Hawaii Book & Music Festival 2021 | Conversation: The Bitcoin Solution for Hawai‘i Energy
On Thursday, October 21 from 4:00 - 5:00pm, Sterling Yee, Oceanit's Director of Strategic Consulting Services, will moderate a conversation with Blockchain Solutions Hawai‘i (BSH) founder, Nathaniel Harmon about the physical realities of 100% renewable energy for Hawai‘i and how the Hawaiian Islands' location offers a potential win-win solution that utilizes our greatest resource, the deep ocean, in a discussion titled: “The Bitcoin Solution for Hawai‘i Energy”.
Nathaniel received an M.S. in Marine Geology and Geochemistry from the University of Hawai‘i Manoa and founded the Hawaiian Islands Conservation Collective in an effort to harness locally educated scientists to restore native ecosystems. Having been involved with Bitcoin since 2013, Nathaniel founded Blockchain Solutions Hawai‘i (BSH) with the goal of creating “Hawai‘i’s Blockchain Helpdesk.” Through BSH Nathaniel provides consulting and educational services to businesses, individuals, and legislators alike, pioneered a Zero-Knowledge On-Boarding Security service, and developed commercial grade software ecosystems for 2nd Layer Bitcoin solutions using Sidechains and the Lighting Network.
Sterling Yee's recent project experience included the organizational change management (OCM) efforts for the State of Hawai‘i business transformation initiatives. The main focus areas of the OCM effort included leadership, communication, learning and knowledge transfer, organizational structure and job redesign, and resistance management. Prior to Oceanit, Sterling served as the COO of La Pietra – Hawai‘i School of Girls, as the General Auditor of Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc (HEI). In 2012 he was appointed by the Hawaii State Legislature to the State IT Steering Committee. He serves on the boards of the American Lung Association, the School for Examining Essential Questions of Sustainability, and other boards.
RSVP at the link below.
The 16th annual Hawaii Book & Music Festival returns virtually, October 1 – November 4, with its core program of Hawai‘i Authors, and community thought leaders and experts in Hawai‘i Sustainability & Resilience, Health & Wellness, Innovation Future, Hawaiian Culture, amplified by national and international Authors addressing some of the greatest issues for Hawai’i’s future.
Hawai’i 2.0: Economic Diversification by Defeating Geography - Dr. Patrick Sullivan Delivers Keynote Address
Honolulu, HI. 23 September 2021 | Oceanit Founder & CEO, Dr. Patrick Sullivan delivered the keynote address at the 2021 Hawai’i Insurer’s Council Annual Meeting, presenting a path forward to diversifying Hawaii’s economy — away from tourism — by ‘Defeating Geography.’ also articulated in Sullivan’s recent book “Intellectual Anarchy – The Art of Disruptive Innovation.”
‘Defeating Geography’ examines how key infrastructure makes the geographic limitations to business and economic growth– particularly in the innovation industry — much, much less important. Look no further than life during the COVID-19 Pandemic to appreciate how the world and working conditions have changed. A variation of remote or hybrid work is the new normal for many knowledge workers. Connectivity enables work from almost anywhere in the world.
Additionally, since manufacturing and delivery are all about managing partners and supply chains, economic growth is more limited by education and imagination than by geography. Sullivan argued that businesses and policy makers should insist that key infrastructure like (1) affordable energy, (2) high speed broadband and (3) affordable transportation are priorities for governments. Paul Romer’s 2018 Nobel Prize-winning work in economics economic growth examines the role of innovation in economic growth — endogenous growth, based on home growth innovation, far outruns neoclassical growth (Hawaii’s current economy).
Sullivan further argues that Hawaii’s isolation today, considering all the changes in technology that we already enjoy, is more of a self-adopted limitation than a real limitation. Sure, there was a time when geography was everything, but as technology progressed, geography is less important, and instead innovation rests on people, education and imagination. . Hawai’i is a metaphor for other parts of the US that similarly feel isolated, despite being in the Continental US. Technology has truly rendered actual isolation, and consequences thereof, more of a frame of mind than an actual constraint.
With the pandemic accelerating the reality of work-from-anywhere normality — and ubiquitous email, video conferencing, and live streaming – Dr. Sullivan argues “(innovation partners, customers, etc.) could be on the moon at this point and it wouldn’t really make a difference.”
The Hawaii Insurers Council (HIC) is statewide non-profit trade association with members from property & casualty insurance companies, along with other business advocates and community leaders that do business in Hawai’i.
A video of Dr. Sullivan’s presentation can be found below. Learn more about Intellectual Anarchy at https://intellectualanarchy.com/
Hawaii Book & Music Festival 2021 | Conversation: A.I. to E.T. - The Future of Science & Technology and the Fate of Our Civilization and the Cosmos
On Thursday, October 28 from 5:30 - 6:30pm , Dr. Jeffrey Watumull will join host Stewart Yerton for a conversation titled, "A.I. to E.T. - The Future of Science & Technology and the Fate of Our Civilization and the Cosmos."
Dr. Jeffrey Watumull is Chief Philosophy Officer and Director of AI at Oceanit, where we are endeavoring to create human-style AI and discover whether its principles obtain in extralinguistic domains (e.g., physics, biology). He is also co-founder of the Cambridge Institute for Exo-Language. Dr. Watumull studied at Cambridge, MIT, Oxford, and Harvard.
Stewart Yerton reports on business and the economy for Honolulu Civil Beat. Those are subjects he spent more than a decade reporting on — at publications in New York, New Orleans and Honolulu.
RSVP at the link below.
The 16th annual Hawaii Book & Music Festival returns virtually, October 1 – November 4, with its core program of Hawai‘i Authors, and community thought leaders and experts in Hawai‘i Sustainability & Resilience, Health & Wellness, Innovation Future, Hawaiian Culture, amplified by national and international Authors addressing some of the greatest issues for Hawai’i’s future.
Hawaii Book & Music Festival 2021 | Presentation: Innovation - Energy Transformation
On Wednesday, October 27 from 5:30 - 6:30pm, Dr. Vinod Veedu will host a panel conversation titled, "Decarbonizing the World's Energy System". Dr. Veedu is joined by Hani Elshahawi, Dr. Tip Meckel, and Elena Subia Melchert.
Mr. Elshahawi is the founder and managing director of NoviDigiTech LLC. Prior to that, he worked at Shell, serving as digitalization lead for Deepwater technologies, GameChanger program lead, and leader of Shell’s Fluid Evaluation and Sampling Technologies center of excellence. Dr. Meckel is a senior research scientist at the Bureau of Economic Geology at The University of Texas at Austin, doing extensive work at the Gulf Coast Carbon Center. Elena Melchert is the former Director for Upstream Oil and Gas Research for the U.S. Department of Energy and a petroleum engineer with 40 years of experience in the sector.
Dr. Veedu is the Director of Strategic Initiatives at Oceanit and he is responsible for identifying the strategic direction for the company. He was included in the 2007 the Guinness Book of World records for the creation of the smallest nanobrush. Dr. Veedu was selected as one of the seven Innovation Ambassadors by AAAS and Lemelson Foundation. Dr. Veedu earned his MS from Florida Atlantic University in 2003 and, in 2006, his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from UH Manoa.
RSVP at the link below.
The 16th annual Hawaii Book & Music Festival returns virtually, October 1 – November 4, with its core program of Hawai‘i Authors, and community thought leaders and experts in Hawai‘i Sustainability & Resilience, Health & Wellness, Innovation Future, Hawaiian Culture, amplified by national and international Authors addressing some of the greatest issues for Hawai’i’s future.
Hawaii Book & Music Festival 2021 | Conversation: A Different Model For Diversifying Hawai‘i’s Economy
On Thursday, October 14 from 4:00 - 5:00pm, Dr. Patrick Sullivan will join host Roger Jelenik for a discussion titled, "A Different Model For Diversifying Hawai‘i’s Economy."
Patrick K. Sullivan is the Founder, Chair and CEO of Oceanit Laboratories. He holds a Ph.D. in Ocean Engineering from the University of Hawaii, Manoa and a BS in Engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He is the author of Intellectual Anarchy: The Art of Disruptive Innovation.
Roger Jellinek has been Executive Director of HBMF since 2006. He’s been involved in book publishing for over 50 years in New York and Hawai‘i — as a New York Times Book Review editor, as a trade book editor, science newsletter publisher, literary agent, and map publisher. He and his wife, actor-director Eden Lee Murray, arrived in 1992, and live in Kahalu’u, ‘Oahu.
RSVP at the link below.
The 16th annual Hawaii Book & Music Festival returns virtually, October 1 – November 4, with its core program of Hawai‘i Authors, and community thought leaders and experts in Hawai‘i Sustainability & Resilience, Health & Wellness, Innovation Future, Hawaiian Culture, amplified by national and international Authors addressing some of the greatest issues for Hawai’i’s future.
SPARK Day: NPL - Next Generation Corrosion Protection in the Aviation Industry
On Tuesday, November 9th, from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm CST (16:30 GMT), Oceanit and its partners will be hosting a SPARK day featuring Nanocomposite Protective Layer (NPL) Technology - Next Generation Corrosion Protection in the Aviation Industry via a live ZOOM presentation. SPARK stands for Special Presentation of Advanced Research & Knowledge. SPARK is a special one-day event focusing on advanced product deployments for different industries. Oceanit is a mind to market company reimagining innovation to break the bonds of normal and solve the impossible.
In the aviation world, the process of protecting metallic airframes and components against corrosion is a challenge - from manufacturing through the entire life cycle of the product. Current organic-based technologies with multiple layers of protection can still fail to protect the metallic substrate from corrosion damage. In addition, the high toxicity of 'traditional' CICs makes handling and application a hazardous process for personnel. With NPL water-based technology, Oceanit aims to mitigate current corrosion protection challenges while reducing the footprint on the environment and enhancing safety for applicators. In addition to NPL technology, Oceanit will also present disruptive technologies related to anti-icing/de-icing, automated plating processes, and decarbonization in aviation. Guest speakers for this event will include aircraft maintenance experts, major industry contributors, and Oceanit technology leaders, More below.
ZOOM event details will be sent via email in advance of November 9th.
No Limits at Oceanit presents: Aaron Robinson
No Limits: Innovation Toward a Decarbonized Aviation Industry
As practitioners of disruptive innovation through our Intellectual Anarchy discipline, Oceanit forges partnerships with some of the most innovative organizations and thinkers in the world – covering a wide range of industries -- from medicine and aerospace, to energy and cosmetics. All share the (un)common thread of innovation, a thread that runs through intelligence, risk-taking, and perseverance, which informs our philosophical foundation of new breakthroughs and discoveries. Through our No Limits speaker series, Oceanit is delighted to share fascinating stories from people who move beyond what’s thinkable, sometimes what’s considered impossible – until it’s not.
Oceanit is honored to welcome Aaron Robinson, Senior Manager of Environmental Sustainability at United Airlines, as our new No Limits speaker. No Limits™ at Oceanit is a speaker series designed to stretch our imaginations and examine how vision and risk stimulate discovery and achievement. We aspire to host the most interesting thinkers in science, engineering, business, and community to share their creative genius and innovative mindsets on problem solving – beyond the limits of traditional thinking.
The aviation industry is a highly visible emitter of carbon, accounting for approximately 2.5% of global CO2 emissions. Ironically, the very industry that has brought enormous prosperity to places like Hawaii since the early days of trans-pacific flight, is now at risk of negatively impacting the same communities via the unintended consequence of climate impact and sea level rise. United has committed to being 100% green by 2050 - reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by 100%, without relying on offsets. To accomplish this lofty goal, United is embracing innovations in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), carbon capture and sequestration technologies, alternatively-powered aircraft, and more. The Eco-Skies program and its Eco-Skies Alliance, a first-of-its-kind program, serve that goal by supporting innovation and involving global partners to help make sustainable aviation not just a reality, but the new normal. We are happy to welcome Aaron Robinson, United’s champion for the Eco-Skies vision, as our No Limits speaker on July 29th, 2021.
Please email [email protected] for more information.
No Limits at Oceanit presents: Noam Chomsky
Know Thyself: Language, Creative Intelligence, and the Fate of the Human Experiment
Noam Chomsky explores questions from philosophy to science; confronting problems from alternative facts and social media to inequality and climate change
Oceanit is honored to host our colleague, Professor Noam Chomsky, and excited to invite you to this virtual event as he explores deep questions on the nature of mind, language, and creativity. Taken together with inequality, the emergence of alternative facts, social media, and climate, he will discuss how this all informs current actions and challenges, as well as the fate of the Human Experiment.
No Limits™ at Oceanit is a speaker series designed to stretch our imaginations and examine how vision and risk stimulate discovery and achievement. We aspire to host the most interesting thinkers in science, engineering, business, and community to share their creative genius and innovative mindsets on problem solving – beyond the limits of traditional thinking.
Regarded as the founder of modern linguistics and philosophy, Dr. Chomsky is one of the most cited scholars in modern history, whose more than 100 groundbreaking books have revolutionized our understanding of language and the mind. The impact of his work extends to cognitive neuroscience, evolutionary biology, mathematics, computer science, anthropology, and education.
In parallel, as one of the most influential public intellectuals in the world, his critical analyses of public and private power have inspired many for more than half a century. Dr. Chomsky served as Institute Professor of Linguistics and Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1955 to 2017, when he joined the University of Arizona as Laureate Professor of Linguistics and the Agnese Nelms Haury Chair in Environment and Social Justice.
IN THE NEWS | Artificial Intelligence & the Hawaii State Public Library System
Did you know that the Hawaii State Public Library System is the only statewide library system in the entire United States? After Hawaii became a state in 1959, the Hawaii State Legislature pulled together all the county libraries and established a statewide public library system. Since then, the Hawaii Library system has been pursuing a mission to, "nurture lifelong love of reading and learning through its staff, collections, programs, services, and physical and virtual spaces."
On Sunday, January 24th, Ian Kitajima joined Hawaii's State Librarian, Stacey Aldrich, to present a talk on Artificial Intelligence at the American Library Association midwinter event. In a session titled, “Artificial Intelligence: The Future is Already Here", Ian and Stacey presented the Aloha AI system and the installation that Oceanit recently launched at the Kaimuki Public Library. The pilot Aloha AI occupancy sensor in Kaimuki is helping to track library occupancy and use patterns over hours, days, and weeks. In the past, the Hawaii libraries relied on manual people-counting to assess visitor amounts. The installation is the first of many that will be worked on by students from across Hawaii.
You can read more about the session in an article on the American Libraries Magazine website: "Meeting the Future Head-on" by Carrie Smith.
IN THE NEWS | Oceanit News Update October 20th
Oceanit continues to earn local and national media coverage for our work during the ongoing global pandemic; both in direct response to our ASSURE-19 rapid saliva test development and on our efforts to help Hawai'i rebuild stability and sustainability in education, jobs, economic diversification, and more.
The Oceanit Research Foundation and SURF initiative have received wonderful feedback for the successful launch of https://www.altinocoding.com/. The website was launched with the help of our sponsors to offer our Altino Coding training program virtually and completely free. While schools and remote learning remain in a state of constant change during this unorthodox time, a usable platform for teachers and students makes sure that important computer science skills aren't falling to the wayside. Oceanit joined the CoronaMama Zoom Room show to speak about online learning using Altino, watch the episode here: https://bit.ly/2HvML9z
On October 8th, Hawaii Public Radio spoke about ASSURE-19 and how it could impact safe reopening in Hawaii, just one week before transpacific flights with quarantine exemptions would restart. For Hawaii residents, questions still lingered on how, when, and where inbound visitors would test for Covid-19 to ensure we keep our island safe. ASSURE-19, with its speed, convenience, and low cost, was at the forefront of many minds as a possible solution. You can listen to the show here: https://bit.ly/37pbzey
On October 16th, CEO Dr. Patrick Sullivan had a virtual conversation with Honolulu Star-Advertiser on their Spotlight Hawaii livestream show. He spoke about all-things-ASSURE-19, including time frame, FDA authorizations, costs, and keeping manufacturing in Hawai'i. Check both the video and the article at these links:
- Article synopsis- https://bit.ly/2IJEwYb
- Full video- https://bit.ly/3ji3GtB
Outside of the benefits of rapid regular Covid-19 testing, the economic potential of producing coronavirus tests in Hawai'i is unprecedented, especially with the current economic state. We truly feel that this could be a jumping off point for a new economic mindset in Hawai'i. Training workers, who may have been laid off due to the pandemic, in medical technology is one step in the long-discussed process of making Hawai'i a more self sufficient economy. Hawaii Business News discusses this economic reinvention in this October 19th article: https://bit.ly/2ThFwoE
We are moving quickly to complete ASSURE-19 data collection to meet FDA application standards and obtain emergency usage approval, which we expect to achieve in a matter weeks. FDA authorization is required in order for the ASSURE-19 tests to be used in a non-experimental setting and for results to be accepted by the state for travelers. The Star Advertiser discusses protective equipment and ASSURE-19 in an article, here: https://bit.ly/35jem6s
The University of Hawaii Shidler College of Business Alumni Association and the Travel Industry Management International, Inc hosted Dr. Patrick Sullivan ang with Lt Gov Josh Green and more Hawaii leaders for a webinar on supporting the re-opening of Hawaii’s tourism industry. A panel discussion on Re-opening Focused Health Safety Technology & Policy Innovation was published October 7th, and you can watch the live recording here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VeLIGbadtg