Invent Your Future Here — Monterey Bay, January 29

By Sara Isenberg
Editor-in-Chief, Santa Cruz Tech Beat

January 20, 2015 — Monterey, CA

[Editor’s note: January 26, 2015: This article has been updated with the day’s agenda for this January 29 event. It is below in text and available as a PDF download.]

Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) to hold first Regional Economic Summit

Come hear about topics impacting our regional economic vitality, including broadband, workforce development, technology, agtech, energy, food, and hospitality.

• Regional Economic Summit: Invent Your Future Here – Monterey Bay
• Thursday, January 29, 2015
• 7:30 am – 4:45 pm
• Embassy Suites, Seaside, CA
• RSVP here.
• $75 per person (early bird registration through Jan 26)
• $90 per person (after Jan 26 and at the door)
• Agenda, below.

The Monterey Bay Economic Partnership will be holding its first Regional Economic Summit: Invent Your Future Here – Monterey Bay, on Thursday, January 29, 2015, at the Embassy Suites in Seaside, CA.

This event start at 7:30am with registration and breakfast. The day-long event runs until 4:45 pm.

Economist Chris Thornberg, Founder of Beacon Economics, will present national, state and regional economic forecasts for Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties. This presentation will be followed by panels on the Emerging Tech Eco-System, Getting a Gigabit Everywhere, the Blue Economy, Building on our Strength in Agriculture, and Regional Tourism. The public is invited to hear the latest on topics impacting our regional economic vitality — from broadband and workforce development to innovation efforts in technology, agtech, energy, food and hospitality.

Come hear the latest on a wide variety of topics impacting our regional economic vitality, from broadband and workforce development to innovation efforts in technology, agtech, energy, food, and hospitality.

The Economic Summit: Invent Your Future Here – Monterey Bay is designed for those who want to:

• Understand the implications for your business or organization of the national, state and regional 2015 economic forecasts
• Get in front of the competition regarding the most important requirements to build a 21st Century workforce
• Enhance your business strategies by hearing the inspiring stories of successful regional entrepreneurs in tech, energy, marine science, food and tourism
• Expand your network of motivated entrepreneurs, business leaders, educators and government officials.

Register here. Email questions to admin@mbep.biz.

Agenda (updated on January 26, 2015)

7:30   Registration

7:45   Breakfast

8:00   Welcome

• Mary Ann Leffel, Board Member, MBEP

8:05  Introduction of the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership

• Bud Colligan, Founder and CEO, South Swell Ventures and Co-Chair, MBEP

8:25  2015 Economic Forecast:  Clear Sailing or Turbulent Seas Ahead?

•  Chris Thornberg, Founding Partner, Beacon Economic

9:15   The Rising Tech Tide

• Moderator:  Bob Cagle, CEO of ProductOps & President, Santa Cruz Works
• Carolyn Hughes, VP Talent and Culture, Looker
• Jeremy Almond, CEO, PayStand
• Brian MacDonald, VP Sales, PredPol
• Keri Waters, COO, Vivo Technologies

10:15 Break

10:30  Partnering to the New Regional Economy

• Kish Rajan, Director of CA Governor’s Office of Business & Economic Development (GO-Biz)

11:10  Reaching a Triple Bottom Line with Sustainable Energy

• John Petroff, Director of Sustainability, Taylor Farms

11:45  Break

12:00  Lunch served

12:15  Driving Broadband Availability in Rural Areas

• Robert Tse, Community Planning and Development Specialist, USDA

12:35  Getting to a Gigabit Everywhere

• Moderator:  Steve Blum, President, Tellus Venture Associates
• Brad Smith, Director of Research and Faculty Partnerships, UCSC
• Zach Friend, Supervisor, County of Santa Cruz
• Tony Cricelli, CEO, RedShift
• Peggy Dolgenos, CEO, Cruzio

1:40  Building Innovative Food Companies on Our Strength in Agriculture

• Moderator:  Sarah Wood, Editor & Publisher, Edible Monterey Bay
• Kathryn Lukas, Founder and CEO, Farmhouse Culture
• Gina Nucci, Director of Healthy Culinary Innovation, Mann Packing
• Brad van Dam, CEO, Marich Confectionery Company

2:40  Break

2:55  Creating a 21st Century Workforce

• Tim Rainey, Executive Director, California Workforce Investment Board

3:25  Monterey Bay: The Ultimate Tourism Region

• Moderator, TBD
• Ken Rauh, President, Taste of Monterey
• Julie Armstrong, VP – Communications, Big Sur International Marathon
• Karen Beppler-Dorn, Park Manager – Pinnacles National Park*
• Chuck Ryder, Director of Sales, Seaside Company

4:25  Wrap-up and Next Steps

• Jennifer Dossett, President, MBEP

4:45  Adjourn

*  Unconfirmed

DOWNLOAD Agenda [PDF]

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Tagged MBEP, Monterey Bay Economic Partnership