The founders of Abra, an AI-powered guest intelligence platform for hotels, will present at the Maui Tech ʻOhana gathering on July 8 at 5 p.m. at the Malcolm Center in Kīhei. This session offers local hospitality workers a direct look at how venture-backed tools are being built to personalize the guest experience while addressing core industry challenges.
The founders' backgrounds
Dana and Josh Ellis co-founded the startup to apply technology directly to hotel operations. Dana Ellis serves as Abra's chief hospitality officer and works as a hotel manager at Hotel Wailea. Her background includes roles at Four Seasons, Peninsula and Relais & Chateaux. She plans to discuss the specific operational hurdles that drove the creation of the platform, highlighting practical applications for AI for Hospitality & Events.
Startup lessons and ecosystem growth
Josh Ellis, the company's chief executive officer, will outline lessons learned from building a venture-scale AI startup. He will also explain how his varied career background prepared him for the process. The presentation will cover the value of Hawaiʻi's growing tech ecosystem and how such platforms effectively function as AI for Customer Support to enhance the guest experience.
Event details and registration
The Maui Economic Development Board organizes the monthly gathering with support from Maui County. Seating at the Malcolm Center is limited, though livestream tickets remain available for remote attendees. The agenda includes a check-in and networking period from 5:00 to 5:30 p.m., followed by the guest speaker and a Q&A session starting at 5:30 p.m. The meeting concludes at 6:30 p.m. after final networking.
Why this matters for hospitality and events professionals
Watching how founders with actual hotel management experience build AI tools provides a realistic benchmark for your own operations. You can evaluate whether similar guest intelligence platforms justify their cost by solving real front-desk bottlenecks, rather than just adding unnecessary software layers.
Your membership also unlocks:
