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Event Stars

Event Stars

Innovate@UCLA’s events are thoughtfully designed to create impactful connections among our members, strengthening our community while exploring novel topics related in the rapidly changing world of technology. Guest speakers are a cornerstone of these events, bringing insightful and engaging discussions that make each gathering truly remarkable.

Below is a list of speakers who have contributed to our events since 2023, which is continuously updated to reflect new contributions.

haylynn conrad

Haylynn Conrad

Councilmember | Malibu City Council

2025 Executive Leadership Awards Dinner

dr darlene greene

Dr Darlene Greene

Councilwoman | Altadena Town Council

2025 Executive Leadership Awards Dinner

kevin parikh

Kevin Parikh

CEO & Chairman || Avasant

2023 Summer Solstice || 2025 Executive Leadership Awards Dinner

joel telpner

Joel Telpner

Chief Legal & Policy Officer | Input Output Global (IOG)

2025 Executive Leadership Awards Dinner

Ray Wang

Ray Wang

Founder and Chairman | Constellation Research

2025 Summer Solstice

Trent Johnson

Trent Johnson

Chief Strategy Officer | Cie

2025 Summer Solstice

davida johnson

Davida Johnson

Executive Director | OARC

2024 Virtual WIT #1 Impact of AI on the Lives and Rights of Women and Underserved Communities || 2025 Summer Solstice || 2025 Executive Leadership Awards Dinner

howard miller

Howard Miller

CIO | Anderson Computing & Information Services (ACIS)

2025 Summer Solstice

Steven Hochman

Steven Hochman

Los Angeles Director of Street Medicine | AKIDO Labs

2025 Summer Solstice

Karthik Murali

Karthik Murali

Head of Safety Net Programs | AKIDO Labs

2025 Summer Solstice

Sanjit Mahanti

Sanjit Mahanti

Co-founder and Chief Business Development Officer | AKIDO Labs

2025 Summer Solstice

joseph cevetello

Joseph Cevetello

Programs Event Chair

2025 Summer Solstice

jeff burke

Jeff Burke

Professor and Associate Dean, Research and Technology || UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television

2023 Executive Leadership Awards Dinner || 2025 Summer Solstice

thomas ash

Thomas Ash

Research Economist, UCLA Anderson Forecast || Anderson School of Management, UCLA

2025 Annual Economic Outlook

nan jia

Nan Jia

Associate Professor of Strategic Management || USC Marshall

2025 Spring CxO Exchange: For Whom the Bells Tolls? Implications of Artificial Intelligence Technologies for Managers

cindy mckenzie

Cindy Mckenzie

VP & Co-Founder || STEM Advantage

2025 Women In Technology: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome and Finding Your Voice

melanie hildebrandt

Melanie Hildebrandt

CIO || Endeavor and TKO

2024 CxO Spring Exchange || 2025 Women In Technology: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome and Finding Your Voice

josh legassick

Josh LeGassick

Professional Management Consultant || Insigniam

2024 WIT #2 Leading Without Authority

anna islamova

Anna Islamova

Management Consultant || Insigniam

2024 WIT #2 Leading Without Authority

courtney stockmal

Courtney Stockmal

Studio & Remote Director || FOX Sport

2024 Executive Leadership Awards Dinner

eric iverson

Eric Iverson

Partner and CTO || United Talent Agency

2024 Executive Leadership Awards Dinner

jay tucker

Jay Tucker

Executive Director || UCLA's Center for Media, Entertainment, & Sports

2024 Executive Leadership Awards Dinner

leslie silverman

Lesley Silverman

Head of New Tech || United Talent Agency

2024 Executive Leadership Awards Dinner

eddie drake

Eddie Drake

Head of Production Technology || Walt Disney Studios

2024 Executive Leadership Awards Dinner

laurie leshin

Laurie Leshin

Director || NASA JPL

2024 Executive Leadership Awards Dinner

shelley taniguchi-dea

Shelley Taniguchi-Dea

Director of Global Partnerships || Team Liquid

2024 Summer Solstice

janette smrcka

Janette Smrcka

VP of IT || SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park

2024 Summer Solstice

krisha zagura

Krisha Zagura

VP of Product || On Location

2024 Summer Solstice

lea erikson

Lea Eriksen

Director of Technology & Innovation, CIO || City of Long Beach

2024 Summer Solstice

kevin gray

Kevin Gray

CTO || Metrolink

2024 Summer Solstice

mike band

Mike Band

Senior Manager of Research and Analytics, Next Gen Stats || National Football League

2024 Summer Solstice

ed soo hoo

Ed Soo Hoo

Worldwide CTO Global Accounts || Lenovo

2024 Summer Solstice

heather brooks karatz

Heather Brooks Karatz

Founder/CEO; Owner || Hextec Inc. ; Angel City FC

2024 Summer Solstice

jeffrey aguilar

Jeffrey Aguilar

CISO || County of Los Angeles

2024 Spring Summit

virginia lyons

Virginia Lyons

SVP and CISO || Sony Pictures Entertainment

2024 Spring Summit

wes gavins

Wes Gavins

VP and Head of Cybersecurity || LA28

2024 Spring Summit

Bhupesh Arora

Bhupesh Arora

Executive Chair || Innovate@UCLA, Chief Technology Officer || Howard Hughes

2024 Spring Summit

greg moore

Greg Moore

VP & CIO || KB Home

2024 Spring Summit || 2025 Annual Economic Outlook

theresa miller

Theresa Miller

CIO & EVP, Information Technology || Lionsgate

2024 Spring Summit || 2024 Summer Solstice

Jim Renaldi

Jim Rinaldi

Executive Director || Innovate@UCLA

2024 Spring Summit

rob devers

Rob Devers

VP & CIO || Majestic Realty Co

2024 Spring Summit

sarah roberts

Sarah Roberts

Associate Professor of Gender Studies, Information Studies, and Labor Studies || UCLA

2024 Virtual WIT #1 Impact of AI on the Lives and Rights of Women and Underserved Communities

safiya noble

Safiya Noble

David O. Sears Presidential Endowed Chair of Social Sciences and Professor of Gender Studies, African American Studies, and Information Studies || UCLA

2024 Virtual WIT #1 Impact of AI on the Lives and Rights of Women and Underserved Communities

philip leclair

Philip Leclair

CIO || City of Pasadena

2024 CxO Spring Exchange || 2024 Summer Solstice || 2025 Annual Economic Outlook

george sheth

George Sheth

Managing Partner || Diligent Partners LLC

2024 CxO Spring Exchange

angela gardner

Angela Gardner

Partner in Charge || Hedrick & Struggles

2024 CxO Spring Exchange

james worthy

James Worthy

NBA HoF, 3x Champ LA Lakers, MVP, Sports Analyst || Spectrum SportsNet

2024 CxO Spring Exchange

keith chen

Keith Chen

Professor, Behavioural Economics || UCLA Anderson

2023 CxO Fall Exchange

chitra rajeshwari

Chitra Rajeshwari

Executive Director || Avasant Foundation

2023 Executive Leadership Awards Dinner

beverly macy

Beverly Macy

Educator || UCLA Anderson

2023 Executive Leadership Awards Dinner || 2024 Summer Solstice

charles sims

Charles Sims

CTO / Founder || Funder AI

2023 Executive Leadership Awards Dinner

helix wolfson

Helix Wolfson

President || Metaverse Operations

2023 Executive Leadership Awards Dinner

piper obrien

Piper O’Brien

Solutions Manager || iSpace

2023 Expand Your Network, from Virtual to Reality

jessica wood

Jessica Wood

Partner, Intellectual Property Protection and Enforcement || Manatt

2023 Summer Solstice

thomas phelps

Thomas Phelps

SVP, CIO || Laserfiche

2023 Summer Solstice

via van liew

Via Van Liew

Chief Diversity Officer || The Aerospace Corporation

2023 Summer Solstice

tammy choy

Tammy Choy

Director of Cybersecurity || LA2028

2023 Summer Solstice

michael keithley

Michael Keithley

Ex CIO || United Talent Agency

2023 Summer Solstice

garrett boss

Garrett Boss

EVP, Enterprise and Data Platforms || Fox

2023 Women in Technology: How to be an Ally!

derek cotton

Derek Cotton

Talent Acquisition Manager || Capital Group

2023 Women in Technology: How to be an Ally!

colleen rogers

Colleen Rogers

Director, Product || Voyatek

2023 Women in Technology: How to be an Ally!

amanda bailey

Amanda Bailey

Vice President Global Analytics || Activision

2023 Women in Technology: How to be an Ally!

vaishakhi lahoti

Vaishakhi Lahoti

Director of Data Warehousing & Analytics || The Aerospace Corporation

2023 Women in Technology: How to be an Ally! || 2023 Summer Solstice

beth apillanes

Beth Apillanes

Manager, Service Delivery, Strategy & Operations (Enterprise Technology) || NASA JPL

2023 Women in Technology: How to be an Ally! || 2023 Executive Leadership Awards Dinner

keith ferazzi

Keith Ferazzi

#1 NYT Bestselling Author & Founder || Ferrazzi Greenlight

2023 Spring CxO Exchange

julia erdkamp

Julia Erdkamp

Executive Director || CalSAWS

2023 The Agile Way: Unlocking Efficiency and Effectiveness through Agile/Lean Best Practices

nadya ichinomiya

Nadya Ichinomiya

Vice President – Agile Transformation, Enablement, & Operations || Sony Pictures Entertainment

2023 The Agile Way: Unlocking Efficiency and Effectiveness through Agile/Lean Best Practices

naya wenger

Naya Wenger

Chief Product Officer || CAA

2023 WIT #1: Creating Your Optimal Work Environment and Get Some Down Time!

holleh vansant

Holleh Vansant

Senior Project Manager || The Aerospace Corporation

2023 WIT #1: Creating Your Optimal Work Environment and Get Some Down Time!

dr lynda murray-thomas

Dr. Lynda Murray-Thomas

Sr. Director, Application Delivery & Strategy || Universal Parks & Resorts

2023 WIT #1: Creating Your Optimal Work Environment and Get Some Down Time!

ginger siedschlag

Ginger Siedschlag

COO || Caylent

2023 WIT #1: Creating Your Optimal Work Environment and Get Some Down Time!

randy levin

Randy Levin

CEO || The Women in Tech Accelerator Program

2023 WIT #1: Creating Your Optimal Work Environment and Get Some Down Time!

Learn about Innovate@UCLA Event Stars and their role in leading conversations at our events.