About us
This group is a community for innovators, entrepreneurs, and technology enthusiasts on the Big Island (and beyond) to connect, collaborate, and learn. We focus on exploring how technology—ranging from renewable energy to artificial intelligence—can solve real-world problems and make life better for everyone. Through engaging discussions, knowledge sharing, and networking, we aim to foster a vibrant ecosystem of creativity and innovation.
Who should join?
Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur, a technology professional, a curious student, or just someone excited about the possibilities of innovation, this group is for you. If you love learning, sharing ideas, and contributing to a thriving community, we’d love to have you join us.
Why join?
This group is a hub for collaboration, inspiration, and growth. By joining, you’ll have the opportunity to:
• Engage with local and global leaders in emerging technologies.
• Explore cutting-edge topics like renewable energy, ocean science, aerospace, aquaculture, AI, and software development.
• Build relationships with like-minded individuals who share a passion for making a positive impact.
• Find or offer mentorship, support, and opportunities to grow professionally and personally.
Together, we can create something extraordinary. Let’s build a brighter future, one meeting at a time!
Featured event
Alexander García-Tobar - Agentic Trust
Due to conflict with the East Meets West conference we are rescheduling this month's meeting to Thursday April 16.
See you at East Meets West
This month we are honored to have Alexander García-Tobar, Co-founder & CEO, Valimail (a DigiCert Company) share his insights about Agentic Trust.
Who's Knocking? The AI Agent Identity Crisis
AI agents are taking over workflows — browsing the web, sending emails, calling APIs, making decisions on your behalf — but here's the problem nobody is talking about loudly enough: how do you know if the agent acting in your systems is actually who it claims to be? Alexander García-Tobar co-founded Valimail in 2015 to solve exactly this kind of trust problem for email, building the company and 20+ patents around automated, zero-trust authentication that attacks phishing at the root: sender impersonation. Valimail became the DMARC market leader, grew to 92,000 clients worldwide, and was acquired by DigiCert in September 2025.
The parallel to AI agents is direct. Email had no built-in authentication for decades — anyone could claim to be your bank or your CEO — and DMARC fixed that with a cryptographic, verified chain of identity. The same gap now exists for AI agents, and the same zero-trust principles apply: centralized validation, automated discovery, DNS-based authorization. If you don't authenticate agents upfront, you're not running automation — you're handing attackers the keys at machine speed. García-Tobar has seen this movie before, and he knows how it ends when identity gets skipped.
The April meetup will be virtual only. RSVP to get the Google Meet link.
Big Island Tech Meetup is a community for innovators, entrepreneurs, and technology enthusiasts on the Big Island (and beyond) to connect, collaborate, and learn. We focus on exploring how technology—ranging from renewable energy to artificial intelligence—can solve real-world problems and make life better for everyone. Through engaging discussions, knowledge sharing, and networking, we aim to foster a vibrant ecosystem of creativity and innovation.
Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur, a technology professional, a curious student, or just someone excited about the possibilities of innovation, this group is for you. If you love learning, sharing ideas, and contributing to a thriving community, we’d love to have you join us.
Agenda:
• 4:00 - 4:05 PM: Gather and chat while everyone arrives
Share something interesting with the group.
• 4:05 - 4:20 PM: News, Jobs, and Announcements
Share or hear about the latest developments, career opportunities, and relevant updates.
• 4:30 - 5:20 PM: Alexander García-Tobar - Strategic Advisor, AI Trust at DigiCert - The topic will be Agentic Trust
• 5:20 - 5:30 PM: Closing
Recap and preview what’s next for the group.
Details:
• When: Second Thursday of every month at 4 PM
• Where: Online (link provided upon RSVP)
We look forward to seeing you there and sparking conversations that inspire innovation!
Upcoming events
3
Alexander García-Tobar - Agentic Trust
·OnlineOnlineDue to conflict with the East Meets West conference we are rescheduling this month's meeting to Thursday April 16.
See you at East Meets WestThis month we are honored to have Alexander García-Tobar, Co-founder & CEO, Valimail (a DigiCert Company) share his insights about Agentic Trust.
Who's Knocking? The AI Agent Identity Crisis
AI agents are taking over workflows — browsing the web, sending emails, calling APIs, making decisions on your behalf — but here's the problem nobody is talking about loudly enough: how do you know if the agent acting in your systems is actually who it claims to be? Alexander García-Tobar co-founded Valimail in 2015 to solve exactly this kind of trust problem for email, building the company and 20+ patents around automated, zero-trust authentication that attacks phishing at the root: sender impersonation. Valimail became the DMARC market leader, grew to 92,000 clients worldwide, and was acquired by DigiCert in September 2025.
The parallel to AI agents is direct. Email had no built-in authentication for decades — anyone could claim to be your bank or your CEO — and DMARC fixed that with a cryptographic, verified chain of identity. The same gap now exists for AI agents, and the same zero-trust principles apply: centralized validation, automated discovery, DNS-based authorization. If you don't authenticate agents upfront, you're not running automation — you're handing attackers the keys at machine speed. García-Tobar has seen this movie before, and he knows how it ends when identity gets skipped.The April meetup will be virtual only. RSVP to get the Google Meet link.
Big Island Tech Meetup is a community for innovators, entrepreneurs, and technology enthusiasts on the Big Island (and beyond) to connect, collaborate, and learn. We focus on exploring how technology—ranging from renewable energy to artificial intelligence—can solve real-world problems and make life better for everyone. Through engaging discussions, knowledge sharing, and networking, we aim to foster a vibrant ecosystem of creativity and innovation.
Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur, a technology professional, a curious student, or just someone excited about the possibilities of innovation, this group is for you. If you love learning, sharing ideas, and contributing to a thriving community, we’d love to have you join us.
Agenda:
• 4:00 - 4:05 PM: Gather and chat while everyone arrives
Share something interesting with the group.• 4:05 - 4:20 PM: News, Jobs, and Announcements
Share or hear about the latest developments, career opportunities, and relevant updates.• 4:30 - 5:20 PM: Alexander García-Tobar - Strategic Advisor, AI Trust at DigiCert - The topic will be Agentic Trust
• 5:20 - 5:30 PM: Closing
Recap and preview what’s next for the group.Details:
• When: Second Thursday of every month at 4 PM
• Where: Online (link provided upon RSVP)We look forward to seeing you there and sparking conversations that inspire innovation!
17 attendees
Build an AI Brain That Actually Knows Your Company
·OnlineOnlineMat Goldsborough will present his popular tech talk from the recent Hawaii Island AI Summit builders track.
#### Business as Code: Build an AI Brain That Actually Knows Your Company
Mathew Goldsborough — Founder & CEO, NimbleBrain
Your AI tools forget everything — every conversation starts from scratch. What if your business had a brain? Learn the “Business as Code” pattern and build one live from scratch.
The May meetup will be virtual only. RSVP to get the Google Meet link.
Big Island Tech Meetup is a community for innovators, entrepreneurs, and technology enthusiasts on the Big Island (and beyond) to connect, collaborate, and learn. We focus on exploring how technology—ranging from renewable energy to artificial intelligence—can solve real-world problems and make life better for everyone. Through engaging discussions, knowledge sharing, and networking, we aim to foster a vibrant ecosystem of creativity and innovation.
Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur, a technology professional, a curious student, or just someone excited about the possibilities of innovation, this group is for you. If you love learning, sharing ideas, and contributing to a thriving community, we’d love to have you join us.
Agenda:
• 4:00 - 4:05 PM: Gather and chat while everyone arrives
Share something interesting with the group.• 4:05 - 4:20 PM: News, Jobs, and Announcements
Share or hear about the latest developments, career opportunities, and relevant updates.• 4:30 - 5:20 PM: Mat shares his "Build an AI Brain" tech talk
• 5:20 - 5:30 PM: Closing
Recap and preview what’s next for the group.Details:
• When: Second Thursday of every month at 4 PM
• Where: Online (link provided upon RSVP)We look forward to seeing you there and sparking conversations that inspire innovation!
2 attendees
Past events
52
