2021 East Meets West Conference

This year’s East Meets West Conference is happening from February 24th-26th, 2-4pm. Appropriately titled No Borders, No Barriers, the focus is to gather our international community online and create value through networking, continued learning, keynote speakers, and roundtable discussions.

The usual all day conference will be condensed into a 2 hour timeframe that will include:

2:00PM – Opening Keynote/Panel
2:30PM – Breakout Sessions/Sponsor Roundtables
3:30PM – Networking
3:55PM – Concluding Comments

Panelists and Topics

Remote Work’s Impact on Economy & Society – Feb. 24

Liza Rodewald, CEO of Instant Teams • Michele Kauinui, Director of HR Services, Simplicity HR by ALTRES • Nicole Lim, Director Movers & Shakas • Moderator: Chenoa Farnsworth, Managing Partner Blue Startups

How does remote work change the game for Hawaii and the world?
What can we learn from other communities that have done this right/wrong?We dive into recent initiatives to attract talent to the islands and the potential consequences, both positive and negative.

Connecting The Future – Feb. 25

Ashwani Jain, Head of Growth and Operations, Airmeet • Stefan Opsal, COO and Co-Founder, Rendezview • Sam Liang, CEO, Otter.a • Moderator: Casey Lau, Co-Host RISE Conference

The tools and platforms that will keep us connected during and after the pandemic. It may have started with Zoom, but there are so many platforms and technologies available today to connect you with investors, startups, and your community during the pandemic.

What are some exciting platforms and where are they going in 2021 and beyond?

Bringing Tourism Back Responsibly – Feb. 26

Chris Hemmeter, Managing Director, Thayer Ventures • Jessica Blotter, CEO and Co-Founder of Kind Traveler • Kalani Kaʻanāʻanā, Director of Hawaiian Cultural Affairs & Natural Resources, Hawaii Tourism Authority • Moderator: Chenoa Farnsworth, Managing Partner Blue Startups

The world’s tourism driven economies have suffered greatly in the pandemic and Hawaii has been no exception. But, the silver lining for all these communities has been a much needed break from over-tourism and its negative impacts on environment, culture and lifestyle.

How can we bring back tourism in a way that creates a more sustainable and responsible industry going forward?

EMW 2021 Roundtable Discussion Topics

For our roundtable discussions, we wanted to offer a variety of relevant topics paired with industry leaders as our hosts. Each online roundtables is limited to 8 guests – to encourage real connections and discussion. There is something for everyone!

Keep an eye out for updates at https://eastmeetswest.co/

All Ticket Sales from EMW ’21 will be donated to the Hawaii Food Bank

Since this year is a bit different, we also wanted to change it up and suggest a $50 donation when you register so we can donate all proceeds to the Hawaii Food Bank. The pandemic has greatly impacted HFB and similar organizations, so we wanted to do our part in supporting the fight against food insecurity, especially in these hard times.