AI is rewriting the rules of work.#
Not in some distant future. Right now. Tools that didn't exist two years ago are becoming essential. Job descriptions are changing faster than degree programs can keep up.
For Hawaiʻi, this could be a crisis. Another reason for our keiki to leave.
Or it could be an opportunity.
What if every business that adopts AI created a pathway for someone local to build a career? What if technology adoption wasn't just about efficiency—but about creating the jobs our keiki could grow into without leaving home?
That's the opportunity in front of us. And we're running out of time to seize it.
The Dual Win We're Missing#
When you adopt technology in your business, two things happen:
Your business gets stronger. More efficient. More competitive. Better positioned for whatever comes next.
And you create an opportunity for someone to learn skills that didn't exist before.
Skills in AI operations. Automation. Data analysis. Digital systems. The exact capabilities that companies on the mainland are paying premium wages for.
But here's what most people miss: **you don't need to hire those skills. You can build them.**
The person who learns to run your AI tools, optimize your systems, and solve problems you didn't know were solvable? That person can be local. Learning while they work. Growing as your business grows.
This isn't charity. It's smart business. And it's how we create pathways that keep talent here.
Why This Matters for Hawaiʻi#
Too many of our college graduates end up on the mainland.
They're leaving because when they look at Hawaiʻi's job market, they don't see a future that matches their ambitions.
Meanwhile, businesses here can't find people. And the talent pool keeps shrinking.
Here's what we're up against:
- 7.6% of Hawaiʻi workers hold multiple jobs—higher than the national average
- Since 2017, more people have left than moved here
- Among 18-34 year olds—our future workforce—the exodus is strongest
We're competing for a shrinking talent pool while training the next generation to leave.
But technology changes this equation.#
The skills businesses need right now—AI operations, automation, digital transformation—could be imported. But that's not what we want.
We want people who are here. Who understand our community.
We want to build capability that stays.
Which means we have a window. A chance to build those capabilities here. To create roles that didn't exist five years ago. To show our keiki they can build cutting-edge careers without leaving the islands.
But only if we move now.
What's Actually Changing#
Technology adoption is accelerating across small businesses:
- 68% of small businesses already use AI, according to Goldman Sachs—and 80% say it's making their teams stronger, not replacing them.
- 96% of small business owners plan to adopt new technology this year.
- Businesses using these tools save 20 hours a month and $500-$2,000 monthly.
But here's the challenge:
- 48% struggle to choose the right tools.
- 41% don't have the technical expertise.
This is where the opportunity lives.
The businesses that figure out how to adopt technology while training their teams—building flexible capabilities as AI reshapes the landscape—won't just survive the transition. They'll lead it.
And they'll create the careers that keep talent in Hawaiʻi.
Building Flexible Capabilities, Not Replacing People
Let's be clear about what's happening:
AI isn't replacing workers. It's changing what work looks like.
- The OECD found that AI increases demand for communication, judgment, and management by 25-40%—the deeply human skills that can't be automated.
- MIT's Work of the Future project found that people who learn on the job earn 15-25% more over five years than those who only learned in classrooms.
What businesses need now are people who can learn fast. Adapt to new tools. Combine technical capability with judgment and problem-solving.
You can train that. And when you do, you create something that stays.
Not just a skill set. A career path. A reason to stay home.
Here's What It Looks Like in Practice#
At Kealani Solutions, we've spent years working in technology. Building systems. Solving problems. Learning what works.
But technology is evolving daily. You need continuous training to keep up.
Tools we didn't use six months ago are essential now. Approaches that worked last year are outdated. The real capability isn't knowing every tool—it's knowing how to learn, adapt, and apply new technology to real problems.
That's what we're building. And sharing.
Through the Big Island Tech Meetup, we're helping tech professionals stay current with AI as it evolves.
Through workshops with SBDC and the Chamber, we've worked with dozens of business owners to cut through the noise and implement tools that actually solve problems.
When a local nonprofit needed inventory tracking, we didn't just build it for them. We worked alongside their team, showed them the tools, helped them understand the system. The capability stayed with them.
We're hiring right now—looking for local talent with strong fundamentals and hunger to learn. Not because we found the perfect resume. Because we believe the best teams are built through doing, not credentials.
And we're not alone.
Hawaiʻi already has over 100 registered apprenticeship programs—mostly in construction trades—that combine on-the-job learning with structured training. Programs like Hawaii Carpenters Apprenticeship & Training have kept skilled work in the islands for generations.
The model works. Now we need to expand it into the digital economy.
The Collective Opportunity#
Here's what happens when businesses embrace this approach together:
- When you adopt AI tools and train someone local to run them, you create a pathway.
- When the business down the street does the same, they create another pathway.
- When ten businesses, then twenty, then fifty do this—each building capability while growing their operations—we create an ecosystem.
An ecosystem where our keiki can learn cutting-edge skills. Build real careers. Get paid well. And stay home.
Where businesses aren't competing for the same tiny pool of "qualified" candidates—they're growing their own.
Where Hawaiʻi becomes known not just as a place people visit, but as a place where innovation happens. Where technology and tradition meet. Where you can build a world-class career without leaving your ʻohana.
That's the opportunity. But it only works if we do it together.
What This Could Look Like#
You don't need a formal program to start. You just need intention.
Let your new hires spend time exploring tools. Give them real problems to solve. Let them lead projects. Make learning part of how you work, not something separate from it.
Pair experienced people with learners deliberately. Make "what did you learn this week?" part of your check-ins.
The spirit of mentorship doesn't need a certificate. It needs commitment.
And if you want help figuring out which tools make sense for your business, how to train your team, or just want to talk through what's possible—that's what we're here for.
We're building this at Kealani Solutions. Learning as we go. Sharing what works. Because when Hawaiʻi businesses thrive, our people thrive.
We're part of the community working to solve this together.
The Bottom Line#
Technology is changing work whether we're ready or not.
We can watch our keiki leave to find opportunities elsewhere.
Or we can create those opportunities here—by adopting the tools that make our businesses stronger and training the people who'll carry them forward.
Every business that embraces this approach creates a pathway. A career. A reason to stay.
That's not just good for business. It's good for Hawaiʻi.
The tools are here. The talent is here. The tradition of learning by doing is here.
Now it's on us—local businesses—to connect them.
Let's build the future Hawaiʻi needs. Together.
