BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Alliance for SoCal Innovation - ECPv6.17.5//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://alliancesocal.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Alliance for SoCal Innovation REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Los_Angeles BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20250309T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20251102T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20260308T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20261101T090000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:PDT DTSTART:20270314T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20271107T090000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260521T133000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260521T153000 DTSTAMP:20260521T155047Z CREATED:20260427T220324Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260521T155047Z UID:6564-1779370200-1779377400@alliancesocal.org SUMMARY:First Look SoCal Bioscience Innovation Showcase at UCLA's LABEST 2026 DESCRIPTION:The First Look SoCal Innovation Showcase Series celebrates the best early-stage startups commercializing deep tech\, bioscience\, and medtech breakthroughs emerging from the top universities and research institutions in Southern California. \n\n\n\nFor the second year in a row\, we are partnering with UCLA to host the First Look SoCal Bioscience Showcase at the LABEST conference which features two full days of world-class life science conferences at the Luskin Conference Center on the UCLA campus. \n\n\n\nLABEST attracts over 1\,500 life science industry professionals from leading corporations\, VCs\, and research institutions around the world. Plus there are workshops and panels for early stage founders and much\, much more. \n\n\n\nEach startup selected for the First Look SoCal Bioscience Showcase on Thursday May 21 will present a 3-minute quick pitch followed by 9 minutes of Q&A led by a panel of leading investors\, corporates\, and subject matter experts who will provide invaluable insights and access to capital. Celebrate and connect with industry leaders and investors at the post-event networking reception. \n\n\n\nThe showcase will be held from 1:30-3:30 PM in the “Illumination Room” on the second floor of the Luskin Conference Center. \n\n\n\nCheck out the LABEST website for attendee info\, agenda\, and registration: \n\n\n\n\nAgenda + Registration\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Our sponsors empower us to showcase early stage innovators\n \n \n \n Thank you to our generous sponsors who underwrite the First Look SoCal Innovation Showcase. Their leadership is the key to ensuring that early stage innovation leaps from the lab to impact. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Lead Sponsor\n \n\n \n \n \n KPPB\, LP\n \n \n \n Website\n\n |\n LinkedIn\n\n \n \n \n \n KPPB is committed to protecting risk-takers and their ideas. Our attorneys are motivated by a desire to see transformative technologies succeed. We are proud to be trusted advisors who are respected for our technical expertise. \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n Additional Sponsors \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBioscience Startups Presenting\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBioscience Expert Panel\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Charles Thomas\n Partner\n KPPB\, LP\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Charles Thomas\n Partner\n KPPB\, LP\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Charles’s expertise in biotechnology\, medicine\, and biochemistry extends from his years of experience in both industry and academia. As a research associate at a biotech company\, he was integral to the development of vector-based therapeutics for ocular diseases and vaccines for malaria. In his graduate work\, Charles appropriated molecular biology and embryonic cell culture techniques to elucidate mechanisms of intrinsic neuroinflammation in the rare pediatric disorder Aicardi-Goutières Syndrome.  His work led to a discovery of several FDA-approved medications that could be repurposed to treat affected patients. Throughout the years\, Charles’s research has been published in a number of top-tier journals\, including Cell Stem Cell\, Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology\, Journal of Virology\, and Molecular Therapy. \nCharles has established a practice that focuses on prosecution of emerging technologies in the various fields of biology and chemistry\, including therapeutic discovery\, immunology\, cytometry\, cell culture\, molecular biology\, bioinformatics\, recombinant biology\, and small molecule chemistry. Through detailed communications and diligent effort\, Charles strives to provide the most robust patent protection for his clients. \nPRACTICE AREAS\nPatent Protection \nEDUCATION\nVirginia Tech\, B.S.\, Biochemistry; B.S.\, Biology; B.A.\, Chemistry\, summa cum laude\nUniversity of California\, San Diego\, Ph.D.\, Biomedical Sciences\nUniversity of Southern California\, Gould School of Law\, J.D. \nBAR ADMISSIONS\nCalifornia State Bar\nUnited States Patent and Trademark Office \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Duncan Huston-Paterson\n Director\, Business Development – Early Innovation\n Amgen\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Duncan Huston-Paterson\n Director\, Business Development – Early Innovation\n Amgen\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Duncan Huston-Paterson is a member of the Technology Business Development group. Duncan focuses on scouting and deal-making to access innovative technologies and platforms that enable the next generation of therapeutics at Amgen. Prior to joining Amgen in 2020\, Duncan spent 4 years at Integral Molecular where he led a team that developed\, launched\, and commercialized a novel target discovery platform\, resulting in multiple partnerships with large Pharma. Duncan grew up in South Africa and completed his early scientific training at University of Pretoria\, before going on to receive his DPhil at Oxford University in the UK\, where he studied the biochemical determinants of bird flu transmission to humans. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Sonia Maryam Setayesh\n Partner\n Civilization Ventures\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Sonia Maryam Setayesh\n Partner\n Civilization Ventures\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Sonia is an Investment Partner at Civilization Ventures\, leading scientific diligence on early-stage biotech companies. She earned her PhD at USC\, where she developed liquid-biopsy assays—including an early breast-cancer test in collaboration with clinical sites—and previously helped advance two targeted immunotherapies into clinical trials. Sonia also brings hands-on oncology BD experience and has served as VP of Nucleate HQ and Biotech Connection Los Angeles. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Chris Bostick\n Partner\n OCV Partners\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Chris Bostick\n Partner\n OCV Partners\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nChris is passionate about technologies using interdisciplinary approaches to enable precision medicine. He focuses on healthcare investments at OCV and Co-led investments including Rad AI and TORL Biotherapeutics. Most recently he was selected to the Milken Institute Young Leaders Circle in 2024 and has been recognized by Biocom in 2021 as one of ten life science trailblazers under 40. Prior to OCV\, Dr. Bostick completed postdoctoral work at the Institute for Genomic Medicine at Columbia University where he researched precision medicine-based approaches for treating genetic neurological disorders. Prior to that\, he researched drug metabolism\, bioelectronics/biosensors\, and nanotechnology for his Ph.D. Dr. Bostick holds a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Business from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences from West Virginia University where he was an NSF IGERT Fellow. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\nBioscience Startup Presenters\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Wael El-Nachef\n Founder + CEO\n Angel City Bio – Vesudra\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Wael El-Nachef\n Founder + CEO\n Angel City Bio – Vesudra\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr. El-Nachef is a physician-scientist who is a board-certified gastroenterologist with a clinical focus on neurogastroenterology and GI motility disorders. While on faculty at UCLA\, Dr. El-Nachef founded a clinic exclusively dedicated to patients with Parkinson’s disease suffering from gastrointestinal issues. \nDr. El-Nachef completed medical school at Northwestern University and Gastroenterology training at UCLA. He obtained his PhD studying the development and regeneration of the enteric nervous system\, and this work was completed at the California Institute of Technology. \nTying together his unique clinical experience with a basic science perspective\, Dr. El-Nachef strives to serve his patients with compassion to address their symptoms and improve their quality of life. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Benjamin Tully\n Co-Founder + CEO\n Branchpoint Biosciences\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Benjamin Tully\n Co-Founder + CEO\n Branchpoint Biosciences\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr. Benjamin Tully is the Co-founder and CEO of Branchpoint Biosciences. Holding a Ph.D. in microbial ecology and large-scale genomics\, he brings extensive expertise in bioinformatics\, algorithm design\, and the development of advanced qPCR assays. At Branchpoint Biosciences\, Dr. Tully leads efforts to solve the “quantification bottleneck” facing the microbiome and probiotic industries. By setting rigorous validation standards and building high-precision platforms for microbial quantification – including strain-specific differentiation – he is dedicated to advancing the broader microbial bioeconomy. Dr. Tully actively collaborates with top academic and industry leaders to drive data-driven innovation forward. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Katie Sicinski\n Co-Founder + CEO\n Censera\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Katie Sicinski\n Co-Founder + CEO\n Censera\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Katie Sicinski obtained her PhD in Chemistry from Tufts University\, where her dissertation focused on developing novel chemical methods to improve the in vivo stability and delivery of GLP-1 peptides for the treatment of type 2 diabetes\, obesity\, and Alzheimer’s disease. This work resulted in foundational patents that form the basis of Velum\, Inc.\, a Tufts University spinout. Following her PhD\, she joined PepGen\, Inc.\, a Cambridge\, MA-based startup\, where she helped establish discovery chemistry operations and develop antisense medicines for rare neuromuscular diseases. Katie then received an NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) postdoctoral fellowship to study protein engineering at Caltech in the lab of Nobel laureate Prof. Frances Arnold\, where she met her co-founder Dr. Casey Ritts. Together\, they are combining their expertise in organic chemistry\, protein engineering\, oligonucleotide synthesis\, and in vivo translational research to build Censera\, a therapeutics company focused on improving the delivery of antisense medicines to the brain. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Zipeng Zeng\n Co-Founder + CEO\n DeepNephro Inc\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Zipeng Zeng\n Co-Founder + CEO\n DeepNephro Inc\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Zipeng Zeng\, PhD\, is the Co-founder and CEO of DeepNephro\, Inc.\, a biotechnology startup developing next-generation human kidney organoid platforms for disease modeling\, drug discovery\, and nephrotoxicity assessment. He received his PhD in Development\, Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California\, where his research focused on kidney progenitor cell differentiation and expansion\, kidney regeneration\, and kidney organoid engineering.  \nPrior to founding DeepNephro\, Zipeng worked in Business Development & Licensing at Biocytogen\, focusing on strategic partnerships and technology licensing in the biotechnology and therapeutics space. He also previously interned at Flagship Pioneering and Wavemaker Three-Sixty Health\, and was a co-founder of the Nucleate Los Angeles chapter\, supporting the next generation of biotech entrepreneurs. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Adam Klie\n Head of Technology\n Gaius Therapeutics\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Adam Klie\n Head of Technology\n Gaius Therapeutics\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr. Adam Klie is Head of Technology at Gaius Therapeutics\, where he leads the artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) platform for discovery and design of cell type-specific genetic switches for in vivo CAR-Treg therapies. He earned his B.S. in Bioengineering and Ph.D. in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology from UCSD under the guidance of Dr. Hannah Carter\, a global leader in computational immuno-oncology. His thesis developed AI/ML methods for decoding the cell type-specific regulatory genome. During his Ph.D.\, he was also a visiting scholar in the lab of Professor Anshul Kundaje at Stanford\, a global pioneer in applying AI/MLto gene regulation. He went on to become an Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Fellow. His work brings together AI/ML and regulatory genomics to enable the next generation of precision cell therapies. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Hairuo Guo\n Co-Founder + CEO\n Holomorph\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Hairuo Guo\n Co-Founder + CEO\n Holomorph\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Hairuo is a machine learning expert with experience at the intersection of AI\, aerospace\, and scientific discovery. He is leaving a position as an engineering manager in the Data Science and AI Department at The Aerospace Corporation\, where he served as a primary researcher on AI methods for early wildfire detection and as a tech lead for an internal LLM-powered RAG application. His earlier work includes anomaly detection on rocket launch telemetry\, machine learning for orbital rendezvous with non-cooperative targets time\, and time at Meta as a data scientist. Holomorph\, his team\, was a finalist and Demo Day golden ticket winner in the 2025-2026 Nucleate Los Angeles Activator program. He holds an M.Eng. and S.B. in Computer Science and Engineering\, along with an S.B. in Comparative Media Studies\, all from MIT. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Konstantin Kazarian\n Co-Founder + CEO\n Hybrid Biotherapeutics\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Konstantin Kazarian\n Co-Founder + CEO\n Hybrid Biotherapeutics\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr. Kazarian is an experienced biotech leader with a background in protein biochemistry and structural biology. After postdoctoral training\, he transitioned into industry\, holding roles from project management to VP-level leadership across leading CDMOs including Oxford Biomedica\, Northway Biotech\, Rentschler Biopharma\, and Pyramid Pharma Services. He brings extensive experience in CMC strategy\, manufacturing scale-up\, partnerships\, and early-stage company building. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Samuel Lobo\n Chief Scientific Officer\n ProFoldBio\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Samuel Lobo\n Chief Scientific Officer\n ProFoldBio\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Samuel Lobo is co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of ProFoldBio\, a UCSB spinout developing amyloid-targeting diagnostics and therapeutics. He recently completed his PhD in Chemical Engineering at UCSB\, where he developed biophysical and AI methods to study amyloid formation. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Chao Peng\n Co-Founder + CEO\n ProteoSolve\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Chao Peng\n Co-Founder + CEO\n ProteoSolve\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr. Chao Peng is an assistant professor at UCLA. He has more than 13 years experiment in\nAlzheimer’s disease. Focusing on Alzheimer’s disease mechanism study and drug development. He has built various novel disease models for Alzheimer’s disease drug development. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Casey Ritts\n Co-Founder + CSO\n Censera\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Casey Ritts\n Co-Founder + CSO\n Censera\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr. Casey Ritts earned his degree (BS) in biochemistry from University of Wisconsin–Madison and his PhD in chemistry from University of Minnesota–Twin Cities. He is an expert synthetic chemist whose thesis was based in mechanism-driven methodology development and natural product total synthesis. Following his doctoral studies\, Casey earned a prestigious American Cancer Society (ACS) Postdoctoral Fellowship to immerse himself in protein engineering at Caltech under the advisement of Prof. Frances Arnold—the 2018 Nobel laureate in chemistry for inventing directed evolution. He was additionally made a member of the ACS/Lisa Dean Moseley Foundation Cancer Stem Cell Consortium that focuses on translational medicines that target cancer resistance and recurrence. Motivated to make an impact on patient health\, Casey has worked at the interface of protein engineering and organic synthesis (alongside his co-founder\, Katie Sicinski) to invent innovative technology for antisense medicine. He and Katie will be the devoted co-founders of their start-up\, Censera. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Theodosia Bartashevitch\n Co-Founder + CSO\n Holomorph\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Theodosia Bartashevitch\n Co-Founder + CSO\n Holomorph\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\nTheodosia is a computational structural biologist and scientific programmer developing Amylnac\, a program that produces almanacs of known and predicted amyloid structures\, including precursors to disease-associated folds\, alongside other biophysical algorithms for anti-neurodegeneration drug discovery. She will receive her PhD this summer in Biochemistry\, Molecular\, and Structural Biology from UCLA\, where she developed novel algorithms for comprehensive amyloid folding landscape generation and built an end-to-end prototype of Amylnac. She is the inventor on two provisional patents filed on the work. Holomorph\, her team\, was a finalist and Demo Day golden ticket winner in the 2025-2026 Nucleate Los Angeles Activator program. She holds a BA in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Reed College.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\nLook Forward To…\n\n\n\nConnect with investors\, peers\, and mentors\n\n\n\nUnparalleled opportunities to connect with investors\, mentors and other support resources crucial for early stage startups. \n\n\n\nStartup quick-pitch presentations\n\n\n\nEach selected started will distill their scientific breakthroughs and market opportunitiy into 3-minute quick pitch presentation followed by 9 minutes of moderated Q&A led by a panel of investors\, corporate leaders\, and subject matter experts. \n\n\n\nNetworking Reception\n\n\n\nStay for drinks and small bites as we celebrate and connect with attendees and speakers. URL:https://alliancesocal.org/event/first-look-socal-bioscience-2026/ LOCATION:The Luskin Conference Center at UCLA in Los Angeles\, CA\, 425 Westwood Plaza\, Los Angeles\, California\, 90095\, United States CATEGORIES:Alliance Events END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260604T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260604T200000 DTSTAMP:20260505T032013Z CREATED:20260505T032011Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T032013Z UID:7316-1780594200-1780603200@alliancesocal.org SUMMARY:Fundraising in Today's Market - DTLA DESCRIPTION:Founder x VC Panel: Navigating Fundraising in Today’s Market \n\n\n\nJoin us for an evening in Downtown Los Angeles as founders and venture capitalists come together for an open conversation on what it really takes to raise capital in today’s environment. This rooftop event is co-produced with Gunderson Dettmer and brings together members of the SoCal startup ecosystem for insights\, connection\, and community. \n\n\n\n🎙️ Panel Discussion:Hear directly from leading venture capitalists and founders as they share perspectives on fundraising\, what investors are looking for today\, and how to position your company for success. \n\n\n\nWhether you’re actively raising\, preparing for your next round\, or simply looking to better understand the venture landscape\, this event is designed to give you practical\, real-world insights. \n\n\n\n🍕 Networking Reception:Connect with fellow founders\, investors\, and operators over drinks and pizza on the rooftop patio. \n\n\n\n📍 Location: DTLA (address upon registration)📅 Date: Thursday\, June 4🕠 Time: 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM \n\n\n\nAgenda: \n\n\n\n5:30 PM: Arrival & Check-in6:00 PM: Welcome & Panel Discussion6:45 PM: Networking Reception8:00 PM: Event Concludes \n\n\n\nThis event is in support of the SoCal Venture Pipeline program from the Alliance for SoCal Innovation which connects investor-ready startups seeking Seed and Series A funding with the right VCs that match their criteria. Learn more at our website. \n\n\n\nThe SoCal Venture Pipeline program is made possible by the generous underwriting of the following sponsors: URL:https://alliancesocal.org/event/fundraising-in-todays-market-dtla/ CATEGORIES:Alliance Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/avif:https://alliancesocal.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/fiTM-DTLA-2026.avif ORGANIZER;CN="Alliance for SoCal Innovation":MAILTO:info@alliancesocal.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260610T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260610T133000 DTSTAMP:20260611T202755Z CREATED:20260609T003215Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260611T202755Z UID:7408-1781085600-1781098200@alliancesocal.org SUMMARY:Health Systems Innovation Council Meeting - Q2 2026 DESCRIPTION:Topic: AI in Healthcare \n\n\n\nHosted by Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine \n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Sponsors\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Lead Sponsor\n \n\n \n \n \n \n From Strategy to Scale: IT Solutions Built for What's Next. Your vision\, powered by our top-tier talent.\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\nEvent Hosts\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Agenda\n \n \n \n 10:15 AM  Attendee Check-In + Coffee \n10:30 AM  Welcome Remarks  \n\n\nJohn L. Dalrymple\, MD\, Dean and CEO and Paul J. Chung\, MD\, MS\, Professor and Chair\, Department of Health Systems Science\, Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine \n\n\nMike Strohl\, CEO\, e360 \n\n\nMark Gamble\, Strategic Director\, Health Systems Innovation\, Alliance for SoCal Innovation \n\n\n10:45 AM  Participant Introductions \nRapid-fire introductions from all guests and attendees \n11:15 AM  Keynote Presentation + Q&A \nPresentation by Aman Mahajan\, MD\, PhD\, MBA\, “AI in Healthcare: From Breakthrough Models to Better Healthcare Delivery” \n12:00 PM  Networking Lunch \n12:30 PM  Startup Showcase \nPrente Health\, presented by Garen Derhartunian\, CEO \n12:45 PM  Panel & Group Conversation \nInteractive discussion on how health systems evaluate the growing number of AI opportunities across clinical operations\, determine what to prioritize\, and successfully integrate those solutions into existing workflows and infrastructure. \nPanelists: \n\n\nPatrick Springob\, MD\, Chief Innovation Officer\, Southern California Permanente Medical Group (SCPMG) \n\n\nDinh Nguyen\, MD\, MS\, Chief Technology Officer\, SCPMG \n\n\nArmand Dorian\, MD\, MMM\, CEO\, USC Verdugo Hills \n\n\n1:30 PM: Adjourn \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSpeakers\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n John L. Dalrymple\, MD\n Dean and CEO\, Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n John L. Dalrymple\, MD\n Dean and CEO\, Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n John L. Dalrymple\, MD\, joined the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine as Dean and CEO in July 2024. Previously\, he held the prestigious position of Ellen and Melvin Gordon Professor of Obstetrics\, Gynecology\, and Reproductive Biology and Medical Education at Harvard Medical School (HMS) as well as Executive Vice Chair and Vice Chair for Faculty Development and Faculty Affairs within the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He also served as the Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education for HMS\, overseeing the Office of Medical Education (OME)\, reflecting his leadership and dedication in shaping the medical education landscape. An accomplished physician\, educator\, and women’s health expert\, Dr. John Dalrymple has a wealth of academic leadership and teaching experience\, respected expertise as a practicing physician\, a proven record of delivering quality medical education\, and a commitment to advancing equitable healthcare. Throughout his career\, Dr. Dalrymple has served in a variety of academic and educational leadership roles\, including clerkship and course director\, vice chair for education\, director of curriculum affairs\, director of clinical skills education\, and division director. On a national level\, he has chaired the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics (APGO) Undergraduate Medical Education Committee and is now serving as APGO President. Dr. Dalrymple has been the recipient of numerous teaching awards throughout his career. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Paul J. Chung\, MD\, MS\n Professor and Chair of Health Systems Science at the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Paul J. Chung\, MD\, MS\n Professor and Chair of Health Systems Science at the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Paul J. Chung\, MD\, MS\, is Professor and Chair of Health Systems Science at the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine (KPSOM). He is also Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics and Health Policy & Management at UCLA and Past President of the Academic Pediatric Association. Prior to his appointment at KPSOM\, he was Chief of General Pediatrics and Director of Health Services Research at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital\, Associate Director of the UCLA National Clinician Scholars Program\, and Chair of the Pediatric Policy Council\, a federal child health policy consortium in Washington\, DC. \nHis personal research interests include (1) primary care redesign for medically and socially complex children\, and (2) childhood determinants of adult health including early childhood development\, educational environments\, child and adolescent health behaviors\, juvenile justice\, and child poverty and adversity. His research has been funded by NIH\, CDC\, HRSA\, RWJF\, and other public and private agencies.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Aman Mahajan\, MD\, PhD\, MBA\n Associate Senior Vice President\, Health Innovation at USC\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Aman Mahajan\, MD\, PhD\, MBA\n Associate Senior Vice President\, Health Innovation at USC\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Aman Mahajan has served at the forefront of health care innovation\, technology and clinical care transformation throughout his career. He is an internationally recognized physician-scientist and health system leader\, and he is an inventor and founder of health technologies with deep experience in venture investing and entrepreneurship. At USC\, Mahajan is leading the university’s effort to accelerate health sciences innovation in technology\, care delivery and business models through partnerships with industry and investment groups. He will also serve as professor of Anesthesiology and Population and Public Health Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. \nPrior to joining USC\, Mahajan served as a senior executive at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center\, a leading integrated health care organization with more than 40 hospitals\, an aligned health plan and a commercialization arm. As UPMC’s senior vice president of health innovation\, Mahajan guided organizational innovation\, commercialization and venture investments. He also served as the Peter Safar Endowed Chair\, Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine and held professorships in Biomedical Informatics and Bioengineering. Mahajan also led UPMC’s perioperative and surgical service lines as executive director. \nMahajan previously served as the Ronald L. Katz Endowed Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at UCLA Health and executive director\, UCLA Perioperative Services. He also served as a faculty member in the Anderson UCLA School of Management\, where he led the MBA Business of Health Care course. \nMahajan has been appointed to councils and boards of leading international scientific societies and journals. His research in novel health care technologies has been funded through multiple National Institutes of Health awards\, and he has written more than 250 publications. He received his medical specialty training in anesthesiology and cardiac fellowship and his PhD at UCLA and medical degree at University of Delhi. He has extensive experience in data sciences and informatics and holds an MBA from University of Massachusetts. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Garen Derhartunian\, MD\n Founder and CEO\, Prente Health\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Garen Derhartunian\, MD\n Founder and CEO\, Prente Health\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Garen Derhartunian\, MD is the founder and CEO of Prente Health. As a practicing hospitalist\, he sees firsthand where documentation gaps cost hospitals real CMI and real revenue. Prente brings physician-built AI to CDI\, DRG optimization\, and revenue cycle — designed by someone who’s accountable to the chart.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Patrick Springob\, MD\n Chief Innovation Officer\, Southern California Permanente Medical Group\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Patrick Springob\, MD\n Chief Innovation Officer\, Southern California Permanente Medical Group\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr. Patrick Springob is a Chief Innovation Officer and physician executive at Kaiser Permanente in Southern California\, where he leads enterprise innovation at the intersection of clinical care\, technology\, and operations. He focuses on designing and scaling solutions that improve access\, affordability\, patient outcomes\, and clinician experience across one of the nation’s largest integrated health systems. \nDr. Springob has driven large-scale transformation in virtual care and digital access\, most notably scaling e-visits from early adoption to millions of annual patient interactions while sustaining high patient satisfaction (88–91%). He has led cross-functional initiatives spanning clinical\, operational\, legal\, and health plan stakeholders—including a Physician Consult program targeting hundreds of millions in avoidable utilization\, delivering measurable ROI\, improved patient experience\, and reduced total cost of care. \nA board-certified emergency physician\, Dr. Springob brings frontline clinical insight to enterprise strategy. He has overseen regional nurse triage and after-hours care operations\, led guideline standardization across Southern California\, and helped establish key “front door to care” capabilities including chat\, virtual visits\, and digital intake pathways. His leadership emphasizes translating complex system challenges into scalable\, technology-enabled workflows that reduce friction for both patients and care teams. \nDr. Springob’s current focus includes advancing AI-enabled care delivery\, intelligent automation\, and platform-based innovation to modernize healthcare operations and sustain integrated care models. He is passionate about building high-performing\, cross-functional teams and fostering a culture of innovation grounded in psychological safety\, accountability\, and measurable impact. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dinh Nguyen\, MD\, MS\n Chief Technology Officer\, Southern California Permanente Medical Group \n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dinh Nguyen\, MD\, MS\n Chief Technology Officer\, Southern California Permanente Medical Group \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr. Nguyen is a family physician at Kaiser Permanente and the Chief Technology Officer for the Kaiser Southern California Medical Group. Originally from Vietnam\, he came to the United States to pursue medicine\, earning his MD from Loma Linda University and a master’s degree in Health Informatics from Boston University. His work focuses on improving healthcare delivery through the thoughtful use of technology and innovation. Outside of work\, he enjoys traveling\, hiking\, learning new hobbies\, and spending time with his family. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Armand H. Dorian\, MD\, MMM\, FACEP\, FACHE\n Chief Executive Officer USC Verdugo Hills Hospital and Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at Keck Medicine USC\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Armand H. Dorian\, MD\, MMM\, FACEP\, FACHE\n Chief Executive Officer USC Verdugo Hills Hospital and Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at Keck Medicine USC\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Armand H. Dorian\, MD\, FACEP\, FACHE\, MMM\, was appointed Chief Executive Officer of USC Verdugo Hills Hospital in October 2021. He joined the USC-VHH Executive team in July 2018 as the Chief Medical Officer to help lead the physician medical staff as well as program business development at USC-VHH. He is a Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine\, former Chair and current member of the Caduceus Society\, USC VHH Foundation Board Member\, USC VHH Community Advisory Board Member\, President of the USC VHH Governing Board\, Glendale College Foundation Board Member\, Hospital Association of Southern California Board Member\, and California Hospital Association Board\nMember. Dr. Dorian brings nearly two decades of medical experience\, as an Emergency Board Certified Physician and valued leader and administrator. Dr. Dorian has dedicated himself to USC-VHH and the community in which it serves. Dr. Dorian is a compassionate physician executive who has been able to inspire\, motivate and lead by instilling a culture of honesty\, integrity\, collegiality\, accountability\, and empathy. He is focused on channeling his passion and commitment through great communication and decision making allowing his team to express their creativity and innovation\, creating an environment for success. Consultant to many Fortune 400 companies\, Dr. Dorian provides a highly sought-after combination of medical\, media and business competency. He is a problem solver with a solid track record of leading change and implementing programs to improve patient care\, provider wellness\, and physician engagement while reducing costs. He is data and evidence-based driven with the ability to build successful teams and foster positive and collaborative relationships. Dr. Dorian has a successful\, longstanding\, and deep relationship with all-things media\, vertically integrated with the entire industry. He is a medical expert and host on many television and news shows. He has published in trusted and respected medical and scientific journals. He has also been featured in numerous magazines\, newspapers\, and websites. Dr. Dorian and his wife have three beautiful children which he truly regards as his biggest achievement. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Health Systems Innovation Council Members\n \n \n \n Andrew Goldfrach\, CEO\nArrowhead Regional Medical Center \nGeoffrey Hall\, CEO\nAlex Jawharjian\, COO\nCalifornia Rehabilitation Institute \nKelly Linden\, President and CEO\nCasa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare \nBryan Croft\, EVP & COO\nCedars-Sinai \nNaser Mohammad\, CEO\nCentinela Hospital Medical Center \nOmkar Kulkarni\, VP\, Chief Transformation Officer | Chief Innovation Officer\nChildren’s Hospital LA (CHLA) \nHarlan Levine\, President\, Health Innovation and Policy\nCity of Hope \nMick Zdeblick\, CEO\nCommunity Memorial Healthcare \nKaty Bazylewicz\, Chief Marketing Officer and VP Population Health\nCottage Health \nJeremy Zoch\, President and CEO\nDignity Health\, Northridge Hospital Medical Center \nCarolyn Caldwell\, Hospital President and CEO\nDignity Health\, St. Mary Medical Center \nJohn Corman\, President\nHuntington Hospital \nTad Funahashi\, Chief Innovation Officer\nKaiser Permanente \nCamille Applin-Jones\, SVP & Area Manager\nKaiser Foundation Hospitals \nTJ Malseed\, CIO\nAlen Oganesyan\, Assoc. Chief Information Officer\nKeck Medicine of USC \nManeesh Goyal\, COO\nMayo Clinic Platform \nMichael Torgan\, Chief Transformation Officer\nMission Community Hospital \nKent Hoyos\, VP & Chief Information Officer\nPomona Valley Hospital Medical Center \nBernie Klein\, CEO\nProvidence Holy Cross \nMatt Bader\, Chief Strategy Officer\nProvidence St. Joseph Health \nJohn Chapman\, President and CEO\nSan Antonio Regional Hospital \nNana Deeb\, CEO\nSouthwest Healthcare\, Palmdale Regional Medical Center \nKhurram Mir\, Director of Innovation\nUCI Health \nJennifer McCaney\, Chief of Innovation\nUCLA Health \nArmand Dorian\, CEO\nUSC Verdugo Hills Hospital \nSteven Shapiro\, SVP for Health Affairs\nUSC Health \nAndy Wilson\, Vice President\, Business Development Health Affairs\nUSC \nGus Valdespino\, President and CEO\nValley Presbyterian Hospital \nAnthony Russell\, Founder & Principal\nSaivai Group LLC URL:https://alliancesocal.org/event/health-systems-innovation-council-meeting-q2-2026/ CATEGORIES:Alliance Events ORGANIZER;CN="Alliance for SoCal Innovation":MAILTO:info@alliancesocal.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260909T093000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260909T133000 DTSTAMP:20260908T233206Z CREATED:20260908T221114Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260908T233206Z UID:7620-1788946200-1788960600@alliancesocal.org SUMMARY:Health Systems Innovation Council Meeting - Q3 2026 DESCRIPTION:Topic: Moving from Innovation Theater to Meaningful Impact\n\n\n\nHosted by Edwards LifeSciences \n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Sponsors\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Lead Sponsor\n \n\n \n \n \n \n From Strategy to Scale: IT Solutions Built for What's Next. Your vision\, powered by our top-tier talent.\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\nEvent Hosts\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Agenda\n \n \n \n \n\n9:30 AM: Network reception \n\n\n10:15 AM: Tour of Edwards \n\n\n10:50 AM: Welcome Remarks from Mark Gamble (Alliance for SoCal Innovation) and Rob Schaeffer (e360) \n\n\n11:00 AM: Participant Introductions – Rapid-fire introductions from all guests and attendees \n\n\n11:20 AM: Presentation: “Innovation Philosophy” by Farzad Azimpour (Edwards Lifesciences) \n\n\n11:40 AM: Startup presentation\, iCardio.AI \n\n\n12:00 PM: Lunch Break \n\n\n12:20 PM: Panel Discussion: “Moving from Innovation Theater to Meaningful Impact”\, Moderated by Brad Bussie and featuring Jeff Aguilar\, Anthony Russell\, Aakriti Gupta and Seth Clancey \n\n\n12:50 PM:  Full group discussion with panel \n\n\n1:30 PM: Meeting Concludes \n\n\n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSpeakers\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Farzad Azimpour\, MD\n SVP\, Advanced Innovation and Tech\n Edwards Lifesciences\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Farzad Azimpour\, MD\n SVP\, Advanced Innovation and Tech\n Edwards Lifesciences\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Farzad serves as SVP of Strategic Innovation\, leading Edwards Lifesciences’ future therapies incubator (devices and digital) in the Advanced Innovation and Technology unit. He’s a cardiologist by background\, applying needs-driven principles to define and directionally solve high-impact challenges in structural heart disease. \nWithin his role\, Farzad heads the Edwards Lifesciences Innovation Fellowship Program for cardiovascular physicians and surgeons\, in partnership with the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF). He is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Edwards Lifesciences Foundation. Academically\, Farzad serves as Senior Advisor\, Design at Stanford University’s Mussallem Center for Biodesign. \nHe previously served as Director of Health at the global design and innovation firm IDEO and Chief Medical Officer of an American College of Cardiology Foundation and venture capital-backed health technology start-up focused on heart failure. \nFarzad completed his training in medicine and cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic and the University of Minnesota / Lillehei Heart Institute respectively\, served as Chief Cardiology Fellow and NIH T32 Research Fellow\, and operated as the St. Jude Medical and Dean’s Innovation Fellow at Stanford Biodesign. He earned both his bachelor’s degree in biological sciences and his MD from the University of Texas at Austin. \nHe holds patents and patents pending in the fields of interventional and structural cardiology\, cardiac electrophysiology\, and robotic surgery and is a recipient of Phi Beta Kappa distinction and the Arnold P. Gold Humanism in Medicine Award. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Joseph Sokol\n Co-founder & CEO\n iCardio.ai\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Joseph Sokol\n Co-founder & CEO\n iCardio.ai\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Joseph is a serial technology entrepreneur and the chief visionary and founder of iCardio.ai. With expertise in leading startups from nascent stages to successful exits\, Joseph previously founded OlehPay\, an international banking platform. He enjoys a multifaceted role at iCardio.ai\, participating in technical research and development initiatives and strategic company development. As a technical founder\, Joseph embodies the spirit of innovation with a deep commitment to making a positive impact in this world through deep tech. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Brad Bussie\, MBA\n Chief Technology and Security Officer\n e360\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Brad Bussie\, MBA\n Chief Technology and Security Officer\n e360\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n \nBrad Bussie is an award winning sixteen-year veteran of the information security industry. He is an author\, security strategist\, and industry thought leader. \nHe holds an undergraduate degree in information systems security and an MBA in technology management. Brad possesses premier certifications from multiple vendors\, including the CISSP from ISC2. He has deep background in cybersecurity\, identity/access management\, vulnerability management\, governance\, risk\, and compliance. Brad has spoken at industry events around the globe and has helped commercial\, federal\, intelligence\, and DoD leaders solve complex security challenges. \n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Jeff Aguilar\, MBA\n Chief Information Security Officer\n Hoag Health System\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Jeff Aguilar\, MBA\n Chief Information Security Officer\n Hoag Health System\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n With over 28 years of experience in information security\, my most recent role as Chief Information Security Officer for Hoag Health System saw significant strides in safeguarding digital assets and infrastructure. At Pepperdine Graziadio Business School\, both as an Adjunct Professor and Advisory Board Member\, I’ve fused academic rigor with real-world cyber risk challenges. \nThe values of integrity\, leadership\, and continuous improvement guide my contributions to the field\, aligning with the forward-thinking culture at Pepperdine Graziadio\, where I continue to serve and impact future leaders.With over 28 years of experience in information security\, my most recent role as Chief Information Security Officer for Hoag Health System saw significant strides in safeguarding digital assets and infrastructure. At Pepperdine Graziadio Business School\, both as an Adjunct Professor and Advisory Board Member\, I’ve fused academic rigor with real-world cyber risk challenges. \nThe values of integrity\, leadership\, and continuous improvement guide my contributions to the field\, aligning with the forward-thinking culture at Pepperdine Graziadio\, where I continue to serve and impact future leaders. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Anthony W. Russell\, MD\, MBA\, MPH\n Founder & Principal\n Saivai Group\, LLC\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Anthony W. Russell\, MD\, MBA\, MPH\n Founder & Principal\n Saivai Group\, LLC\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Physician entrepreneur\, operational strategist\, and investor-advisor with 15+ years as a healthcare executive leading transformation\, building high-performing large multi-specialty ambulatory networks of independent & employed physicians\, and driving clinical\, financial\, and digital results across integrated care models. Brings board-level clinical expertise\, informatics depth\, entrepreneurial judgment\, and executive leadership to advance outcomes where healthcare\, technology\, regulation\, and capital intersect. \nAs Chief Administrative Officer of Ambulatory Medicine at Community Memorial Healthcare\, I led 25 clinics across hospital outpatient departments\, rural health centers\, MSO platforms\, and physician-owned groups\, with 500+ employees\, ~130 providers\, and a $110M operating budget. I also served as CEO of the system’s affiliated physician corporations\, with governance and P&L oversight. Earlier roles include UCSF Benioff Children’s Physicians\, Sutter Health\, and Kaiser Permanente. \nToday I perform m&a transactions for my holding company and I consult on responsible adoption and AI governance\, and train physicians\, executives\, and boards. \nI bring value to our community as a guest faculty for the American Board of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (ABAIM). I also advise and coach founders building healthcare and AI companies (vendors) on product-market fit\, clinical workflow\, reimbursement\, and procurement reality. Board-certified in Pediatrics and Clinical Informatics\, with an MBA and MPH\, former Epic Physician Builder\, experienced in value-based care and digital transformation. \nAs a continuing board member and past president of the Ventura County Medical Association and a delegate to the California Medical Association\, I stay close to physician advocacy and policy. \nThe Operator’s Thesis\, my field guide to which healthcare AI actually gets purchased\, adopted\, and renewed\, comes out this year. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Aakriti Gupta\, MD MSc\n Assistant Professor\, Interventional Cardiology\n Cedars-Sinai\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Aakriti Gupta\, MD MSc\n Assistant Professor\, Interventional Cardiology\n Cedars-Sinai\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr. Aakriti Gupta\, MD\, MSc\, is an interventional and structural cardiologist\, physician-scientist\, and Assistant Professor of Cardiology at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai. She is co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of iCardio.ai\, which develops FDA-cleared artificial intelligence tools for echocardiographic analysis. \nDr. Gupta completed her internal medicine residency at Yale University\, cardiology and interventional cardiology fellowships at Columbia University\, and advanced structural interventional cardiology training at Cedars-Sinai. She holds a Master of Science in Patient-Oriented Research from Columbia. \nHer clinical and research work focuses on transcatheter valve interventions\, comparative effectiveness\, and improving access to cardiovascular care. Her research has received support from the National Institutes of Health and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute\, and she participates in multicenter trials of treatments for aortic\, mitral\, and tricuspid valve disease. She serves as Executive Associate Editor of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and on the steering committee of the Cardiothoracic Surgical Trials Network. She has published more than 150 papers in leading journals including Nature Medicine\, The Lancet\, JAMA\, Circulation\, and JACC cited more than 10000 times. \nDr. Gupta also co-founded Heartbeat Health and AllHeart Health\, extending her work into virtual cardiology and access to specialty care. Across her clinical\, research\, and entrepreneurial roles\, she focuses on translating advances in cardiovascular medicine into earlier diagnosis\, timely treatment\, and better patient outcomes. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Seth Clancy\, MPH\n SVP\, Global Health Economics & Reimbursement\n Edwards Lifesciences\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Seth Clancy\, MPH\n SVP\, Global Health Economics & Reimbursement\n Edwards Lifesciences\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Seth is Senior Vice President\, Global Health Economics and Reimbursement (GHER) at Edwards Lifesciences supporting the Transcatheter Heart Valves (THV) business unit.  In this position\, Seth leads the development and implementation of evidence generation and patient access strategies and has helped to address a complex and growing set of challenges related to health system performance\, health technology assessment\, reimbursement and emerging evidence needs globally.  He has coauthored and commissioned numerous articles in the areas of cardiovascular innovation and economics. Prior to joining Edwards in 2008\, Seth worked at Cerner Lifesciences\, where he served as Senior Research Associate\, responsible for consultative services to biopharmaceutical companies in the areas of comparative effectiveness research\, health technology assessment\, and health economics. \nSeth holds an undergraduate degree from the University of California\, Irvine and a Master of Public Health from the University of California\, Los Angeles. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Health Systems Innovation Council Members\n \n \n \n Andrew Goldfrach\, CEO\nArrowhead Regional Medical Center \nGeoffrey Hall\, CEO\nAlex Jawharjian\, COO\nCalifornia Rehabilitation Institute \nKelly Linden\, President and CEO\nCasa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare \nBryan Croft\, EVP & COO\nCedars-Sinai \nNaser Mohammad\, CEO\nCentinela Hospital Medical Center \nOmkar Kulkarni\, VP\, Chief Transformation Officer | Chief Innovation Officer\nChildren’s Hospital LA (CHLA) \nHarlan Levine\, President\, Health Innovation and Policy\nCity of Hope \nMick Zdeblick\, CEO\nCommunity Memorial Healthcare \nKaty Bazylewicz\, Chief Marketing Officer and VP Population Health\nCottage Health \nJeremy Zoch\, President and CEO\nDignity Health\, Northridge Hospital Medical Center \nCarolyn Caldwell\, Hospital President and CEO\nDignity Health\, St. Mary Medical Center \nJohn Corman\, President\nHuntington Hospital \nTad Funahashi\, Chief Innovation Officer\nKaiser Permanente \nCamille Applin-Jones\, SVP & Area Manager\nKaiser Foundation Hospitals \nTJ Malseed\, CIO\nAlen Oganesyan\, Assoc. Chief Information Officer\nKeck Medicine of USC \nManeesh Goyal\, COO\nMayo Clinic Platform \nMichael Torgan\, Chief Transformation Officer\nMission Community Hospital \nKent Hoyos\, VP & Chief Information Officer\nPomona Valley Hospital Medical Center \nBernie Klein\, CEO\nProvidence Holy Cross \nMatt Bader\, Chief Strategy Officer\nProvidence St. Joseph Health \nJohn Chapman\, President and CEO\nSan Antonio Regional Hospital \nNana Deeb\, CEO\nSouthwest Healthcare\, Palmdale Regional Medical Center \nKhurram Mir\, Director of Innovation\nUCI Health \nJennifer McCaney\, Chief of Innovation\nUCLA Health \nArmand Dorian\, CEO\nUSC Verdugo Hills Hospital \nSteven Shapiro\, SVP for Health Affairs\nUSC Health \nAndy Wilson\, Vice President\, Business Development Health Affairs\nUSC \nGus Valdespino\, President and CEO\nValley Presbyterian Hospital \nAnthony Russell\, Founder & Principal\nSaivai Group LLC URL:https://alliancesocal.org/event/health-systems-innovation-council-meeting-q3-2026/ CATEGORIES:Alliance Events ORGANIZER;CN="Alliance for SoCal Innovation":MAILTO:info@alliancesocal.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260924T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260924T190000 DTSTAMP:20260917T155958Z CREATED:20260528T002740Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260917T155958Z UID:7387-1790254800-1790276400@alliancesocal.org SUMMARY:The SoCal Deep Tech Symposium 2026 DESCRIPTION:Connect with Deep Tech innovators and investors at the 3rd Annual SoCal Deep Tech Symposium in El Segundo. Sponsored by KPPB\, Sunstone Management\, J.P. Morgan\, Caltech\, and Gunderson Dettmer.\n\n\n\nWhat to know:  The SoCal Deep Tech Symposium gathers over 130 top corporate leaders\, government representatives\, startup founders\, and early-stage investors in fields such as Aerospace & Defense\, Advanced Manufacturing & Robotics\, Autonomous Mobility\, Renewable Energy\, AI and more. \n\n\n\nGet a glimpse of the future and what’s getting funded today: See startup founders quick pitch then respond to in-depth Q&A from a panel of investors and subject matter experts. We begin with the First Look SoCal Deep Tech Innovation Showcase which features very early stage startups commercializing IP created at top research universities throughout Southern California. This is your opportunity to get a glimpse of tomorrow’s tech before it hits the market. The second showcase will feature early stage Deep Tech startups seeking Seed and Series A funding who are referred from the region’s top accelerator programs and ecosystem support organizations. An investor panel will provide further insights into fundraising in today’s deep tech sector. Stay for the networking reception to celebrate and meet the region’s top innovators. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n Sponsors & Partners\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Host Partner\n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\nAttendee Registration\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPresenting Startups\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n Speakers and Panelists\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n Connie Shih\n\n \n Vice President Innovation Economy\, Startup Banking\n J.P. Morgan\n \n \n\n \n Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n Vinny Pande\n\n \n Lieutenant Colonel\, System Program Manager & Deputy Director SpaceWERX\n United States Space Force\n \n \n\n \n Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n Petra Griffith\n\n \n Managing Director\n Wedbush Ventures\n \n \n\n \n Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n Andre Doumitt\n\n \n Director\, Emerging Programs\n Aerospace Corporation\n \n \n\n \n Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n John Peck\n\n \n Founding Partner\n KPPB\, LP\n \n \n\n \n Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n Chris Pimentel\n\n \n Mayor\n City of El Segundo\n \n \n\n \n Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n Dr. Crystal Dilworth\n\n \n Instructor\n Caltech Center for Technology and Management Education\n \n \n\n \n Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n Alex Garcia Lautzenheiser\n\n \n Principal\n UP.Partners\n \n \n\n \n Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n Alexa McCulloch\n\n \n Managing Partner\n Stardeck Ventures\n \n \n\n \n Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n Howard Ko\n\n \n Partner\n Morpheus Ventures\n \n \n\n \n Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n Matt Kozlov\n\n \n Founder and Managing Partner\n Multiball Capital\n \n \n\n \n Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n Nima Ashraf\n\n \n Founder and Managing Director\n Physical Fund\n \n \n\n \n Bio \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n Connie Shih\n\n \n Vice President Innovation Economy\, Startup Banking\n J.P. Morgan\n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n Connie Shih\, Vice President in J.P. Morgan’s Innovation Economy\, works with venture-backed founders and emerging technology companies\, including deep tech startups. Before returning to banking\, she built businesses in financial services and consumer products and held operating roles at early stage companies. \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n Vinny Pande\n\n \n Lieutenant Colonel\, System Program Manager & Deputy Director SpaceWERX\n United States Space Force\n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n Lieutenant Colonel Vinny V. Pande is the System Program Manager and Deputy Director for SpaceWERX. In this role\, he oversees the Space Force’s $500M annual venture investment portfolio across Phase 1\, Phase 2\, and Phase 3 SBIR investments. Before this\, Lt Col Pande was the Branch Chief for Space Systems Command’s (SSC) Persistent Tactical Sensing branch as the Tactical Surveillance\, Reconnaissance\, and Tracking (SRT) Branch chief. In this role\, he led a 10-person team overseeing a $25M effort to bring commercial space capabilities to Combatant Commands. Previously\, Lt Col Pande was the Program Manager on the CASINO program office\, a collaboration with DARPA to bring proliferated LEO satellite communications to military utility. Further more\, Tetra rapid-prototyping satellite program under the Development Corp\, Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC)\, headquartered at Los Angeles Air Force Base\, California. In this role\, he leads a 15-member team overseeing a $300M system which aims to develop a new satellite vehicle baseline and launch it on an annual basis. Furthermore\, Maj Pande leads the Space Vision 2030 program\, a PEO initiative on sourcing innovative technologies for space architecture maturation. Lt Col Pande is also a joint-accredited Foreign Area Officer in the INDOPACOM region. In that capacity\, he was the Director of Air Force Programs at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi\, India. In that role\, Lt Col. Pande was the head of a $17B portfolio of the U.S. government’s air & space engagements and military modernization efforts with the Indian government. His duties were directly supportive of COCOM\, SECDEF\, SECSTATE\, and POTUS priorities in the INDOPACOM region. Lt Col Pande was the Embassy lead negotiator for the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement with India: a foundational agreement enabling sharing of NSA cryptographic tools with a foreign partner.\n\nPrior to his overseas service\, Lt Col Pande was the program manager on the SBIRS program supporting both the legacy DSP constellation\, and the new HEO satellite development. Lt Col Pande also served as a Program Manager on one of the NSA’s\npremiere software systems (Real-Time Regional Gateway). There\, he led a team of 18 contractors & civilian project managers in identifying and incorporating intelligence requirements into the system’s capabilities. He also led a nine member source selection team for an Acquisition Category 1 program. Lt Col Pande has also served as the Executive Officer for Andrews Air Force Base’s largest Group. There he led 4 military members in supporting the requirements of the Group Commander and processing annual reports and decorations for over 600 personnel. His other assignments have included serving as the Officer-In-Charge for the lodging facility for Andrews AFB.\n\nEDUCATION\n2007 Bachelors of Arts\, International Relations & Conflict Resolution\, George Mason University\, Fairfax\, Virginia\n2007 Air Space and Basic Course\, Maxwell AFB\, Alabama\n2014 Squadron Officer School\, Maxwell AFB\, Alabama\n2014 Masters of Business Administration\, Global Business Management\, American Military Univ.\, Charlestown\, West Virginia\n2016 Masters of National Security Affairs\, South Asia\, Naval Postgraduate School\, Monterey\, California (Outstanding Air Force\nGraduate)\n2018 Air Command and Staff College\n2025 Air War College (Correspondence)\n\nASSIGNMENTS\n\n1. May 2007 – Nov 2007\, Adjunct Lieutenant\, University of Maryland\, MD\n2. Nov 2007 – July 2008\, Student\, Combat Systems Officer training\, Randolph AFB\, TX\n3. July 2008 – July 2009\, Lodging OIC\, Andrews AFB\, MD\n4. July 2009 – July 2010\, Executive Officer\, Mission Support Group\, Andrews AFB\, MD\n5. July 2010 – July 2011\, Program Manager\, Real-Time Regional Gateway\, NSA Ft. Meade\, MD\n6. July 2011 – Aug 2012\, Program Manager\, Acquisition Logistics\, NSA Ft. Meade\, MD\n7. Aug 2012 – Aug 2013\, Program Manager\, DSP Satellite System\, Los Angeles AFB\, CA\n8. Aug 2013 – Apr 2014\, Government Technical Product Representative\, DCMA\, Afghanistan\n9. Apr 2014 – Mar 2015\, Deputy Program Manager\, HEO Satellite Production\, Los Angeles AFB\, CA\n10. Mar 2015 – Jun 2016\, Student\, Naval Postgraduate School\, Monterey\, CA\n11. Sep 2016 – Sep 2019\, Air Force Programs Director\, US Embassy\, New Delhi\, India\n12. Sep 2019 – Oct 2021\, Program Manager\, Tetra Satellite Program\, Los Angeles AFB\, CA\n13. Oct 2021 – March 2022\, Deputy Branch Chief\, CASINO\, Los Angeles AFB\, CA\n14. March 2022 – November 2023\, Chief\, Persistent Tactical Sensing Branch\, Los Angeles AFB\, CA\n15. November 2023 – Current\, Materiel Leader / System Program Manager\, SpaceWERX Ventures\, Los Angeles AFB\, CA\n\nMAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS\nDefense Meritorious Service Medal\nMeritorious Service Medal\nJoint Service Commendation Medal (x2)\nAir Force Commendation Medal (x2)\nJoint Service Achievement Medal (x2)\nNational Defense Service Medal\nGlobal War on Terrorism Service Medal\nEFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION\nSecond Lieutenant May 2007\nFirst Lieutenant May 2009\nCaptain May 2011\nMajor Feb 2017\nLieutenant Colonel Jun 2022\n(Current as of Sep 2025) \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n Petra Griffith\n\n \n Managing Director\n Wedbush Ventures\n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n Petra Griffith launched Wedbush Ventures to foster the next generation of technology companies solving big market problems. Having helped build many firsts – the first online printing software\, first fitness wearable\, first native ads\, first global original content – and ushered a bank into the age of technology\, Petra understands the strategic and creative mindset necessary to narrow in on a product’s core features for successful market fit. Her past leadership to product\, strategy\, marketing\, and operations teams at established and startup organizations like Netflix\, Yahoo!\, and 24 Hour Fitness makes Petra a coveted product strategy ally to entrepreneurs ready to scale innovation. \n\nBecause Petra lived in Los Angeles while working for Bay Area-based companies for the past 20 years\, she is committed to a thriving tech ecosystem in Southern California. In her free time\, you can find Petra on the slopes\, pearling on waves\, or enjoying dinners on the deck with her husband\, three kids\, dog\, and two cats. \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n Andre Doumitt\n\n \n Director\, Emerging Programs\n Aerospace Corporation\n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n Andre C. Doumitt is the director of Emerging Programs and a founding member of the Commercial Space Futures organization at The Aerospace Corporation. In this capacity\, he leads his team in identifying\, evaluating\, and transitioning internal research and development technology and emerging commercial technology into U.S. government space programs. Doumitt also leads Aerospace’s support to the U.S. Space Force’s SpaceWERX organization\, which is responsible for the U.S. Space Force’s Small Business Innovation in Research portfolio. Prior to that\, he served as a founding member of Aerospace’s Innovation Lab (iLAB)\, focused on stimulating creativity in space technology development through internal research\, and development investments and external partnerships.\n\nPreviously\, Doumitt was president and founder of Digital AdopXion LLC\, a consulting company focused on transitioning early-stage air and space-based data collection technologies into new commercial and military programs. He also served as president and CEO of Geosemble Technologies\, an In-Q-Tel funded start-up spun out of the Computer Science department at the University of Southern California (USC). Geosemble developed and sold technology to automatically integrate open-source text into satellite imagery and maps and was acquired in 2012.\n\nBefore that\, Doumitt served at BAE Systems in a variety of executive management roles focused on fly-by-wire flight control systems\, integrated GPS/navigation sensor systems\, and digital map systems with U.S. and international aircraft operators. Prior to that position\, Doumitt spent two years with the Italian/U.S. joint venture Bell Helicopter/Agusta Aerospace\, and four years with The Boeing Company/McDonnell Douglas\, developing industrial relationships with international suppliers for Boeing’s military and civilian helicopter programs.\n\nDoumitt was also a founding member of technology start-up company Ecotech International\, focused on international joint ventures and licensing agreements for defense industry customers. He also held a market research role at Frank Small & Associates\, an Australian research firm based in Hong Kong; a Japanese prefectural government position in Tokyo; a consular support staff role\, and a position with the U.S. Department of Commerce at the Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Strategic Trade Control\, both at the U.S. Embassy in Paris\, France.\n\nIn his free time\, Doumitt has served as a mentor for the Culver City High School Robotics Club and an assistant scout master of the Boy Scouts of America Troop #50.\n\nEducation\nDoumitt holds dual bachelor’s degrees from the University of California\, Santa Cruz\, and an MBA from the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird). He has also completed numerous executive education and certificate programs\, including Advanced Space Operations\, USAF 319th Combat Training Squadron; Space Systems Integration\, Orbital Mechanics and Astrodynamics\, Aerospace University; CalTech Executive Education for Management of Technology and Innovation; Duke University Fuqua School of Business Executive Education and Leadership; University of New Hampshire Whittemore School of Business and Economics Leadership Institute; and the Center for Creative Leadership\, Executive Coaching and Mentoring\, among others. \n\nAffiliations\nDoumitt’s numerous affiliations have included corporate board advisory member\, Viterbi School of Engineering\, USC; steering committee member\, USC Spatial Sciences Institute; guest lecturer and mentor\, University of California\, Los Angeles Anderson School of Management; guest presenter\, USC Integrated Media Sciences Center; board of advisors\, Stratalux Inc. and Amazon cloud provider AWS Managed Services; and board member\, California Geographic Information Association. \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n John Peck\n\n \n Founding Partner\n KPPB\, LP\n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n John Peck is a leading intellectual property strategist and attorney whose work bridges advanced science and business-driven outcomes. He has been recently recognized by IAM Strategy 300—the global ranking of the world’s top IP strategists—for his distinguished contributions in aligning IP portfolios with commercial imperatives. \n\nWith a technical grounding in chemistry and materials science\, he has deep expertise in technologies at the intersection of materials\, manufacturing\, and emerging technologies\, including additive manufacturing\, amorphous alloys\, nanotechnology\, metaoptics\, optical coatings\, and space systems. \n\nJohn is also widely acknowledged as the United States’ foremost expert in protecting inventions in amorphous alloys and nanotechnology. He was instrumental in building the LiquidMetal Technologies IP portfolio that was later licensed to Apple\, and today works closely with Glassimetal Technologies (a Caltech spin-out) to help commercialize the next generation of amorphous alloy innovations. \n\nJohn’s Ph.D. in Chemistry gives him a firsthand appreciation for the challenges and opportunities within academic research. That perspective enables him to work fluently with inventors\, university tech-transfer offices\, and startup teams alike. Over the course of his career\, John has guided numerous technologies from the laboratory to the market by crafting IP strategies that reflect both technical merit and business goals. \n\nHe advises clients across a broad spectrum of technical domains\, including novel materials\, optics\, nanotechnology\, biotechnology\, medical devices\, and oil-field tools. His full-service IP practice spans patent prosecution and strategy\, trademark and copyright matters\, licensing and enforcement\, trade secret protection\, and portfolio due diligence. \n\nJohn is especially passionate about supporting academic innovators and early-stage ventures. His experience in both the research and legal worlds allows him to translate complex ideas into actionable intellectual property programs.\n\nPRACTICE AREAS\n\nPatent Strategy & Protection\n\nTrademark\, Copyright & Trade Secrets\n\nLicensing\, Enforcement & Transactions\n\nIP Due Diligence & Portfolio Strategy\n\nUniversity / Academic Technology Transfer\n\nStartup & Venture IP Counseling\n\nEDUCATION\n\nB.S. in Chemistry & Physics\, American University\n\nPh.D. in Chemistry\, University of Southern California\n\nJ.D.\, magna cum laude\, New York University (Order of the Coif; Florence Allen Scholar; Pomeroy Scholar)\n\nVisiting Scholar\, UCLA (1999–2000)\n\nBAR ADMISSIONS\n\nCalifornia State Bar\n\nU.S. Patent & Trademark Office\n\nU.S. District Courts (Central\, Northern\, Eastern & Southern Districts of California) \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n Chris Pimentel\n\n \n Mayor\n City of El Segundo\n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n Mayor Chris Pimentel is a technology executive and former Marine Corps infantry officer.\n\nIn 2018\, he was elected to the El Segundo City Council and has served as mayor since 2024\, focusing much of his effort on preserving and sustaining the elements of El Segundo that make it a unique and thriving engine of the region.\n\nChris contributes to several City committees and boards centered on the interaction with other cities\, the county\, and the state.\n\nHe is also active with numerous community and veteran groups\, including the Military Officers Association\, and he joins his family in their volunteer efforts. \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n Dr. Crystal Dilworth\n\n \n Instructor\n Caltech Center for Technology and Management Education\n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n With a unique ability to understand human systems\, communicate across silos\, and translate scientific concepts\, Dr. Crystal Dilworth stands at the forefront of science communication\, technology\, and transformational leadership. \n\nAs founder of The Crystalline Group\, she serves as a strategic advisor to innovation teams\, technical leaders\, and academic institutions seeking to unlock human potential and build purpose-aligned systems. The Crystalline Group operates globally with a focus in the USA and APAC leveraging an international partner network to catalyze cross-sector impact on an international scale.\n\nDr. Dilworth is a compelling public speaker\, the Host of the historic Watson Lecture series at Caltech\, and a frequent contributor on media networks such as Voice of America and Al Jazeera. Saturday mornings on CBS\, her alter-ego “Dr. Brain” reaches millions\, exploring topics in neuroscience and psychology on the Emmy-nominated television show Mission Unstoppable. \n\nDr. Dilworth holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Neuroscience from the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Caltech and has been an Instructor in their Center for Technology and Management Education since 2025. \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n Alex Garcia Lautzenheiser\n\n \n Principal\n UP.Partners\n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n Alex firmly believes in Arthur C. Clarke’s 3rd Law: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” He joined UP.Partners to invest in the magicians making tomorrow’s mobility ecosystem more sustainable and more equitable. Before joining UP\, Alex pursued his passion for aviation at Boeing as an aerospace engineer. He has fixed holes in a 787 as a stress analyst and shot holes into a CH-47 Chinook as a Phantom Works survivability engineer. He invented and co-designed an augmented reality application for the V-22 helicopter and was a systems engineer on a new satellite program for the Air Force. \n\nAfter Boeing\, Alex attended Harvard Business School\, where he focused his second-year studies on deep tech venture\, the New Space economy\, and climate tech. Alex also holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania\, where he minored in Spanish and studied the language in Spain and Argentina. \n\nAlex is based in Los Angeles and loves coming up with unnecessary invention ideas. When he’s not tinkering with a 3D printer or falling down a Wikipedia rabbit hole\, you might find him at the Comedy Store or Laugh Factory watching stand-up with his wife\, Brooke. \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n Alexa McCulloch\n\n \n Managing Partner\n Stardeck Ventures\n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n Experienced CEO and board director with demonstrated success as an entrepreneur and founder\, as well as leading growth\, turn-around\, and M&A activities. Experience as rocket scientist\, investment banker\, venture capitalist and private equity investor. Industry expertise in Aerospace\, Defense\, Cybersecurity\, Surveillance Security\, Telecommunications\, Digital Media\, and Healthcare. \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n Howard Ko\n\n \n Partner\n Morpheus Ventures\n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n FOCUS\nHoward is primarily focused on sourcing new investments and working with Morpheus portfolio companies.\n\nUNIQUE AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE\nRobotics\, Healthcare\, InsureTech\, FinTech and PropTech.\n\nCURRENT ROLES\nBoard Member of Rize\, RIOS\, Rugged Robotics\, IngeniousIO and Tagnos.\n\nBoard Observer of Bridg and RapidDeploy\n\n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n Matt Kozlov\n\n \n Founder and Managing Partner\n Multiball Capital\n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n Founder/Partner\, Multiball Capital\, investing in early stage Healthcare\, Aerospace/Defense\, and Advanced Manufacturing. Previously (9.5 years) Managing Director of Techstars LA\, Techstars Healthcare (Cedars-Sinai\, UCIrvine\, UnitedHealthcare)\, and Techstars Space (US Space Force\, NASA’s JPL\, Lockheed Martin). His companies have raised over $1B and have a market cap of over $15B. Examples include: Pixxel\, Zeno Power Systems\, Hydrosat\, Lux Semiconductors\, Urban Sky\, Morpheus Space\, Prewitt Ridge\, MaxRetail\, Rwazi\, Tasso Inc.\, Artera\, Regard Health\, Backpack Health\, Solestial (acquired by York Space Systems)\, NarrativeDX (acquired by Press Ganey)\, Silversheet (acquired by AMN Healthcare)\, and Enso (acquired by Hinge). As an angel investor\, he has also backed several prominent companies at their earliest stage including Colossal (recently valued at $10.5B)\, Rula ($2.5B)\, and Form Bio (+$100M). \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n Nima Ashraf\n\n \n Founder and Managing Director\n Physical Fund\n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n Nima Ashraf is the Founder and Managing Director of Physical Fund\, a pre-seed venture fund backing physical AI\, robotics\, and autonomy. Previously a robotics engineer at Zoox\, Miso Robotics\, and MakerBot. \n \n \n \n\n \n\n\nTHE 2026 AGENDA\n\n\n\n1:00 PM: Attendee Check-in \n\n\n\n​1:30 PM: Welcome featuring Mayor Chris Pimentel\, City of El Segundo \n\n\n\n​1:40 PM: Keynote. Dr. Crystal Dilworth\, Ph.D. aka “Dr. Brain”\, Instructor at Caltech Center for Technology and Management Education \n\n\n\n​2:10 PM: First Look SoCal Deep Tech Innovation Showcase \n\n\n\nGet an early glimpse into exciting new deep tech science-based startups emerging from SoCal’s top research universities. Each of the selected startups will quick pitch for 3 minutes immediately followed by 6 minutes of Q&A with a panel of investors and subject matter experts. \n\n\n\n​Presenting Startups \n\n\n\nCacophony Innovation (USC)Water Illumination (UC Riverside)Aphelion Aeronautics (Cal Poly SLO)Precise Polymer (Skysong Innovations/ASU)Helicoid Industries (UCI) \n\n\n\n​Expert Q&A Panelists  \n\n\n\nMatt Kozlov (Multiball Capital)Howard Ko (Morpheus Ventures)Alexa McCulloch (Stardeck Ventures)Nima Ashraf (Physical Fund)John Peck (KPPB\, LP) \n\n\n\n3:15 PM: Break \n\n\n\n3:45 PM: SoCal Deep Tech Startup Showcase \n\n\n\nEarly-stage startups raising Seed or Series A funding referred from the region’s accelerators and ecosystem support organizations will have the opportunity to pitch for 3 minutes followed by 6 minutes of Q&A led by investors\, strategics and other subject matter experts. The interaction between the founders and expert panelists will reveal unique insights about fundraising and the startup journey that are rarely seen outside of confidential due diligence reviews. \n\n\n\nPresenting Startups \n\n\n\nCarBonne (LACI\, Braid Theory)Dugu Systems (SoCal Venture Pipeline)ORBES (SoCal Venture Pipeline)4th State Energies (UC Riverside)Atmosphere Ventures (Hive Autonomous Innovation Center)Unmanned Aerospace (Connect San Diego)Roboze (Starburst) \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n​Expert Q&A Panelists \n\n\n\nHoward Ko (Morpheus Ventures)Alexa McCulloch (Stardeck Ventures)Alex Lautzenheiser (UP.Partners)Andre Doumitt (Aerospace Corp.)John Peck (KPPB\, LP) \n\n\n\n5:00 PM: Investor Panel: “Fundraising in Today’s Deep Tech Sector“ \n\n\n\n​Panelists \n\n\n\nPetra Griffith\, Managing Director\, Wedbush VenturesLt. Col. Vinny Pande\, System Program Manager & Deputy Director SpaceWERX\, United States Space ForceNima Ashraf\, Founder and Managing Director\, Physical FundConnie Shih (moderator)\, Vice President | Innovation Economy\, Startup Banking\, J.P. Morgan \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n5:45 PM: Networking Reception \n\n\n\n​Continue the conversation and connect while enjoying refreshments and snacks \n\n\n\nLook Forward To…\n\n\n\nConnect with investors\, peers\, and mentors\n\n\n\nUnparalleled opportunities to connect with investors\, mentors and other support resources crucial for early stage startups. Past years attracted over 120 attendees including investors such as Lux Capital\, Kairos\, Wavemaker 360\, Upfront\, NEA\, Elevation Ventures\, FullCycle\, Aligned Climate Capital\, Mitsubishi Ventures and many more.  \n\n\n\nStartup quick-pitch presentations\n\n\n\nSee selected Deep Tech (Robotics\, Aerospace\, Advanced Manufacturing\, Energy\, Materials) startups doing 3-minute quick pitch presentations followed by 6 minutes of moderated Q&A led by a panel of investors\, corporate leaders\, and subject matter experts. \n\n\n\nTop SoCal universities and regional accelerators represented\n\n\n\nThis is SoCal’s premiere gathering of the best startups emerging from the region’s top research institutions (UCLA\, Caltech\, USC\, UC Irvine\, UCSD\, UCSB\, UC Riverside SDSU\, Cal Poly\, LMU) and accelerators so it attracts the region’s community in a rare concentrated program that celebrates the entrepreneur’s journey from lab to market. \n\n\n\nNetworking Reception\n\n\n\nStay for drinks and small bites as we celebrate and connect with attendees and speakers. \n\n\n\n\nAttendee Registration URL:https://alliancesocal.org/event/the-socal-deep-tech-symposium-2026/ CATEGORIES:Alliance Events END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261021T093000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261021T143000 DTSTAMP:20260902T233048Z CREATED:20260828T204155Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260902T233048Z UID:7742-1792575000-1792593000@alliancesocal.org SUMMARY:The Best of the Best Startup Showcase DESCRIPTION:SoCal’s premier startup pitch showcase bringing together top founders and leading investors from across Southern California \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin us for the 2nd Annual Best of the Best\, an annual collaboration between TCA Venture Group and the Alliance for SoCal Innovation. This is a premier startup pitch showcase bringing together top founders and leading investors from SoCal. \n\n\n\n​This half-day event will feature pitches from 10 innovative startups\, plus a VC panel discussion and plenty of time to network with peers in the ecosystem. \n\n\n\n​Whether you’re a founder looking for capital\, an investor scouting the next big thing\, or a community member eager to connect\, this is your chance to plug into the heart of SoCal innovation. \n\n\n\n\nREGISTER HERE\n\n\n\n\nAgenda: \n\n\n\n\n​9:45 AM Check-in & Networking\n\n\n\n​10:30 AM Morning Pitch Session\n\n\n\n​11:45 AM Lunch & VC Panel Discussion\n\n\n\n​1:00 PM Afternoon Pitch Session\n\n\n\n​2:00 PM Networking\n\n\n\n​2:30 PM Program Concludes\n\n\n\n\n​The Morning Pitch Session includes the following companies: TBA \n\n\n\n​The Afternoon Pitch Session includes the following companies: TBA \n\n\n\n​The event will also provide time to network over tasty food and beverages provided by our sponsors. \n\n\n\nThis event is in support of the SoCal Venture Pipeline program from the Alliance for SoCal Innovation which connects investor-ready startups seeking Seed and Series A funding with the right VCs that match their criteria. \n\n\n\nThe SoCal Venture Pipeline program is made possible by the generous underwriting of the following sponsors: URL:https://alliancesocal.org/event/best-of-the-best-2026/ CATEGORIES:Alliance Events ORGANIZER;CN="Alliance for SoCal Innovation":MAILTO:info@alliancesocal.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261104T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261104T190000 DTSTAMP:20260908T210416Z CREATED:20260724T041814Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260908T210416Z UID:7600-1793797200-1793818800@alliancesocal.org SUMMARY:The SoCal MedTech Symposium 2026 DESCRIPTION:Connect with MedTech innovators and investors at the inaugural SoCal MedTech Symposium\n\n\n\nWhat to know:  The SoCal MedTech Symposium will gather over 130 innovation leaders from the region’s MedTech industry community including manufacturers\, hospitals and health systems\, investors\, and corporate stakeholders looking to engage with the top startups in the region. \n\n\n\nGet a glimpse of the future and what’s getting funded today: See startup founders quick pitch then respond to in-depth Q&A from a panel of investors and subject matter experts. We begin with the First Look SoCal MedTech Innovation Showcase which features very early stage startups commercializing IP created at top research universities throughout Southern California. This is your opportunity to get a glimpse of tomorrow’s tech before it hits the market. The second showcase will feature early stage MedTech startups seeking Seed and Series A funding who are referred from the region’s top accelerator programs and ecosystem support organizations. An investor panel will provide further insights into fundraising in today’s MedTech sector before we celebrate at the networking reception. \n\n\n\nStartups: See if you match the criteria and apply to present\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n Sponsors and Partners\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Programming Partner\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Host Partner\n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\nAttendee Registration\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE 2026 AGENDA\n\n\n\n1:00 PM: Attendee Check-in \n\n\n\n​1:30 PM: Opening remarks \n\n\n\n​1:40 PM: Keynote. TBD \n\n\n\n​2:10 PM: First Look SoCal MedTech Innovation Showcase \n\n\n\nGet an early glimpse into exciting new deep tech science-based startups emerging from SoCal’s top research universities. Each of the selected startups will quick pitch for 3 minutes immediately followed by 6 minutes of Q&A with a panel of investors and subject matter experts. \n\n\n\n​Presenting Startups: lineup announced on Sep 24 \n\n\n\n​Expert Q&A Panelists: TBA \n\n\n\n3:15 PM: Break \n\n\n\n3:45 PM: MedTech Accelerator Showcase \n\n\n\nEarly-stage startups raising Seed or Series A funding referred from the region’s accelerators and ecosystem support organizations will have the opportunity to pitch for 3 minutes followed by 6 minutes of Q&A led by investors\, strategics and other subject matter experts. The interaction between the founders and expert panelists will reveal unique insights about fundraising and the startup journey that are rarely seen outside of confidential due diligence reviews. \n\n\n\nPresenting Startups: lineup announced on Sep 24 \n\n\n\n​Expert Q&A Panelists: TBA \n\n\n\n5:00 PM: Fundraising in Today’s MedTech Sector \n\n\n\n​Panelists: TBA \n\n\n\n5:45 PM: Networking Reception \n\n\n\n​Continue the conversation and connect while enjoying refreshments and snacks \n\n\n\nLook Forward To…\n\n\n\nConnect with investors\, peers\, and mentors\n\n\n\nUnparalleled opportunities to connect with investors\, mentors and other support resources crucial for early stage startups. Past years attracted over 120 attendees including investors such as Lux Capital\, Kairos\, Wavemaker 360\, Upfront\, NEA\, Elevation Ventures\, Edwards Lifesciences\, Amgen\, Eli Lilly\, and many more.  \n\n\n\nStartup quick-pitch presentations\n\n\n\nSee selected startups doing 3-minute quick pitch presentations followed by 6 minutes of moderated Q&A led by a panel of investors\, corporate leaders\, and subject matter experts. \n\n\n\nTop SoCal universities and regional accelerators represented\n\n\n\nThis is SoCal’s premiere gathering of the best startups emerging from the region’s top research institutions (UCLA\, Caltech\, USC\, UC Irvine\, UCSD\, UCSB\, UC Riverside SDSU\, Cal Poly\, LMU\, Salk Institute\, Scripps Research\, Terasaki Institute) and accelerators so it attracts the region’s community in a rare concentrated program that celebrates the entrepreneur’s journey from lab to market. \n\n\n\nNetworking Reception\n\n\n\nStay for drinks and small bites as we celebrate and connect with attendees and speakers. \n\n\n\n\nAttendee Registration URL:https://alliancesocal.org/event/the-socal-medtech-symposium-2026/ LOCATION:UCI Beall Applied Innovation Center @ The Cove\, 5270 California Ave\, Irvine\, Ca\, 92617 CATEGORIES:Alliance Events END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR