Ian Y. Kitajima—widely known as Hawai‘i’s “Tech Sherpa”—became president of the Pacific International Center for High Technology Research (PICHTR) in 2023 after 21 years heading corporate development at Oceanit, where he co‑founded three startups and launched nanotechnology and applied‑AI initiatives.(PICHTR) He co‑created the Design Thinking Hawai‘i movement in 2010 and later the Altino coding initiative, empowering thousands of educators to bring human‑centered innovation and computer science to classrooms statewide.(HIPA, Oceanit)  At PICHTR, he currently co-facilitates a Japan funded and a separate Hawaii funded Dual-Use Defense incubator programs. His newest education push are in Agtech and GenAI via the "Design Intelligence Lab" in public education. A proud public‑school graduate from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Kitajima serves on boards such as the Public Schools of Hawaii Foundation, What School Could Be, and in 2025 the Hawaii Venture Capital Association honored him as Startup Paradise Champion of the Year for his ecosystem leadership.(PICHTR, hvca.org)