In his role as Director of Innovation for the LAEDC, Chris Rico leads the continued development of an innovation program for LA County, where he works to build broad external support and provide thought leadership and strategic direction for the mission of the Innovate LA program, as well as its goals and priorities. In October he produced the 160 event Innovation Week(s). Chris has extensive experience creating, producing and executing projects. He honed his creative skills during a successful career in film and television development and production in Hollywood. This experience, along with his passion for social change, led him to the political arena where he worked with Arianna Huffington as a state organizer, Moveon.org as a lead organizer, and as campaign director for a ballot initiative to promote water conservation and sustainability. Recently, Chris consulted for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on ActivateED, a campaign of leading education organizations to positively impact student achievement. Chris’s campaign experience and innovative approach to digital and social media have precipitated exponential growth in visibility for every project he leads. Chris is a graduate of Duke University, He is also a licensed special needs educator in California. www.innovate.la