Founded by Joanne Ninomiya in 1981, JN Productions, Inc. is a full-service media production house specializing in English, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean media services for clients around the world.

Over the years, Ninomiya and her staff have been awarded numerous accolades in the industry, always keeping up-to-date on the latest technologies, equipment and trends in the market. Today, the company’s customer base includes many national and international clients as the crew travels throughout Asia and the Pacific region producing videos.

In addition, JN Production’s translation department has flourished, primarily in the area of translating Japanese anime and manga (comic books) for the U.S. market. Other subtitle and voice over projects have been entered into prestigious competitions such as the Peabody Awards, Emmys and Cannes Film Festival. The company also produces the popular DVD box sets for Kikaida and Kamen Rider V3.

Persistence and always taking on the toughest challenges are principles Cathy Owen swore by through her rise to the top of Hawaii’s high-tech industry. Today, she is a successful entrepreneur and President of her very own high-tech company, Nanopoint Inc., which is a biotechnology company that develops and markets unique cellular imaging systems for the life sciences market.

As President of a start-up tech company, Owen is charged with a gamut of responsibilities spanning accounting, business development, marketing, human resources and sometimes, still fixing her own IT problems. Through it all, she wouldn’t trade it for the world, citing Nanopoint’s success over the past couple of years as one of her greatest life accomplishments.

As Pacific Technology Foundation’s 2007 Technology College Educator of the Year and the bearer of a resume that spans countless awards, published papers, and professional recognitions, Dolly Samson is not short on accolades for her contributions to Hawaii’s technology industry.

As a Professor and Program Chair of computer science and computer information systems at Hawaii Pacific University (HPU), Samson is charged with the responsibility of educating the future high-tech leaders of Hawaii as well as representing the computer science and computer information systems programs within the university and in the community.

Born and raised in Southern California, Samson spent her teen years working as a maid at her parent’s family-owned motel and hanging at the beach.  It wasn’t until after her sophomore year in college, when she was forced to drop out after losing a scholarship that Samson really got into the IT world.