A who's who of technology names was expected to attend, including Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos, Oracle Co-CEO Safra Catz and IBM CEO Ginni Rometty. But none of the executives criticized the president in public sessions, and Trump projected a jovial mood, touting the gains in technology stocks since he took office and expressing confidence his administration would overcome such long-running challenges as modernizing the air traffic system.
The CEOs and White House also planned to discuss Trump's review announced in April of the USA visa program for bringing high-skilled foreign workers into the country. Both officials are listed as members of the American Technology Council.
Apple's Tim Cook also spoke up at the meeting, stating the coding should be made a mandatory requirement in US's schools. "Government needs to catch up with the technology revolution".
Beyond government technology infrastructure, the executives touched on artificial intelligence, computer science education and immigration.
Venture capitalist John Doerr asked for the government to open up its databases to private firms, saying it would transform health care.
"If you set the data free, the entrepreneurs are going to do the rest", he told the president.
At the first meeting of the American Technology Council - which the president established by executive order in May - Mr Trump stressed the need to "transform and modernise" the USA public sector's use of technology. Vice President Mike Pence and senior advisers to the president Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, Gary Cohn, Dina Powell, and Stephen Miller were also present.
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Some technology executives have clashed with Trump over his decision to exit the Paris climate accord.
Cook, Bezos and others have since been vocal critics of some of the administration's policies, including the attempt to institute a travel ban for visitors from some majority-muslim countries. Chadwell noted Trump's immigration policies have been bad for business for a number of tech companies.
More meetings are scheduled during the White House's "tech week", including one that will cover drones this Thursday and the announcement of "additional tech reforms at the Department of Veterans Affairs on Friday".
In the behind-the-scenes discussion with the CEOs, reported by MSNBC, the president also told the leaders his wish for comprehensive immigration reform but that now, the Senate's health care bill needs "more heart". The federal government is a large customer for some of the companies and a potential regulator for all.
However there is a week of working sessions and conversations about modernising the government's systems, cybersecurity, the H-1B visa programme, talent recruitment and other issues.
"Our goal is to lead a sweeping transformation of the federal government's technology that will deliver dramatically better services to the citizens [and] stronger protection from cyberattacks", Trump said in opening remarks.
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