BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Alliance for SoCal Innovation - ECPv6.15.20//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:20240310T100000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST DTSTART:20241103T090000 END:STANDARD 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:20250918T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250918T183000 DTSTAMP:20260423T034436 CREATED:20250310T230342Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T233059Z UID:6431-1758200400-1758220200@alliancesocal.org SUMMARY:The SoCal Deep Tech Symposium DESCRIPTION:Featuring the First Look SoCal Deep Tech Innovation Showcase\n\n\n\n\n\nConnect with Deep Tech innovators and investors at the 2nd Annual SoCal Deep Tech Symposium in El Segundo. Sponsored by Escalon Services\, Reitler\, Kenilworth Group at Morgan Stanley\, and TMX Group.\n\n\n\nWhat to know:  The 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: This year’s symposium will also feature quick pitches from 5 selected startups commercializing breakthroughs created at top research universities in Southern California. The First Look SoCal Deep Tech Innovation Showcase is your opportunity to get a glimpse of tomorrow’s tech before it hits the market. \n\n\n\nSponsors & 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\nTHE 2025 AGENDA: \n\n\n\n​PRE-EVENT WORKSHOP FOR FOUNDERS sponsored by Reitler and TMX (separate ticket required) \n\n\n\n​10AM – 12PM: Workshop with legal experts Gadi Navon and Daniel Erlikhman\, partners at Reitler law firm\, and fundraising expert Delilah Panio at TMX. This workshop will help startup founders navigate issues such as Protecting and Commercializing Deep Tech Intellectual Property; Fundraising\, and avoiding legal pitfalls. Lunch provided after the workshop. Combination ticket includes workshop\, lunch and General Admission to the symposium plus networking reception. \n\n\n\nWorkshop Leaders\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Daniel Erlikhman\n Partner at Reitler\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Daniel Erlikhman\n Partner at Reitler\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Daniel’s practice involves representing founders\, serial entrepreneurs\, emerging companies\, family offices and other sophisticated investors on a variety of corporate and financing matters\, including venture capital financings\, SAFE & convertible debt financings\, and other investment and corporate transactions. In his emerging company practice\, Daniel navigates clients through all growth milestones\, from basic formation to equity administration and founder arrangements\, to fundraisings and exits. Additionally\, Daniel acts as trusted legal advisor to middle-market clients and venture-backed and private equity fund portfolio companies in a mix of corporate matters\, ranging from leading traditional M&A transactions and later-stage financings\, strategic combinations and restructurings\, to advising on corporate governance\, intellectual property\, and commercial matters.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Gadi Navon\n Partner at Reitler\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Gadi Navon\n Partner at Reitler\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Gadi Navon’s practice focuses on counseling clients with respect to the commercialization of their intellectual property\, technologies\, content\, brands\, and other assets. His expertise includes structuring and negotiating complex transactions involving the development\, licensing\, distribution or transfer of technologies and intellectual property assets; negotiating commercial agreements and service agreements; advising on e-commerce matters; counseling on IP protection strategies; and assisting in M&A transactions involving intellectual property assets.\nIn over thirty years of practice\, Gadi has represented clients in various industries\, including software\, semiconductor\, hardware\, medical device\, biotechnology\, mobile and e-commerce\, video game\, industrial goods and materials\, electric utility\, food and beverage\, supplements\, space ventures\, data collection\, tactical training products\, and clean energy. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Delilah Panio\n Vice President\, US Capital Formation at TMX Group\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Delilah Panio\n Vice President\, US Capital Formation at TMX Group\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Delilah Panio is passionate about helping entrepreneurs access the aligned capital they need to create and grow great companies. As the VP of Capital Formation for Toronto Stock Exchange\, I work with US companies to consider listing and financing in the Canadian capital markets. As the founder of Fortuna Funding (a consulting firm)\, she works with early-stage companies on their business and funding strategy and on getting investor-ready. As a capital markets expert\, she has advised many companies on the going public process and can provide an understanding of private and public financing options in Canada and the United States. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\nGeneral Admission Agenda:\n\n\n\n01:00 PM: Attendee Check-in \n\n\n\n​01:30 PM: Opening remarks: Dave de Csepel\, CEO at Alliance for SoCal Innovation; Mayor Chris Pimentel\, City of El Segundo; Drew “Murph” Busbee\, COO at DTI \n\n\n\n​01:45 PM: Keynote: Shahin Farshchi\, PhD\, Partner at Lux Capital in conversation with Ashutosh Shukla\, VP of Mechanical Engineering at Anduril \n\n\n\n​A candid conversation between one of deep tech’s most visionary investors and a leading executive at the frontier of autonomy\, defense\, and manufacturing. Together\, they’ll unpack the stories behind building category-defining companies. \n\n\n\n​02:15 PM Panels \n\n\n\nCommercializing and Scaling Deep TechThis panel will explore what it takes to bring cutting-edge technologies out of the lab and into the real world. Leaders from venture\, government\, and industry will share what works – and what doesn’t – when scaling deep tech companies in critical sectors like manufacturing\, energy\, and defense. \n\n\n\n\nModerator: Scott Stanford\, Founder & Partner @ ACME Capital\n\n\n\n​Panelists:\n\n​Shaun Stuger\, VP of Growth @ Space Kinetic Corp\n\n\n\n​Andrew Couillard\, Director & Investor @ Harpoon Ventures\n\n\n\n​Lt. Col Vinny Pande\, Materiel Leader & Deputy Director @ SpaceWERX\n\n\n\n​Rupika Brito\, Principal @ Alumni Ventures\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLessons from the Founder JourneyFounders behind some of SoCal’s most ambitious startups share the hard-won lessons from building and scaling in deep tech. From first checks to first shipments\, this session offers an unfiltered look at navigating the early stages of company-building. \n\n\n\n\nModerator: Krisztina (Z) Holly\, Operating Partner @ Good Growth Capital\n\n\n\n​Panelists:\n\n​Phillip Weicker\, Co-founder & CTO @ Harbinger Motors\n\n\n\n​Aleksey Matyushev\, Founder & CEO @ Natilus\n\n\n\n​Karl Pawlik\, Head of Technology & Life Science Verticals @ Escalon\n\n\n\n\n\n\n​04:00 PM Startup Pitch Showcase (aka the First Look SoCal Deep Tech Innovation Showcase) \n\n\n\n​Get an early glimpse into exciting new deep tech science-based startups emerging from SoCal’s top research universities. Each of the 5 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​Startups: \n\n\n\n\n​CISGAM\, Albert Cisquella\n\n\n\nNEXT Membranes\, Pat O’Brien\n\n\n\n​Neuramax Technologies\, Asish Satpathy\n\n\n\n​Super Foam Corporation\, Zef Neemuchwala\n\n\n\n\n(Additional info on each startup below) \n\n\n\n​Judges: \n\n\n\n\n​Krisztina (Z) Holly\, Operating Partner @ Good Growth Capital\n\n\n\n​Jennifer Byrne\, General Partner @ Grit VC\n\n\n\n​Abhi Mukherjee\, Operating Partner @ CerraCap Ventures\n\n\n\nJed Leidheiser\, Partner @ March Capital\n\n\n\nAaron Fyke\, Founder & General Partner @ Thin Line Capital\n\n\n\n\n​05:00 PM Networking Reception sponsored by the Kenilworth Group at Morgan Stanley \n\n\n\n​Continue the conversation and connect while enjoying refreshments and snacks \n\n\n\nSpeakers\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Dave de Csepel\n CEO & Executive Director at Alliance for SoCal Innovation\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dave de Csepel\n CEO & Executive Director at Alliance for SoCal Innovation\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dave brings a unique blend of entrepreneurial\, investment\, and leadership experience to the Alliance. He currently serves as Chairman of the TCA Venture Group and formerly held the same position at the Pasadena Angels. Both organizations are dedicated to mentoring and investing in early-stage companies\, with over 500 members offering deep\, cross-industry expertise throughout Southern California. \nDave is a serial entrepreneur and has spent the last decade as a lead investor and consultant at BioCorRx Inc.\, a publicly traded healthcare solutions company focused on treatments for alcohol and opioid addiction. Earlier in his career\, he was a founding member and owner of Veritas Realty Investments\, where he led design\, project management\, and sales for a portfolio of residential projects across Greater Los Angeles. \nDave also brings media and communications expertise from leadership roles at Discovery Networks\, Turner Entertainment\, and ESPN\, and is passionate about education—he currently serves as an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Drew "Murph" Busbee\n Chief Operating Officer at DTI\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Drew "Murph" Busbee\n Chief Operating Officer at DTI\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n As COO of DTI\, Drew leads initiatives at the intersection of government\, startups\, and venture capital architecting programs like I2A that help dual-use companies scale from concept to capability. In just over a year\, I2A-backed startups have secured $1.62B in government contracts\, $693M in venture capital\, and $125M in commercial deals\, making it one of the most impactful defense innovation efforts to date. \nOver the past decade\, Drew advised early-stage companies and venture firms on how to navigate the federal funding landscape\, resulting in $500M+ in non-dilutive capital raised across portfolios. He has helped build founding frameworks for government innovation orgs like SpaceWERX and SSC Front Door\, secured CRADAs to bridge venture and DoD priorities\, and served as a Defense Ventures Fellow. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Chris Pimentel\n Mayor\, City of El Segundo\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Chris Pimentel\n Mayor\, City of El Segundo\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Mayor Chris Pimentel is a risk management executive and a former Marine Corps infantry officer. Chris was elected Mayor on December 17\, 2024 by his fellow Councilmembers and has served on El Segundo City Council since 2018. He has served on several committees focused on interaction with other cities and the state. Chris focuses much of his effort on preserving and sustaining the elements of El Segundo that make it the unique and thriving engine of the region.\nChris is active with little league\, softball\, soccer\, the Military Officers Association and joins his wife and children in their volunteer groups. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Shahin Farshchi\, PhD\n Partner at Lux Capital\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Shahin Farshchi\, PhD\n Partner at Lux Capital\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Inspired by Knight Rider and Star Trek\, Shahin grew up passionate about using engineering to give humanity “superpowers\,” from coding on an IBM PC XT clone in grade school to taking apart engines at his uncle’s shop. After founding his own startup based on his PhD research in brain–computer interfaces\, he joined Lux Capital in 2006\, where he has since co-founded and led investments in companies that became public (AEVA\, PL) or were acquired by Amazon\, Intel\, and others. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ashutosh Shukla\n VP of Mechanical Engineering at Anduril\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ashutosh Shukla\n VP of Mechanical Engineering at Anduril\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ashutosh Shukla is an experienced engineer and leader in the world of developing mass scale hardware and currently serves as VP of Engineering at Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa. Prior to joining Anduril\, Ashutosh has been a part of product design teams at Apple\, Bose\, Rivian\, Snap\, and Meta leading teams and architecting category defining products spanning from EVs to smartphones to AR/VR devices\, and more. Ashutosh holds over 25 patents in electronics design and manufacturing technologies and earned his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech. Beyond hardware engineering\, he is a limited partner at Everywhere Ventures and advises emerging startups. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Scott Stanford\n Co-Founder & Partner at ACME Capital\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Scott Stanford\n Co-Founder & Partner at ACME Capital\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Scott Stanford is a co-founder of ACME Capital and has spent over 25 years as an investor\, operator\, and advisor in technology. Previously\, he co-founded Sherpa Capital and co-headed Goldman Sachs’s Global Internet Investment Banking team\, advising and investing in companies such as Facebook\, Uber\, LinkedIn\, Palantir\, and Square. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Shaun Stuger\n VP of Growth at Space Kinetic Corp\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Shaun Stuger\n VP of Growth at Space Kinetic Corp\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Shaun Stuger is Vice President of Growth at Space Kinetic Corporation\, a VC-backed startup advancing national security with next-generation capabilities for missile defense and space superiority. He previously held senior business development roles at Parsons\, Peraton\, GDMS\, Braxton Technologies\, and Raytheon\, following a 25-year career as a U.S. Air Force Colonel leading satellite operations\, engineering\, and acquisition. Shaun holds an Executive MBA from NYU Stern\, LSE\, and HEC Paris\, along with master’s degrees from Air War College and Pepperdine\, and a BA in Computer Science from Boston University. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Andrew Couillard\n Director & Investor at Harpoon Ventures\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Andrew Couillard\n Director & Investor at Harpoon Ventures\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Andrew Couillard is an investor at Harpoon Ventures\, where he focuses on dual-use defense technology from pre-seed to growth stages and has helped incubate and scale a defense tech startup. A former U.S. Navy Explosive Ordinance Disposal Officer\, he led global teams\, managed a $50M unmanned undersea vehicle portfolio\, and drove AI/ML adoption in defense operations. He is currently pursuing his MBA at Stanford GSB\, holds a BS in Industrial & Systems Engineering from USC\, and previously worked as an engineer at Northrop Grumman. Outside of work\, Andrew is an avid endurance athlete\, snowboarder\, and skydiver with a passion for advancing innovation at the intersection of AI and defense. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Rupika Brito\n Principal at Alumni Ventures\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Rupika Brito\n Principal at Alumni Ventures\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Rupika Brito is a Principal at Alumni Ventures’ Deep Tech Fund\, with experience spanning venture capital\, private equity\, and entrepreneurship. She previously led corporate ventures at Blockstream\, executed multi-billion-dollar transactions at Bank of America\, and co-founded a search fund\, bringing a uniquely versatile perspective to investing in transformative technologies. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Lt. Col Vinny Pande\n Partner (Materiel Leader) at SpaceWERX\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Lt. Col Vinny Pande\n Partner (Materiel Leader) at SpaceWERX\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Lieutenant Colonel Vinny Pande is the Materiel Leader for SpaceWERX Ventures\, where he oversees the U.S. Space Force’s $450 million annual venture portfolio encompassing all stages of SBIR investments. Previously\, he has led strategic space and defense commercialization programs\, ranging from proliferated LEO satellite communications to high-value procurement initiatives and international tech diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific region. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Krisztina "Z" Holly\n Operating Partner at Good Growth Capital\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Krisztina "Z" Holly\n Operating Partner at Good Growth Capital\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Z Holly is a seasoned innovation leader and venture capitalist with three decades of experience helping entrepreneurs and organizations turn cutting-edge ideas into global impact. Currently an Operating Partner at Good Growth Capital\, she has a track record of pioneering innovation programs (including the first TEDx event)\, founding multiple successful ventures\, advising the Obama Administration\, and investing in transformative science and technology companies across sectors like aerospace\, energy\, and life sciences. She combines deep technical expertise (from MIT) with extensive business acumen\, having helped founders raise over $1 billion in venture capital while maintaining her adventurous spirit through activities like skydiving\, flying planes\, and SCUBA instruction.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Phillip Weicker\n Co-Founder & CTO at Harbinger Motors\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Phillip Weicker\n Co-Founder & CTO at Harbinger Motors\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Phillip Weicker is the Co-Founder and CTO of Harbinger\, leading innovation in electric vehicle powertrains and battery systems. With over 20 years of experience at Canoo\, Faraday Future\, QuantumScape\, and CODA\, he is a recognized expert in EV energy storage\, high-voltage systems\, and electrification technologies. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Aleksey Matyushev\n Founder & CEO at Natilus\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Aleksey Matyushev\n Founder & CEO at Natilus\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Aleksey Matyushev is the CEO and co-founder of San Diego-based aircraft manufacturer Natilus\, the developer of a family of next-generation blended-wing-body aircraft delivering sustainable solutions to the commercial aviation industry. One of the foremost experts in commercializing aircraft\, Aleksey has nearly two decades of experience in the aerospace and aviation industries\, including at Piper Aircraft and Kratos Defense. Aleksey holds an Aerospace Engineering degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Karl Pawlik\n Head of Technology & Life Science Verticals at Escalon Services\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Karl Pawlik\n Head of Technology & Life Science Verticals at Escalon Services\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Karl Pawlik leads our Technology and Life Sciences practice at Escalon Services.  Karl has over 20 years of experience working in various leadership roles in finance\, accounting\, and strategy\, with the last 10+ years being dedicated to the role of CFO of venture and pre-venture funded start-ups.  Earlier in his career\, Karl held global finance\, business development\, and strategy roles with Fortune 500 companies including Applied Materials\, and St. Jude Medical (now Abbott)\, where he was part of the team that acquired CardioMeMs and NanoStim. \nKarl has a passion for setting up organizations for success and gives back to the community by coaching competitive youth water polo. \nKarl received his B.S. degree in Finance and Accounting from the University of Arizona and an M.B.A. from California State University at Northridge. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Jennifer Byrne\n General Partner at Grit Capital\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Jennifer Byrne\n General Partner at Grit Capital\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Jennifer Byrne is a General Partner at Grit Capital Partners investing in early-stage applied AI\, with over 20 years of experience across fintech\, insurtech\, and telecom. She’s an entrepreneur who founded global accelerators for women-led startups (Female Founders in FinTech\, InsurTech) and previously held executive roles at Fortune 100 companies including American Express and Verizon\, where she led strategy\, partnerships\, and innovation programs. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Abhi Mukherjee\n Operating Partner at CerraCap Ventures\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Abhi Mukherjee\n Operating Partner at CerraCap Ventures\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Abhi Mukherjee is an Operating Partner at CerraCap Ventures with 25 years of experience spanning corporate leadership at major tech companies (Infosys\, Wipro\, UST)\, successful entrepreneurship (sold his AI startup Nirveda Cognition in 2021)\, and venture capital. He has managed over $1.2 billion in enterprise innovation engagements and now focuses on investing in and mentoring mission-driven entrepreneurs in AI\, quantum computing\, and frontier technologies. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Aaron Fyke\n Founder and Managing Partner at Thin Line Capital\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Aaron Fyke\n Founder and Managing Partner at Thin Line Capital\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Aaron Fyke has spent thirty years as an investor\, engineer\, and entrepreneur\, having cofounded six companies\, including two unicorns\, in a number of technology areas including fuel cell\, ocean power\, concentrating solar\, and grid-scale energy storage. He is currently Founder and Managing Partner of Thin Line Capital. Thin Line Capital is deploying their second fund to bring investment capital to extraordinary clean energy/climate change companies\, participating in the biggest economic opportunity since the Industrial Revolution. Aaron earned his MBA and MSME as an LGO fellow at MIT\, and his BEng in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Victoria\, graduating at the top of his class. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Jed Leidheiser\n Partner at March Capital\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Jed Leidheiser\n Partner at March Capital\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Jed Leidheiser is a Partner at March Capital with two decades of enterprise experience across investing and operating roles. He leads cybersecurity investing at March and is involved in the firm’s investment activities and industry networks. Jed has board responsibilities at Expel\, Immuta\, and SpyCloud. \nJed graduated from the University of California\, Los Angeles\, Anderson School of Management (MBA) and the University of Virginia (B.S.\, Computer Engineering; B.A.\, Economics). Having written his senior thesis at UVA on cybersecurity\, Jed’s role at March continues a lasting interest in the field. \nBefore joining March\, Jed invested throughout the startup lifecycle\, from an early stage at Work-Bench Ventures in New York City\, to public equities at Balyasny Asset Management in San Francisco. Earlier in his career\, Jed spent a decade at Accenture\, where he consulted Fortune 500 CxOs on strategy and technology. He credits this experience with teaching him how to sell 7-figure contracts\, develop go-to-market partnerships\, own a P&L\, and manage distributed teams. Jed first learned of March Capital while volunteering at The Montgomery Summit in 2015; after March closed its first fund in 2016\, Jed sought out the firm’s partners and became the first employee on the investment team. \nOutside of the office\, Jed is on the board of the UCLA Anderson Price Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation and serves on the Advisory Council for the Alliance for Southern California Innovation. A lifelong outdoorsman\, Jed also enjoys skiing\, backcountry backpacking\, and rooting for UVA basketball to win another national championship. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Eric Eide\n Managing Director at Alliance for SoCal Innovation \n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Eric Eide\n Managing Director at Alliance for SoCal Innovation \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Eric is a seasoned economic development professional with experience spanning the private sector\, federal and municipal government\, and academia. He currently serves as the Managing Director at the Alliance for Southern California Innovation where he leads the Alliance’s Capital Access programs with VCs and founders as well as innovation community building efforts with startup communities\, local government\, and community partners. \nBefore joining the Alliance\, Eric grew the Government Relations team at startup electric scooter rental company Bird and expanded operations domestically and internationally. Previously\, Eric served as Director of International Trade for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. In this role\, Eric worked to increase international business activity\, facilitate the import and export of goods\, and attract investment to Los Angeles. Eric also served in the U.S. federal government as an Advisor for Strategic Partnerships at the U.S. Department of State\, where he collaborated with U.S.-based entrepreneurs\, firms\, and universities with interests in South and Central Asia. In a prior role\, Eric represented the U.S. Small Business Administration with the startup community and improved the overall performance of a $2.6 billion federal program that funds early stage technology companies. \nEric holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of California\, Santa Barbara and a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Michigan\, where his research focused on innovation ecosystems\, industrial policy\, and globalization. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\nThe First Look SoCal Deep Tech Innovation Showcase\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEach startup will present a 3-minute quick pitch followed by 6 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. \n\n\n\nMeet the presenters\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Albert Cisquella Serra\n Co-Founder & CEO at CISGAM\n UC Irvine\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Albert Cisquella Serra\n Co-Founder & CEO at CISGAM\n UC Irvine\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Albert Cisquella Serra is a deep-tech entrepreneur and MEMS process engineer with a PhD and postdoctoral research in electrospray propulsion from the Electric Propulsion Laboratory at UC Irvine\, where CISGAM’s core technology was developed. At Iridia\, he co-developed a prototype DNA data writing chip for molecular storage. At Miltenyi Biotec\, he contributed to the development of the fastest MEMS-based cell sorting device on the market. Co-inventor of CISGAM’s propulsion system\, he brings extensive experience in microfabrication\, system integration\, and the transition of lab-scale technologies into scalable hardware platforms. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Pat O'Brien\n Co-Founder & CEO at NEXT Membranes\n UCLA\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Pat O'Brien\n Co-Founder & CEO at NEXT Membranes\n UCLA\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Patrick O’Brien is a U.S. Army veteran and former DoD Counterintelligence Special Agent\, with a career dedicated to safeguarding national defense technologies. As a counterintelligence operative\, he led operations and investigations protecting sensitive defense innovations in AI\, machine learning\, and aerospace. \nBuilding on this deep-tech defense background\, Patrick is now the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of NEXT Membranes\, a cleantech venture pioneering advanced membrane technologies for water reuse and mineral recovery. He is currently pursuing his MBA at UCLA Anderson (Class of 2026)\, where he is focused on scaling breakthrough technologies that sit at the intersection of sustainability\, security\, and economic growth. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Justin Wheeler\n Co-founder & CTO at Neuramax Technology\n UCLA and ASU – Skysong Innovations\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Justin Wheeler\n Co-founder & CTO at Neuramax Technology\n UCLA and ASU – Skysong Innovations\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Justin Wheeler is a former DoD civilian engineer with applied experience in machine learning and RF systems. He develops AI for embedded edge environments under operational constraints and is the architect of NeuraScan\, a real-time RF fingerprinting pipeline for drone detection and airspace security. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Zef Neemuchwala\n Co-founder & CEO at Super Foam Corp\n San Diego State University\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Zef Neemuchwala\n Co-founder & CEO at Super Foam Corp\n San Diego State University\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Zef Neemuchwala is a serial entrepreneur\, business development expert\, and startup advisor with over a decade of experience helping early-stage and scaling ventures refine product-market fit\, secure strategic partnerships\, and accelerate go-to-market execution. As CEO of Super Foam Corp.\, he leads a team developing patented\, eco-friendly impact protection solutions\, and as host of the Be A Maker podcast\, he champions creative innovation through storytelling. Zef has successfully closed pre-seed funding rounds\, built business development funnels from scratch\, and guided startups through pitch competitions and grant evaluations. His collaborative leadership style\, deep expertise in product strategy\, and ability to forge partnerships with global brands like Google\, BCG\, and TechStars LA have helped over 100 startups reach critical growth milestones. A multilingual communicator\, published researcher\, and award-winning educator\, Zef is driven by a mission to help founders align business strategy with authentic market needs\, using humility\, empathy\, and a data-driven approach to achieve meaningful impact. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\nCompany Information\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. Past years attracted over 300 attendees including over 130 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 university-based deep tech startups\n\n\n\nThis is SoCal’s premiere gathering of the best startups emerging from the region’s top research institutions 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\nWorkshop for startup founders\n\n\n\nLearn from subject matter experts in IP law and licensing best practices for protecting and monetizing intellectual property as well as early stage startup commercialization of deep tech innovations. \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/deeptech-symposium-first-look-socal-dt-innovation-showcase-2025/ CATEGORIES:Alliance Events END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251203T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251203T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T034436 CREATED:20251203T045927Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251203T052304Z UID:7017-1764757800-1764768600@alliancesocal.org SUMMARY:Health Systems Innovation Council Meeting - Q4 2025 DESCRIPTION:Topic: Improving Provider and Patient Outcomes with Payors\n\n\n\nHosted by Huntington Hospital \n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Sponsors\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\nStartup Showcase Sponsors\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 10:30 a.m.  Welcome \n\nMark Gamble\, Strategic Advisor\, Alliance for SoCal Innovation\nDr. John Corman\, Interim President and Chief Clinical Officer\, Huntington Health\nMike Strohl\, CEO\, e360\n\n10:50 a.m. Rapid-fire introductions \n11:10 a.m.  Featured Startup Presentation – Dr. David Kirk\, CMO\, Regard Health \n11:20 a.m. Panel Discussion: Improving Provider and Patient Outcomes with Payors \n\nDr. David Kirk\, CMO\, Regard Health\nRudy Braccili\, Jr.\, Senior Director Revenue Cycle Operations\, Keck Medicine of USC\nEunBi Lee\, Managing Director & Partner\, BCG\nMark Gamble\, Strategic Advisor\, Alliance for SoCal Innovation (moderator)\n\n12:05 p.m. Break + Grab lunch (boxed lunches provided) \n12:15 p.m.  Innovation Venture Fund Update by Andy Wilson \n12:25 p.m. Featured Speaker: Doug Mirsky\, PhD\, Vice President\, DiMe Seal\, Digital Medicine Society (DiMe) \n12:50 p.m. Interactive Council Discussion\, moderated by Mark Gamble & Andy Wilson \n1:30 p.m.  Tour of Huntington Hospital \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSpeakers\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n John M. Corman\, MD\n Interim President and Chief Clinical Officer at Huntington Health\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n John M. Corman\, MD\n Interim President and Chief Clinical Officer at Huntington Health\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr. Corman joins Huntington from Virginia Mason Franciscan Health\, where he served as vice president and chief clinical officer.  In this role\, he engaged with medical leadership to ensure continuity and stability at a time when the regional health care system was taking shape. He has a proven track record in quality oversight and outstanding collaboration with medical staff to support excellent care. Having built his career at Virgina Mason\, Dr. Corman has held such posts over the years as senior medical director of peri-operative and procedural services\, pathology\, radiology\, and anesthesiology. He was also medical director of the Virginia Mason Cancer Institute. Clinically\, Dr. Corman has completed over 2000 DaVinci surgeries and has been recognized as a Seattle Top Doctor for 16 consecutive years. \nDr. Corman received his undergraduate degree from Pomona College prior to graduating from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston\, Texas. He completed his postgraduate training at UCLA\, with an internship in general surgery and residency in urology.  In addition to his staff practice\, Dr. Corman has been a clinical professor in various capacities at medical centers and schools throughout the Pacific Northwest for more than two decades. Dr. Corman also has vast administrative experience throughout his various appointments on boards\, programs\, departments\, committees\, councils\, and educational courses. He has been widely published in such periodicals as the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of Urology. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Mike Strohl\n CEO at e360\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Mike Strohl\n CEO at e360\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n e360’s journey traces back to 1988\, born from the entrepreneurial spirit of Mike’s father. Initially a training company focused on application-based learning\, it laid the foundation for what e360 would become. \nIn 1994\, Mike and Matt took over the company when Mike’s father passed. They have expanded e360 to 250 employees and broadened its expertise in: \n\nDigital Workplace\nModern Infrastructure\nCybersecurity\nCloud Solutions\nEnterprise Managed Services\n\nAt e360\, we’re more than a company; we’re a community. This sense of family isn’t just because we started as one. It’s also because of our long-standing team members\, some with over two decades of dedication\, and our commitment to our clients. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n David Kirk\, MD\n Chief Medical Officer at Regard Health\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n David Kirk\, MD\n Chief Medical Officer at Regard Health\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr. Kirk joins Regard following more than 20 years of leadership at WakeMed Health & Hospitals\, where he most recently served as Chief Clinical Integration Officer and Executive Medical Director of Critical Care Medicine and eICU. \nA nationally recognized clinician and innovation leader\, Dr. Kirk has led large-scale initiatives integrating artificial intelligence\, analytics and process improvement into clinical care. In his most recent executive roles at WakeMed\, he oversaw systemwide digital transformation and care delivery innovation\, aligning data science\, technology and operational strategy to improve quality\, efficiency and financial performance. His leadership drove more than $17 million in cost savings through data-driven process improvements\, including more than $9 million in recovered revenue from implementing Regard’s AI-powered Proactive Documentation platform. He also expanded clinical governance structures\, established incentive-based performance programs and spearheaded predictive analytics pilots in critical care – initiatives that earned him the North Carolina Healthcare Association’s 2025 Clinical Leadership Award for transforming care delivery through innovation and improvement. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Rudy Braccili\, Jr.\, MBA\, CHFP\n Senior Director Revenue Cycle Operations at Keck Medicine of USC\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Rudy Braccili\, Jr.\, MBA\, CHFP\n Senior Director Revenue Cycle Operations at Keck Medicine of USC\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Rudolph Braccili Jr. is a seasoned and highly regarded leader in healthcare revenue cycle operations\, currently serving as Senior Director of Revenue Cycle Operations at Keck Medicine of USC in Los Angeles. \nOver a long and distinguished career\, Rudy has held senior leadership roles across multiple organizations. His prior positions include President & CEO of IMPACT A/R; Senior Director of AR Operations at Conifer Health Solutions; Vice President of Revenue Cycle at KPC Healthcare\, Inc.; and Executive Director of Revenue Cycle Services at Boca Raton Community Hospital (among others). \nRudy has led both single-facility and multi-facility revenue cycle operations. His expertise spans business-operation consolidations\, system-implementation project teams\, complex reorganizations\, and ongoing revenue cycle transformations — delivering sustained improvements in key performance metrics year after year. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Eun Bi Lee\n Managing Director and Partner at BCG\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Eun Bi Lee\n Managing Director and Partner at BCG\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Eun Bi is a Managing Director & Partner in the Los Angeles office. She has worked extensively with regional and national payers across the country on distribution strategy\, marketing strategy\, and growth strategy. Eun Bi first joined BCG at the Mexico City office in 2013 as an Associate\, and transferred to the Los Angeles office in 2015.  \nEun Bi graduated from Yale University and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. Her previous work experience includes interning at Hanwha General Insurance Co. in Asset Management division\, and at various non-profit organizations such as Women 4 Women. Eun Bi holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management. She is fluent in English\, Spanish\, and Korean\, and speaks basic Japanese. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Doug Mirsky\, PhD\n Vice President\, DiMe Seal\, Digital Medicine Society (DiMe)\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Doug Mirsky\, PhD\n Vice President\, DiMe Seal\, Digital Medicine Society (DiMe)\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr. Doug Mirsky is a distinguished leader in digital innovation and healthcare transformation\, currently spearheading the DiMe Seal\, a new unifying evaluation framework to establish quality and trust across the digital health software ecosystem. Previously\, Doug led the Digital Medicine Society’s (DiMe’s) groundbreaking public-private partnership announced by The White House as a national digital health accelerator within the revitalized Cancer Moonshot initiative. Joined by Moffitt Cancer Center\, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC)\, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH)\, Dr. Mirsky led work to harness cutting-edge technology and collaboration among health systems to drive forward the fight against cancer. With a robust academic background and a passion for advancing digital health\, Dr. Mirsky is committed to creating innovative solutions that enhance patient outcomes and revolutionize care. He has previously held roles as Co-Founder of a venture-backed digital health startup\, led consulting engagements for Fortune 500 enterprises and was a multi-role executive at GLG\, the leading technology-enabled knowledge marketplace\, during its early hyper-growth. He holds a PhD from the University of Chicago in human evolutionary anatomy and lives in Portland\, OR with his wife and two children. \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 Kulkarn\, 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 \nAnthony Russell\, CAO\, Ambulatory Medicine \nCommunity Memorial Healthcare \nRon Werft\, President and CEO \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 \nLori Morgan\, CEO \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 URL:https://alliancesocal.org/event/hsic-meeting-q4-2025/ CATEGORIES:Alliance Events ORGANIZER;CN="Alliance for SoCal Innovation":MAILTO:info@alliancesocal.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260311T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260311T200000 DTSTAMP:20260423T034436 CREATED:20260213T215024Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260303T020558Z UID:7100-1773252000-1773259200@alliancesocal.org SUMMARY:Fundraising in Today's Market DESCRIPTION:🌟 Founders Spotlight: Journey to Success in SoCal 🌟 \n\n\n\n​​Location: Glendale (register to get venue details) \n\n\n\nJoin us for an inspiring evening in Glendale as the Alliance for SoCal Innovation highlights the founder journey through real stories of perseverance\, innovation\, and success. This evening is brought to you by Citizens Bank and the LA Tech Corridor (LATC). \n\n\n\n​​🎙️ Featured Speakers: \n\n\n\n\n​​Pablo Fernandez\, CEO & Founder of Glendale-based Big Rentals\, recently raised $2.8M in funding (LinkedIn)\n\n\n\n​Marcos Gonzalez\, Managing Partner\, VamosVentures (LinkedIn)\n\n\n\n\n​​🗣️ Moderator: \n\n\n\n\nJasmine Jiang\, SVP\, Sunstone Management (LinkedIn)\n\n\n\n\n​​This event is a must-attend for founders who plan to raise venture\, innovators\, and anyone passionate about the startup ecosystem. Gain invaluable insights from leaders who have navigated the challenges and triumphs of fundraising in today’s market. \n\n\n\n​​The event will also provide time to network over tasty food and beverages provided by our sponsors. \n\n\n\n​Agenda: \n\n\n\n​6:00p: Arrive and Check-in \n\n\n\n​6:20p: Welcome and Panel Discussion \n\n\n\n​7:00p: Networking Reception \n\n\n\n​8:00p: Program Concludes \n\n\n\n​​This event is part of the activities organized by the Glendale Growth Alliance\, a partnership between the Alliance for SoCal Innovation\, FoundersBoost and HackerFund\, and is funded by a State Grant awarded through the City of Glendale Economic Development Division. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n​​ 🔗 RSVP now to secure your spot and be part of the SoCal startup conversation! \n\n\n\n​This evening is sponsored by: \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n​This 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\n​The SoCal Venture Pipeline program is made possible by the generous underwriting of the following sponsors: URL:https://alliancesocal.org/event/fundraising-in-todays-market/ CATEGORIES:Alliance Events ORGANIZER;CN="Alliance for SoCal Innovation":MAILTO:info@alliancesocal.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260325T141500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260325T183000 DTSTAMP:20260423T034436 CREATED:20260324T213332Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260324T225026Z UID:7220-1774448100-1774463400@alliancesocal.org SUMMARY:Health Systems Innovation Council Meeting - Q1 2026 DESCRIPTION:Topic: Innovation Strategies featuring Hoag\, Rady Children’s Hospital\, and ARPA-H\n\n\n\nHosted by Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach \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 2:30 p.m.  Welcome by Haleh Armian\, Director of Biomedical Innovation Ventures at Hoag Hospital \n2:35 p.m.  Welcome by Mark Gamble\, Strategic Director\, Health Systems Innovation at the Alliance for SoCal Innovation: \n2:40 p.m.  Rapid-Fire Introductions \n3:10 p.m.  Presentations from Hoag and Featured Startups: \n    • Dr. Michael Brant-Zawadzki\, VP\, Clinical Research Administration\, CATALiST \n    • Ken Tang\, CEO\, Precidx \n    • Chris Freudiger\, CTO\, Invenio \n3:45 p.m.  Update on Innovation Venture Fund: Andy Wilson\, VP BD\, Keck Medicine of USC \n3:55 p.m.  Break \n4:05 p.m.  Sharief Taraman\, Attending Physician Rady Children’s Hospital and CEO of Cognoa \n4:20 p.m.  Dr. Bon Ku\, and Paul Sheehan\, Program Managers at ARPA-H \n4:50 p.m.  Interactive Council Discussion (Moderated by Andy Wilson & Mark Gamble) \n5:30 p.m.  Wine Reception \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSpeakers\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Michael Brant-Zawadzki\, MD\n VP\, Clinical Research Administration\, CATALiST at Hoag Health System\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Michael Brant-Zawadzki\, MD\n VP\, Clinical Research Administration\, CATALiST at Hoag Health System\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr. Brant-Zawadzki is currently the Vice President of Clinical Research Administration\, Center for Accelerating Technology and Life Sciences Translation (CATALiST)\, and Addiction Services at Hoag Hospital.  Formerly\, he was Hoag’s Senior Physician Executive\, facilitating business and strategic relationships with specialist clinicians\, overseeing a platform for programmatic care that integrates specialized services with population health. He also served as the Executive Medical Director of the Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute\, where he held the Sandi and Ron Simon Endowed Chair\, helping Hoag transform health care strategy\, focusing it on specific health conditions using a program driven\, physician led\, multi-disciplinary team approach\, measured by patient focused outcomes. \nDr. Brant-Zawadzki has a BA from Stanford\, and earned his MD from the University of Cincinnati\, graduating first in his class. He trained in diagnostic radiology and in interventional neuroradiology at Stanford. He spent six years in the Department of Radiology at UCSF\, he also held an Adjunct Professorship at Stanford until 2023. Dr. Brant-Zawadzki has authored over 250 papers\, numerous textbooks\, serves on a variety of editorial boards for professional journals and sat on numerous professional organization boards and committees. He lectures internationally. He is a Fellow of the American College of Radiology\, and is a Gold Medal recipient from the Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine\, and from the American Society of Neuroradiology. \nHe earned the Certificate in Leadership for Health Care Transformation from UC Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business. He is a founder of\, and consultant to\, a number of companies in the biotech and radiology fields. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ken Tang\n CEO at Precidx\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ken Tang\n CEO at Precidx\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Kenneth Tang is the CEO and Co-Founder of Precidx\, a healthcare data optimization company building the performance and data access layer for digital pathology and medical imaging. Through its Precidx Optimization Platform (POP)\, the company enables faster access\, reduced storage costs\, and scalable infrastructure for large-scale imaging datasets while preserving native files. \nPrecidx is working with leading health systems and industry partners to enable scalable digital pathology infrastructure. \nKenneth holds an M.S. in Biotechnology\, Enterprise from The Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. from the University of California\, Irvine\, and has conducted research in quantitative imaging at UCSF and UCI. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Chris Freudiger\, Ph.D.\n CTO at Invenio\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Chris Freudiger\, Ph.D.\n CTO at Invenio\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n18+ years of experience in biomedical imaging and medical device innovation\nCo-inventor of stimulated Raman histology (SRH) at Harvard and technology leader behind the NIO Laser Imaging System\nLed development of Invenio’s imaging platform and AI capabilities from early innovation through clinical implementation\nExperienced in translating advanced imaging and artificial intelligence into practical tools for hospital workflows\nWorked closely with leading physicians and health system partners to support early adoption and commercialization\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Sharief Taraman\, M.D.\n Attending Physician at Rady Children's Hospital and CEO at Cognoa\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Sharief Taraman\, M.D.\n Attending Physician at Rady Children's Hospital and CEO at Cognoa\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr. Sharief Taraman\, is dual board-certified in Neurology with special qualifications in Child Neurology from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and Clinical Informatics from the American Board of Preventive Medicine. \nDr. Taraman was the former Division Chief of Pediatric Neurology at Rady Children’s Health Orange County and University of California-Irvine. He remains an active member of the medical staff and the Sharon Disney Lund Medical Intelligence\, Information\, Investigation\, & Innovation Institute at CHOC. \nHe is a Health Sciences Associate Clinical Professor at UC Irvine School of Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics and UC Riverside School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry & Neurosciences as well as an Affiliate Professor at Chapman University\, Dale E. and Sarah Ann Fowler School of Engineering. \nRecognized globally as an innovator and specifically an advocate in the field of pediatrics\, Dr. Taraman has been involved with the development of multiple FDA designated breakthrough devices\, awardee of the prestigious National Capital Consortium for Pediatric Device Innovation grant and is an advisor to Board of Directors for the International Society for Pediatric Innovation. \nCurrently\, he is the Chief Executive Officer at Cognoa and formerly served as the Chief Medical Officer leading the clinical trials that led to the FDA authorization of Cognoa’s lead product\, Canvas Dx\, the first and only FDA authorized AI based diagnostic device for autism for children 18-72 months old with concern for developmental delay. \nDr. Taraman is active in the community having previously served as a past president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Orange County Chapter\, board member of AAP-California\, and committee member for the development of the AAP National CHILD health registry. He continues to volunteer on the Irvine Unified School District Medical Advisory Board\, with the Capistrano Unified School District and Girl Scouts of Orange County. \nDr. Taraman graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Michigan having majored in Biochemistry. He completed his medical education at Wayne State University School of Medicine and went on to complete residency training in Pediatrics and Pediatric Neurology at the Detroit Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of Michigan. \n  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Bon Ku\, M.D.\, MPP\n Program Manager\, Resilient Systems at ARPA-H\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Bon Ku\, M.D.\, MPP\n Program Manager\, Resilient Systems at ARPA-H\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nDr. Bon Ku joined ARPA-H in August 2023 from Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University\, where he served as an associate dean and the Marta and Robert Adelson Professor of Medicine and Design. Ku also worked as the director of the Health Design Lab\, where his research focused on the medical applications of 3D printing and different ways in which to help design healthier communities. He also currently serves as a practicing emergency physician. \nKu holds a doctorate in medicine from Pennsylvania State University and a master’s in public policy from Princeton University. He is an internationally renowned speaker and has been featured at high-profile events such as SXSW and TEDx. Ku’s work toward redesigning health care has been featured in popular venues including CNBC and The New York Times. Ku is also the co-author of Health Design Thinking and the host of Design Lab Podcast. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Paul E. Sheehan\, Ph.D.\n Program Manager\, Resilient Systems at ARPA-H\n View Bio \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Paul E. Sheehan\, Ph.D.\n Program Manager\, Resilient Systems at ARPA-H\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr. Paul Sheehan joined ARPA-H in February 2023 from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)\, where he was a Program Manager in the Biological Technologies Office. His research at that time focused on leveraging developments in synthetic biology to detect and address threats to human health\, including novel pathogens in the environment and microbial imbalances in the gut. \nBefore joining DARPA\, Sheehan spent 16 years at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory where he worked first as a research scientist and then as the head of surface nanoscience and sensor technology. He holds a doctorate in chemical physics from Harvard University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Research Council. His papers have received over 18\,500 citations and have been spotlighted in outlets such as the Economist and the New York Times. \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\n\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 \nAnthony Russell\, CAO\, Ambulatory Medicine \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 URL:https://alliancesocal.org/event/hsic-meeting-q1-2026/ CATEGORIES:Alliance Events ORGANIZER;CN="Alliance for SoCal Innovation":MAILTO:info@alliancesocal.org END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR