David Y. Ige

HONOLULU — The state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) through its attached agency, the Hawaii Strategic Development Corporation (HSDC), announces the fourth annual MaiTai Maui Tech Night, a signature Startup Paradise event held in partnership with a group of Silicon Valley venture capitalists, tech executives and entrepreneurs.

“MaiTai Maui Tech Night serves as a unique platform for Startup Paradise companies to plug in and connect to Silicon Valley resources,” said DBEDT Director Luis P. Salaveria.  “This event highlights Hawaii’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

The event will comprise of select Hawaii startup companies pitching their business to the audience, as well as a variety of workshops and tech talks that address some of the challenges commonly faced by Hawaii-based startups.

To register for MaiTai Maui Tech Night, visit:  www.eventbrite.com/e/maitai-maui-tech-night-2016-tickets-25364329392.

The event starts at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 14, at Maui Tropical Plantation in Wailuku, and will kick off with a Startup Resources Fair, where local entrepreneurs can learn about the many community organizations that offer funding, mentoring and other services supportive of companies starting up in the islands. From funding to acceleration, cowork space to business services, Startup Paradise is full of resources to help any stage of startup.

The evening will feature a talk with experienced entrepreneur and top AngelList investor Ed Roman. A hacker, serial entrepreneur and angel investor, Roman will share his unique perspective on building startups that stand the test of time. Roman’s talk offers Hawaii entrepreneurs the great opportunity to learn from one of the most influential investors about the current trends and investment opportunities in today’s innovation economy.

Roman has worn many hats in the startup world, whether as software developer or founder of a company with exits to building communities and angel investing. He comes with a diverse background as founder of hack.summit(), the world’s largest programmer conference, creator of TheServerSide.com, the largest Java developer community with 10 million page views per month, CEO of HackHands (acquired by Pluralsight in 2015) and one of the top angel investors running three syndicates on AngelList.

The evening culminates with a networking reception that brings Hawaii’s entrepreneurial community together with members of MaiTai Global, a community of Silicon Valley investors and executives that visits Maui every year for a kiteboarding retreat.

The event’s title sponsor is the HI Growth Initiative, a state economic development program designed to foster the development of an innovation ecosystem in Hawaii utilizing a public private investment model. The participation of the MaiTai Global group underscores the growing activity of Hawaii’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

ABOUT DBEDT (Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism)
DBEDT is Hawaii’s resource center for economic and statistical data, business development opportunities, energy and conservation information, and foreign trade advantages. DBEDT’s mission is to achieve a Hawaii economy that embraces innovation and is globally competitive, dynamic and productive, providing opportunities for all Hawaii’s citizens. Through its attached agencies, the department fosters planned community development, creates affordable workforce housing units in high-quality living environments, and promotes innovation sector job growth.

ABOUT THE HI GROWTH INITIATIVE
The HI Growth Initiative is the State of Hawaii’s effort to catalyze and support an entrepreneurial, innovation-focused ecosystem. From virtually nothing four years ago, this program has supported the establishment of accelerator programs, various signature entrepreneurial events and six Hawaii based venture investment funds.  The HI Growth Initiative partners with private sector investors and other partners in each of these activities. The program is run by the Hawaii Strategic Development Corporation (HSDC), an attached agency to DBEDT.

###

Media Contacts:

Christine Hirasa
Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism
Phone: (808) 587-9006
Mobile: (808) 286-9017
Email: [email protected]
Website: dbedt.hawaii.gov