A mid-summer Maui TechOhana meeting, presented by Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), explored how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the hotel guest experience and redefining hospitality. Husband-and-wife team Josh and Dana Ellis shared the story behind Abra Hospitality, their fast-growing AI guest intelligence platform. Josh, Abra’s CEO, brings years of management consulting and tech-industry experience. Dana, Abra’s Chief Hospitality Officer, is currently a manager at the Hotel Wailea with extensive personalized hospitality experience.

“Initially started to help Dana better organize her hotel job, Abra’s AI transforms scattered data into personalized, anticipatory service at scale, giving the hotel staff the superpower to deliver the moments that guests never forget,” Josh explained. “Abra unifies guest data, preferences, and staff observations into a single ‘living memory’ to help boutique hotels provide deeply personalized service.”Presented by MEBD and supported by the County of Maui, Maui Tech ‘Ohana offers a talk-story format and provides an informal networking opportunity open to anyone interested in Maui County’s technology sector.

Josh and Dana explored the power and potential of Hawai‘i’s growing tech ecosystem: how to tap into it, how AI is changing for entrepreneurs, and what fundamentals still matter most. “AI isn’t just the next wave of automation; it’s the operating logic of tomorrow’s enterprise,” Josh added. “Organizations that embrace it by 2028 will likely save costs, release products faster, and redeploy talent to higher-value work. Don’t be afraid of AI. In the long run, it’s here to actually give you more time for things that really matter to you.”

Melissa, a TechOhana attendee, shared, “I’m just beginning to incorporate AI into my business. Josh and Dana gave exceptional tips, from monitoring and feedback at early stages of AI development, to orchestration and strategic oversight as the capability advances. Maui TechOhana provides excellent assistance to businesses in the community.”

“It was a fascinating use of AI to improve the hospitality industry,” remarked Kevin Krewell, a retired technology analyst. “The goal was not to replace people but to enhance their capabilities to allow them to do a better job.”

“I think this should inspire other people looking to do startups in Hawai‘i,” Kevin added. “There’s a network of people within the whole Hawaiian chain – the idea that all of Hawai‘i should connect better as a technology island, a technology platform to share more back and forth between the various islands.”