May 1, 2019 | Education, Small Business
On May 8-9, Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), with the support of the Maui County Office of Economic Development, will present their 3nd Annual Hawaii Small Business Conference (HSBC) at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. Attendees will learn key strategies from national and local business leaders, in sessions, workshops and exhibits, on topics such as employee engagement, technology in business, video marketing, data protection, success planning, tax strategies, and more.
“This conference condenses a number of important, relevant topics into a short period of time,” said Gerry Smith, MEDB’s Director of Business Development. “It gives people access to experts who provide invaluable insights to expand knowledge and find solutions to problems. It also provides a forum to network with like-minded people and industry peers.”
On Day 1, Jules Kremer, Technical Project Manager at Google, will speak on ‘Google My Business: Free Tools to Empower Small and Midsize Businesses’. On Day 2, Kremer will be joined by her colleague, Alexandrina Garcia-Verdin, to go further in depth in a workshop on using free Google apps to grow one’s community and business. After 20 years in the technology industry focused on software development and business strategy, Kremer joined Google in 2010 leading a team of strategists and analysts focused on strategic market intelligence. Recently, she began leading the Developer Relations teams for Cloud Startups, Higher Education and G Suite Developer Platform—all tools for organizations to use.
“Small business owners have so much to do,” said Kremer, “from building a business plan to building a team and working with customers. At Google we’ve seen a need to understand the tools and services that can help small businesses when they’re just starting out and as they grow. I’ll be sharing an overview of some ways Google can help build both the business and customer engagement.”
On Day 2, three-hour workshops running parallel both morning and afternoon include: Essential Systems for Small Business Success; Tax Strategies for Small Business; How to Use Free Tools to Grow my Community and Business; and Intellectual Property and Branding.
As a Maui resident, I’m excited to share technology with local Hawaii business owners, empower them for success, and help local businesses navigate today’s online world.
Jules Kremer, Technical Project Manager, Google
For more info visit: www.HawaiiSmall.Biz.
Apr 24, 2019 | Education, Small Business
On May 8-9, 2019, Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), with the support of the Maui County Office of Economic Development, will present their 3nd Annual Hawaii Small Business Conference at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. The event, coinciding with National Small Business Week, recognizes the contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. Attendees will learn key strategies from national and local business leaders, in sessions, workshops and exhibits on topics such as employee engagement, technology in business, video marketing, data protection, success planning, tax strategies and more.
“Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy in Hawaii,” said Leslie Wilkins, MEDB President and CEO. “It is critical that they be nurtured and protected if we want our overall economy to grow. That’s one of the main reasons why this conference was created—to help small businesses grow.”
TJ Schier, President and Founder of SMART Restaurant Group, will give the conference keynote, speaking on his 7 Essential Systems for Small Business Success. Among the insights Schier will share during his keynote and during his Day 2 workshop are his three-pronged strategies for building a team of top performers. Schier noted, “It includes focusing on the mission, to provide a compass for everyone on the business team; retaining the right people and letting the wrong people go; and creating a magnetic culture to attract more of the right people.”
TJ has written numerous books and designs training and guest service programs on topics such as building a team of top performers, hiring, guest service and systems. Following his keynote, TJ will moderate a panel featuring Kim Svetin, Moloka‘i Drugs, Danny Boren, Skyline Eco-Adventures and Lisa Paulson of Maui Hotel and Lodging Association to discuss how Engaging Your Front Line Increases your Bottom Line.
Opening day also includes Talk Story segments with business owners Rachael Ray, U’I Gallery; Teri Edmonds, If the Shoe Fits; and Jason Higa from Zippy’s Restaurants, talking about their business experiences. On Day 2, four three-hour workshops provide an opportunity to go deeper into some of the topics. Further information can be found at www.hawaiismall.biz
“My workshop on Essential Systems for Small Business Success will help companies become more effective.”
TJ Schier, SMART Restaurant Group President and Founder
For a full conference schedule and list of presenters, visit www.HawaiiSmall.Biz.
Apr 17, 2019 | Innovation
L to R: Abigail Anthony, Rhode Island PUC: James Griffin, Chairman of the Hawaii PUC: Governor David Ige; Jennie Potter, Hawaii PUC; Michael Picker, President of the California PUC.
A number of key decision makers from throughout the state and nation exchanged ideas on the challenges associated with replacing fossil fuels with diverse and renewable energy resources during the 6th Annual Hawaii Energy Conference (HEC) and Exhibition at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. Presented by Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) and supported by the County of Maui Office of Economic Development, this year’s conference theme was Innovation in Practice.
“MEDB has focused on the importance of investment, the technical and policy challenges, and the centrality of consumers in the journey,” said Frank De Rego, Jr., Vice Chair, Conference Program Committee, and Director of Business Development Projects at MEDB. “HEC participants benefited from the conference’s thought-provoking keynote speakers, panel sessions, case studies, and exhibits, with ample networking time.”
A highlight of HEC was the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) by James Griffin, Chairman of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC), and Michael Picker, President of the California PUC.
According to Griffin, “The MOU establishes a framework for the Hawaii and California PUCs to collaborate toward the implementation of clean, renewable energy. It also gives us a more formal way of sharing resources.” Picker noted, “California and Hawaii have the same kind of challenges. Hawaii has large amounts of solar on very thin grids, which we have in many parts of our state. We are eager to work together.”
Governor Ige added, “Hawaii is at the forefront for a 100-percent renewable energy future. The goal is for the utility, consumers, and investors to have the right incentives to create a win-win for all.”
Hawaii Commissioner Jennifer Potter concluded, “The California and Hawaii PUCs will now officially collaborate to address climate change, reduce the use of fossil fuels, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By entering into a MOU, staff at each Commission will undertake actions within their mandate to further these goals. This was a remarkable opportunity for the Hawaii PUC to make a strong public commitment to reducing carbon emissions and accelerate clean energy in our state. I am honored to have worked on the MOU.”
Hawaii’s goal is to be truly sustainable and self-reliant.
David Y. Ige, Governor of the State of Hawaii
Apr 10, 2019 | Education, Stemworks
Maui Economic Development Board’s STEMworks™ Program and the Maui County Healthcare Partnership recently presented a STEMworks™ Live Webcast. Approximately 330 Maui County students logged into the virtual program to hear five local and national STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) professionals discuss career pathways in healthcare.
“Building an online learning platform where students and teachers have the ability to connect with the future workforce is an amazing opportunity,” said Lalaine Pasion, STEMworks™ Project Manager. “This technology can have a fundamental and meaningful impact on our generation. There is a tremendous need for healthcare workers, locally and globally. Bringing information about numerous career opportunities into the classroom is a way to introduce students to the field and the tools to achieve their dreams.”
The line-up of presenters included, Dr. Kimble Poon, a cardiologist and electrophysiologist from Kaiser Permanente; Dr. Kelley Withy, professor at UH John A. Burns School of Medicine and Director of the Hawaii Pacific Basin Area Health Education Center (AHEC); Leomer Domingo, Health & Safety Trainer; Kristin Mills, Public Health Educator, Maui Department of Health (DOH); and Benton Turner, Pacific Cancer Institute.
“Every year our understanding of the heart improves, and we learn better ways to treat our patients,” said Dr. Poon, while explaining to the students how the heart works, what an electrocardiogram does, and how and why different pacemakers are used. “Medicine is a skill that takes self-discipline,” he said. “However, the rewards of helping the community are priceless.”
At AHEC, Dr. Withy provides educational outreach, recruitment, and training to over 3,000 students a year. “Anyone who wants to be a doctor or healthcare professional, my office helps you,” she said. Kristin Mills, DOH, explained, “Public Health is applied science to create a healthy community. We must care for our body, mind, and spirit.” Parker Kahoohanohano, a Kihei Charter School 4th grader commented, “I liked learning about being healthy. Plus, I learned what steps to take to get into the military and attend college, the importance of CPR and first-aid training, and about careers in healthcare. Thanks MEDB!”
I’ve always been motivated by a passion for learning and a desire to serve, so medicine and teaching was a natural fit for me. STEMworks™ Live is a great way to introduce students to available opportunities.
Dr. Kimble Poon, Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist, Kaiser Permanente
Apr 3, 2019 | Environment, Events, Small Business
The 3rd Annual Hawaii Small Business Conference will be held at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center on May 8 & 9, 2019, presented by the Maui Economic Development Board with the support of County of Maui Office of Economic Development. Business owners, managers, start-ups and entrepreneurs interested in increasing their business knowledge, sharpening their professional skills, expanding their business network, and taking their business to the next level are encouraged to attend.
Listen to experts and business owners on employee engagement, technology in business, video marketing, data protection, success planning, tax strategies and more.
Learn more at www.hawaiismall.biz
Mar 27, 2019 | Education, Stemworks
Maui High School 9th grader Faith Christy Soliven won First Place Senior Division Physics and Astronomy at the 60th Maui County Regional Science & Engineering Fair. Her project was “The Intriguing Short-Term Weather Variability of Jupiter”. One of the 18 merit award winners, Soliven will represent the Maui District in the Hawaii State Science & Engineering Fair on Oahu, April 8-10.
“My project investigates the short-term changes of Jupiter’s upper atmospheric structure over a 10-hour rotational period,” Soliven explained. “Data from the Las Cumbres telescopes allowed my mentor, Jessica Schonhut-Stasik, graduate student at the UH Institute for Astronomy in Hilo, and I to monitor the change in flux over the surface during a rotation period to see how Jupiter’s weather varies in the upper atmosphere as it rotates. Jupiter was good to observe, because of its large size, closeness, and brightness. Studying Jupiter’s short-term variability is a good pilot test for observing other planet’s weather in the future. We expect the observations can help us learn more about similar planets and how they affect the near-Earth space environment.”
Schonhut-Stasik said, “Faith is one of the best science students I’ve had. I’m so proud of her advancing to State on her first attempt. Also, I’m pleased that she has learned coding for Python. Coding is valuable for every graduate now and I’m glad I could provide her with that opportunity. I think we can expect awesome things from Faith, at State and in the coming years.”
Soliven was introduced to the concepts of STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) at Lokelani Intermediate School, a Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) STEMworks™ school. “Sponsored by MEDB, I went to my first Hawaii STEM Conference and on field trips like ‘Introduce a Girl to Astronomy Day’ at the Haleakala Observatory,” said Soliven. “Being involved in these opportunities and extracurriculars inspired me to consider the vast number of opportunities provided in the STEM industry. I learned so much about the skills needed to perform problem-solving tasks and how applying that to the real world can make a huge difference in my life and impact many others.”
My motivation for this project was the idea of wanting to apply astronomy to understand our own planet and the solar system.
Faith Christy Soliven, Maui High School 9th grade
Mar 20, 2019 | Environment, Sustainability
First-place Maui County Regional Science & Engineering Fair Junior Division winners Holden Suzuki and Wilson Chau, Maui Waena Intermediate School STEMworks™ 6th graders, used the scientific method of photometric observations in their award-winning project, “Used Car, High Mileage”. “The purpose of our project was to view the compositions of asteroids through using color, the method commonly used by scientists,” Suzuki and Chau said. “We did this by gathering images of Elon Musk’s cherry-red Tesla convertible that he launched as the payload for the first flight of his new rocket, Falcon Heavy, in February 2018. The upper stage of the Falcon rocket pushed the Tesla car into an elliptical, heliocentric orbit between Earth and Mars.”
Suzuki and Chau explained, “The vehicle, having a known color, was chosen as the test object. We predicted that the vehicle would appear red because we used a method similar to the one scientists use to identify the composition of asteroids. We put data from three different filters into Astrometrica photometry software and got a color that was similar to white. Although the result wasn’t what we thought it would be, it ended up making us think more. We believe the reason it’s white is that the white booster rocket is still attached and flying with the vehicle. Given that the booster is much larger than the car, the results make sense. In conclusion, we learned that, even when we think differently at first, we have to trust our data. Some next steps would be to figure out how to get the white out of our data.”
Holden and Wilson’s mentor, Dr. J.D. Armstrong, Educational Outreach Specialist, University of Hawaii’s Institute for Astronomy, said, “Some people thought there wasn’t really a car up there at all, so we decided to see if we could get some observations to support the claim that it was a car. The first thing that came to mind was to measure the color. This was fun and interesting science. Besides, it might be the real motivation for many of the greatest discoveries in science!”
We are extremely excited to represent Maui District in the Hawaii State Science & Engineering Fair on Oahu, set for April 8-10.
Holden Suzuki and Wilson Chau, Maui Waena 6th graders
Mar 13, 2019 | Education, Environment, Innovation
Maui resident Dr. T.S. Kelso has been tracking satellites for over 35 years. Kelso serves as a Senior Research Astrodynamicist and Space Data Center Operations Manager for the Center for Space Standards & Innovation at Analytical Graphics, Inc. (AGI). Throughout his career he has supported the space surveillance community by providing educational materials and data to satellite users around the world.
“My main job is running the Space Data Center, where we screen 748 satellites for 30 satellite operators from many nations,” Kelso explained. “We are screening these satellites to identify close approaches with other satellites and all the debris up there. Right now, there are 2,000 operational satellites in Earth orbit, and we track over 17,000 objects larger than 10cm. The real challenge is filtering through the hundreds of close approaches we see each day, so that the operators can focus on how to move in time to avoid a collision.”
AGI is a big supporter of education and has been a key sponsor for the annual Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference (AMOS) Conference, a program of Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB). “Not only does AGI sponsor AMOS, but we have hosted a star party each year to introduce attendees to the wonders of the Maui sky,” said Kelso. “In addition, we have supported MEDB’s STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) programs with free educational copies of our software.”
Kelso also operates the CelesTrak website, the world’s first private source for orbital element sets and related software and educational materials. The site is visited by more than 350,000 users each day and supports everyone from professionals operating satellites in orbit, to faculty, students, and other researchers investigating the space environment− to individuals who just want to go out to see the International Space Station pass over.
Kelso concluded, “All the safety and security considerations of air and sea travel now pertain to space travel at a vastly enhanced level because the costs and risks are even higher. The event of spacecraft colliding is serious to our global economy and security.”
We can move satellites so they don’t get hit, and we do that every day. AGI designs software to predict close approaches of satellites. That’s my job; that’s what I do!
Dr. T.S. Kelso, Senior Research Astrodynamicist and Space Data Center Operations Manager, Center for Space Standards & Innovation, AGI
Mar 6, 2019 | Environment, Events, Small Business
Hawaii has experienced enormous growth in distributed energy resources, primarily photovoltaic systems. This year’s conference will take an in-depth look at the innovative policies and technologies that continue to allow rapid growth in PV, and will compare Hawaii solutions with those in Colorado, California and other states. We will also ask what the right blend of fossil fuel and renewable energy sources is for the portion of our economy not covered by the Renewable Portfolio Standard. Come join the discussion at one of the nation’s leading energy conferences.
Feb 27, 2019 | Innovation, Stemworks
The one-day Patsy T. Mink Summit at the MACC, hosted by Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) STEMworks™, was an inspiring and informative gathering for high school girls of all backgrounds to network with successful female leaders in the community. “We are partnering with MEDB STEMworks™ for a second year bringing the Girls Summit to Maui,” said Colleen McAlaney, Director of Patsy T. Mink Center for Business and Leadership, YMCA Oahu. “The program is based on building interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) career paths. Through workshops in Financial Literacy, Engineering Design Challenge, Mentoring, and Advocacy, the young women explored diverse careers, defined their personal ambitions, and learned what it will take to achieve them.”
“We are excited to partner with Mink Center to host this amazing event,” said Mapu Quitazol, MEDB Program Manager. “It is important for our young women to see and hear from professional women who are in leadership and technical roles. Girls are empowered when they practice creative thinking and decision making skills.”
Mentor Leah Belmonte, Maui Representative for Governor David Ige, said, “It was so refreshing to be able to speak with our youth in mentoring sessions and be a positive influence to help them prepare and succeed in the workplace.” Keynote speaker Deanna Garcia, Corporate Operations Manager/Maui Site Lead, Akimeka LLC, explained, “Starting as an MEDB intern, I had so many opportunities that taught me how to improve my leadership skills. Whatever you dream is possible. MEDB helps you succeed. They want you to ask questions and seek out what you want to achieve. Personally, I’m so grateful, I want to give back to the community.”
Isabelle Collier, Baldwin High School 11th grader, concluded, “The Girls Summit was definitely beneficial. We were all able to talk and learn from a variety of mentors who gave us short term advice as well as advice that will be beneficial to our future. Every second at the event we were learning something new. It was an experience that every girl should be able to use in her life.”
Patsy T. Mink, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Hawaii, advocated for numerous issues, programs, and projects, including empowerment of women. I want to do the same for our community.
Deanna Garcia, Corporate Operations Manager/Maui Site Lead, Akimeka LLC
