Space exploration is a lot of things. Important. Groundbreaking. Inspiring. But cheap isn’t one of them. The NASA JPL Curiosity Mars Rover Mission from 2011 had a price tag of $2.5 billion. It’s Artemis program to go back to the moon has a budget of $35-billion. Those budgets are doable for large government agencies, but they’re out of the realm of possibility for commercial “new space” applications. In fact, adapting NASA space technologies for commercial applications often means creating significant cost efficiencies, sometimes by a factor of 10. Without sacrificing capability,reliability or flexibility. Sound tough? It is, but one Pasadena Company has been on both sides of the equation. Chris Thayer, the CEO of Motiv Space Systems will tell the story of how the company successfully executed large NASA contracts, like building the primary robotic arm for JPL’s mars 2020 rover, and then used that knowledge, experience and capability to move the cost of those systems nearly one decimal point to the left. The result of Chris and Motiv’s work is putting advanced space robotics in reach of commercial applications that could never even consider them before. BIO: Chris Thayer Chris Thayer is an engineer, and CEO of Motiv Space Systems Inc., in Pasadena. Chris leads the company’s work developing ground, and space-based robotic systems and components. The company’s work includes robotic systems for NASA JPL’s Mars 2020 mission, as well as the recently launched xLink Space-Rated Modular Robotic Arm System that’s available for a wide range of commercial, government and education-focused missions. Chris is a frequent speaker at space, and robotics conferences and events.

Why is the size of the venture fund important to the entrepreneur? The size of the fund and the associated strategy for its portfolio construction should matter to the entrepreneur and the reasons why should be clear if you look at the math. Larger funds seek outsized returns, and therefore, this requires entrepreneurs to seek valuations over $1B in some cases. Depending on the founder’s ownership percentage, this sometimes can be less desirable than smaller exits, which can be encouraged by micro VC funds. In this presentation – we are going to dive into the math behind venture funds, how this translates to the entrepreneur, and how entrepreneurs should factor a fund’s size and portfolio strategy into their fundraising decisions. Jawhara Tariq is passionate about funding the LA tech ecosystem. She is going to dive into the math behind venture funds, how this translates to an entrepreneur, and how entrepreneurs should factor a fund’s size and portfolio strategy into their fundraising decisions. Bio: Jawhara Tariq has a background in LP investing, operations, and statistical analysis. Prior to joining Moonshots Capital, she created the investment mandate for a family office, helped to scale a venture development firm, and consulted with a fund of funds investing in underrepresented fund managers. Jawhara also worked as an associate at a venture fund in San Francisco where she made primary and secondary investments in late-stage enterprise software companies. Before working in venture capital, Jawhara worked in nonprofit consulting where she advised private foundations on how to increase impact. As a UCLA graduate and LA-native, Jawhara is passionate about building the LA tech ecosystem. Twitter: @JawharaTariq

The time when space exploration was only a matter of government has ended. In the past few years, a number of private space companies have skyrocketed. Elon Musk claims that the first manned crew to Mars will happen in 2024 whereas NASA plans to send humans to the same destination in the middle of the 2030s. There is a lot of interest expressed on how we will get there, yet no particular plans on HOW we will sustain our presence in the severe environment. Yet, NASA estimated that the crew behavioral health is a secondary risk in manned space missions after radiation exposure. Human factor considerations increase with the longevity of missions, in particular, their application to where future travelers will be living to support the wellbeing of the crew in an enclosed environment. What does the future of living in space look like? Is it going to look like the promise of sci-fi movies? Or somewhat different? Join Anastasia Prosina for a peek at what aspects need to be habitable modules to thrive in long-duration missions to Mars and why you should care. Visit Stellar Amenities to learn more about the future of living in space: https://stellaramenities.space/ Bio: Anastasia Prosina is an award-winning aspirational futurist and practitioner in Space Architecture, the nascent field of helping people thrive in small spaces in space. She is the Founder & CEO at Stellar Amenities, a company with the mission of complementing space habitats with lightweight, deployable & reconfigurable elements to support wellbeing in space. Anastasia has been involved in numerous space projects, from designing lightweight interior habitation structures for the TESSERAE self-assembling space station at MIT Media Lab's Space Exploration Initiative to working on an Iceland-based Martian Analog Habitat commissioned by Mars Society. Her other places of work include aerospace company Excalibur Almaz, 4th Planet Logistics, and Galaktika Space. Anastasia holds a Masters in Space Architecture from Sasakawa International Center for Space Architecture in proximity and collaboration of NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. Anastasia received a Bachelor's in Urban Design from Novosibirsk State University of Architecture, Design, and Art. Lived her entire life in Siberia, Russia, she is now paving her way in the Los Angeles space sector. Twitter handle @glazizglago spacearchitecture

While the world is consumed with the current crisis, consumers are still selecting brands into their homes. What brands clear the test and why? A growing buyer value lies the answer to: “is this product produced in a sustainable and ethical fashion?” Sustainable operations are moving from marketing and public relations positioning to being embedded in the product experience. Join this discussion on how new technologies are providing transparency and assurance to consumers regarding fair labor, lower use of natural resources, eco-friendly packaging, and positive carbon footprints. Today’s companies are looking beyond showing what they do with the products in a sustainable and ethical manner to looking downstream and upstream from the materials to the transportation and disposition of their products. This shift needs a new way to share trusted, auditable information that is openly shared and free from manipulation. Companies are now adopting blockchain as the assured way to share the information. The discussion will share use cases on how the technology is being used and where it is headed in helping provide the keys to a better planet. If you are looking for or some advance materials, please feel free to read Blockchain for Dummies https://www.ibm.com/account/reg/us-en/signup?formid=urx-16905 or view current use cases in action https://www.ibm.com/blockchain/use-cases/ Bio: Kurt Wedgwood leads IBM’s Blockchain North America practice for the Retail, Consumer Product and Travel industries. To complement his focus and to give back, he is an Adjunct to the Albers School at Seattle University and former chair of Seattle University’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Board. His “blockchain moment” occurred in 2016 during a 5-month sabbatical when he was asked to write an analytics article regarding Ports. In this moment, he realized the impact blockchain will have on the world and has dedicated his career to applying blockchain capabilities. Kurt lives in Seattle, WA is a graduate from the University of Colorado and received his MBA from the University of Chicago. Publications include Blockchain topics and Data Governance topics. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/wedgwood/ [email protected].

Market ups and downs happen all the time. Some are industry-specific and some (like what we're seeing now) are general. What can you do as a founder to be resilient during a downturn and use the time as a period of growth? Bio: Paul Orlando has led startup accelerators on three continents. He is Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Southern California and runs USC’s on-campus Incubator for businesses founded by students, alumni and faculty. Paul advises Fortune 500 and funded startups on internal product innovation, rapid experimentation and growth. He has degrees from Cornell and Columbia and was a winner at the TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon. He studies unintended consequences. Twitter: @porlando

Kwame Ulmer’s talk will discuss what role regulations play in a healthcare startup’s life. He will provide a deep dive into regulatory strategy with an overview of 5 categories that healthcare startups should consider to be prepared for the road ahead. Bio: Kwame Ulmer Kwame Ulmer brings nearly twenty years of experience evaluating medical technologies in the government and serving in senior operating roles at medical device companies. This experience allows him to help companies at all stages efficiently navigate global regulatory agencies. Kwame has particular expertise in all aspects of the USFDA, from premarket applications to postmarket compliance. Mr. Ulmer previously served as Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance at Implant Direct, a Danaher Corporation (Fortune 150) operating company. He led efforts to shorten global registration timelines, improved product quality by process optimization and achieve best-in-class department engagement scores. Kwame has in depth knowledge of the cross-functional activities needed to take a medical device from concept to product launch in markets including North America, EU, EMEA, China and LATAM. Kwame has served in progressive leadership roles at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and personally evaluated over 1,000 medical technologies. He has successfully overseen products through all FDA application types (IDE, 510(k), PMA, 513(g)) and advised over 100 early-stage medtech companies on regulatory path. Mr. Ulmer is a member of Tech Coast Angels (LA), the world’s largest angel investing network and a Venture Partner at Wavemaker Three-Sixty Health - the leading Southern-California based, early stage venture capital firm (Seed and Series A) focused on the healthcare industry. Kwame earned his B.S. in Physics from Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) and both an M.S. in Materials Engineering and M.B.A. from the University of Virginia. Twitter handle @kwameulmer

It’s uncharted territory for many — having everyone who answers to you in a different location, checking in only by email, text and Zoom. But management principles are the same no matter where your team is, with just a few extra steps needed when your workforce isn’t all under one roof. This talk covers: - Why the happiness of your employees should be your highest priority (hint: because their unhappiness costs you millions) - How to root out and fix the problem of “Accidental Managers” - Communication tools to keep everyone engaged and productive, and - How AAA and AC/DC will save your bottom line In times of uncertainty, most people strive to feel useful and productive. The best thing you can do is know how to lead them to give you their best. BIO: Valerie Alexander is a nationally-recognized speaker on the topics of happiness in the workplace, the advancement of women, and unconscious bias, and her TED Talk, “How to Outsmart Your Own Unconscious Bias” has been viewed more than 75,000 times. Valerie’s books include Happiness as a Second Language -- an Amazon #1 Seller, Success as a Second Language and How Women Can Succeed in the Workplace (Despite Having “Female Brains”), plus several more she’s published in her trademarked “...as a Second Language” series. Valerie started her career as an IPO lawyer, investment banker and Internet executive in the Silicon Valley, then transitioned to Hollywood, where she enjoyed success as a screenwriter and director. She is a graduate of Trinity University, U.C. Berkeley and Berkeley Law, and was Trinity’s 2016 Commencement Speaker. In addition to running two corporations and traveling the world as a keynote speaker, Valerie also writes Christmas movies for the Hallmark Channel, which she knows you secretly love, even though you’ll only admit to watching them with your mom. https://www.speakhappiness.com/

It's been said time and again that persistence is key to success, but living that ideology through times of trial is another story. Hear first hand how these Entrepreneurs have navigated the many times their business should have failed, and how they adapted during these moments to become stronger and more successful. Trey and Ashleigh Lockerbie Bio: Trey and Ashleigh Lockerbie were internationally touring musicians, working with the likes of Rihanna, Lady Antebellum, Selena Gomez, and Lenka. The rigorous travel schedule was replete with late nights, early mornings, airplanes, and tour buses; They craved connectedness to a community and a healthier lifestyle. When they met in 2011, Trey and Ashleigh began brewing kombucha at home in support of a family member who had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. Kombucha was known for its potentially anti-cancerous properties, but not for tasting great. Better Booch was founded in January, 2012 in an effort to make the healthy choice the obvious one. They have since grown from their first batch in a 1-gallon jar to producing over 20,000 gallons per month out of their DTLA brewery. Twitter: @betterbooch Instagram: @betterbooch

During this rapidly developing pandemic, it is difficult to stay ahead of the information, much less the viral spread. Dr Kimberly Shriner's talk will focus on coronavirus origin, pathophysiology, clinical presentations and a short review of current proposed therapies. It will be directed for both medical and nonmedical audiences. Bio: Kimberly A. Shriner, M.D., F.A.C.P. A native of Pasadena, Dr. Shriner attended John Muir High School, Occidental College and Case Western School of Medicine. She completed her residency in internal medicine at Huntington Hospital and received her fellowship degree in Infectious Disease from UCLA/Olive View in 1992. Since that time, she has practiced infectious disease and tropical medicine at Huntington Hospital and in the Pasadena community. Dr Shriner has been a faculty member and assistant director for the graduate medical education department at Huntington Hospital. She is the founder and director of The Phil Simon Clinic, a Huntington based outreach clinic for underserved clients with HIV. She is also the founder and President of the Board of The Phil Simon Clinic Tanzania Project, a Pasadena nonprofit organization that, for the last 20 years, has been providing multidisciplinary care for the underserved in Northern Tanzania. Dr. Shriner is a fellow of the American College of Physicians, Infectious Disease Society of America, HIV/MA Association and the International Travel Medicine Society. She has published in peer reviewed journals and continues her research in HIV and aging, zoonotic diseases and global health.

Design consistently improves the most profitable companies and products but why do many startups fail to integrate design strategy as they grow. Learn ways to utilize design to build teams, streamline products, connect to users and acquire customers. Bio: Robbie Nock is the Director of Entrepreneurship and Professional Practice at ArtCenter. His background spans media production, new technology and venture development and he is driven to connect design, business and engineering partners to develop new synergies for early-stage innovation. Robbie produces academic programs and provides strategic services for a global community of entrepreneurs, educators, investors and philanthropist. At ArtCenter, Robbie has initiated and grown: BOLD, ArtCenter’s entrepreneurship symposium; Launch Lab, a capstone accelerator for graduating students; RE/BOOTCAMP, a mid-career professional training program; and the Ethics and Emerging Technology Roundtables, an interdisciplinary thinktank to prepare designers for the future. Robbie received an MA from the University of Edinburgh and MFA California Institute of the Arts. He is a practicing visual artist and surfs, skis and runs whenever possible. http://www.artcenter.edu/academics/interdisciplinary-programs/professional-education.html @robbienock, [email protected]