4th Annual Emerging Technologies Forum – October 15th
Join California executives and industry experts for a daylong forum on innovation and efficiency in California state government. See highlights from last year’s forum here.
Hosted by the California Center for Government Innovation (CCGI) and TechCA, the 4th annual forum will feature keynote addresses, lightning talks, panel discussions, fireside chats, and sessions focused on optimizing programs across California state government.
Government leaders and industry professionals are invited to participate in an engaging discussion on emerging technologies, government efficiencies, artificial intelligence, user-centered design, iterative and continuous improvement, procurement modernization, and more.
Learn about the California’s rapidly-evolving technologies, policies and trends on Thursday, October 15, 2026, starting at 9 am at Aggie Square, 4480 2nd Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95817
Speakers
Lucy Andrews
Data Governance Strategist
California Office of Data and Innovation
Geoffrey Andrews
General Manager
Allied Network Solutions
Mary Ann Bates
Executive Director
California Cradle-to-Career Data System
Marybel Batjer
Co-Founder, CCGI, Former President, California Public Utilities Commission
Former Secretary, Government Operations Agency
Partner, California Strategies
Brian Behlendorf
Open Source Ecosystem Advisor
CivicActions
Chaeny Emanavin
Chief Digital Products Officer
California Department of Technology
Richard Gillihan
Owner/Founder
Richard Gillihan Consulting
Chris Given
State Chief Information Officer and Director
California Department of Technology
Steve Gordon
Director
California Department of Motor Vehicles
Paul Grabow
Gen AI Cybersecurity Researcher and Futurist
Cybersecurity CMMC Advisors, LLC
Richard K. Grape, Jr., MPA
Sr. Director of Strategy
LexisNexis
Christian Griffith
Chief Consultant
Assembly Budget Committee
Marcie Kahbody
Agency Chief Information Officer
California State Transportation Agency
Daniel Harris-McCoy
Project Manager
Little Hoover Commission
Dr. Moe Huss
Director of Technology and Transformation
Delegata
Simi Keechilot
Chief Information Officer
California Public Utilities Commission
Koji Kumpulanien
Deputy Director, Service Innovation
California Office of Data and Innovation
Nick Maduros
Secretary
California Government Operations Agency
Bill Maile
Chief Executive Officer
TechCA
Shera Mui
Deputy Director, Office of Technology Services and State Chief Platform Officer
California Department of Technology
Rosanna Nguyen
Program Budget Manager
California Department of Finance
John Ohanian
Statewide Chief Data Officer, California Office of Data and Innovation
Srinivasan Ramanujam
CEO
Optiwise
Andrea Rohmann
Director of Client Engagement, Public Sector
NWN
Ayushi Roy
Chief Technology Officer
State of California, Department of Technology
Vidhu Shekhar
Chief Data and AI Officer
California Department of Transportation
Amy Tong
Former Senior Counselor to Governor Newsom
Partner, Ballard Partners
Michael Wilkening
Co-Founder, CCGI
Former Secretary, CA Health & Human Services Agency
Program
Bill Maile, CEO, TechCA – 8:55 am
Andrea Wallin-Rohmann, NWN Director of Client Engagement, Public Sector and TechCA Advisory Council Member
Marcie Kahbody, Agency Chief Information Officer, California State Transportation Agency – Master of Ceremonies – Welcome and Opening Remarks
Keynote Address: Nick Maduros, Secretary, Government Operations Agency – 9:05 a.m.
Lightning Talk: Simi Keechilot, Chief Information Officer, California Public Utilities Commission, Governing at the Speed of Change: Adaptive Governance for Emerging Technology – 9:35 a.m.
Fireside Chat: Steve Gordon, Director, California Department of Motor Vehicles, moderated by Marybel Batjer, CCGI Co-Founder, Former President, California Public Utilities Commission, Former Secretary, California Government Operations Agency and Partner, California Strategies – 9:50 a.m.
Lightning Talk: Vidhu Shekhar, Chief Data and AI Officer, California Department of Transportation, A Framework for Enterprise Governance and Adoption – 10:20 a.m.
Fireside Chat: California Chief Information Officer and Department of Technology Director Chris Given and State Chief Technology Officer Ayushi Roy, moderated by Mike Wilkening, CCGI Co-Founder and Former California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary – 10:35 a.m.
BREAK – 11:05 a.m.
Lightning Talk: Richard K. Grape, Jr., LexisNexis Risk Solutions, The Arizona’s Digital Birth Credential: Reimagining a 100-Year-Old Government Service – 11:15 a.m.
Fireside Chat: The Future of Open Source in California, Dr. Lucy Andrews, Data Governance Strategist, California Office of Data and Innovation and Brian Behlendorf, Open Source Ecosystem Advisor, CivicActions, moderated by Chaeny Emanavin, Chief Digital Products Officer, California Department of Technology – 11:25 a.m.
LUNCH – 11:55 a.m.
Panel Discussion: Major IT Reform Recommendations by the Little Hoover Commission: Daniel Harris-McCoy, Project Manager, Little Hoover Commission, Richard Gillihan, Founder/Owner, Richard Gillihan Consulting, Christian Griffith, Chief Consultant, Assembly Budget Committee, Rosanna Nguyen, Program Budget Manager, California Department of Finance, moderated by Amy Tong, Former Senior Counselor, Office of Governor Newsom, Partner, Ballard Partners – 12:45 p.m.
Lightning Talk: Case Study: AskCA: Koji Kumpulanien, Deputy Director, Service Innovation, California Office of Data and Innovation – 1:35 p.m.
Lightning Talk: Case Study: Poppy: Shera Mui Deputy Director, Office of Technology Services and State Chief Platform Officer, California Department of Technology – 1:50 p.m.
Presentation: CCGI Statewide Technology Procurement Survey results and next steps, Bill Maile – 2:05 p.m.
BREAK – 2:15 p.m.
Fireside Chat: Mary Ann Bates, Executive Director, California Cradle-to-Career Data System and John Ohanian, Statewide Chief Data Officer, California Office of Data and Innovation, moderated by Mike Wilkening – 2:25 p.m.
Lightning Talk: Geoff Andrews, Allied Network Solutions, Nobody Owns the Agent: Governing Non-Human Identity Before the Swarm Arrives Every identity program – 2:55 p.m.
Lightning Talk: Paul Grabow, Cybersecurity CMMC Advisors, Beyond Mythos and ChatGPT 5.5-Envisioning a Future State Cybersecurity Program 2028 (Public Sector) – 3:05 p.m.
Lightning Talk: Dr. Moe Huss, Delegata, From Data Abundance to Insight (in Six Months): Architecting the CalSTA Transportation Data Hub for People and AI – 3:15 p.m.
Lightning Talk: Artem Andrusov, Chief of IT, California Privacy Protection Agency, Making Privacy Easy: How CalPrivacy Built DROP – 3:25 p.m.
Lightning Talk: Srini Ramanujam, Optiwise, AI assisted Legacy Modernization – 3:35 p.m.
Closing Remarks: Marcie Kahbody, Agency Chief Information Officer, California State Transportation Agency – 3:45 p.m.
Event Details
Venue: Aggie Square in Sacramento’s innovation district on the UC Davis Sacramento Campus at 4480 2nd Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95817
Time: Check in starts at 8:15 a.m. The program starts at 9:00 am and concludes at 4:30 pm.
Parking: There is a cashless parking garage adjacent to the facility with ample parking.
Food: A continental breakfast, coffee, lunch and afternoon snacks will be served.
Contact: Please contact us at info@techca.org or call or text us at 916.360.0239 with any questions.
