Born and Raised—and AI Ready

Meet Gabriel Yanagihara, the local educator and consultant leading Hawaii’s grassroots AI movement.

Gabriel Yanagihara isn’t just preparing students for the future—he’s building the future with them. Based at ‘Iolani School and raised on Maui, Gabriel has become a driving force in Hawaii’s rapid adoption of artificial intelligence across education, nonprofit work, and professional development.

From the viral success of his AI High School Mascots project to the hands-on impact of his student-created AI storybooks, Gabriel blends innovation with aloha—using technology not as a gimmick, but as a tool for cultural preservation, ethical training, and community empowerment.

He’s trained over 2,500 teachers, launched statewide summer camps, consulted with law firms and HR departments, and spoken on stages from the Schools of the Future Conference to Hawaii News Now.

While places like Beijing mandate AI education from age six, Hawaii is taking a different path—one built on relevance, trust, and local leadership. And at the center of that quiet revolution is Gabriel.

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