Sakamaki Extraordinary Lectures feature two ‘Geniuses’ who turn tech towards social good

HONOLULU—UHM Outreach College continues the Sakamaki Extraordinary Lecture series, “The Genius In Us All,” in July with two visionaries from our local community who have combined their entrepreneurial skills with a desire for a better world.

Henk Rogers, President and CEO of Blue Planet Software who brought Tetris to the world market and, as founder of Blue Planet Foundation, is a leading voice for energy efficiency, presents “From Blue Planet to Blue Mars: Avatars and Replicants for Alternative Realities” on July 7. Rogers will be introduced by UHM Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw.

Considered one of the visionaries of computer games, Rogershelped change the face of the industry as the entrepreneur responsible for bringing Tetris to the United States and world market. Rogers will discuss the inside story on game development (including a sneak peek into his newest invention, a high definition virtual world on Mars) and his very real mission—as founder of Blue Planet Foundation—to end our dependence on fossil fuels.

Social entrepreneur Olin Lagon presents “Stories of Social Entrepreneurship in Hawaii” on July 21. 

Lagon will share personal stories from several social ventures based in Hawaii that have brought in millions of dollars in income in support of social causes and engaged thousands of individuals across the state to lead by example. These ventures have created jobs in some of our most underserved communities, and have been featured prominently in national press (including a recent presentation on Apple’s new operating system by Steve Jobs).

The annual Sakamaki Extraordinary Lectures extend the intellectual resources of the University of Hawaii at Manoa to the community. The 2010 series, “The Genius in Us All,” was inspired by a recent Honolulu Magazine article titled, “Our Geniuses,” and provides an opportunity to meet some of the gifted individuals profiled there.

The Sakamaki Extraordinary Lectures are free, no reservations required on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. at UH Manoa’s Architecture Auditorium. For more information, visit www.outreach.hawaii.edu/summer or call (808) 956-2729.