Meet the
Presenters
There is a special bond between horses and humans that sustains them to the finish line and beyond, making us better people and a better community.
Bing, originally from Lexington, Kentucky, grew up on a small horse farm, fostering a deep bond with horses through daily care and diverse equestrian activities, including competitive jumping, foxhunting, polo, roping, trail riding, and breaking yearlings. After earning his law degree, he moved to California in 1987 and built a distinguished legal career, focusing on personal injury, trusts and estates, and equine law.
In 2000, Bing founded his own firm, representing clients from local equestrians to international figures, including Dubai royalty. He is an advocate for jockeys and frequently collaborates with the California Horse Racing Board. A licensed racing owner/trainer since 1984, Bing established Abbondanza Racing in 2012, competing in prestigious races like the Breeders' Cup.Passionate about horse welfare, he serves on the boards of Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA) and CARMA, ensuring retired racehorses find good homes. Bing actively supports various nonprofits and legal organizations.
Learn more at:
www.bushlawoffices.com | www.abbondanzaracing.com
LinkedIn: Bing I. Bush Jr.
Instagram: @AbbondanzaRacing
Facebook: Bing Bush
To prevent startup failure founders need to focus on speed and avoid thinking about solutions.
Misti Cain is the Founder and Chief Advyzzor of Whyzze, helping small businesses, executives, and entrepreneurs build thriving organizations. Since 2016, Whyzze has provided actionable strategies to solve challenges, attract engaged teams and customers, and create meaningful workplace cultures. Misti specializes in simplifying problems, improving decision-making, and transforming stagnant businesses into thriving ones.
She is also a Venture Partner at Techstars, a global investment accelerator, and founder of PleaseStop.co, a platform helping founders secure funding and overcome communication barriers. With over 15 years of experience, Misti has worked with startups, franchises, and Fortune 500 companies to drive growth, inspire teams, and boost customer loyalty.Previously the host of Werrrk! by Mailchimp Presents, Misti also serves as an Executive in Residence and Board Member at CSUSM’s College of Business.
Learn more at:
Whyzze
LinkedIn: Misti Cain
Instagram: @heymisticain
Revolutionizing human health with the power of genomics and cloud technologies.
Pantea Khodami is a visionary leader with over fifteen years of experience in genomics, precision medicine, and cloud technologies. An MIT graduate with a foundation in biomaterials science and engineering, she has driven over 30 product launches in the precision medicine space. Notably, she played a pivotal role in the development of the groundbreaking HiSeq X Ten sequencing platform in 2014, which made the $1,000 genome a reality.
After finishing her graduate studies at MIT, Pantea began her career at Illumina, where she helped shape the future of genomic sequencing. Today, she leads the Precision Medicine and Genomics industry vertical at Amazon Web Services, where she harnesses the power of cloud technologies to accelerate precision medicine, advance diagnostics, and revolutionize drug discovery and development.
Learn more at:
LinkedIn: Pantea Khodami
Instagram: @panikhoda
Challenge the outdated notion that expertise alone defines success; instead, harness human connection and adaptability to thrive in the future of work.
Victoria Lakers is a Partner at Calibre One, where she builds high-performing leadership teams for private equity-backed software companies. With a background in executive roles, entrepreneurship, and private equity, she brings deep expertise to leadership and growth strategies.
Previously, Victoria was a Partner at a boutique search firm, leading its diversity practice, and served as an interim executive for sustainability-focused tech startups. She also founded and sold two businesses: a FASTSIGNS franchise and an e-commerce venture. Earlier, she spent six years in private equity at Water Asset Management and Apollo Global Management.
Learn more at:
LinkedIn: Victoria Lakers
Instagram: @victorialakers
Facebook: Victoria Lakers
Teens are not just the future; they are active participants in shaping the present. Their input deserves the same respect as adults, particularly in decisions that directly impact their lives, like education.
Matthew Quitoriano is a first-generation American and student at San Diego High School. A dedicated leader, he founded his school's mock trial club and is a founding member of the school newspaper and garden club. He served two terms on the San Diego Unified School Board, representing nearly 100,000 students, where he focused on civic engagement, mental health, and shaping the long-term vision of California's second-largest school district.
Matthew now works at Welfie, a startup developing health equity tools to support mental health workers in addressing systemic prejudice. He also collaborates with Rhizome, Project Superbloom, and the Working Families Party to empower young people and drive civic engagement through innovative, nontraditional approaches.
The most powerful indicator of grit to date is a protein we are just starting to understand called Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). This talk will share the research behind it and two stories of exceptional individuals who represent extreme mental and physical resilience.
Dr. Joe Risser is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine at UC San Diego and a board-certified physician in Public Health and Preventive Medicine. With over 40 years of clinical research experience, Joe has pioneered studies on therapies, diagnostics, and behavior change strategies. He also chairs the first Department of Clinical Research in one of over 15,000 community clinics in the U.S., serving vulnerable populations at the Linda Vista Healthcare Center.
Joe holds a medical degree and master’s in Biostatistics, completing his education and residencies at the University of Hawaii and UC San Diego. His lifelong passion lies in studying mental toughness, or "grit," and its profound connection to the brain protein Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF).
Recognizing and addressing the challenges of perimenopause can help women harness their power and potential while enabling employers to retain women and close the gender gap at the highest levels of leadership.
Dr. Manna Semby is the founder of Aruna Personalized Medicine and the Center for Cognitive Resilience, dedicated to transforming midlife health through The Aruna Method™, a science-based, multimodal approach focused on hormonal optimization, brain health, and functional medicine. Inspired by her children’s health challenges, she left a career in finance to pursue medicine. Her own battle with breast cancer deepened her commitment to helping others and highlighted the power of functional medicine and resilience.
Believing health and wellness are essential for enduring leadership, Dr. Semby collaborates with Corporate Wellness programs and HR teams to develop strategies that foster resilient women leaders, improve retention, and close the gender gap in leadership. Her work empowers individuals to reclaim vitality, build resilience, and thrive during midlife transitions.
Learn more at:
Aruna Personalized Medicine | Center for Cognitive Resilience
LinkedIn: Dr. Manna Semby
Behind the sweetness of chocolate lies a cocoa industry fraught with hidden inequities. AI-driven solutions offer a path to empower producers, enhance transparency, and promote sustainability—urging us to rethink the true cost of chocolate.
Alejandro Soumah leads RISO DATA, a research group transforming the West African cocoa sector through innovative supply chain modeling to promote transparency and sustainability. Raised across four continents by developmental economist parents, his multicultural background drives his commitment to equitable trade and sustainable development. Alejandro also founded COMPASS Institution, a nonprofit addressing global challenges like food insecurity through data-driven solutions.
His work bridges data science, agriculture, and sustainability, with research featured at the UCLA AI Conference and publications on rice auto-sufficiency in Senegal and cocoa transparency in Ivory Coast. A passionate advocate for ethical supply chains, Alejandro has delivered impactful talks on cocoa trade, data colonialism, and sustainability. He is dedicated to creating data-driven tools to empower farmers and improve global agricultural systems.
A former Quantitative Analyst at Goldman Sachs specializing in FICC Products, Alejandro is fluent in English, French, and Spanish, and is completing a Mathematics and Computer Science degree at UC San Diego. Learn more at alejandrosoumah.com.
Learn more at:
alejandrosoumah.com
LinkedIn: Alejandro Soumah
Instagram: @soumahalejandro
Turn your deepest regrets into a powerful force for good in the world and in others' lives.
Gregg Ward is the Founder of the Center for Respectful Leadership. He began his career as a theater professional in New York and the UK using improvisation to train NYPD police officers. From 1988-92 he also served as a journalist in Europe for BBC Radio and other UK media, covering the fall of the Berlin Wall.
He now serves as a global thought leader and speaker on respect and is the author of the bestselling, award-winning business fable "The Respectful Leader" (Wiley 2016). Gregg sits on the Advisory Board of the Hyacinth Fellowship, is a Board-Certified Coach, a Master Corporate Executive Coach, and a Certified Management Consultant-Emeritus.
In 2024 he was a finalist in the San Diego Business Journal’s CEO of the Year competition; and was named Top Executive Director by the International Association of Top Professionals, and top Executive Coach by Real Leaders Magazine.
LinkedIn: Gregg Ward
Meet the
Performers
Tamara Rodriguez, born in Monterrey, Mexico, is a versatile singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer based in San Diego. She began her artistic journey at 15, starring in Telemundo’s Quinceañera: Mamá Quiero Ser Artista (Sweet Fifteen: Mom, I Want to Be an Artist), and soon after was selected as one of 30 finalists from over 10,000 applicants on Univision’s Buscando a Timbiriche, La Nueva Banda.
Her dedication earned her a scholarship to Berklee College of Music, where she graduated cum laude with a dual major in Voice and Songwriting. During her time at Berklee, she performed internationally, including at Boston’s Governor’s Ball in 2009 alongside Lawrence Watson.
Tamara’s career includes over 50 theatrical productions in Southern California, film credits such as Sugar Silence and Everyday Violence, Cholo Zombies, and Tazmania, and concert performances at venues like Nokia Theatre Live with Shakhar Binespajooh and the L.A. Philharmonic, and the Lena Horne Tribute at the Isabella Gardner Museum.
As a recording artist, she has contributed to albums such as Infinite Energy and Radiance (Buddha Music Group). Her songwriting prowess was internationally recognized with an award for her composition "I Talked to Italiano."
Website: www.tamararodriguezmusic.com
Instagram: @itsnottodayitstamara
Adam Jones is a San Diego-based singer/songwriter whose music has captivated audiences for over 16 years. With a voice reminiscent of Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, and Nick Cave, Adam combines poetic storytelling, gritty vocals, and expert harmonica playing to deliver powerful, evocative performances. His shows span diverse venues, from bars and concert halls to prisons and charity galas, connecting with audiences through his raw, emotional artistry.
Adam’s latest EP, Now and Then (2024), reflects his two-decade musical journey, featuring songs that critique, celebrate, and explore the human condition with humor and poignancy. Each performance invites audiences into a deeply personal yet universal experience.
Offstage, Adam is a passionate “disciple of sound,” producing records, voiceovers, and movie scores from his self-built home studio. He holds a provisional patent for a unique acoustic treatment panel and runs Siren Collaborative, designing custom acoustic signage and art that merge form and function.
Adam’s work embodies resilience and creativity, making him a vital voice in San Diego’s music scene.
Website: yinmics.com
Instagram: @yellinginmicrophones
