Chamber of Commerce Hawaii

Opportunity Zones 2.0 Market Activation Summit

Chamber of Commerce Hawaii’s Events unite the business community to enhance the state’s economic climate by fostering success for businesses and business leaders alike. Attend or sponsor a Chamber event to promote your company, build brand awareness, market to your target demographics, expand your network and invest in your local community.

*Online registration open until Thursday 5/28*

Join us for an engaging and action-oriented convening focused on unlocking the potential of Opportunity Zones 2.0!

Beginning in July 2026, Governor Green will initiate the process to nominate 25 eligible census tracts for designation as federally recognized Opportunity Zones (OZ), creating new opportunities to attract capital for housing, energy, and economic development projects across Hawaii. This Market Activation Summit brings together developers, investors, and State and County leaders for a day of collaborative learning and discussion on how OZ can help catalyze critical projects that benefit Hawaii’s residents and communities.

Attendees will gain insight into major changes to the renewed “OZ 2.0” program, along with practical, real-world guidance through case studies highlighting viable project types, deal structures, and lessons learned. Throughout the day, participants will hear from national policy, legal, accounting, and investment experts on strategies for effectively leveraging OZ 2.0.

This Summit is designed to help activate Hawaii’s marketplace around OZ 2.0 by connecting capital providers, project sponsors, developers, and public-sector leaders. Equally important, this day-long program will foster meaningful dialogue around how OZ 2.0 can support projects currently in the pipeline, cultivate relationships that can help advance implementation, and strengthen collective understanding of the conditions needed to maximize the impact of OZ 2.0 across Hawaii.

Whether you are learning about OZ for the first time or actively exploring how to leverage OZ 2.0 for your projects, this event offers a unique opportunity to connect, learn, and help advance projects critical to Hawaii’s future.

This event is made possible in-part by funding from the Economic Development Administration to the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (award number ED25SEA0G0268). The EDA logo is a trademark of the Economic Development Administration, used with permission.

Ticket price includes all day engaging seminar, continental breakfast, lunch, and (1) pau hana drink.

Learn more about the sessions and breakout opportunities at the event:

Plenary Sessions

Framing the Opportunity for Opportunity Zones 2.0:
This session will provide an overview of the renewed “OZ 2.0” program, including major policy changes, updated incentives, eligibility considerations, and the timeline for the upcoming designation process. Speakers will discuss the broader national landscape surrounding OZ and explore how Hawaii can strategically position itself to leverage OZ 2.0 to support housing, energy, and economic development priorities statewide.

Aligning Projects, Capital, and Policy:
This session will explore how developers, investors, stakeholders, and public-sector leaders can work together to build a stronger marketplace for OZ investment that delivers community benefits in Hawaii. Discussion will focus on the relationship between investment-ready projects, capital availability, and enabling public policy, as well as the conditions necessary to advance projects from concept to implementation. Experts will share perspectives on how alignment across these sectors can help catalyze impactful and financially viable development.

Structuring an OZ Capital Stack:
This session will examine practical strategies for structuring OZ investments and integrating OZ equity into broader project financing approaches. Topics will include capital stack considerations, layering OZ incentives with other financing tools and tax credits, investor expectations, risk allocation, and lessons learned from real-world transactions. Experts will provide insight into how project sponsors can position developments to effectively attract and deploy OZ capital.

Breakout Sessions

Housing:
This breakout session will explore how OZ can support a range of housing development and preservation strategies across Hawaii, including high-density urban housing, rural housing development and opportunities associated with the enhanced basis step-up for rural-designated OZs, mixed-use projects, affordable and workforce rental housing, rehabilitation versus new construction, and Bill 7 projects. Discussion will also examine how OZ investments can be paired with complementary financing and federal programs, including LIHTC and HUD resources, to strengthen project feasibility and accelerate housing delivery.

Energy:
This breakout session will examine how OZ can help advance Hawaii’s energy transition through investment in residential, commercial, and utility-scale energy projects. Topics will include renewable energy deployment, LNG and fuel-flexible repower projects, infrastructure considerations, financing strategies, and opportunities to leverage OZ incentives to support long-term energy resilience and economic growth.

Commercial and Economic Development:
This breakout session will focus on how OZ can catalyze commercial, industrial, agricultural, and broader economic development projects across Hawaii. Discussion topics include operating and capital investment strategies, industrial and innovation-oriented facilities, food and product innovation infrastructure, warehousing, advanced manufacturing, film and creative industry facilities, and opportunities to align OZ investments with complementary federal programs and funding sources.

Speaker Line Up:

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Date and Time

Monday Jun 1, 2026
7:30 AM - 4:30 PM HST

Monday, June 1, 2026
7:30 am- 8:15am: Check In - Breakfast
8:15 am- 8:45am: Welcome Remarks
8:45 am - 10:15pm: Framing the Opportunity for Opportunity Zones 2.0
10:30 am - 12:00pm: Aligning Projects, Capital, and Policy
12:00pm- 1:15pm: Lunch Break
1:15pm- 3:00pm: Structuring an OZ Capital Stack
3:00pm- 4:30pm: Breakout Sessions
4:30pm - 6:30pm: Pau Hana Networking