2025 Keynote Speakers

Monday, March 24

Brendan Brennan

Author, AI & STEM Education Expert 

Brendan Brennan is an educator, designer, and entrepreneur with roots in Boston, Honolulu, Osaka, and Irvine, CA. Throughout his career, Brendan has been fortunate to collaborate on innovative educational initiatives and start-ups, driven by a desire to improve learning experiences and strengthen communities.

His approach is deeply informed by lessons from around the world—embracing kaizen (continuous improvement) in Japan, Polynesian wayfinding and sustainability in Hawaii, and human-centered design in California. Brendan's work seeks to bring these diverse perspectives together to inspire meaningful change in education.

While at the University of Hawaii's Education Laboratory School, Brendan contributed to designing learner-centered curricula and teacher training programs, exploring the intersection of technology and education. These experiences have influenced his ongoing efforts with initiatives like the Janus Group, Moonshot Lab, ARES Learning, and Design Mindset.

Brendan is also the author of Hansei Reflections, a student reflection journal powered by AI, and The Socratic Algorithms, which reimagines ancient philosophy in the context of modern artificial intelligence. He remains committed to learning, teaching, and finding ways to make education more impactful and inclusive in the age of AI.

Tuesday, March 25

Rose Wong

CEO & Founder of Kolohe Jewelry

Rose Wong is the founder of Kolohe, Hawai‘i’s first Custom Jewelry Bar, which she launched in 2014 at just 16 years old. By 21, she became Waikīkī’s youngest store owner, opening her first retail location at the ‘Alohilani Resort. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rose expanded Kolohe with a second store at Waikīkī Beach Walk in 2020. Now, with a Fine Jewelry Showroom in downtown Honolulu and a dedicated team of 13 employees, Kolohe has experienced an impressive 673% growth over the past five years. This success has solidified Kolohe’s reputation in Hawai‘i’s fine jewelry market, attracting high-end clients such as Four Seasons’ Caprice Boutique.

Rose’s entrepreneurial journey began in Hawai‘i’s local business community, where she earned numerous awards in business pitch competitions and was featured in Hawai‘i Business Magazine and Pacific Business News. In 2024, she was honored as one of the “Top 20 Influential Business and Community Leaders” at the prestigious FAMES Gala.

A graduate of Kaiser High School and the Shidler College of Business, Rose now shares her story as a motivational speaker, inspiring others with her journey—from a teenage founder to an influential business leader shaping Hawai‘i’s jewelry industry.