Hawaii WBE Feature: Technology & Digital Literacy

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios, it’s time for Women In Motion. Brought to you by WBEC-West. Join forces. Succeed together. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here, another episode of Women In Motion and this is going to be a good one. But before we get started, it’s important to recognize our sponsor, WBEC-West. Without them, we couldn’t be sharing these important stories. Today on the show, we are spotlighting one of the WBEs from Hawaii, as we are all this month. And today, we have Wendy Awai-Dakroub with Ohia Technology. Welcome.

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: Thank you. Thanks for having me.

Lee Kantor: Well, I’m so excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us about your company. How are you serving folks?

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: So, we are a new, I say three to four year, tech company opened in Hawaii recently. We focus on customized software development and mainly indigenous software customized development.

Lee Kantor: And then, when you’re saying mainly indigenous, is that to serve the indigenous consumer?

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So, because I’m a native Hawaiian living in obviously Hawaii, when I first moved to home – because I just moved home. I lived abroad for many, many years – I didn’t realize how the language, Native Hawaiian language, was so much prevalent. It was becoming like a resurgence of our language. And as a Native Hawaiian woman, a lot of people started coming to me like, “Hey, can you help us develop customized software in our language?” And that was something new for me. I didn’t understand it, but now, three years later, I’m helping a lot of companies develop software that can do dual language.

Lee Kantor: So, how did that make you feel, like, being away and then seeing this resurgence?

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: It was difficult. I mean, so I left Hawaii in ’87 and I moved to Dubai in ’94, so I lived in the Middle East for 20 years. And I, at the time, I didn’t speak the language at all because back then when I was in high school, we just didn’t speak Hawaiian. So, coming back and then having children and realizing a lot of people spoke Hawaiian and I didn’t know any, it was a culture shock because I didn’t know my own language. We didn’t learn it in school.

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: So, what was exciting, I guess, was because I’m Native Hawaiian, people thought I spoke Hawaiian. And so, the more and more they would ask me questions about can you help us create even websites in our language or software learning management system with the language, I didn’t know how to do it, but I just hired the right people and I just got it done.

Lee Kantor: But you had the IT background.

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: Yes. Yeah. I worked for Cisco, and there, I was a regional marketing manager for 15 years.

Lee Kantor: So, you were kind of uniquely equipped to solve this problem?

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: Yeah, I think I was thrown into it, honestly. I mean, I started the tech company during COVID. I had to pivot. I was in the food and beverage industry. And because I knew a lot about how to order online, our business was already taking orders online when COVID happened in Hawaii, a lot of small businesses here didn’t have online access to ordering. So, I quickly helped them to figure out how to, you know, get their restaurants up online and that’s how the tech part started. I’m like, “Okay. Well, you know, I have the experience. I know how to get companies online.” And get them to quickly start pivoting and taking orders online, so that’s how my company started, it was really helping companies sell their restaurant items online, food items.

Lee Kantor: Now, did you find that in Hawaii there was a need for maybe this type of evangelizing for digital literacy, especially among young people, or was it something that was there?

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: You know, I would say Hawaii, honestly, really lagged behind the rest of the Mainland United States and the world in terms of adopting new technology. Our education still uses equipment like Dell computers that are so outdated and they’re just so far behind. So, when I came along and I obviously started working on small little IT projects right in the beginning of COVID, I really noticed the gap.

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: For instance, some of the middle schools and high schools that I was on the board during COVID didn’t have access to computers until six or eight months later. So, while everybody’s gone online and learning, a lot of our students and children in Hawaii were six to nine months behind just because they didn’t have access to laptops or WiFi.

Lee Kantor: So, when you saw this, what type of action were you able to take? I guess you have a network that was able to help in this area.

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: It was difficult. A lot of industry, IT industry professionals came together. A lot of people raised money to help schools and small projects here and there. But even at that point, we’re so far behind in terms of not being prepared. Nobody was prepared for a pandemic and having to go online. We just assumed everybody has a computer, everybody has WiFi, and that was just not the case in Hawaii. So, yeah, I had to pivot and work with a lot of organizations to get things moving.

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: In fact, for us, our company specifically, started having more and more business, meaning a lot of people started coming to me to help develop their external websites and online ordering. But I couldn’t find anyone to develop or create websites or software. So, that’s when I realized, like, “Wow. We don’t even have the talent here in Hawaii to do website development or basic coding.” So, all of these things, I mean, it wasn’t only my company we figured it out, it was a lot of IT companies here figured it out.

Lee Kantor: So then, where did you go to find the talent?

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: Well, that’s the whole new revolution here going on. So, I started reaching out to small organizations and schools. And there’s a program called Tech Savvy Teens, where we’re connecting teenagers, so ages 13 to 19, who are at-risk kids who just started getting computers and not learning the basics of IT. We’re connecting them with kupuna in their senior homes, because a lot of the kupuna started reaching out again to my company going, “Hey. Can you come to our senior home because the seniors don’t know how to use their laptops, they don’t know how to use their phones, they don’t know how to order telemedicine.” They don’t understand so many things.

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: And so, I worked with a nonprofit that does just that. They connect all these new teens, at-risk teens, get them into the senior homes. And you should see, I mean, it’s an amazing experience to watch.

Lee Kantor: And I think that we’re seeing that more and more where they are pairing some of the elders with some of the young folks to have them interact together so they can each help each other. I mean, it’s really a beautiful thing if it’s done right.

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: Right. And even then, so what we do at Ohia in sponsoring this nonprofit is that, after the teen finishes 30 hours of volunteer work, we offer them certification, like IT certification. Ohia is a Microsoft partner and a training center for Certiport, so we donate free certifications. And then, hopefully, by I think October, we should have our first cohort pass. And if they pass, I’m going to bring them on as interns. And that’s how we develop that cycle of workforce development in Hawaii.

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: But I’m one of the few that are doing it. I’m just proud that I’m part of something that can be bigger. You know, digital literacy is the whole gamut. It’s not just giving someone a computer and teaching them how to use it. It’s about connecting generations, connecting people, and then letting these kids have jobs, and in the process still give back to their community, and the ones who are least not looked at, which is our kupuna. We say kupuna when we say senior citizens.

Lee Kantor: Now, are you finding that young people are hungry for this type of knowledge?

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: Well, at first, it was tough to get students to sign up to help others. I think they’re like, “Well, what’s the benefit for me?” So, the nonprofit decided, “Well, we’re going to write grants.” And they wrote grants so that teens could have stipends. So, every time they would spend three hours at a senior home, they get $50. So, we had all kinds of teens now signing up. Summer is going to be busy because a lot of 13, 14, 15 year olds can’t get jobs. They’re not old enough. So, that was a huge motivating factor for these teens.

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: And with very little training, they’re able to go in and sit with the senior and help them with all kinds of things. I mean, some of the questions like, “Can you take my picture and put it on Facebook?” Just the random things that they ask is amazing. And when you see the seniors coming back every month asking for the same teen, it’s kind of nice. It’s a beautiful thing to watch.

Lee Kantor: Yeah, the impact is real, right? I mean, this is life changing for everybody involved.

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: Absolutely.

Lee Kantor: Is there a story you can share about some of those interactions? Obviously, don’t name their name, but maybe explain the transformation maybe you saw in a teen or an elderly person.

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: Well, I guess two stories stick out. We have one student. When she first signed up – I think her mother kind of forced her into it – wasn’t interested. She’ll just show up, help the senior, and then move on. And then, after, like, the third or fourth time she’s there, she’s asking for more time, she’s laughing. And then, she was the first one goes, “Hey, if I finish my 30 hours, can I have certification?” And it was someone who just didn’t speak, like she hardly spoke a word. And now four months later, she’s speaking. She wants to get involved more in the project. She’s helping us to launch an event at a mall. And that was a huge transformation, not knowing and then knowing this is her thing. We found her sweet spot, what she likes, which is helping others and technology.

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: And then, another story we just had, in fact, last week. We had a woman who, I guess, her older children bought her an Apple Watch and a new iPhone. And she sat down with one of them with teens, and she was like, “Okay. I need you to help me set this up.” And he’s like, “Auntie, I don’t even have a watch or I don’t have a Apple Watch or a phone. I don’t know how to work this.” But literally in half-an-hour, he managed to help her set all of it up.

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: And then, the husband came down with this huge donation. He just wrote a check for $1,000, he goes, “Can you buy an Apple Watch for this child?” And we were shocked, “Like what?” We told him thank you. We will donate it and we’ll help it out. We’ll purchase a watch and we can teach the kids. But, you know, they were so impressed with this child just not having any experience with an iPhone or iWatch and to set it up, that was kind of cool.

Lee Kantor: Yeah. It’s so neat to see the younger generation that are digitally native that they’re around technology since they were born. And then, the older folks who this is new to them, a lot of it, and then the ease in which that the younger person can figure stuff out, it must be really amazing to see.

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: Yeah, it really is amazing to see. And, again, we have the seniors, but now it becomes a party when we go to the senior centers. Like every single senior is there, they get banana bread, they get apples and eggplant. I mean, the things that the seniors give to these children, it’s amazing.

Lee Kantor: Right, because they want to reciprocate. They want to give something to them too.

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: And they spend more time. And we did a study that we spent 15 minutes on the problem and an hour talking, they talk story with the child.

Lee Kantor: That’s amazing. And it’s one of those things that the impact is so much more than even that you could have imagined it being, because it’s human to human interaction.

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: Yeah. And I think that was the goal, was generational. During COVID, we did see that, our kupuna were getting more and more isolated. And Tech Savvy Teens just started with a few teens helping kupuna who wanted to watch church online. So, they went to a church and they were helping from a church, and things exploded into a program they have, now Tech Savvy Teens.

Lee Kantor: Now, are you optimistic about the kind of next generation of maybe female and indigenous IT professionals? Are you seeing that there’s a desire and an opportunity for them to find opportunities?

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: I’m hopeful. You know, I would say I’m hopeful. I mean, a lot of the programs that are coming out in Hawaii for teenagers to get certified, there’s so many. It’s just reaching the right demographic. And there’s not a lot of Native Hawaiian here, non-Native Hawaiians in Hawaii now. It’s so expensive to stay here so many are leaving. Yet alone female native Hawaiians in the tech industry. So, I think that’s what I’m concerned about.

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: But I do have a handful of girls who are excited about the tech industry and they want to become developers, and stay in Hawaii and help create indigenous language platforms. Because Hawaiians, we learn differently. We’re not linear. We’ll jump from this subject to that subject and that subject. We have to move and jump and do so many things, so to create a platform that’s like that, it doesn’t exist. We would have to create it ourselves. So, I think having more and more Native, not only female, but all Native Hawaiians in IT would be the goal. But I’m hopeful. I won’t say we’re there yet.

Lee Kantor: Now, why was it important for you to become part of WBEC-West and be part of that community?

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: So, in the process of finding out how, I guess just we didn’t have a lot of money [inaudible]. It’s hard to find employees or people here that understand software development. I decided at an early point in my career that if I’m going to create opportunities or jobs for these students or these youth in Hawaii, then I would have to also create the contracts or the opportunities to win business.

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: And from what I know and through the YWCA program that I was in, they told me you should get certified and start doing government contracts. And then, as a female women-owned business, I could qualify for that. And so, I give credit to YWCA for providing me with the opportunity to get certified by WBEC. I didn’t know what it was, but it’s been amazing. Just having that logo on my business card and on my website, people take you more seriously, especially when I bid for local contracts, local state contracts.

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: So, the goal, obviously, is I’m going through my women-owned certification right now for WOSB, and I’m hoping to be an ADA soon so that I can win contracts and then give more jobs to people in Hawaii so they can stay here.

Lee Kantor: So, what is it that you need more of right now that we can help you?

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: You know, I had registered for a WBENC event, they had an event, an expo, I think, last year. But to go from Hawaii, it was so expensive. I mean, it was really hard. I mean, ideally what I would love to see is a local event. There’s a lot of women-owned businesses here that would love to be certified, but it costs us double the amount to travel to the Mainland and attend one of these events. I would love to see a local version of the WBENC event in the Pacific Islands, if I have to be honest.

Lee Kantor: Well, we’ll see what we can do about that. Now, if somebody wants to learn more about your firm, either your nonprofit or your for-profit IT company, what is the websites?

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: So, our website for my tech company Ohia Technology is ohiatechnology.com. And an information about Tech Savvy Teens, the nonprofit that we support certifications for is techsavvyteens.org.

Lee Kantor: And for your IT firm, it’s O-H-I-A-technology.com?

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: Yes. So, Ohia is the Hawaiian word for lehua, the flower. And it’s the first flower that comes through the lava. It’s a red flower. And, for us, it symbolizes strength to come through lava. The first plant.

Lee Kantor: Right. You got to be tough. You got to be resilient.

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: Resilient, yeah. So, that’s the name of our company.

Lee Kantor: Well, Wendy, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: You’re welcome, Lee. Thank you for having me. It was my first podcast, I enjoyed it.

Lee Kantor: All right. That’s good. And one more time, the website if somebody wants to learn more.

Wendy Awai-Dakroub: www.ohiatechnology.com.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on Women In Motion.