
Six principles
in action for a better,
innovative Hawaii

How We Do It.
Collaborate
TRUE allows competitors to become collaborators, creating an open environment giving Hawaii’s businesses a platform to share their work so local consumers and businesses can quickly benefit.
Cultivate
By coming together, we can increase Hawaiʻi’s technology literacy across industry sectors resulting in job creation and opportunities for higher wages.
Community
TRUE’s efforts extends broadly into the community, engaging with our committee organizations, state agencies, students and local businesses to collaborate and solve problems.
Learn
Learn key insights and pain points through real-life use cases, roundtable discussions, presentations, hands-on workshops, workforce development initiatives and other events.
Network
Meet with change-makers who are driving the adoption and use of tried technologies to benefit and grow Hawaiʻi’s organizations.
Empower
Developing real-life solutions that yield measurable results will enable Hawaiʻi to quickly adopt and benefit from digital transformation.

Our Hub
The Entrepreneur’s Sandbox, a project by the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation, is TRUE’s hub for collaboration and provides a space for innovators from all disciplines in the public and private sectors to work together to leverage each other’s strengths.

Who We Are
TRUE is a nonprofit made up of a committee composed of a diverse group of change agents that serve as leaders in their industries and community.
Leadership
Leadership

Peter Dames
Chairman, TRUE
Executive Vice President,
Servco Pacific, Inc.

Edward Ontai
Vice Chairman, TRUE
President, DataHouse Consulting

Manny Edmondson
Treasurer, TRUE
Executive Vice President/Chief Technology Officer, Central Pacific Bank

Len Higashi
Secretary, TRUE
Executive Director, Hawaii Technology Development Corp. (HTDC)

Leilani Farinas
Executive Director
TRUE
Advisory Board

Christine Sakuda
Executive Director
Transform Hawai‘i Government

Deena Tearney
Founder & CEO
Pacific Point, INC.

Kelly J. Ueoka
President
PACXA
Committee

Ed Barnabas
Principal/Director, PACRIM
Booz Allen Hamilton

Bart Beavers
Business Dev Manager
NEC Americas

Johnny Chankhamany
Executive Director
Builders VC

Michelle Cheung
Director, Technology Training
American Savings Bank

Jennifer Chun
Director, Tourism Research
Hawaii Tourism Authority

Manny Edmondson
EVP, CTO
Central Pacific Bank

Eric Heenan
Founder & President
Alaka‘i Executive Search

Rick Hopfer
SVP, CIO
HMSA

Takaho Iwasaki
Founder, CEO
Maji Connection

John Jacobi
VP, Information Technology
Hawaiian Airlines

Jonah Kaneshiro
Director, Customer Strategy
American Savings Bank

Mike McCartney
Director, DBEDT
State of Hawaii

Harold Moscho
VP, CIO
The Queen’s Medical Center

Lance Murata
Enterprise Account Executive, Hawaii

Douglas Murdock
Chief Information Officer
State of Hawaii

Allen Nguyen
Account Manager - SLED
Amazon Web Services

Yasushi Noda
Executive Officer
Digital Innovation Division
Japan Airlines

Steve Robertson
EVP, CIO
Hawaii Pacific Health

Vassilis Syrmos
VP, Research & Innovation
University Of Hawaii

Rowena Buffett Timms
EVP & Chief Admin Officer
The Queen’s Health System

Jennifer Walker
SVP & General Counsel
HMSA

Marcus Yano
Vice President, Business Sales & Technical Consulting
Hawaiian Telcom

Marie Yap
Principal Solutions Architect
Amazon Web Services
Our Supporters
TRUE is generously supported by Hawaii’s forward-thinking companies from a variety of sectors and together, provide a foundation for TRUE’s long-term value in the community.