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IIBA Hawaii 10th Anniversary Celebration!

PMI Hawaii Chapter Members get member rates!

Come celebrate a major milestone with IIBA - their 10th Anniversary and 2026 Annual General Meeting!

Date: Thursday, August 20, 2026

Time: 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM HST

Location: Off the Wall Craft Beer & Wine (1170 Auahi St., Honolulu, HI 96814)

Parking: Free in adjacent parking garage

Cost:

• $10 for IIBA Hawaii members. Use promo code "IIBA" during check out.
• $10 for PMI Hawaii members. Use promo code "PMIHI" during check out.
• $20 for groups of 4 or more. Contact Erin Gonzalez (President@Hawaiii.IIBA.org) to request code.
• $35 for Non-Members.

We’ll reflect on our chapter’s achievements, introduce our Board members, and highlight how far we’ve come as a community. It will be a night to connect, celebrate, and look ahead together.

✨ What to expect:

• Chapter highlights & AGM updates
• Hear from industry leaders and participate in the interactive "Stakeholder Rank & Reveal" networking activity (eligible for 1 self-reported CDU/PDU)
• Meet-and-greet with Board members
• Networking with fellow members
• Exciting contributions from our sponsors & partners
• Each attendee receives a $20 drink card courtesy of our generous Diamond sponsors, Bishop & Co. and TEKsystems!
• Ono pupus (Empanadas, Smoked Marlin Dip, Pork Adobo Tacos, Papas Bravas, Blackend Fish Tacos)
• Cake
• Gifts & prizes such as two, 1-year memberships to IIBA
• Even more prizes thanks to our generous sponsor, Champagne Collaborations LLC
• Free parking in adjacent parking garage
• A fun, festive Pau Hana atmosphere!

This Pau Hana is limited to 40 participants - register early to secure your spot.

*Self-Claim PDU code coming soon. This event will be purely self-reported.  No claim code created.  Any questions, email Volunteer@pmihi.org

Meet the Speakers:

Joel Bongco, VP/CXO/OWNER - EWORLD ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS | CEO- INSPIRED LIFE INVESTMENTS LLC

 

Topic: What is the most valuable role of a Business Analyst in an [AI] project?

 

Joel is Owner and Board Member at a Hawaii-based systems integration firm, bringing over 30 years of mission-critical IT leadership to the state's public and private sectors. Named the Filipino Chamber of Commerce's 2021 Filipino Entrepreneur of the Year, he has led the state's most complex technology transformations — from major state education initiatives to state and local organizational change management to Lahaina wildfire recovery coordination for critical state human services and health agencies, following his earlier work architecting the pandemic-era state travel and call center program.

Beyond technology, Joel is CEO of Inspired Life Investments, a Honolulu-based real estate company creating pathways to local homeownership, and leads a faith-based marketplace leadership community. Having previously scaled Asia-Pacific operations for global technology and airline companies, Joel brings a rare blend of global business acumen and deep local commitment, grounded in the three pillars of people, process, and technology.

 

Julie Okinaka, Founder of Forward Thinking Strategies

 

Topic: What should the organization analyze first to create the most meaningful process improvement?

 

Julia Okinaka is the Founder of Forward Thinking Strategies, a consulting firm focused on helping organizations navigate complex change and achieve their strategic objectives. With almost 30 years of experience, Julia has led and supported large-scale initiatives spanning process improvement, risk management, organizational change management, strategic planning, Independent Verification & Validation (IV&V), and technology consulting. She is passionate about helping leaders strengthen their organizations and turn strategy into meaningful action. Julia brings people together to solve complex challenges, build stronger teams, and create practical solutions that last.

 

Milian Gross, Manager of Application Support | Hawaii Dental Service

 

Topic: What is the most valuable role of a Business Analyst in an [AI] project?

 

Milan Gross is the Manager of Application Support at Hawaii Dental Service (HDS), where he leads the business systems analyst team. He partners with business units to guide application strategy, enhance workflows, and ensure new systems are aligned with organizational objectives. Milan has more than 25 years of global experience in digital transformation, enterprise collaboration, and application development across the Asia-Pacific region, the United States, and Australia.”