Event Recap: 2025 Executive Leadership Awards
On Tuesday, September 16, 2025, Innovate@UCLA hosted its annual Executive Leadership Awards Dinner (ELAD), themed “The Disruption Advantage: Leaders Who Shape the Future,” at the UCLA Luskin Ballroom. The event brought together technology leaders, executives, and community partners for an evening of recognition, resilience, and forward-looking insights.
The evening began with remarks from Jim Rinaldi, Innovate@UCLA Executive Director; Davida Johnson, Executive Director of UCLA Office of Advanced Research Computing (OARC) and Innovate@UCLA Program Sponsor; Andy Schlei, ELA Chair and retired SVP of IT at Sony Pictures Entertainment; and Bhupesh Arora, Executive Partner at Gartner and Innovate@UCLA Executive Chair. They welcomed guests, highlighted Innovate@UCLA’s mission to connect UCLA research with Southern California’s technology ecosystem, expressed gratitude to sponsors and committee members, and celebrated the strength and growth of the organization’s membership.
The event was co-hosted by Thomas Phelps, SVP & CIO of Laserfiche and Chief Strategist & Past Chair of Innovate@UCLA, alongside Heidi Pease, Head of Investment Products at Wave Financial and Innovate@UCLA ELA Vice Chair. With their expertise and wit, they guided attendees through a program that blended cutting-edge discussions with heartfelt recognition of community impact.
The evening honored the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles with the Community Impact Award. President & CEO Victor Dominguez accepted the award, highlighting the YMCA’s crucial role during the January wildfires. In partnership with Innovate@UCLA members, including Phillip LeClair and Rory Devine, and with support from Laserfiche and others, the YMCA distributed more than 400 laptops and 1,000 Wi-Fi hotspots to families in need. Their facilities are now evolving into “Community Resilience Hubs,” ensuring long-term preparedness and support.
The Emerging Technology Award was presented to Local Kitchens, honored for reimagining dining with their multi-brand, tech-enabled “mini food hall” concept. CEO Jay Gentile accepted the award, showcasing his vision of bringing diverse, chef-driven menus together under one roof—demonstrating how technology and hospitality can transform everyday dining experiences.
A timely panel, “Looking Ahead Through Reflections on the LA Fires,” featured Dr. Darlene Greene, Councilwoman of the Altadena Town Council, and Haylynn Conrad, Malibu City Councilmember. Moderated by Davida Johnson, the panel underscored the importance of strong local leadership and community partnerships in recovery and resilience.
Kevin Parikh, Founder & CEO of Avasant and Chairman of Innovate@UCLA’s CEO Advisory Board, delivered “Navigating the Next Wave of Disruption: Tariffs, Crypto, and Technology.” He addressed the disruptive forces reshaping globalization, including tariffs, currency instability to AI, and labor disruption. Yet, he emphasized that “economic gravity — the movement of trade, people, and capital — cannot be stopped.” Parikh concluded that AI is becoming the “margin engine of the future,” driving new ways for enterprises to connect, optimize, and grow.
Closing the evening, Joel Telpner, Chief Legal & Policy Officer of Input Output Global (IOG), delivered a keynote on “From Stablecoins to Tokenized Assets: How Digital Assets Will Reshape Enterprise Strategy and Our Personal Lives.” Widely recognized as one of the top fintech and blockchain lawyers in the U.S., Telpner clarified common misconceptions around digital assets and illustrated how tokenization will transform both enterprise strategy and individual financial lives.
The evening also recognized the vital support of sponsors Avasant, The Silicon Partners (TSP), and NTT Data.
From celebrating technology-driven innovation to recognizing community resilience in the face of natural disasters, the 2025 Executive Leadership Awards Dinner embodied Innovate@UCLA’s mission to bridge academia and industry. Innovate@UCLA thanks its sponsors, speakers, honorees, guests and volunteers for making this year’s event a success, and looks forward to building on this momentum at next year’s celebration.
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