Hawaii Business Magazine is set to host its annual Wahine Forum this Friday, a leadership and career development conference that organizers call the state's largest gathering of its kind for women. The daylong event takes place October 23 at Hilton Hawaiian Village, bringing together women from across the islands alongside professionals from a range of industries.
According to Hawaii News Now, the forum will feature women leaders from across the country and is designed to help attendees learn practical strategies for the challenges women face at work while gaining perspectives to take their next career step with greater confidence. Running from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., the event is described by the Patsy T. Mink Center for Business & Leadership as taking place at the same Waikiki venue that has hosted the conference in past years. MCBL serves as the special nonprofit partner for this year's gathering.
A Packed Agenda on AI, Networking and Leadership
Sessions this year will dig into navigating artificial intelligence, networking and leadership, according to the Hawaii News Now report. One session, titled “Pivot With Purpose: Finding Success by Meeting the Moment,” focuses on adaptability and strategic career change, per Hawaii Business Magazine's event page. Another examines the human skills that may help professionals stand out as workplaces lean further into AI, with organizers noting that technical skills alone will not determine who stands out.
The magazine's page also describes a networking-focused session built around building genuine relationships that can lead to new ideas, partnerships, referrals, mentorship and career opportunities. Jenn Lim, billed as the bestselling author of Beyond Happiness and a Top 50 global keynote speaker, is the featured speaker for 2026. The program will also include a Wahine of the Year Award honoring Catherine Ngo.
Editor Points to Mentorship and a Growing Crowd
Jennifer Ablan, Hawaii Business Magazine's editor-in-chief, told Hawaii News Now that more than 1,000 women attend the conference annually. She said attendees consistently meet new friends, mentors and sponsors at the event. Ablan is also listed as moderator of a forum panel on perimenopause and postpartum depression, per the magazine's event listing.
The forum's scale this year echoes its history of drawing large crowds. The 12th annual Wahine Forum in 2019 was sold out, with “live fearlessly” as its theme and a program that included a Wendy Sachs keynote and a panel on work-life harmony. Last year's installment, presented by the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, featured sessions on using AI to do more with less and salary negotiation strategies.
Topics on the Forum Agenda
Forum programming has included AI and negotiation topics. With more than 1,000 women attending annually, organizers appear to be betting that the mix of networking, hard skills and recognition like the Wahine of the Year Award is what keeps women coming back to Waikiki every October.
