ThriveHI #4
PlantBaby raises $4M in seed funding, Ai.Fish is hiring a Computer Vision Engineer, ThriveHI is hosting an event with UH, and more...
Hello everyone!
Hope you are having a wonderful Wednesday. I wanted to begin this newsletter by thanking everyone who came out to our September Pau Hana! About 30 folks showed up and it was wonderful to meet you all. We hope to continue holding these events as a low-stakes opportunity for local tech and remote workers to find community and make new friends. If you missed this past Pau Hana, stay tuned for details on our next one, and in the meantime, check out some of the other events going on in the Community Events section of this newsletter.
Cheers!
Sonia
Latest Hawaii Tech & Startup News
👶Plantbaby raises $4M in seed funding. Based on Kauai, Plantbaby was launched after the founders, Alex and Lauren Abelin, were dissatisfied with existing options of plant-based, soy-free, and dairy-free infant formula for their son. Plantbaby’s first product, Kiki Milk, is plant-based milk designed specifically for kids and has seen constant consumer demand since its release. Plantbaby’s $4M seed round was led by Big Idea Ventures and The LA Fund and the company will use the funding to continue R&D for other plant-based product lines.
In Other News…
Ecosystem Spotlight
We are shouting out interesting, innovative, and trailblazing organizations within Hawaii’s ecosystem that significantly contribute to the effort to make Hawaii a more equitable, innovative, and economically resilient place.
Purple Mai’a
📍Honolulu, HI | Founded in: 2013 | Employees: 30+
QOTD: “We want to fundamentally change the perception that there is anything contradictory or unusual about Kanaka Maoli and other people of Hawaiʻi being excellent in areas like technology and entrepreneurship.”
Purple Mai’a is a non-profit organization on a mission to inspire and educate the next generation of culturally grounded, community-serving technology makers. The organization works in the areas of education, innovation, and workforce development. A few of their awesome programs include Ka Maka ‘Inana, which focuses on design through the Hawaiian context, and NFT Academy where students learn about what it takes to mint NFTs.
Pssst. Purple Maia is hiring a Data Entry Teacher and a Creative Developer!!!
Now Hiring
TurnoverBNB: Quality Assurance Engineer
Hawaiian Airlines: Software Engineer
Hawaii Community Foundation: Program Officer
Elemental Excelerator: Entrepreneur in Residence (Equity and Access)
OfColor: UX/UI Designer
Ai.Fish: Computer Vision Research Engineer
Community Events
ThriveHI x UHManoa Tech Career Day
We are pleased to announce our first Tech Career Day in partnership with UH Manoa! ThriveHI Tech Career Day is happening on October 11th and will be a one-of-a-kind event featuring the opportunity for UH students to learn about jobs in Cybersecurity, Software, Hardware, Data, Product Management, and Entrepreneurship. Companies represented include: Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Activision, and more.
We need your help!
We currently have about 30 awesome folks who have volunteered as speakers for the event, and we’re looking to add a few more! If you are…
A techie currently working in Hawaii
Interested in giving back to the community
Excited about meeting some of Hawaii’s best and brightest up-coming talent
Hoping to network with other seasoned tech professionals on-island
Then volunteer as a speaker ThriveHI Tech Career Day!
Other events happening soon…
Oct 5: Weekly Wednesday Crypto BBQ
Oct 7: Big Island Techie Meetup
Oct 13: The Power of Using Natural Language Processing (NLP) Panel
Oct 14: Hawaii Women in Tech - Non-Tech Options for Working in Tech
Oct 18: What School Could Be
Oct 18: HNL Startup “Green” Drinks
Oct 19: Business After Hours
Oct 24: Hawaii Pacific Tech Conference
Oct 25: HNL Startup Drinks
Pictured below: me maniacally writing this newsletter on Tuesday night because my ability to procrastinate has no limits.
