Build Community Strength from Personal Weakness: Ian Kitajima at TEDxHonolulu

Ian Kitajima is a senior executive at Oceanit, one of the country's most innovative, and Hawaii's largest and most diversified privately-held technology companies, with 150 scientists and engineers. He is responsible for corporate development and venturing for Oceanit's award winning innovations, products, and services. Since 2001, he has helped to evolve Oceanit's culture of innovation to inspire, create, fund, and incubate new innovations with a community mission to create a more prosperous Hawaii. Katajima is a founding member of Hoana Medical, a co-founder of Nanopoint, and IBIS Networks, Oceanit's 2013 cleantech spinoff. Mr. Kitajima comes to Oceanit with a background in starting companies focused on wireless software systems and global consumer marketing. Prior to joining Oceanit, he was the CEO of a wireless start-up developing virtual communities for mobile phones in Helsinki, Finland.

He is the co-founder of the Dual Use Hawaii industry group and Design Thinking Hawaii. He is also an adviser or board member to several educational, government, and community organizations, such as PBS Hawaii, Public Schools of Hawaii Foundation, and UH Alumni Association. He is a product of Hawaii's public school system, graduating from Castle High School, Windward Community College, and the University of Hawaii at Manoa (inducted into Phi Kappa Phi and Beta Gamma Sigma honor societies).

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)