NOVA 2025 Hawaii Edition : Culture. Community. Code
Proudly presented by Smobler and Kairos Ray, NOVA 2025: Hawaii Edition champions the power of Tech for Good, Culture, and Community, bringing together cross-industry leaders, changemakers, and local voices in a curated evening of purposeful dialogue and connection.
Rooted in a shared mission to build bridges between tradition and technology, Smobler and Kairos Ray invite participants to reimagine what’s possible when innovation is guided by purpose, place, and people.
This event is a part of Honolulu Tech Week - a week of events that unifies Hawaii’s tech ecosystem and those connected to it globally.
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Program
5:45 – 6:00 PM | Opening Welcome & Keynote
“Of Aloha and Rainbows: Tech for Good, Community, and Hawaii”
Featuring: Laura Feeney, Founder, Kairos Ray & Principal, Atlassian & Dr. Loretta Chen, Founder & CEO, Smobler
6:00 – 6:45 PM | Panel “Culture. Community. Code: The Power of People-Centered Tech”
Exploring how culture, community, and innovation intersect to create meaningful impact.
Featuring:
Poni Askew, Director of Economic & Business Resilience, Office of Hawaiian Affairs
Ivette Fullerton, Founder, Cualli
Meli James, Co-Founder, Mana Up & President, HVCA (Hawaii Venture Capital Association)
May Sermionia, Operations Director, Piiku Co
Steve Sue, Social Venturer, O-WOW, Inc. & ID8 Studios
Gabriel Yanagihara, AI & Emerging Tech Educator, ‘Iolani School
Moderator: Laura Feeney, Founder, Kairos Ray & Principal, Atlassian
6:45 – 7:00 PM | Fireside Chat “AI and The Future of YOU(th)”
Spotlighting Hawaii’s first AI-focused middle school.
Featuring:
Amber Pomaikalani Leon Guerrero & Students, Kūlia Academy
Moderator: Loretta Chen, Founder & CEO, Smobler
7:00 – 7:30 PM | Networking & Artisan Showcase
A celebration of Hawaii’s creative economy featuring art, innovations, and locally crafted products from Cualli, Galleon Chocolates, Hanapepe Gathering Space, Hawaiian Vinegar Company, Mala-Be, Mauna i Kai Designs, Oribe Tea, Pure Ambrosia, Tim Huynh Photography, Unfinished Project, and fine art from Nancy Chodosh among others.
7:30 PM | Pau (Closing)
(Subject to change)
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About NOVA
NOVA is a bi-annual festival uniting global institutions, frontier technologists, innovative creatives, and future-forward investors within Smobler’s ecosystem to spark bold conversations at the intersection of culture and technology.
In 2024, NOVA lit up Singapore’s Orchard Road during TOKEN2049 and the F1 Night Race. The lineup featured cultural icons Champ Medici and Agoria, alongside industry leaders from Animoca Brands, AWS, PwC and more.
Ahead of this year’s festival produced in collaboration with the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), Gemini, and Michigan Ross Executive Education, NOVA heads to Hawaii!
This inaugural edition spotlights the islands as a gateway between East and West with a special focus on people-centered technology.
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About Us
Smobler is a next-generation game studio, digital architect, and frontier technology solutions provider at the intersection of blockchain, AI, and immersive storytelling. For more information, please visit: Smobler
Kairos Ray is a premium home goods company rooted in modern design, global heritage craft traditions, and a deep commitment to communities and our planet.
Smobler and Kairos Ray’s values reflect Hawaii’s spirit of Aloha ʻĀina (Love of the Land) in a digital age where Tech for Good isn’t just a trend, but a responsibility.
Together, we embody a vision of innovation that uplifts communities, preserves heritage, and stewards both culture and environment through purposeful technology.