Event Details

Join us for the Innovate@UCLA 2025 Executive Leadership Awards!

Our signature event will take place on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, from 5:00 to 9:00 PM at the UCLA Luskin Ballroom.

What to Expect:

5:00 PM – Reception and Networking

• During the networking reception, connect with peers, thought leaders, and innovators.

6:00 PM – Dinner

• Enjoy a delightful plated dinner service.

Hosts:

• Heidi Pease, Head of Investment Products, Wave Financial, Innovate@UCLA Executive Leadership Awards (ELA) Vice Chair
• Thomas Phelps, SVP & CIO, Laserfiche, Innovate@UCLA Immediate Past-Chair

Keynote Address:

“From Stablecoins to Tokenized Assets: How Digital Assets Will Reshape Enterprise Strategy and Our Personal Lives”

• Joel Telpner, Chief Legal & Policy Officer, Input Output Global (IOG)

Speaker:

“Navigating the Next Wave of Disruption: Tariffs, Crypto, and Technology”

• Kevin Parikh, Founder & CEO, Avasant, Innovate@UCLA CEO Advisory Board Chairman

Panel Discussion:

“Looking Ahead Through Reflections on the LA Fires“

• Dr. Darlene Greene, Councilwoman, Altadena Town Council
• Haylynn Conrad, Councilmember, Malibu City Council
• Moderated by Davida Johnson, Executive Director, UCLA Office of Advanced Research Computing (OARC), Innovate@UCLA Program Sponsor

Awards Presentation:

• Emerging Technology Award: Local Kitchens

  • Jay Gentile, CEO
  • Alex Pien, SVP Brand

• Community Impact Award: YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles

  • Victor Dominguez, President & CEO

Other Notable Speakers:

• Andy Schlei, Retired SVP, Information Technology, Sony Pictures Entertainment & Avasant Fellow, Innovate@UCLA Executive Leadership Awards (ELA) Chair
• Jim Rinaldi, Former CIO, Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) & Senior Fellow, Avasant, Innovate@UCLA Executive Director
• Bhupesh Arora, Executive Partner, Gartner, Innovate@UCLA Executive Chair

8:40 PM – End of Program

About Innovate@UCLA Executive Leadership Awards

The Innovate@UCLA Executive Leadership Award (ELA) recognizes the exceptional creation of value to achieve a company’s vision via the application of innovative, forward-thinking, and disruptive technologies and operating models.

Sponsors

Avasant is a leading global management consulting firm helping enterprises translate technology into business results. With deep expertise in digital and business transformation, strategic sourcing, benchmarking, and research, Avasant delivers client-centric solutions that drive sustainable growth and competitive advantage.

The Silicon Partners (TSP) is a leading IT professional services partner helping enterprises innovate and transform with confidence. TSP specializes in ERP planning and execution, combining deep expertise in SAP, Automation, AI, and HCM to enable organizations to leverage technology to scale innovation and streamline operations. 

NTT DATA is a trusted global innovator of business and technology services, helping clients innovate, optimize and transform for success. As a Global Top Employer, we have diverse experts in more than 50 countries and a robust partner ecosystem. NTT DATA is part of NTT Group.

Event Chair

Andy Schlei
Executive Leadership Awards (ELA) Chair
Retired SVP, Information Technology, Sony Pictures Entertainment & Avasant Fellow