KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Annual Breakfast Keynote: Creating Your Own Shazam Magic — Disrupt Your Thinking. Defy Barriers. Inspire Delight.
Chris Barton
Founder and Creator of Shazam, Entrepreneur, Inventor, and Tech Investor
Chris Barton, Founder of Shazam, is a visionary technologist renowned for revolutionizing music recognition with the iconic Shazam app. His pivotal role in creating the app's user-friendly technology transformed the way people worldwide discover and engage with music. With 12 patents to his name, including a vital one within Google's search algorithm, Chris has left a lasting mark on the tech industry. He actively invests in startups, particularly those focusing on artificial intelligence for heart health and inflammatory disease therapeutics.
Annual Luncheon Keynote: Reaching For Your Own Stars — A Recipe To Succeed In Life
José M. Hernández
Former NASA Astronaut, Entrepreneur, Farmer, Vintner, and Author
José Hernández, a distinguished NASA engineer and astronaut, epitomizes the American Dream through a remarkable life journey. Born to Mexican migrant farmworkers, he overcame numerous challenges to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut. Hernández's journey is one of resilience and determination, as he pursued education, earning a degree in electrical engineering and later joining NASA. He eventually realized his dream by flying on the Space Shuttle Discovery, showcasing the power of perseverance and the pursuit of one's passions.
A biopic about Hernández recently premiered on Amazon Prime. A Million Miles Away stars Michael Peña and tells the story of Hernández’s life from a child migrant worker to achieving his dream of becoming an astronaut and traveling to space.
SESSION SPEAKERS
Session 1: What You Need to Know About ERISA
Mark C. Nielsen | Principal, Groom Law Group
Mark is a seasoned litigator with extensive experience in multijurisdictional class action litigation and complex commercial disputes. He has practiced in state and federal courts, as well as in arbitration, handling all aspects of litigation from pretrial procedures to trial and appellate advocacy. Specializing in representing plans, sponsors, and insurance companies before regulatory agencies, Mark has successfully defended against breach of fiduciary duty and prohibited transaction claims.
Session 2: Advocacy in Action
Louie A. Brown, Jr. | Partner, Kahn Soares & Conway, LLP
Louie A. Brown, Jr. manages the firm’s Sacramento office and the Government Relations Group, representing clients before the California State Legislature and various state administrative agencies. Louie specializes in providing clients with expert advice in maneuvering through California’s complex legislative and regulatory process and played key roles in negotiating legislation and regulation on a variety of topics.
Session 2: Advocacy in Action
Alexandra Macedo | President, Macedo Environmental Consulting
Alexandra, a fourth-generation farmer with roots in her family’s livestock market and almond farm, holds a Juris Doctorate from San Joaquin College of Law and has actively participated in various regulatory advisory boards and committees focused California agriculture. Since 2021, she has been assisting clients with environmental compliance and project management through her company, Macedo Environmental Consulting. Currently, she is running for California State Assembly, 33rd district.
Session 2: Advocacy in Action
Michael Marsh | President & CEO, National Council of Agricultural Employers
Michael began his career in public accounting in Wyoming, working with farm and ranch clients. His shift to forensic accounting, highlighted by uncovering fraud at the National Potato Promotion Board, connected him deeply to agriculture. This led to roles like Director of Finance for the CA Almond Board and CEO of Western United Dairymen. After consulting in litigation support, Michael returned to his true passion, advocating for American farmers and ranchers at NCAE.
Session 2: Advocacy in Action
Jayson Welter | General Counsel, UnitedAg
Jayson Welter has over 20 years of legal and healthcare experience both in the private and public sectors serving in key management roles. Throughout his career, he honed his skills by understanding health plans from A-Z, combining this with a deep understanding of healthcare operations, and finally adding the legal and compliance aspects to his vast set of skills.
Session 3: The Power of CONNECTION
Kirti Mutatkar | President & CEO, UnitedAg
Kirti Mutatkar is a forward-thinking leader passionate about making high quality, innovative, and affordable health care accessible to the agricultural community of California and Arizona. Under Kirti’s leadership, UnitedAg, a $240 million association health plan, is empowering its members and employer groups to take a unique, empathetic, and collaborative approach in working together to provide innovative and cost-effective approaches to health care.
Kirti is a highly accomplished professional who currently holds the position of Chair on the Board of Directors for the Health Care Administrators Association (HCAA). In addition, she serves as a Director at Large for AgSafe, demonstrating her commitment to promoting safety and well-being within the agricultural industry.
Session 4: Economic Outlook
Christopher Thornberg, Ph.D | Founding Partner, Beacon Economics
Dr. Christopher Thornberg founded Beacon Economics in 2006, and under his leadership the firm has become one of the most respected research organizations in the nation. Dr. Thornberg is the Director of UC Riverside School of Business’ Center for Economic Forecasting and Development, an Adjunct Professor at the School, and he holds a Ph.D in Business Economics from The Anderson School at UCLA.
WomenAg Breakfast Session: The Road Less Traveled – A Journey to Self-Awareness and Manifestation
Lorraine Moos | Executive Director, Advantex Professional Services
Lorraine's coaching philosophy is rooted in a holistic approach, leveraging her extensive corporate background, keen business acumen, and mindful leadership principles. Her coaching style is characterized by a blend of directness and warmth, fostering a conducive environment for growth and development. Driven by a profound passion to facilitate individual and organizational flourishing, Lorraine focuses on coaching the client rather than the problem, addressing issues at their core.