What does it really  take to start and scale a business in Hawaiʻi? In this conversation with the co-founder of Elevate, we go beyond the highlight reel and into the real story. From locking in the right space to navigating partnerships, this is an honest look at what it takes to build something meaningful in Kailua. “There were moments where we didn’t know if the deal was actually going to close.” “You don’t see the behind-the-scenes—the stress, the pressure, the risk.” “At some point, you...

Raising Capital from Hawaii: Network Over Location Asked about fundraising challenges as a Hawaii-based founder, Tyler is quick to flip the narrative. “I actually think it’s mostly about network, not geography,” he explains. “If you’ve done something impressive and other impressive people trust you, I don’t think VCs are picky about where you live.” Before moving to Hawaii, Tyler spent years building a strong career and network in San Francisco. That foundation has paid dividends. But he’s...

The UXHI Conference brought together designers, developers, and technologists to explore one of the most pressing questions in modern design: how can we ethically and effectively integrate generative AI into our daily creative work? From ChatGPT to Adobe Firefly, speakers unpacked both the potential and pitfalls of AI tools—highlighting that while automation accelerates learning and creation, it must always be grounded in human judgment, design fundamentals, and transparency. Generative AI in...