Past Events

Board members save the date for our fourth quarter meeting!

Leading Without Authority

We invite you to a virtual workshop hosted by Innovate@UCLA Women in Technology (WIT) and Women In Technology Hollywood (WiTH)!

How to Lead Without Authority

In today’s dynamic workplace, the ability to manage teams and influence outcomes without formal authority is an essential skill. This interactive session explores strategies and mindsets necessary to lead and collaborate effectively in situations where direct power is limited.
You will learn to influence, build trust, and foster collaboration to inspire action and achieve results across teams and departments.

Key learning outcomes include:

• Building strong relationships in professional environments
• Communicating effectively to align and motivate teams
• Empowering colleagues to take the initiative and drive results

Through group discussions and interactive exercises, you will gain practical tools and insights to confidently influence projects and teams, even in environments with complex reporting structures.
Join us to unlock the art of leading through influence and drive success, regardless of your formal position.

Speakers:

• Anna Islamova, Management Consultant, Insigniam
• Josh LeGassick, Professional Management Consultant, Insigniam

This workshop will be a joint event with attendees from both Innovate@UCLA’s Women in Technology (WIT) and Women In Technology Hollywood (WiTH). In November, you’ll have the chance to meet your new virtual connections in person at the Southern California Women’s Leadership event.

Innovate@UCLA Women In Technology (WIT) and Women in Technology: Hollywood Foundation (WiTH) is excited to announce the return of the annual SoCal Women’s Leadership Summit. Scheduled for Friday, November 8th, the annual Summit will be held again as part of the Infinity Festival. WiTH’s tent-pole fundraising event gathers thought leaders in entertainment technology to discuss the evolving landscape of leadership, diversity, accessibility, and more. This year’s event takes place at the historic AVALON Hollywood nightclub and events space, located at iconic Hollywod and Vine. The full-day event, themed “Together WiTH”, promises a dynamic lineup of keynote speakers, presentations and panel discussions.

Additionally, we're excited to announce a meet-up opportunity for attendees who participated in the Women in Technology (WIT) virtual workshop “Leading Without Authority.”

Get together with Southern California's top CIOs to tackle shared business challenges and critical priorities facing your role today. Participate in this one-day, local program with peer-driven topics and interactive discussions with your true C-level peers.

Join your peers to discuss the most critical issues impacting CIOs today:

1. Shaping the Efficient Enterprise with AI & Automation
2. Strengthening Partnerships for Wider Business Impact
3. Illustrating IT’s Value through Business-first Initiatives

*Please note that this is an invitation-only event.

Please join us for our holiday party to celebrate all of this year's many accomplishments!

About Our Sponsors

SID Global Solutions (SIDGS) is a leading AI-driven transformation partner empowering organizations worldwide to achieve their full potential. With over 20 years of experience and a team of 1000+ professionals, SIDGS offers comprehensive AI-powered transformation services to help businesses stay ahead of the curve.  The company's expertise spans AI solution conceptualization, rapid innovation, and cutting-edge AI technologies to modernize processes, enhance efficiency, and create new revenue channels for its clients. Our commitment to co-innovation with clients and compatibility with multiple technology partners allows for tailored solutions that meet specific business needs across various industries. Over the last decade SIDGS has helped customers navigate their digital transformation journey, maximize revenue, and deliver exceptional customer experiences in an increasingly competitive business landscape.

TenTek has been in business since 1989 and is recognized as a leading staffing provider of technology professionals to a growing client base of premier corporations across most major Southern California industries. Delivering the maximum value to its clients is TenTek's primary objective. Their philosophy is "we succeed by helping our clients to succeed." TenTek responds to client needs with complete flexibility. While many firms only offer "one-solution" to their clients, TenTek customizes solutions for each client's unique business, technical, and strategic requirements. Their senior management team has extensive technology, industry, and management experience. They save their clients' valuable time by understanding both their clients' needs and their candidates' qualifications.

Board members save the date for our first quarter meeting!

Pop-up Virtual Event

Join Innovate@UCLA Career Exchange for our next Pop-Up virtual session. Whether you are actively seeking new opportunities or looking to support others in their career journey, this session provides a collaborative space to share job openings, exchange insights, and develop strategies for career advancement. This peer-driven support group fosters meaningful connections to help navigate career transitions effectively. Open to all: members and non-members are welcome!

We invite you to our first Women In Technology Event of 2025, where we will explore overcoming imposter syndrome and finding your voice.

Studies show imposter syndrome continues to plague female professionals and that women continue to struggle in finding their voice in meetings. This session, led by Cindy McKenzie (Retired CIO, VP & Co-Founder of STEM Advantage) and Melanie Hildebrandt (EVP & CIO, Endeavor & TKO), will focus on providing practical examples and advice on how to tackle imposter syndrome and find your voice in meetings.

Cindy McKenzie has had a long career in IT with multiple CIO roles in global organizations and multiple Technology Leadership awards. She retired last year as the CIO for Curaleaf, Inc. and is currently dedicated to non-profit board roles focused on STEM. Cindy is currently serving as VP and Co-Founder of STEM Advantage which is a non-profit which provides scholarships, internships and mentors to women and underserved communities in STEM majors. She is also the Chair for the Society of Information Management (SIM) National Foundation and is on the Board of Advisors for Southern California Society for Information Management.

Melanie Hildebrandt currently serves as the EVP & CIO of Endeavor & TKO and is a board member for Innovate@UCLA. As a senior executive with extensive experience leading global IT and digital transformation programs, she aims to lead organizations to re-imagine systems to identify and realize future business opportunities. Melanie is also a founding advisory board member for CXO/RISE and volunteers as the Fundraising chair for STEM Advantage.

This CxO Exchange at Innovate@UCLA will explore the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on organizations and management. Nan Jia, Associate Professor of Strategic Management at USC Marshall, will share insights from her research on how AI-driven workplace training enhances employee performance, the critical role of human connection in leadership, and strategies for leveraging AI and human strengths to foster collaboration and innovation.

Join us in-person for this engaging session at the University of Southern California!

Agenda:

• 5:00 - 5:45 PM: Networking & Dinner
• 5:45 - 5:50 PM: Welcome by Jim Rinaldi, Executive Director, Innovate@UCLA
• 5:50 - 5:55 PM: Sponsor Remarks by Indraneel Shah,  Co-Founder & COO, Intuitive Cloud
• 5:55 - 6:00 PM: Speaker Introduction - Cathy Bindewald, CIO, USC Marshall
• 6:00 - 6:25 PM: For Whom the Bells Toll? Implications of AI for Managers - Presentation by Associate Professor Nan Jia
• 6:25 - 6:55 PM: Q&A
• 6:55 - 7:00 PM: Closing Remarks by Jim Rinaldi
• 7:00 - 7:45 PM: Networking 

Please contact us at [email protected] for more information.

About Our Sponsor

Intuitive.Cloud is an innovation-led engineering company that delivers measurable business outcomes for hundreds of enterprises globally. As a trusted partner of CxOs and technology leaders, we help solve complex digital transformation challenges and drive continuous modernization. Intuitive’s core practice areas include Cloud-Native Engineering, Platform Engineering/DevOps/SRE, Application & Database Modernization, Data, Machine Learning, AI, Cybersecurity (Infrastructure/Application/Data/AI), and SDx Infrastructure services.

Board members save the date for our second quarter meeting!

Board members save the date for our second quarter meeting!

This annual economic outlook will address a number of critical topics ranging from technology to the economic impact of the recent wildfires to what we anticipate will happen as a new presidential administration begins.

We’re pleased to announce that UCLA Anderson Forecast’s Thomas Ash will join us to deliver the latest economic outlook for California and the US. Dr. Ash will address a number of critical topics ranging from technology to the economic impact of the recent wildfires to what we anticipate will happen as a new presidential administration begins. An important theme of the talk will be the increased economic policy uncertainty and how to manage it. Dr Ash will also discuss tariffs and some of the academic research that has been done to understand their impact.

Following this presentation, we’ll host a panel discussion titled “Tech for Housing Resilience & Rebuilding Post-Wildfires,” moderated by Bhupesh Arora, Executive Chair of Innovate@UCLA, with panelists Greg Moore, VP & CIO of KB Home, and Phillip Leclair, CIO at the City of Pasadena.

As our local communities recover from recent wildfires, this conversation will explore how technology leaders from both public and private sectors are leveraging innovative solutions to support resiliency, speed up rebuilding efforts, and create sustainable and affordable housing for the future.

Agenda:

• 6:00 – 6:28 PM: Networking & Dinner

• 6:28 – 6:30 PM: Welcome by Bhupesh Arora, Executive Chair, Innovate@UCLA

• 6:30 – 7:15 PM: Economic Outlook Presentation, Dr. Thomas Ash, Research Economist, UCLA Anderson Forecast

• 7:15 – 7:30 PM: Audience Q&A with Dr. Ash

• 7:30 – 7:50 PM: Panel Discussion “Tech for Housing Resilience & Rebuilding Post-Wildfires”
  • Phillip Leclair, CIO, City of Pasadena
  • Greg Moore, VP & CIO, KB Home and Sponsorship Chair, Innovate@UCLA
  • Moderated by: Bhupesh Arora, Executive Chair, Innovate@UCLA

• 7:50 – 8:00 PM: Panel Q&A and Closing Remarks

About the Speaker:

Thomas Ash is Economist at UCLA Anderson Forecast and Researcher at UCLA Anderson. His research involves subjects in Macroeconomics, Finance, Digital/Media Economics, Climate Change and Migration. His work uses a range of methods, including empirical data analyses, optimization modelling and machine learning methods to answer research questions in these areas. He has particular expertise in the use of Natural Language Processing (NLP) methodologies.

Prior to joining UCLA, Thomas obtained a PhD in Economics from the University of Southern California. He holds a Bachelors and Masters in Economics from the London School of Economics, as well as a Graduate Certificate and Masters in Mathematics from the University of London, Birkbeck. Finally, Thomas worked for over five years in Economic Consulting at National Economic Research Associates (NERA) and Oxford Economics.

For the UCLA Anderson Forecast, Thomas is involved in developing forecasts of the impacts of Climate Change on the economy, as well as forecasts of the California Economy. Thomas' most recent research examines Green Finance and ESG, Social Media's role in herding, polarization and asset price bubbles, as well as Macroeconomic models that analyze the impact of Climate Change through its impact on Natural Disaster

Pop-up Virtual Event

Join Innovate@UCLA Career Exchange for our second Pop-Up virtual session. Jim Rinaldi, Executive Director at Innovate @UCLA, former CIO at Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL), and Senior Fellow at Avasant, will share advice for executives looking for career advancement in their current role and strategies for those in transition. After Jim's presentation, we will have a breakout session facilitated by Innovate@UCLA members to discuss insights and possible job openings.

Open to all: members and non-members are welcome!

We’re excited to invite you to our Innovate@UCLA New Member Orientation—a great opportunity to learn how to make the most of your membership! During this session, you’ll gain a clear understanding of your member benefits, discover ways to get involved, and connect with fellow members.

Join us as we kickstart your journey in a community of leading technology practitioners and providers, world-class university educators and researchers, emerging technology originators and a talented student population. Innovation, Education, and Community is at the core of everything we do at Innovate@UCLA and we are glad you are a part of our community!

Open to all members, regardless of when you joined!