NEWS RELEASE: DBEDT TO HOST FOURTH ANNUAL HAWAIʻI MADE CONFERENCE FOCUSED ON FOOD INNOVATION

STATE OF HAWAIʻI

KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI 

JOSH GREEN, M.D.
GOVERNOR

KE KIAʻĀINA 

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM

KA ʻOIHANA HOʻOMOHALA PĀʻOIHANA, ʻIMI WAIWAI A HOʻOMĀKAʻIKAʻI 

JAMES KUNANE TOKIOKA

DIRECTOR

KA LUNA HOʻOKELE

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT DIVISION

DENNIS T. LING

ADMINISTRATOR

DBEDT TO HOST FOURTH ANNUAL HAWAIʻI MADE CONFERENCE FOCUSED ON FOOD INNOVATION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 2, 2026

HONOLULU – The Business Development and Support Division of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) will host the fourth annual Hawaiʻi Made Conference on Tuesday, June 23, at the Sheraton Waikīkī Beach Resort. The event will bring together Hawaiʻi farmers, value-added producers, food manufacturers, entrepreneurs, supply chain partners and resource providers for a full-day program focused on turning local food ideas into market-ready products.

The 2026 conference, “Driving the Future of Food Innovation,” will focus on the Food and Product Innovation Network, or FPIN, a coordinated effort to align training, product development, shared production resources, technical assistance, financing and market access for Hawaiʻi producers.

“This conference reflects DBEDT’s commitment to helping Hawaiʻi businesses move from idea to market with the right technical support, partnerships and resources,” said James Kunane Tokioka, DBEDT director. “By connecting producers with experts in food safety, product development, shared facilities, financing, branding and distribution, we are strengthening Hawaiʻi’s food innovation ecosystem and creating new opportunities for local companies to grow.”

“For many local producers, the hardest step is knowing which resource to use at the right stage of growth,” said Senator Donovan M. Dela Cruz (Senate District 17 – Portion of Mililani, Mililani Mauka, portion of Waipi‘o Acres, Launani Valley, Wahiawā, Whitmore Village). “The Hawai‘i Made Conference brings those resources into one place, from product development and food safety to financing, shared facilities, Hawaiʻi Made branding and market strategy, so businesses leave with practical next steps and new connections.”

The conference will open with welcome remarks from Tokioka and opening remarks from Senator Dela Cruz, followed by a plenary session introducing FPIN and its role in addressing opportunities across agriculture, food security and economic diversification.

The agenda will include sessions on:

• Educational pathways and entrepreneurial resources for early-stage businesses
• Food safety requirements, processing standards, labeling rules and regulatory compliance
• Shared-use facilities, commercialization programs and value-added manufacturing
• Financing options from private, public and nonprofit sources
• Hawaiʻi Made brand value and market positioning
• Go-to-market strategies including distribution, logistics, marketing and export readiness

The Hawai‘i Made Conference will also include a Food and Product Innovation Network memorandum of agreement signing ceremony with 17 state departments, agencies and education partners. The agreement will establish a collaborative framework for technical expertise, advanced production equipment, toll processing services and commercialization support to help Hawaiʻi producers expand food innovation capacity, improve market access and strengthen the state’s agricultural and economic resilience.

The luncheon keynote, “From Hawaiʻi to Global Markets: Entrepreneurship, Business Differentiation and Innovation in the Future of Food,” will be presented by Lou Cooperhouse, founder, president and CEO of BlueNalu, Inc. Cooperhouse is recognized as a global authority in food innovation and technology commercialization and previously worked with the University of Hawaiʻi to support development of the Maui Food Innovation Center.

The program also includes the Mākeke, an event marketplace featuring Hawaiʻi-made products, vendor displays and organizations offering support programs for local businesses. Registration and the Mākeke open at 8:00 a.m., with the full program beginning at 8:30 a.m. The full-day conference will conclude with networking and exhibitor visits.

The registration fee is $75 for Oʻahu attendees and $40 for neighbor island and student attendees. To learn more and sign up, visit invest.hawaii.gov/hawaii-made/conferences/hm2026.

About the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT)

DBEDT is Hawai‘i’s resource center for economic and statistical data, business development opportunities, energy and conservation information, as well as foreign trade advantages. The DBEDT mission is to achieve a Hawai‘i economy that embraces innovation and is globally competitive, dynamic and productive, providing opportunities for all of Hawai‘i’s citizens. Through its attached agencies, the department fosters planned community development, creates affordable workforce housing units in high-quality living environments and promotes innovation sector job growth.

About the Business Development and Support Division (BDSD)

The Business Development and Support Division of DBEDT promotes industry development and economic diversification by supporting existing and emerging industries in Hawaiʻi and by attracting new investments and businesses to the state. Learn more at: invest.hawaii.gov.

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