Prime Highlights-
- Hawaii Business Magazine’s 2026 Wahine Issue features five women leading Hawaiʻi’s tech industry and proving no path leads into technology.
- AI emerged as a top theme, as a University of Hawaiʻi leader urged responsible AI teaching for everyone across campus.
Key Facts-
- The Wahine Forum on Oct. 26 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village draws more than 1,000 executives.
- Su Shin of Hawaiian Telcom holds a journalism degree, while Gloria Niles holds a chiropractic doctorate.
Background-
Hawaii Business Magazine has turned its October spotlight on women in the workforce, with its 2026 Wahine Issue highlighting female leaders in Hawaiʻi’s tech industry.
Editor Jennifer Ablan and staff writer Grant Nakasone discussed the issue with Hawaiʻi Public Radio. This edition centers on women’s health and also covers women’s work in environmental efforts across the islands.
Nakasone interviewed five women who are making a major impact in the state’s technology sector. He said two themes ran through every conversation. First, no single path leads into tech.
Su Shin, the first female president of Hawaiian Telcom, holds a journalism degree. Gloria Niles, the University of Hawaiʻi’s Chief Academic Technology Officer, earned a doctor of chiropractic degree.
Second, artificial intelligence dominated the talks. Niles said the time for ignoring AI has passed, and schools must now teach students, professors, staff and the public to use it responsibly.
Ablan said Hawaiʻi is not yet seen as a tech hub, but the sector keeps growing. She named Zach Hernandez and Richard Matsui as leaders building the ecosystem alongside these women. She said the islands’ location gives them an edge, and technology now lets residents work from anywhere.
The issue leads up to the 2026 Wahine Forum on Oct. 26 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Ablan called it the state’s largest forum for women executives, professionals and entrepreneurs, drawing more than 1,000 attendees.
