Zeina Barrett has over 25 years of experience in the management and execution of programs for the Department of Defense and Departments of State Health and Social Services and across multiple Northrop Grumman Sectors. She has a wide breadth of expertise in program management, risk management, process re-engineering, and operations management across various levels of the organization. Zeina is currently the Program Excellence Director for the Space Sector shaping program management governance, process, and is responsible for executing PM training and development. Prior to this role, Zeina was most recently the Operating Unit Director for Space Vehicles within the Tactical Space Systems Division, where she was responsible for our ESPAStar Product Line (>$1B product line) and growth of space vehicle market within the division. She has led teams across all phases of program execution. Zeina received her bachelor’s in business and a master’s of information systems from the University of Phoenix and a graduate certificate in Project Management from the University of California Los Angeles. She achieved her Project Management Professional certification in 2011, is a certified scrum master and Agile coach. She is currently working towards her masters of business administration at Liberty University on her path to a Doctorate of business administration in the future.

Jen García is Caltech CTME’s AI Tools Instructor and the host of ELEVATED. With over 20 years in higher education and workforce development, she served as a program manager at Orange Coast College while also teaching at institutions like UCLA Extension, UCI Extension, and USC. She later founded Employ California, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advancing workforce development, and Ingrained.ai, which equips businesses, educators, and social impact organizations with accessible AI tools training. Jen serves as the AI Executive in Residence at the Goldhirsh Foundation and sits on the boards of Vidby.ai and Pledge, a platform that raises nearly $50m in donations each year for many of the largest nonprofits and brands in the world. She has led AI tools trainings at the Getty Research Institute, and for the County of Los Angeles, DoorDash, the LA Fire Department, Brooklyn Public Library, and more. Through her work with Break Through Tech AI, Jen has also guided teams in developing custom AI/ML solutions for nonprofits. 

You'll discover how to:

• Create and execute initiatives in your project that sustain change and escalates relationships
• Master a mindset that moves you out of your head and past your fears to confidently create valuable relationships
• Manage your emotions when connecting with new people

Additionally, Christy will share how she fosters a culture that attracts high performers, designs and executes initiatives that catalyze change and most importantly, transforms chaos into harmony—and how you can build on your own creativity to reach your professional and personal goals.

Christy Conner is a driver of greater Los Angeles's innovative technology arena. She is a leader of Friday Coffee Meetup, the largest active entrepreneurial and tech innovation group in Los Angeles, with 7,000+ members. In The Confident Connector™: How to Build Your Must-Have Network in an Era of Job Insecurity, Christy enthusiastically shares strategies with readers to on how to build strong and authentic relationships. She seamlessly blends her perspective as a natural introvert with powerful techniques to inspire others to move past their fears and build a dynamic network that fulfills their aspirations.

With exposure to over fifty countries and a diverse career spanning six sectors, she offers a unique blend of strategic insight and empathic leadership. She has taught as an instructor of change management on five continents. Utilizing this global perspective coupled with local insights, she writes on leading-edge business topics that help companies work smarter and drive revenue. She earned her private pilot’s license and went on to obtain a BS in Aviation Business Administration from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She has an MA in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC).  ♦

Jen García is Caltech CTME’s AI Tools Instructor and the host of ELEVATED. With over 20 years in higher education and workforce development, she served as a program manager at Orange Coast College while also teaching at institutions like UCLA Extension, UCI Extension, and USC. She later founded Employ California, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advancing workforce development, and Ingrained.ai, which equips businesses, educators, and social impact organizations with accessible AI tools training. Jen serves as the AI Executive in Residence at the Goldhirsh Foundation and sits on the boards of Vidby.ai and Pledge, a platform that raises nearly $50m in donations each year for many of the largest nonprofits and brands in the world. She has led AI tools trainings at the Getty Research Institute, and for the County of Los Angeles, DoorDash, the LA Fire Department, Brooklyn Public Library, and more. Through her work with Break Through Tech AI, Jen has also guided teams in developing custom AI/ML solutions for nonprofits. ♦

What you'll take away from this episode:

• Which single skill unlocks the biggest productivity gain for cross-functional project teams?
• With generative AI accelerating project workflows, what competencies project managers should cultivate today to stay indispensable?
• Which cognitive bias most often derails an executive project plan?

This live webcast discussion will be compelling and insightful, and is ideal for anyone interested in strategic decision-making, leadership, and AI product  innovation.

Leslie Fine, PhD, earned her PhD in Game Theory and Behavioral Economics from Caltech. In 2008, Leslie founded her first startup, Crowdcast, and successfully exited the company in 2012. Following Crowdcast, she helped lead three more startups: Spigit (SVP Product), tenXer (Head of Product), and Swerve (Founder, CEO). After Leslie’s startup experiences, she ventured into the enterprise world and joined Salesforce (VP Product), where she helped ship the company’s first AI product. But it was through her involvement in Salesforce’s M&A process that she ultimately realized she wanted to return to startup life. Each chapter of Leslie’s career was chosen based on where she would find her next challenge. Leslie is a problem solver at heart, and she takes pride in repackaging all that she has learned throughout her career in order to effectively mentor the next wave of passionate founders.  ♦

Jen García is Caltech CTME’s AI Tools Instructor and the host of ELEVATED. With over 20 years in higher education and workforce development, she served as a program manager at Orange Coast College while also teaching at institutions like UCLA Extension, UCI Extension, and USC. She later founded Employ California, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advancing workforce development, and Ingrained.ai, which equips businesses, educators, and social impact organizations with accessible AI tools training. Jen serves as the AI Executive in Residence at the Goldhirsh Foundation and sits on the boards of Vidby.ai and Pledge, a platform that raises nearly $50m in donations each year for many of the largest nonprofits and brands in the world. She has led AI tools trainings at the Getty Research Institute, and for the County of Los Angeles, DoorDash, the LA Fire Department, Brooklyn Public Library, and more. Through her work with Break Through Tech AI, Jen has also guided teams in developing custom AI/ML solutions for nonprofits. ♦

What you'll take away from this episode:

How to build trust between technical and commercial teams

What makes AI tools actually useful—and widely adopted—in pharma

Why data fluency is essential for the next generation of industry leaders.

This live webcast discussion will be an energizing and insightful conversation for anyone interested in data, leadership, and building bridges between innovation and real-world impact.

ELEVATED Live Webcast

Tuesday, May 20, 2025  |  10:00 AM (PDT)

Jane Urban builds new functions and high performing teams in the biopharma space. She recently transformed customer engagement at Otsuka Pharmaceuticals as VP of Customer Engagement, a newly formed division combining capabilities in omnichannel, analytics, insights, forecasting, commercial operations, and field effectiveness. Prior to Otsuka, in her 7 years at Takeda, Jane held roles at the VP level across global commercial and medical data, US data and analytics, and Commercial Operations integration with the Shire acquisition. Prior to Takeda, Jane worked on healthcare commercialization related roles in consulting and healthcare. Jane has an MBA from Northwestern Kellogg and BA in Engineering from Brown University. ♦

Jen García is Caltech CTME’s AI Tools Instructor and the host of ELEVATED. With over 20 years in higher education and workforce development, she served as a program manager at Orange Coast College while also teaching at institutions like UCLA Extension, UCI Extension, and USC. She later founded Employ California, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advancing workforce development, and Ingrained.ai, which equips businesses, educators, and social impact organizations with accessible AI tools training. Jen serves as the AI Executive in Residence at the Goldhirsh Foundation and sits on the boards of Vidby.ai and Pledge, a platform that raises nearly $50m in donations each year for many of the largest nonprofits and brands in the world. She has led AI tools trainings at the Getty Research Institute, and for the County of Los Angeles, DoorDash, the LA Fire Department, Brooklyn Public Library, and more. Through her work with Break Through Tech AI, Jen has also guided teams in developing custom AI/ML solutions for nonprofits. 

Please join us for an exclusive ELEVATED webcast, Leading AI Teams.

With the robust growth of generative AI, industries are experiencing an accelerated transformation. From improving productivity, to harnessing a new digital framework where AI enhances human skills, industry leaders are wondering how best to navigate the GenAI world.

Leading teams who build AI:

How do AI teams operate in 2025 and what should companies anticipate as hurdles to AI adoption in their organization? How do leaders navigate the adoption of new tools and manage AI products?

We discuss:

• How to appropriately staff AI projects and how this differs from traditional machine learning and data science projects
• How GenAI can be applied in project management to maximize project efficiency
• Building versus buying in a market awash in GenAI solutions

In our April 15 ELEVATED session, guest Jodi Blomberg, a senior leader for AI/ML at Cox Automotive, talks with Caltech CTME’s host Nicholas Beaudoin. Together they'll explore important points to consider as project managers meet leadership requirements to build AI platforms.

Bio

Jodi Blomberg

As the Senior Leader for AI/ML across the Cox Automotive family, Jodi oversees a diverse team of Product Managers, Engineers, and AI/ML experts, working collaboratively to shape the future of automotive technology. Her teams manage a portfolio of AI and ML initiatives spanning early-stage research, proofs of concept, and full product delivery. In addition, her responsibilities include managing the visual intelligence division, solving complex visual problems with innovative 3D computer vision technologies and artificial intelligence. In addition to technical leadership, Jodi' responsibilities include budget planning, resource allocation, and strategic partnerships to ensure the success and scalability of AI initiatives. Jodi's focus is on delivering impactful solutions that not only push the boundaries of what's possible but also create tangible value for business and their customers. ♦

As Caltech CTME's Director and AI/ML Instructor, Nicholas Beaudoin intersects strategic program development with hands-on curriculum design, positioning AI/ML education programs at the forefront of technological transformation. Leading the AI programs at Caltech's Center for Technology & Management Education, Nicholas' focus is on delivering impactful learning experiences tailored to a diverse clientele, including private and public sectors, as well as government and non-profit organizations.