, Assistant Vice President for Risk and Safety Management, First Insurance Company of Hawaii, will share the latest tools and strategies to assist business clients with managing their risk. “Every business is open to potential risks including the weather, fire, data loss, numerous types of theft, and a myriad of other damaging events,” said Nagai. “The goal during the session is to define, assess, and quantify what risks would most likely create an unrecoverable situation for your business.”
Hosted by Maui Economic Development Board and the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development, the Hawaii Small Business Conference (HSBC) on May 3-4 at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center is timed to coincide with the United States National Small Business Week. The conference will provide business owners, entrepreneurs, and employees with an opportunity to expand their expertise in numerous industry-related subjects.
First day sessions will involve a combination of renowned specialists, plenary panels, and case studies on specific subjects such as Bottom Line Change®, Dimensions of Marketing, Customer Service, Data Security, and Risk Management. The second day will consist of workshops that will dive deeper into some of the subjects, including one on Tax Strategies for Small Businesses.
For information and reservations visit www.HawaiiSmall.Biz , email smallbiz@medb.org, or call (808) 875-2300.
Guidance on integrated marketing strategies is key for all business owners and I’m excited to share these at Hawaii Small Business Conference.
Albert Samuelian, Managing Director, OMD West and Strategy
