NEWS RELEASE: Hawai’i Announces Opportunity Zones 2.0 Market Activation Summit

STATE OF HAWAIʻI

KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

JOSH GREEN, M.D.

GOVERNOR

KE KIAʻĀINA

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM

KA ʻOIHANA HOʻOMOHALA PĀʻOIHANA, ʻIMI WAIWAI A HOʻOMĀKAʻIKAʻI

JAMES KUNANE TOKIOKA

DIRECTOR

KA LUNA HOʻOKELE

Hawai'i Announces Opportunity Zones 2.0 Market Activation Summit

Local Leaders, Developers, Investors and Community Stakeholders Invited to Register

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 13, 2026

HONOLULU - The state of Hawai'i, through the Office of the Governor, Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) and the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development (OPSD), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Chamber of Commerce Hawai'i, is convening the Opportunity Zones 2.0 Market Activation Summit on Monday, June 1, 2026, at the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center and the John A. Burns School of Medicine with a virtual attendance option available.

This full-day- summit will bring together more than 200 practitioners - including developers, investors, state and county agencies, financial institutions and nonprofit organizations - for a deep dive into the newly updated Opportunity Zones (OZ) 2.0 program. Attendees will gain insights into federal and state priorities, investment strategies, project structuring, deal viability and how upcoming census tract designations can unlock impactful development across the islands.

"Opportunity Zones are a tool that we can use to benefit our most important initiatives - housing for our people, our transition to clean energy and critical economic development projects," said Governor Green. "I encourage developers, investors, state and county leaders and community organizations to come together and learn about this important opportunity to support our state's greatest needs."

"HUD is pleased to partner with the state of Hawaiʻi as it starts its Opportunity Zone 2.0 Market Activation," said HUD Region IX Administrator Will Spencer. "Opportunity Zones work best when federal, state and local stakeholders coordinate to drive investment into distressed communities. With the affordable housing crisis, opportunity zones are a great platform and a great vehicle for us to build affordable housing and new operating businesses which will be a blessing to Hawaiʻi."

"This summit is designed to accelerate Hawai'i's readiness for the next chapter of Opportunity Zones and ensure that upcoming investments drive economic resilience and benefit Hawai'i's residents and communities," said DBEDT Director James Kunane Tokioka.

The summit will feature national experts who will walk attendees through case studies demonstrating project financing models that can successfully leverage Opportunity Zones investment. Attendees are encouraged to take advantage of the speakers' in-person presence to seek guidance on upcoming projects.

Featured National Experts Include:

• Brady Meixell, Urban Institute
• Brent Parker, Novogradac
• Catherine Lyons, Economic Innovation Group
• Florian Schalliol, Arctaris Impact Investors
• Marc Schultz, Snell & Wilmer
• Robert Jamieson, HUD Region IX

Invited special guests include Governor Josh Green, Hawai'i's county mayors, members of the congressional delegation, HUD leadership and state legislators.

Agenda Highlights:

• Opening remarks from state and federal leaders
• Expert briefings on OZ 2.0 policy changes, investment patterns and lessons from OZ 1.0
• Case studies on successful project types and deal structures
• Capital panel featuring national and Hawai'i-focused investors
• Technical workshops on building an OZ capital stack, integrating tax credits and structuring Qualified Opportunity Funds

Businesses and community partners can register now at the event page here .

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