Hawaii residents contributed to key space-related discussions at the 5th annual EMER-GEN® Conference held at the Wailea Beach Resort-Marriott. The program, presented by the Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) in a joint initiative of the Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference (AMOS) and the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), represents young professionals and university students (ages 18-35) who are enthusiastic about careers in space. SGAC, a global non-governmental organization partners with the United Nation and organizations from around the world to nurture the next generation of space leaders.
Excellent speakers and mentors joined the EMER-GEN event on September 7th with a series of pre-event webinars with a focus on fostering innovation and entrepreneurship among the cohort. The group met in-person on September 26-27 for the main program that featured sessions in Celestial Navigation, Space Traffic Management, Mentoring, Consensus Building and a Hack-A-Thon. Teams of participants were challenged to find innovative ways to apply space-based technologies.
“This year’s EMER-GEN program welcomed 47 young space professionals, half of whom call Hawaii home, and the rest were from all over, as far away as India,” said Annette Lynch, MEDB Program Manager. “Scholarships were available for Hawaii residents as the program looks to help build the Hawaii aerospace sector.”
Four young professionals on the planning committee helped the MEDB organizers shape the program. Two representatives nominated by SGAC, Rishin Aggarwal, Indian Space Research Organization, and Eniko Molnar, Satellite Applications Catapult (UK), were joined by 2021 alumnus Zachary Stein of The Boeing Company, a resident of Maui. A 2020 alumnus, Quentin Verspieren of the University of Tokyo, returned to the committee to provide his experience and knowledge of space policy and consensus building.
Hackathon Mentor Tom Kubancik, founder and Executive Vice President of Trusted Space, Inc., said, “EMER-GEN employs the creativity and vigor of our youth in advancing humanity through the peaceful uses of space. It is vital for the future generation to develop methods to operate spacecraft safely in the increasingly congested and contested space environment.”
Christianne Young, Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory, said, “I have been working on launching cube satellites at the University of Hawaii. EMER-GEN opened my eyes to the need for international policy and cooperation for space safety.”
Discussion topics ranged from effective multi-cultural communication and leadership qualities to international cooperation in space and the long-term sustainability of the space environment.
On September 27-30, the 23rd annual Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (AMOS) Conference, a program of the Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), had its highest-ever registration of 1,212 in-person attendees at the Wailea Beach Resort-Marriott─ Maui. An additional 259 participants viewed the livestream of the premier technical conference in the nation devoted to Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and Space Domain Awareness (SDA).
The conference represented a cross-section of government, military, industry, and academic participation that fueled important discussion on space sustainability at local, national, and international scales. Keynote presentations, SSA Policy Forums coordinated with Secure World Foundation, invited talks, poster presentations, exhibits, technical sessions and short courses were featured in the program.
“The AMOS Conference is experiencing astronomical growth on all fronts: attendance in-person from around the world, partnerships with our sponsors and exhibitors, and the technical contributions by our authors and presenters,” said Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President and CEO. “This year’s gathering mirrors the growth we have seen in the space economy across the globe. Our international participants, from 23 countries, included our neighbors from the Indo-Pacific region as well as Europe and Central America. Additionally, MEDB continues to support the Air Force’s mission on Maui which, in turn, supports our mission of economic diversification.”
Victoria Samson, Washington Office Director for Secure World Foundation (SWF) and an AMOS Conference panel moderator, noted, “AMOS provides the opportunity for networking and knowledge-sharing within the SSA community. The keynotes and SSA policy forums at AMOS offered collaboration on space security and stability by looking at how SSA can promote space safety among all nations. Space has become an increasingly complicated domain and it is vital to have a cooperative approach for space sustainability in order to benefit all people.”
Conference Technical Chair Paul Kervin, Air Force Research Laboratory (retired), noted, “In collaboration with the American Astronautical Society (AAS), the AMOS Conference provided participating authors the opportunity to be published in a well-respected peer-reviewed Journal of Astronautical Sciences. At the close of the conference, AAS also recognized outstanding efforts by presenting awards for Best Paper and Best Student Paper.”
The continued growth in attendance and participating countries at AMOS reflects the growing interest in space sustainability and space commerce initiatives.
For more than two decades, Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) has worked with local industry partners to provide internships. Two years ago, STEMworks™ focused on the Agriculture sector to expand its work-based learning experiences for students and since then, with its partners, the program has delivered a highly successful Ag Business and Technology Internship program. This has consistently aligned the abilities and interests of Hawaii’s students with industry professionals throughout the islands. The experiences continue to provide invaluable work-based learning for STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) students not only to explore career pathways, but also to assess job opportunities. As a project-based, service-learning initiative, STEMworks is an innovative and hands-on STEM educational approach designed to produce critical thinkers and problem-solvers.
“With regard to the Ag Program, I think it is important for everyone to understand where food, clothing, and other everyday items come from and that they should thank a farmer or rancher,” said Britney James, STEMworks Program Specialist. “Without agriculture, our future is bleak, which only drives my passion to encourage keiki to consider the various Ag careers available to them. To keep Hawaii’s agricultural industries strong and sustainable, we need to engage our youth in experiential learning within Ag. Only then can we grow our future leaders. Along the way, interns work tirelessly on their professional and software skills.”
Kahenawai Hirata, Molokai High School, noted, “I am currently interning at Sust’āinable Molokai where I learned that we have to re-prioritize the meaning of ‘consumption’. We live on an island surrounded by ocean and import about 90 percent of our food and goods. We need to be self-sufficient. Understanding our island’s resources and how our environment is changing is important for our future needs. To become responsible and sustainable farmers of the land and sea, we, as the next generation, need to get involved!”
Ag Intern alumnus Drake Breitback, a recent Baldwin High School graduate, said, “I learned so much from my internship with Native Nursery. I worked a great deal with native plants and discovered how to take cuttings from plants, how to prune, propagate, and properly water them, how to correctly transplant them into bigger pots, and how to identify different native species. My future hope is to give back to the community in a helpful and sustainable way.”
Internships are available for fall, spring, and summer semesters with participating STEMworks schools. For more information, email britney@medb.org.
Zoe Mounts, Seabury Hall freshman, was recently honored at the 2022 Blue Planet Foundation Student Energy Summit on Oahu for her work on climate awareness. Mounts dedicated a six- month solo research project to Climate Change Awareness culminating in the production of four informative videos, each 7-10 minutes in length: Climate Change is Real; Food Wasting in our World; Plastic Pollution and Solutions; and The Truth about Consumption. She created a Vimeo showcase of these short films and presented them to her school and church community during an Earth Hour event that she helped to coordinate.
“In 2019, I chose to implement many zero-waste practices in my own life,” said Mounts. “I am currently in the process of organizing a new Sustainability Club at Seabury Hall, and I have been in communication with the cafeteria staff to implement more sustainable practices in the campus dining program. The school club would help raise awareness of environmentally sustainable practices and motivate students to find clean energy solutions. During the Blue Planet Summit, I had the opportunity to network and collaborate with like-minded peers, applying ideas to real-world challenges, which I now want to share.”
Recognizing that the youth are our future, the Blue Planet Student Energy Summit emphasizes educating the students of Hawaii to empower them to speak up and act. Launched in 2015, the Summit motivates students island-wide to discover sustainable solutions for their own communities. Another focus is making the voices of Hawaii’s youth heard through building a collective roadmap to share with state and local leaders around the 2022 legislative session.
Mounts added, “The Summit offered a forum to cultivate ideas for solving the biggest challenges of our generation. Energy professionals equipped us with tools, connections, and information to continue to make positive changes for our islands. I was inspired to think creatively about renewable energy, clean-transportation alternatives and energy efficiency. Also, I was challenged to think critically about economics and policy, and how to take part in systemic change in Hawaii’s energy laws. Hawaii has an exciting 100-percent renewable energy future.”
I hope to share what I learned at the 2022 Blue Planet Student Energy Summit with my school and the community. We are tomorrow’s clean-energy leaders.
The 9th Annual Hawaii Energy Conference (HEC), presented by Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) and supported by the County of Maui Office of Economic Development, explored the theme “Electrification: Where are we now? What does the future hold?” The two-day virtual conference revisited all the aspects of electrifying the grid and transportation—current successes, potential pitfalls, and future opportunities.
Mayor Victorino stated, “MEDB is helping to lead the way to the future. Hawaii is a leading state for solar energy in the nation with a goal of 100-percent renewable energy by 2045. Our famous trade winds can help generate electricity and we have the potential to capture wave energy and geothermal for our energy needs. We have sustainable energy, and an abundance of sunshine and resources to help us. We look to the engineers, scientists, and other experts at this conference to help the people of Hawaii make a transition to renewable energy sooner than later.”
Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President and CEO said, “Electrification will completely impact how we approach the issues of energy, production, distribution, energy equity, resilience, and more. Our program focused on the challenges and opportunities before us all in building a resilient, sustainable, affordable, secure, and equitable energy future.”
Abigail Anthony of the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission said during her keynote at the conference, “Rhode Island, the smallest state in the country, roughly the size of Oahu, asserts that right rates and benefits are needed in order to encourage residents to convert to electrification. Electrification is no longer just for early adopters; it is ready to go to scale. We are focused on advancing equity, by making sure our customers are paying only for things that they can benefit from as well as afford.”
The 2022 HEC brought together experts on energy policy, strategies, leadership and innovation to help Hawaii reach its goal of 100-percent renewable energy sources.
Frank De Rego, Jr., MEDB Director of Business Development Projects, Co-Chair, 2022 HEC Program Committee
Recently, Hawaii’s Brian Kohne, an award-winning music producer and independent motion picture writer, director, and producer of the movies Kuleana and Get a Job, was the guest speaker at Maui TechOhana. Presented by Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) with the support of the County of Maui, Kohne talked story at the virtual meeting.
Kohne noted, “I hope the attendees gained a greater sense of our interconnected industries: the arts, media, and motion pictures. That in order to build a thriving, sustainable industry here on Maui, we must place equal emphasis on infrastructure, workforce development, and education.”
Kohne returned to Maui in 2005 from Silicon Valley, having excelled as a national director of sales and marketing in corporate video production and sports broadcasting, as well as a senior user-interface architect for an interactive television corporation. Presently, Kohne is principal of Hawaii Cinema Inc., and director of the Academy for Creative Media at University of Hawaii Maui College.
“During Maui TechOhana, I illuminated a few projects we were able to successfully complete , and how the state tax incentives were essential, as was the support of our local community,” Kohne recalled. “I also talked about the Academy for Creative Media, a multi-media school I have built in recent years that is beginning to thrive. We offer degrees in filmmaking, graphic design, creative media, and, coming soon, animation. Island creatives no longer need to leave the island to receive high level educational opportunities in media.”
Speaking about opportunities on Maui, Kohne added, “once the pandemic is no longer a major governing issue, producers and studios will return to business as usual in chasing the ripest tax and financial incentives in determining where they will spend their time and money. So, we must continue to invest resources to support and grow an industry from within. Hawaii residents must originate viable productions in order to truly enjoy the benefits of the arts, media, and motion picture industries.”
Kohne shared his unique experiences in film and music along with his efforts to build the creative industries sector of our local economy.
Frank De Rego, Jr., Director of Business Development Projects, MEDB
Maui residents Stephen Reyes and Savannah Forbeck started Tartaria Juice Company during the pandemic to stay healthy, share their knowledge of wholesome juicing, and grow their business. Once the community opened up again they were eager to get out and offer their nutritious and organic juices. “Our goal is to share the wealth of health with as many people as possible while supporting local and organic agriculture,” said Forbeck. “Our juices, 100% cold-pressed for premium quality, maintain their nutritional value and anti-inflammatory health benefits. We feel it is important to be fully transparent about our ingredients and where we source them. Grown locally on Maui, our ingredients are either certified organic, organically grown, or grown without the use of chemical pesticides and herbicides.”
Tartaria Juice came about as Reyes and Forbeck dove deeper into uncovering a healthy lifestyle for themselves. Starting the company aligned with their passion for removing obstruction from the body, especially in the time of Covid-19. “Juice became a center point for our own healing journey as we found it to be a very powerful tool in pulling lymphatic waste from our bodies as well as aiding in digestion and healing,” Reyes explained. “Our bodies finally had a well-deserved break. Cold-pressed juicing has become an integral part of our daily life and now we want to share its power.”
The method of extracting cold-pressed juice uses significantly less friction and heat than traditional forms of removal. Cold-press juicers are gentle in their extraction, leaving nutrients intact, with dramatically increased flavor and longer refrigerator life. “Most of the juice that you buy at supermarkets is pasteurized, meaning it has been cooked or heated to a certain temperature which eliminates most of the nutrients you need,” Forbeck noted. “The cold- pressed process boosts your energy levels, and improves your immune system while it retains more vitamins, enzymes, minerals, and antioxidants. Cold-pressed juice—liquid love—is a simple form of energy, a way to rehydrate and heal the body. Most importantly, this method of juicing helps us live in balance with nature and one another to stay healthy and happy.”
The benefits of cold-pressed juice are boundless. The nutrients immediately enter the body and provide a kick of energy!
Stephen Reyes and Savannah Forbeck, Tartaria Juice Company
The 13th Annual Hawaii STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) Conference is almost here! After two years of hosting the Conference virtually, Maui Economic Development Board, (MEDB) is extremely excited to be returning to the Hawaii Convention Center for the 13th iteration of their celebration of ‘All Things STEM’. The event, being held on Friday, April 29th , is open to all STEMworks™ facilitators and high school students.
“MEDB is thrilled to see the students in-person this year,” said Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President and CEO. “We are easing back into an in-person event as we continue to help build career readiness skills. Our hope is that by equipping our youth with the right skills, tools, and opportunities, we can inspire the next generation of innovators, ensuring a bright future for our community and our world.”
MEDB’s STEMworks students and teachers, along with community and business leaders across the state, are invited to celebrate the student’s service-learning projects, hear stories of inspiration, engage with some of the biggest names in the STEM field, and experience the excitement of a regional technology conference. The students will showcase their analytical thinking skills and apply the latest high-tech industry tools in an innovative approach to environmental and cultural issues.
Katie Taladay, MEDB Director of Education and Workforce Development, STEMworks, noted, “We will have hands-on professional development opportunities for teachers and students, industry networking sessions, and a STEM Playground. We welcome our teachers, students, and industry professionals back in-person for a full day of hands-on training opportunities, mentoring and networking with leading industry professionals. This year, we will bring folks together from many sectors including Computer Science, IT, Cybersecurity, Augmented and Virtual Reality, Creative Media, including Film and Video Game Design, Geospatial Sciences, Engineering, Energy Science, Health Sciences, and much more. There will also be time to celebrate and honor our STEM talent from across the state by awarding the coveted STEMMYS.”
Wilkins added, “STEM education has the power to improve all of our lives. The Hawaii STEM Conference creates meaningful learning experiences to enrich the lives of Hawaii’s students today and into the future.”
STEMworks initiatives focus on empowering students with 21st century skills to prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow.
Each February, Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) STEMworks™ program offers the popular Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day (IGED), also called Girl Day. Held in conjunction with National Engineering Week, this year’s STEMworks event had 155 middle-school girls registered from around the state. Nationwide, throughout the week, organizations, partners, industry professionals, mentors, and teachers showed girls how to get involved in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields. The theme, to increase interest in engineering subjects, promote amazing engineering feats by women in our society, and encourage students to consider engineering careers, is vital for our future generation of women.
“Girl Day is our most favorite day of the year at MEDB because we get to see the future of STEM as the girls work on their creative innovations,” said Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President and CEO. “IGED inspires them to think about solving problems to make our community a better place.”
STEMworks Director of Education and Workforce Development Katie Taladay added, “IGED is important to make sure girls feel supported as they explore different engineering areas and see how engineers change the world. We presented a 30-minute, industry-led lightning talk and Q&A session with six women engineers specializing in aerospace, agricultural, biochemical, civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering to expose girls to the wide variety of careers in engineering.”
A STEMworks teacher at Kihei Charter School (KCS) noted, “Everyone had a wonderful time and ran into challenges that they were able to overcome with pride. They all left the event with huge smiles.” A KCS middle-school agricultural session participant reflected, “IGED was so interesting! We engineered a drip-irrigation system and explored the science of irrigation and the different ways that farmers put water to work, from flood-irrigation to spray-irrigation to computer-controlled farming.”
Taladay concluded, “It is important to provide and develop future leaders through community-based programs such as STEMworks that empower students to solve unpredictable, real-world problems. Designed to address planning for Hawaii’s future, IGED engages young women in events that add to their skill set and inspires them to choose a career in STEM.”
STEMworks provides role models from diverse engineering fields to encourage girls to learn engineering skills that exhibit the wide range of career paths they can choose from.
Katie Taladay, MEDB Director of Education and Workforce Development, STEMworks
