VerdeXchange Opening Remarks
Stephen Cheung, President & CEO, Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation
David Abel, Chariman, VerdeXchange
Stephen Cheung, President & CEO, LAEDC —introductory Remarks
Tamotsu Saito, Chairman, NEDO — Special Remarks
Day 2 of VX2026 - Opening Remarks by David Abel, Eric Garcetti, Efrain Escobedo
Energy, AI, & the Grid
Moderator: Lauren Faber O’Connor
Robert Piascik, SVP, Chief Information & Technology Officer, New York Power Authority
Remi Raphael, Chief AI Officer, Electric Power Research Institute
Udi Ganani, Vice President, EIS Council
Moderator: Jim Kelly, Director, S&C Electric
Featured: Mark Pestrella, Director, Los Angeles County Public Works
Shivaji Deshmukh, General Manager, Metropolitan Water District
David Nahai, Chair, LA Regional Water Quality Control Board
Responder: Felicia Marcus, Professor & Fellow, Stanford University
Moderator: Jim Kelly, Director, S&C Electric
Johnny Hernandez, Jr. Vice Chairman, Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation
Luticia Miller, Vice President of Project Development, First Nations Major Projects Coalition
Moderator: Jim Kelly, Director, S&C Electric
Noemí Gallardo, Commissioner, California Energy Commission
Robert Hertzberg, Member, Board of Directors, FPH2
Ted Bardacke, CEO, Clean Power Alliance
Moderator: Andrea Ambriz, General Manager, Exposition Park
Marcel Porras, Deputy Chief Innovation Officer, LA Metro
Eric Garcetti, Fmr. United States Ambassador to India; Fmr. Mayor, City of Los Angeles
Facilitator: Jessica Lall, Managing Director, CBRE, DTLA
Rick Caruso, Founder & Executive Chairman, Caruso
Christine Kwon, Director, Department of Angels
Moderator: Kathleen Brown, Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Peter Rose, Senior Director, Stakeholder Relations, Hydro-Québec
Janna Sidley, Board Member, LACERS
Cameron Bard, Chief Revenue Officer, Madison Energy Infrastructure
Orion Fulton, Associate Principal, ARUP
Andrea Ambriz, General Manager, Exposition Park
Moderator: Kathleen Brown, Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LL
Romi Kadri, Managing Partner, Levelized Capital
Dr. Ben York, Applications Manager, Electric Power Research Institute
John Keisler, CEO & Managing Partner, Sunstone Economic Development
Lauren Faber O’Connor, Partner, Lowercarbon Capital
Responder: Tom Soto, Founder & CEO, SAS Earth Energy Services
Moderator: Joseph Boystak, Chairman, CEO & Co-Founder, Balboa Geolocation, Inc.
Peter Ambler, Vice President of Global Gov. Affairs, Pano AI
Andrew Wordin, Battalion Chief, Los Angeles County Fire Department
Dr. Edward Chow, Manager, Civil Program Office, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Hamed Noori, Founder & CEO, SenseNet
Moderator: Jim Kelly, Director, S&C Electric
Noemí Gallardo, Commissioner, California Energy Commission
Christine Harada, Commissioner, CPUC
Brianna Pilkinton, Senior Principal, Stantec
Jason Rondou, Interim COO, LADWP
Moderator: Miguel Luna, Chair, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy; CEO, Urban Semillas
Nurit Katz, Chief Sustainability Officer, UCLA; VP Board of Water and Power Commissioners, LADWP
Jennifer Norris, Executive Director, Wildlife Conservation Board
Ignacio Fernandez, Senior Policy Advisor, The Climate Registry
Paula Daniels, ED, LA County Office of Food Systems; Board Director, Metropolitan Water District
Moderator: Joone Kim-Lopez, General Manager & CEO, Moulton Niguel Water District
Jeff Berk, Principal, ARUP
Robert Piascik, SVP, Chief Information & Tech. Officer, NYPA
Udi Ganani, Vice President, EIS Council
Norma Grubb, Chief Information & AI Officer, LADWP
Responder: Tasha Harvey, Associate Principal, ARUP
Moderator: Eliot Abel, SVP, Corporate Clean Energy Solutions, Pivot Energy
Cameron Bard, Chief Revenue Officer, Madison Energy Infrastructure
Haresh Kamath, Director, Cross-Cutting Technologies & Solutions, EPRI
Martin Howell, Associate Principal, ARUP
Violet Flocks, Associate, Mayer Brown LLP
Howard Chang, CEO, Ava Community Energy
Moderator: Jim Kelly, Director, S&C Electric
Nate Taylor, Director, SoCalGas
Nadia Vogt, Associate, Senior Project Manager, Stantec
Moderator: Lex Heslin, CEO, Enso Infrastructure
Noel Hacegaba, CEO, Port of Long Beach
Gene Seroka, Executive Director, Port of Los Angeles
Yuhei Sasahara, Managing Director, NYK Group Americas
Alisa Kreynes, Director of Ports and Shipping, C40 Cities
Jason Rondou, Interim COO, LADWP
Moderator: John Shegerian, Co-Founder, Chairman/CEO, ERI
Steve Schell, Chief Product Officer, SolGrapH, Inc.
Kevin Kammerzell, Vice President, Stantec
Moderator: Arnab Pal, Executive Director, Deploy Action
Andrew McAllister, Commissioner, California Energy Commission
Tim Hade, Co-Founder, Brightfield AI
Julia Pyper, Vice President, GoodLeap
Nadia Vogt, Associate, Senior Project Manager, Stantec
Gerro Prinsloo, Sales Director, AlumaPower Corp
Minh Le,, General Manager, Energy/Environment LA County ISD
Moderator: Larry Frank, Senior Advisor to Mayor Karen Bass
Nurit Katz, Chief Sustainability Officer, UCLA; VP, LADWP Board of Commissioners
Robert Barna, Battalion Chief, City of Los Angeles
Devon Zatorski, Principal Project Coordinator, City of Los Angeles
Veronica Davey, Director, Chrysalis
Chris Caines, Senior Project Director, Resilience Force
Moderator: Coby Skye, Executive Director, San Luis Obispo County IWMA
Zoe Heller, Director, CalRecycle
Emily Coven, California Executive Director, Circular Action Alliance
Heidi Sanborn, Founder & Executive Director/CEO, National Stewardship Action Council
Erin Rowland, General Superintendent, Waste Diversion & Recycling, City of Long Beach
Mike Caprio, Director of Government Affairs–California, Republic Services
Moderator: Arnab Pal, Executive Director, Deploy Action
Siva Gunda, Commissioner, California Energy Commission
Christine Harada, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission
Shinjini Menon, SVP, Southern California Edison
Allan Marks, President, Board of Commissioners, LADWP
Moderator: Lauren Faber O’Connor, Lowercarbon Capital
Senator Ben Allen, California State Senate
Robert Hertzberg, Former CA Senate Majority Leader Emeritus
Moderator: Jim Kelly, Director, S&C Electric
Tim Shields, Ornilogic
John Shegerian, CEO of ERI & Host of Impact Podcast
Moderator: Jim Kelly, Director, S&C Electric
Diana C. Tang - Assistant General Manager - City of Long Beach, Public Utilities Department
Sahar Abbaszadeh, Associate Principal, ARUP
Moderator: Takehito Yokoo, CEO, Jozen Power
Daishu Hara, Senior Director, Hydrogen and Ammonia Department, NEDO Japan
Jacquelyn Birdsall, Senior Program Manager, Toyota North America
Aya Izawa, CN Business Development Assistant Manager, NGK Corporation
Yuma Taniguchi, Business Development Manager, Nikkiso CE&IG
Moderator: Lorraine Paskett, COO, First Public Hydrogen
Timothy Sasseen, Manager, Hydrogen Solutions, American Honda Motor Company
Tanya Peacock, Managing Director, EcoEngineers
Tomohiro Fujita, Section Chief, Namie Town, Fukushima
James Kast, General Manager of Hydrogen, Iwatani Corporation of America
Moderator: Lex Heslin, CEO, Enso Infrastructure
Jason Caudle, CEO, First Public Hydrogen
Ricky Sakai, SVP, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America
Aaron Lapsley, CTO, Hyroad Energy
John Flory, President, Clean Hydrogen Buyers Alliance
Moderator: Rick Cole, Councilmember, City of Pasadena
Robert Hertzberg, Senior Advisor, Mission Possible Partnership; CA Senate Majority Leader Emeritus
Dan Weinstein, Partner, CTI Housing
Ted Grove, Residential Land Development Sector Leader, North America, Stantec
Moderator: Stephen Cheung, President & CEO, LAEDC
Murota Kosei, Consul General of Japan
Sylvie Bédard, Consul General of Canada
Dr. K.J. Srinivasa, Consul General of India
Andrea Sasse, Consul General of Germany
