State of Investment Breakfast & Coffee Panel Discussion

An engaging breakfast panel that explores the crucial role of public investment in driving Hawai‘i’s economic growth and long-term sustainability. Hear directly from state leaders as they share innovative strategies and initiatives strengthening our local economy. This timely discussion will highlight opportunities for collaboration across sectors to ensure a thriving future for all in Hawai‘i.

RSVP is required.

Agenda:

• 9:00–9:30am | Doors open, check-in, grab breakfast
• 9:30–10:45am | Panel Discussion / Q&A
• 10:45–11:30am | Networking; Event pau at 11:30pm

Speakers:

Donavan Kealoha, Startup Capital Ventures

• Donavan Kealoha is a Managing Director at Startup Capital Ventures x SBI Fund, an early stage (Seed to Series A) venture capital firm, investing in B2B technology software companies across various industries.

Chenoa Farnsworth, Blue Startups

• Farnsworth is venture accelerator manager and active angel investor, venture fund partner and start-up advisor. She co-founded and manages Blue Startups, a top 20 U.S. Accelerator (Techcrunch), located in Honolulu, Hawaii. To date, Blue Startups has invested in 140 companies which have gone on to raise $500 million in venture capital and included one unicorn IPO (VLTA).
• For the past 15 years she managed the Hawaii Angels investment network, which has invested over $60 million in over 100 startup companies. In both her personal and professional investment portfolio she invests in and champions female founders. In 2006, she co-founded Kolohala Ventures, a Hawai‘i-based venture capital firm that invested $50 million into Hawai‘i-based technology start-ups.
• Farnsworth has served the community as chair of the Women’s Fund of Hawai‘i, director of the Hawaii Venture Capital Association, director of the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Hawaii, director of the Impact HUB Honolulu, and judge for the University of Hawai‘i business plan competition. Farnsworth earned a BA in political science from the University of California at Santa Cruz and an executive MBA from the University of Hawai‘i.

Keoni Lee, Hawaii Investment Ready (HIR)

• Keoni Lee is the Co-Chief Executive Officer of Hawaii Investment Ready (HIR), a nonprofit intermediary organization whose core purpose is field-building to change the way that money moves in service of its mission for a more just, equitable, and abundant economic future for all of Hawaiʻi’s people and places.
• HIR is pioneering a systems change investing framework of integrated programs and services that targets high potential purpose-driven enterprises for investment and facilitates the coordination and collaboration of capital across philanthropy, government, and the private sector.

Tuan La, Hawaii Technology Development Corporation (HTDC)

• Tuan La is an investment leader with over 15 years of experience across venture capital, private equity, and institutional finance. His career includes significant cross-border work in the United States and Vietnam, where he has managed multi-million-dollar portfolios, executed strategic transactions, and guided companies through growth, restructuring, and exits. Although trained as an attorney with M&A and regulatory experience at Baker & McKenzie, Tuan is no longer practicing law and now focuses primarily on investment strategy and capital deployment.
  He currently serves as the HI-CAP Program Manager at the Hawai‘i Technology Development Corporation, overseeing more than $62 million in funds dedicated to advancing Hawai‘i’s innovation and startup ecosystem.
  Tuan holds both a JD and MBA from the University of Hawai‘i and a bachelor’s degree in finance.

Moderator: Meli James, General Partner, Mana Up Capital

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