Hawai'i runs on paperwork.
We turn it into software.
STR compliance, USCG credentials, harbor billing, building permits, residential scope — twenty production apps shipped for Hawai'i operators. Subscribe to one we already built, hire us to build yours, or learn the playbook in the AI School.
Consulting, custom builds,
SaaS, and a school.
Pick the engagement that fits — a one-off AI consult, a custom app build, a full multi-tenant SaaS, or the AI School where Hawai'i operators learn to ship their own.
AI Consulting
Strategy, prompt engineering, model selection, cost modeling, eval pipelines. From a one-off LLM workflow to a full agentic system in production.
- Claude API + Anthropic SDK fluent
- Prompt caching · structured outputs
- Multi-tenant prompt isolation
- Cost + latency p99 instrumentation
Custom AI Apps
Full-stack AI-native apps shipped end-to-end. Web (Next.js), iOS (Swift + RoomPlan + Object Capture), backend (FastAPI / Postgres). Twelve products live to prove it.
- Next.js 16 · React 19 · Tailwind 4
- Swift + RoomPlan + ARKit
- FastAPI · Postgres · Docker · Vultr
- Cloudflare Pages + edge functions
Multi-Tenant SaaS
Build a SaaS from scratch or extract one from an existing client app. Row-level tenant isolation, signup + billing scaffolding, transactional email, audit trails — same playbook BlueWave Projects ships on.
- Phase-1 tenant scoping (15+ tables)
- Stripe billing + webhook handlers
- Auth + invite + role permissions
- Tenant-scoped LLM workflows
BlueWave AI School
Learn AI the way operators actually use it. Nine skill waves, 66 lessons, hundreds of hands-on exercises. From foundations to multi-agent workflows — practiced inside a live sandbox.
- 9 waves · 66 lessons · live sandbox
- XP, streaks, certificates per wave
- Operator-grade (no slide decks)
- $39/mo solo · $249/mo + coaching
Built. Shipped. Running.
Twenty live products under active maintenance — web, iOS, AI, infra. Each card links to the live site.
Ikena
The complete operator suite for property, contracting, and real estate. Sixteen ops modules on the web — projects, invoices with Hawaii GET handled, subs, time, change orders, blueprint + 3D editor, leads, employees, handbook. Plus the iOS scanner. Built by an operator running real Hawaii jobs.
Ikena Permit
Upload a plan set, get every probable ROH §21, IBC, and Honolulu LUO violation back in 30 minutes — citation-anchored, verbatim code sections. Variance narrative drafts and DPP comment-response drafts included. Built for self-certifying Hawaii architects who want an independent compliance read before they sign.
Binnacle.ai
Bridge-intelligence platform for commercial mariners and fleet operators. IEC 62388 ARPA radar with target trails and guard zones, voice bridge interface, port-captain prompt drafting, class-society audit log, crew credential tracking, inspection prep, and USCG regulation lookup. Built by a 100-ton USCG Master who has actually run the inspections.
Binnacle Radar
Full IEC 62388 ARPA bridge radar in the browser — no hardware required. AIS symbol set (triangle/cross/box), target trails, guard zones with breach alarms, auto-acquisition, ROT indicator, relative-motion vectors, and a real-time simulation clock. Ships as a tab inside Binnacle AI and at radar.binnacleai.com.
PermitPaddler
Hawaiʻi short-term rental compliance — all 4 counties. TVR / STRH / NUC / STVR permit tracking, GET + TAT + county-TAT filings, AI document classifier, and 30/14/7/3/1-day reminders. Free TMK lookup and printable 2026 tax calendar.
BinnacleHarbor
Harbor and marina management built for harbormasters, not accountants. Live SVG slip map, 30-second vessel check-in, automated nightly billing, NOAA storm alerts, owner PWA. We pre-set every harbor up for the operator before first login — no computer experience needed.
Ikena Portal — tenant zero
The live tenant-zero instance of Ikena, in continuous production use. Every module — invoices, subs & GET, time, daily logs, documents, selections, change orders, blueprint, 3D editor — exercised on real work. The proof that the platform handles a real Hawaii residential job end-to-end.
Hawaii 3D Map
Every parcel, building, and address in Hawaiʻi as TypeScript — served as a 3D map. 384,262 statewide TMK parcels, 239,458 Honolulu building footprints with real heights, 204,775 address points. Click any property → instant TMK, acres, qPublic link.
Property Brief
Weekly Hawaii property data digest for homeowners and investors. TMK, zoning, lava zone, permit history, comps — your saved addresses every Wednesday. Built on the same Hawaii data layer as the scope generator.
Aloha Off-Market Network
Deal flow before MLS. Hawaii adjacency alerts, distressed-permit signals, intros to vetted agents and lenders. Three tiers — $99 watcher, $499 builder, $1,500 founding member.
Port of Cams
Real-time webcam streaming from Hawaii, Alaska, and the Pacific Northwest plus DOT traffic feeds across 50 states. 14,400+ live cameras with HD/Lite toggle, interactive maps, and multi-view grids.
AlohaCalendar
Automated Hawaii events calendar with 13 scrapers, AI image enrichment, Stripe ticketing, and newsletter automation. Self-updating every 30 minutes.
Da Plate Lunch
Locals-first Hawaii plate lunch directory — the anti-Yelp. Every local spot, pidgin descriptions, real vibes. Restaurant profiles, verified reviews, photo uploads, Sign in with Apple, and a $29/mo featured-listing subscription for operators. Built for the kind of place that doesn't have a marketing budget.
Aina Atlas
Hawaii land stewardship app — TMK-anchored property intelligence meets cultural context. iOS native (TestFlight), web SIWA, and backend API. Three IAPs, parcel detail, and a 3D geospatial layer built on the same GIS data stack as the Hawaii Property Lookup.
pocTickets
Full-stack event ticketing platform with Stripe Connect organizer payouts, QR-code check-in, destination charges, and a public event storefront. Built to serve Pacific Harbor events without the 20% take that the big ticketing platforms skim.
Last Frontier Events
Alaska's premier event discovery platform. Aggregates events from multiple sources with deals, northern lights viewing, and region-based browsing across 6 Alaska regions.
claude-prompt-cache
Drop-in prompt-caching helpers for the Anthropic Python SDK. cache_system() auto-applies cache_control markers respecting the 1024-token minimum + 4-block per-request cap. CacheMetrics tracks hit-rate and surfaces dollar cost. Extracted from BlueWave Projects' production LLM pipelines.
ProtestTracker
Global protest tracker — Next.js + Prisma + Postgres. Just relaunched: rebuilt container, attached persistent pgdata volume, restored DNS, behind the same Vultr / Nginx Proxy Manager stack as the rest of the studio.
Hawaii Property Lookup
Address autocomplete + parcel card (TMK, island, county, acres, zone) backed by statewide ArcGIS, county REST endpoints, and OSM Overpass. Memos, /stats dashboard, adjacent parcels, geofencing, print/PDF letterhead, lead capture.
ProBuildCalc
The lighter sibling of Ikena. iOS-only — Apple RoomPlan + Object Capture, multi-room stitching, AI ballpark, send-as-lead. For operators who just need a measure-and-quote tool in their pocket. Upgrade path to Ikena Suite when you need the web admin too.
Family Tree
Interactive family tree builder with photo uploads, relationship mapping, and beautiful visualizations. Preserve your family history digitally.
CamDrop
Construction site timelapse cameras. Weatherproof cameras that capture months of progress into shareable timelapses. Perfect for builders, developers, and project managers.
Business trained. Code first.
AI fluent. Sea tested.
Marketing degree, decade of full-stack engineering, deep Anthropic SDK time, snowcat fleet manager, design-build founder, and yes — a 100-ton USCG Master credential. The breadth shows up in the work: code that reads like someone who has actually run a P&L, navigated a regulated industry, and shipped on time when the weather wouldn't wait.
Your address, every Wednesday.
Permits, sales, comps, ownership changes — for the parcel you care about. First brief is free, $15/mo after. Cancel anytime.
Built in Honolulu · Hawaii data · 384,262 parcels indexed
Built on real jobsites by an operator.
Not a SaaS startup chasing a vertical. A Honolulu design-build practice that needed all of this on real job sites — and shipped it.
John Thomas
Founder · Ikena Design & Build · Honolulu
I run a one-person AI software studio in Honolulu (Ikena Design & Build) shipping production AI products on Anthropic Claude — 12+ surfaces live or in private beta.
Before software I spent a decade in the trades and at sea: 100-ton USCG Master Captain with 1,000+ sea days, Alaskan timber-frame builder, Honolulu finish carpenter. That decade taught me what it costs to ship work right — the same standard now lands in TypeScript and Python instead of mortise-and-tenon.
BlueWave Projects, Binnacle AI, Property Brief, Aloha Network, ProBuildCalc, hawaii-as-code — all built by an operator who's been the customer. Not a SaaS founder chasing a vertical.
Visit Ikena Design & Build →Talk to the operator.
Free trial is the fastest path, but if you want to talk it through first — drop a note and we'll get back same day.