Head of School, Academy of Our Lady of Peace

Dr. Lauren Lek leads with purpose and vision—empowering young women across San Diego to achieve boundless possibilities. Since 2012, she has served as Head of School at the Academy of Our Lady of Peace (OLP), guiding the all-girls’ institution through over a decade of transformational growth and impact. Under her leadership, OLP has emerged as a national leader in STEM learning, launching advanced curricular programs, on-campus internships, and the TrustThink STEM Scholars Certificate, which honors students on their transcript for academic achievement, leadership, and hands-on engagement in STEM fields.

A lifelong educator, Dr. Lek holds a doctorate in Educational Technology Leadership from Pepperdine University and a master’s in Educational Leadership from Saint Mary’s College of California. Her career began at her alma mater, Moreau Catholic High School, where she became its first alumna principal. She is a proud graduate of UC San Diego, where she was named Miss San Diego and earned scholarships to complete her degree.

Under Dr. Lek’s leadership, OLP launched its $24 million Boundless Campaign—catalyzing a historic transformation of its campus. This included the opening of the 23,000-square-foot St. Therese Library and Performing Arts Center, along with the state-of-the-art Shiley Center for Science and Innovation, which features six designated science labs and a dynamic makerspace for design, engineering, and invention. Dr. Lek also founded the school’s annual Women’s Symposium and expanded global and inclusive programming, including the Global Scholars Program, which allows students to earn academic credit through immersive, service-based travel aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the Sisters and Scholars initiative for students with learning differences.

She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools and is a longtime member of San Diego Rotary Club 33. Among her many accolades are the Athena Pinnacle Award in Education, CEO of the Year, and San Diego Metro’s Woman of Inspiration. A mother of three, Dr. Lek is passionate about helping young women rise—equipped with the skills, confidence, and compassion to shape a better future. OLP graduates leave prepared not only for college, but to lead lives of purpose and global impact.

CEO & Managing Partner, 1200vc

Adriana Tortajada is CEO and Managing Partner at Twelve Hundred VC (1200vc), an early-stage investment platform investing in fund managers and founders shaping the future of humanity.

At 1200vc, Tortajada leads the management and long-term direction of the firm while managing relationships with LP investors, funds, government, and companies for collective value creation and the firm's overall development.

Over the past decade, Tortajada has pioneered the design and launch of public and private programs promoting the entrepreneurial and venture capital ecosystem across the US and Latin American regions to trigger cross-border opportunities. She is recognized as a leading woman in the private markets across Latin America. She is a Kauffman Fellow Class 16. 

President & Chief Executive Officer, National Marine Mammal Foundation

Cynthia Smith serves as the President and CEO of the National Marine Mammal Foundation (NMMF), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in San Diego, California. Smith has led the organization since 2010 and served as chief medical officer for more than a decade. She continues to provide her veterinary expertise for high-priority marine mammal projects, specifically those focused on at-risk, threatened, and critically endangered cetaceans (dolphins, porpoises, and whales). She has more than 25 years of veterinary and research experience, resulting in over 80 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts.

Smith's nonprofit team provides veterinary, research, and animal care support to the US Navy’s Marine Mammal Program right here in San Diego. She contributed as a lead veterinarian for NOAA’s Natural Resource Damage Assessment of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, and she continues to study the long-term impacts of oil exposure on dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico. Smith served as the General Program Manager for the Consortium of Vaquita Conservation, Recovery, and Protection (VaquitaCPR), an international effort aimed at rescuing the endangered vaquita porpoise from extinction. She co-founded JANE: Justice & Action Network for the Earth, which was selected as a top 100 finalist for the MacArthur Foundation’s 100 & Change Competition and is part of the Bold Solutions Network. Most recently, Smith helped launch the NMMF’s Operation GRACE: Global Rescue of At-Risk Cetaceans and Ecosystems, with conservation projects in North America, South America, Africa, and the Middle East.

Smith received a Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M University and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Tufts University. She completed executive education at Harvard Business School, Harvard Kennedy School, and Berkeley Haas School of Business. In 2019, she was named a Red Bull Hero of the Year for her work in conservation. In 2022, she was named a Woman of the Year finalist by San Diego Magazine and a Nonprofit Citizenship Award finalist by the San Diego Business Journal. In 2023, she was elected to the Tufts University Board of Trustees. Smith enjoys giving back locally and globally through national and international expert advisory groups. She currently lives in San Diego with her husband. They have two children and a rescued hound dog. 

Senior Vice President, Marketing, Virtuoso Travel

Helen McCabe-Young is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Virtuoso Travel, the industry’s leading luxury travel network. This by-invitation-only organization comprises over 1,000 agency locations with more than 20,000 elite travel specialists in over 50 countries throughout North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East, as well as over 1,700 of the world’s best travel providers and premier destinations. 

A dynamic leader with strategic vision, creativity, and transformative impact, McCabe-Young is an accomplished international business trendsetter most recognized for achieving enviable commercial and brand success for One&Only Resorts, Atlantis The Palm Dubai, and Silversea Cruises. She has repeatedly built results-driven organizations that deliver increased customer loyalty and new market share with her exceptional ability to fuel top-funnel brand efforts that pull through to tangible sales results. Her areas of expertise include luxury, leisure travel, hospitality, cruise, real estate, spa, health and wellness, beauty, retail, and food and beverage.

Previously, McCabe-Young was the founder of CMO Executive Services and the co-founder of Stella + McCabe. Earlier in her career, she worked with Campbell Ewald as a vice president and account supervisor. She earned an undergraduate degree in communication and visual arts from UC San Diego.

Vice President, Marketing Viasat Commercial Services, Viasat

Michelle is a dynamic leader who believes that marketing plays a pivotal role in how technology and connectivity make a profound impact on the world. As the Vice-President of VCS Marketing at Viasat, she leads marketing efforts for aviation, enterprise, and residential segments, including commercial aviation, business aviation, aircraft operation and safety, and uncrewed aerial vehicles.

With nearly 30 years of marketing experience in the technology and wireless industries, Michelle has held leadership roles at some of the world's leading companies, including Verizon, Vodafone, and Nokia (formerly Alcatel-Lucent). Her extensive background spans all facets of marketing and product management, and she has also held international posts in Europe.

Michelle is passionate about the transformative power of technology and connectivity. She believes that these tools can bridge gaps, solve complex problems, and improve lives. Her leadership at Viasat is driven by a commitment to innovation and a desire to make a positive impact.

As a female leader in a global landscape, Michelle is dedicated to fostering inclusivity and equity in the industry. She is inspired by the women who have paved the way and is committed to mentoring and supporting the next generation of leaders. Michelle received her MBA in international management and marketing from Arizona State University (Thunderbird, American Graduate School of International Management).

VP & Director of Strategy, Sales, & Business Development, Stantec

Shiloh Swanson is a Vice President and Director of Strategy, Sales, and Business Development for Stantec’s Water Business Line. Stantec is a global leader in sustainable engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting.

Swanson has 30 years of business development, sales, and marketing experience. She joined Stantec in 2019 after managing and/or leading major campaigns for most of ENR’s Top 10 Engineering firms, including Stantec (formerly MWH), AECOM, URS, Jacobs/CH2MHill, CDM, HDR, TetraTech, Black & Veatch, and Brown and Caldwell.

Over the last decade, Swanson has managed and led strategic growth strategies and major business-changing campaigns, and she coached interview teams on over $1 billion in contracted wins and personally holds a 90% win rate in the last 24 months. She is a Society of Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) Fellow and a Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM), and she regularly provides training on various aspects of sales, business development, and marketing for SMPS.

Vice President, Direct Services, Career TEAM 

For over 15 years, Maxine Chieng has dedicated her career to transforming lives through workforce development because access to opportunity isn't just a necessity, it's a right. As Vice President of Direct Services with Career TEAM, she leads multi-unit teams in designing innovative, people-centered workforce solutions that connect individuals to meaningful careers and economic mobility. 

Her leadership journey has been shaped by a commitment to strategic impact, equity, and mentorship. As California State Director for the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) and a longtime Board Member, she has worked to elevate workforce strategies on a national scale. Now, as part of NAWDP's inaugural Leadership Academy cohort, Maxine has the opportunity to refine her leadership approach and further empower the next generation of workforce leaders.

True leadership is about breaking barriers and creating pathways - not just for ourselves, but for those who come after us. Maxine believes in collaboration, resilience, and bold innovation to drive meaningful change. Her work is fueled by a vision of a workforce system that is inclusive, forward-thinking, and built to serve all communities. 

Vice President, People & Culture, Atrium 

Tania Azar serves as the Vice President of People and Culture at Atrium, a leading consulting services company specializing in AI, data, and analytics solutions. With a career spanning over three decades, Azar has extensive expertise in human resources, L&D, strategic operations, and organizational leadership across diverse sectors, including health and wellness, technology, nonprofit, and management consulting.

Azar brings valuable experience from roles such as strategic business consultant, providing management and training services to corporations and startups through WYNTAC (Whatever You Need Training and Consulting). Notably, she was vice president of operations at Jenny Craig, where she played a pivotal role in leading a $26 million software deployment, overseeing 438 retail stores, and increasing gross revenues by 20%. She served as senior vice president of programs and operations and EOS integrator at Solutions for Change, where she spearheaded the expansion of their social enterprise model to combat family homelessness. She also held leadership roles at Kirstie Alley’s Organic Liaison, Reality Changers, Blackbox AI, and Global Club Card, where she drove strategic initiatives and contributed to significant organizational growth.

Azar is firmly committed to community service, which is demonstrated through extensive volunteer work and leadership positions in various educational and nonprofit organizations. This includes roles such as co-president of the San Diego Amateur Hockey Club, Aviara Oaks Elementary PTA president, and board memberships with Friends of Aviara and BehavioralPharma. She currently serves as an advisor for the Overcomer Network initiative in the state of TN. Azar is passionate about philanthropy, particularly supporting marginalized communities, animals, and individuals affected by Crohn's disease. She enjoys running, reading, traveling, quilting, watching hockey, baking, and spending time with her family.

General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, Qualcomm

Ann Cathcart Chaplin is the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Qualcomm Incorporated. In this role, Chaplin serves as a member of the executive leadership team with global responsibility for all Legal operations and functions. She has broad experience across the legal, technology, and business spectrum, as well as litigation and transactional matters, intellectual property law and management, corporate law, and governance. 

Most recently, Chaplin served as corporate secretary and deputy general counsel for General Motors (GM), where she assisted in the overall management of the legal department, overseeing corporate governance, advising on product and technology transformation initiatives, managing the interface with the board of directors, leading the securities team, and advising on ESG initiatives. She directly managed many areas across GM’s legal operations at various times, including the litigation of thousands of cases ranging from class actions to complex product litigation, antitrust, IP, securities, and multidistrict matters. She also resolved complex regulatory issues and investigations; managed the IP portfolio, including patent, trademark, copyright filings and maintenance, and trade secret protection; and served as chief compliance officer for North America while providing oversight for compliance functions worldwide. Additionally, Chaplin led the legal team responsible for M&A and strategic transactions and supported global supply chain and purchasing operations, as well as employment and labor matters.

Before GM, Chaplin was a partner at Fish & Richardson, where she managed the firm’s litigation practice group and focused on patent, trade secret, trademark, and copyright litigation. She was a member of the firm’s management committee and led its Minneapolis office. She earned her JD from Harvard Law School and her undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Chaplin is admitted to practice in Minnesota and registered in-house counsel in California.

Chief Executive Officer, Silicon Valley Change Executive Coaching

Ilene Schaffer is the CEO of Silicon Valley Change Executive Coaching (SVC), host of the What’s Possible podcast, and an executive leadership coach dedicated to helping leaders and teams navigate change with confidence, clarity, and stronger relationships. With a background in positive psychology and life transitions counseling, she partners with organizations to develop adaptable, high-impact leaders who can thrive in today’s evolving workplace.

At SVC, Schaffer and her team provide transformative coaching programs for executives, leadership teams, and high-potential talent. As the host of SVC’s podcast, she brings together thought leaders and best-selling authors to explore leadership, well-being, and the power of curiosity. Her action-oriented episodes inspire listeners to lead with greater purpose, engage teams in transformative ways, and thrive both personally and professionally.

Schaffer holds a Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master’s degree in Life Transitions Counseling from the University of San Francisco. She is a certified Positive Psychology-based Coach and an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC). Schaffer grew up in San Diego and was thrilled to return to the area nearly 10 years ago with her husband and two daughters. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, taking long walks on the beach, reading, staying up to date on the science of human flourishing, and engaging in both writing and public speaking.

Vice President II, US Specialty Channels & Group Purchasing Organizations, Medtronic

Candice Donahoe is the Vice President II for US Specialty Channels and Group Purchasing Organizations at Medtronic, a leading global healthcare technology company. 

Donahoe first joined the team in 2002 as a sales representative of neurologic technologies and has progressed through the company. She earned her first VP role in 2013 as an area vice president of sales. After serving in multiple additional VP roles, she earned her current title in November 2023. 

Previously, Donahoe worked as a sales analyst at Wireless Facilities. Before that, she was a business valuation and insolvency analyst at Bruno, Mack, & Barclay. Earlier in her career, she served as a corporate audit risk analyst at Bank One Corporation. She earned an undergraduate degree in finance from Indiana University Bloomington.

Senior Director, Strategic Accounts, Ball

Maegan Bowe is the Senior Director of Strategic Accounts for Ball. She first joined the team in 2020 as commercial director. Ball Corporation supplies innovative, sustainable aluminum packaging solutions for beverage, personal care, and household products customers. 

Previously, Bowe served as senior director of sales and operations at Advantage Solutions. Before that role, she was the regional vice president of business development and alliances at Agile Sourcing Partners. She is passionate about solving client challenges and delivering value in every interaction. As an experienced professional, she excels at managing complex programs and leading high-performing teams dedicated to developing innovative client solutions.

Bowe has earned executive education certificates from IESE Business School and Harvard University, an MBA from the University of San Diego, and an undergraduate degree in politics from Princeton University.

Senior Director, Slalom Inc.

Carol Henry is the Senior Director of Slalom Consulting, a purpose-led, global business and technology consulting company. As the head of strategic partnerships across the Pacific Southwest region at Slalom, she played a key role in launching both the Orange County and San Diego offices. She is currently focused on growing the Southern California public sector portfolio by bringing best-in-class technology, innovative thinking, and top talent to public sector agencies.

Previously, Henry spent 10 years at Deloitte and four years in the US Navy, where she learned to navigate both corporate boardrooms and the high seas, though the latter involved fewer PowerPoint decks. Her life runs like a well-planned military operation, only with more snacks and conference calls during drives to her teenagers’ sports practices. Henry graduated from Columbia Business School with an MBA in Management Consulting and from the University of California, Berkeley with an undergraduate degree in the political economy of industrialized societies.

At home, Henry is surrounded by a team as mission-driven as she is. Her husband, a retired Navy veteran, now patrols the streets of San Diego, giving her good reason to think twice before ignoring speed limits. Their son is a college freshman, balancing NROTC responsibilities with student life, while their teenage daughter is busy proving she’s tougher than Type 1 Diabetes. Never one to sit on the sidelines, she takes that fight to Congress, where she politely but persistently reminds lawmakers that funding a cure is, in fact, non-negotiable.

Program Therapist, Casa de Amparo

Lisa Marie Knight is a Program Therapist at Casa de Amparo, a nonprofit that provides support to youth affected by and at risk of child abuse and neglect. Knight is focused on the Gen Z population with trauma-focused mental health concerns, with a mission to support children affected by and at risk of child abuse and neglect with clinical programs that support and promote healing, growth, and healthy relationships.

Knight has spent the last over 20 years managing and redefining processes and procedures, working with a multitude of different types and levels of professionals. She bridges the space between the execution of strategy and business operations by aligning and overseeing the managed research and creative campaigns and by maintaining a foundation for scale and growth. In addition to her passion for mentoring and developing strong leaders, she emphasizes high-quality collaboration company-wide. She ensures all aspects of customer service care, project and productivity funnel improvements, payer operations, and contracting services by creating a smooth organizational operating rhythm.

Senior Director, Medical Genomics Lab Services, Illumina Lab Services 

Denise Perry is the Senior Director for Medical Genomics Lab Services at Illumina Lab Services. She is a board-certified genetic counselor with a passion for empowering patients with answers about the genetic causes of their medical conditions. At Illumina Laboratory Services, an accredited clinical laboratory within the world’s leading genomics company, she manages a team of genetic counselors, scientists, and laboratory directors dedicated to advancing the clinical applications of genomics. She and her colleagues at Illumina Laboratory Services play a crucial role in bridging groundbreaking genomic technologies with real-world patient care, helping to accelerate the adoption of clinical genomics globally. 

Perry began her career in Boston as a genetic counselor and project manager in clinical research aimed at understanding the delivery, impact, and outcomes of communicating genetic information to individuals and their physicians. During this time, she founded and co-chaired the NIH Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research Program’s Genetic Counselors Working Group, uniting clinical experts from across the US to address challenges related to the integration of clinical genomics into the practice of medicine across genetic disease and cancer. Perry joined Illumina, eager to dive deeper into the technical aspects of genomics, and she and her team have spearheaded efforts to deliver clinical whole genome sequencing interpretation and medical results for over 5,000 patients worldwide, supporting various Illumina-sponsored projects and programs. Under her leadership, her team has been actively involved in the broader clinical genetics community, contributing to peer-reviewed publications and shaping industry best practices. 

Driven by the patients and families affected by genetic disease that she has met throughout her career, Perry is committed to breaking down barriers to genomic medicine and ensuring more individuals have access to life-changing insights through genetic testing. As a mother of two young children, she embraces a leadership philosophy inspired by Sesame Street: “I wonder…what if… let’s try!” This is a testament to her belief in the power of curiosity, innovation, and taking bold steps towards progress.

VP of Marketing, Deel

Leslie Lee serves as Vice President of Marketing at Deel, one of the fastest-growing software companies in history. In five years, the company scaled to $500 million in ARR, boasting an impressive client list of over 35,000 businesses while onboarding more than 500,000 workers globally. In her role, Lee oversees Deel's brand, product marketing, and cross-selling efforts.

Lee is a proven marketing leader with nearly 25 years of experience in both B2B and B2C marketing. She has held senior leadership positions at companies ranging in size from $50 million to over $2 billion in revenue. She brings a wealth of experience in building marketing teams at start-ups, guiding organizations through IPOs, and leading marketing operations at scale.

Before joining Deel, Lee spent nearly eight years at Atlassian, where she witnessed the company’s revenue grow from $250 million to over $2.5 billion. As vice president of brand and customer engagement, she led the brand, creative, community, editorial, channel marketing, and events and field marketing teams. She was honored with the 2019 Marketers that Matter Award in both the Building B2B Brands and Global Community categories. She holds an undergraduate degree in business from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.

Founder & Executive Director, Literacy First Charter Schools

Debbie Beyer is the Founder and Executive Director of Literacy First Charter Schools (LFCS), now serving almost 2200 students and families across five separate school sites for K-12 grades. Her leadership at LFCS has resulted in outstanding test scores and significant community engagement. Under Beyer’s leadership, LFCS has undertaken charitable projects such as building a school, a water project, and a fish hatchery in Ecuador's central region. The school has also raised funds to support other charter schools facing natural disasters, most recently aiding victims of the Maui fire.

Beyer has experience in both public and private school classrooms, developing effective bilingual programs and curricula. She has worked as a teacher in elementary and high schools in New Mexico and the San Diego area. Beyer developed a homeschooling program in the 80s called Doing Education Better (DEBS) and has consulted on the development of several charter schools. She is the founder of Literacy First Charter School, which has been serving families in East San Diego County for over 23 years. Additionally, Beyer has served on several nonprofit boards.

Beyer has served as the director for San Diego and Imperial Counties for Concerned Women for America, as well as serving on its national board of directors. She was a founding member of College Area Pregnancy Services, addressing the needs of women in crisis pregnancies. Beyer has also contributed internationally, conducting teacher training and program development in Mexico, Central America, and Ecuador, focusing on empowering local communities. Beyer holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education with a minor in Spanish from New Mexico State University and a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from San Diego State University.

Executive Director, California Global Education Project

Emily Schell is the Executive Director of the California Global Education Project, one of nine discipline-specific networks that comprise the California Subject Matter Project. She leads the statewide office at the University of San Diego in the Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education at the School of Leadership and Educational Sciences. 

Schell is a former elementary and secondary teacher and principal, as well as a district social studies resource teacher at San Diego Unified. She has also served as the K–12 history-social science coordinator at the San Diego County Office of Education, a liaison at the National Geographic Education Foundation, and a pre-service instructor at San Diego State University’s School of Teacher Education. She currently serves on the executive committee of the California Environmental Literacy Initiative and the steering committee for the Climate Change and Environmental Justice Project, and she leads the California Global Education Network. She earned her BA in Diversified Liberal Arts and EdD in Education Leadership at the University of San Diego and her MS in Journalism at Northwestern University. 

Schell is an author and presenter, contributing to professional journals, blogs, curricula, and conferences. She has been recognized as a Royal Canadian Geographical Society Fellow, a HundrED Ambassador, and a California Council for the Social Studies awardee, receiving both the Ruth Delzell Service Award and the Hilda Taba Leadership Award. In 2021, she was named one of the Top 100 Visionaries in Education by the Global Forum for Education and Learning.

Managing Director, Cigna

Margaux Currie is Managing Director at Cigna. Cigna Healthcare is a health benefits provider that advocates for better health through every stage of life. Currie leads the overall Pathwell specialty and pharmacy strategy, bringing 20 years of experience in product and strategy roles.

Before joining Cigna, Currie held product and strategy roles at Surescripts, including serving as the director of the overall eligibility and formulary business and leading the launch of Real-Time Prescription Benefit. Before entering healthcare, she served as an international strategy consultant at Booz & Company’s aerospace and defense practice, working and living all over the world.

Currie earned a Master's degree in Liberal Arts in Business Management and Finance from Harvard University. She has two degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, a BA in Urban Studies/Affairs and a BS in Business Administration and Management.

Director of Technical Product Management & Business Strategy, Optum

Katherine Preska is the Director of Technical Product Management and Business Strategy of Optum. She first joined the team in 2021 as director of technical product management and business strategy for Optum Digital. Optum is a leading information and technology-enabled health services business dedicated to helping make the health system work better for everyone.

Preska is a customer-obsessed, relationship-oriented, and data-driven business leader who thrives on solving complex problems while helping clients, organizations, and product teams navigate transformation and scale. She brings experience in business strategy and transformation, product management, product marketing, and go-to-market strategy, responsible use of technology and responsible AI, and change management. Her work spans the technology and healthcare industries, supporting large enterprises, nonprofit organizations, and early-stage startups.

Previously, Preska served as a senior consultant in digital transformation at PwC. Before that, she was chief of staff at UnitedHealth Group. Earlier in her career, she worked at the University of St. Thomas as a research and publishing assistant. She earned an MBA from the UW Foster School of Business and holds an undergraduate degree in business operations and supply chain management from the University of St. Thomas.

Director, Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego Health 

Diane Simeone is the Director of Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health. She oversees cancer strategy at UCSD Health and provides the strategic and intellectual direction for the center's research programs, administrative structure, and multidisciplinary cancer clinical care. She also serves as the principal investigator for the Cancer Center's support grant sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Simeone partners with academic and clinical leaders to guide cancer research and care and provides counsel to campus and university-level committees. She manages day-to-day operations, including scientific, education, and clinical programs.

Before her current role, Simeone served as the director of the Pancreatic Cancer Center and was the associate director of translational research at Perlmutter Cancer Center at New York University Langone Health. She is an internationally renowned pancreatic surgeon and researcher with a long-standing career focused on treating pancreatic cancer. Throughout her career, Simeone has driven innovation in cancer care by building a continuum between scientific discovery and new cancer detection and treatment approaches. She has published more than 230 studies in leading peer-reviewed journals, including Cell, Cancer Cell, Nature Medicine, and the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Simeone served as the chair of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network's scientific and medical advisory board and is a past president of the American Pancreatic Association and Society of University Surgeons. She is an elected National Academy of Medicine member and has served on the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Pancreatic Cancer Task Force. Simeone is a member of the NCI Cancer Centers Study Section, which reviews comprehensive cancer centers across the United States. She also serves on the board of directors for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

CX Sales Solutions Executive, Sales, Service & Marketing, Oracle

Ali Selbo is a CX Sales Solutions Executive in Sales, Service, and Marketing at Oracle. She is a marketing technology leader with over 15 years of progressive experience in SaaS marketing technology and revenue growth. Beginning her career in marketing and overseeing revenue operations, Selbo has a unique ability to drive new business acquisitions and positive digital transformation business outcomes.

Selbo thrives as an individual contributor and left her previous leadership role to pursue an enterprise sales role with Oracle's most strategic customers, helping other marketing leaders evangelize the way they go to market. She is passionate about marketing technology and has an excellent track record of partnering with organizations to reach next-level growth. She is a collaborative leader and thoughtful in her approach to effective problem-solving, focused on forming trusted partnerships.

In her spare time, Selbo is an investor and advisor in several consumer product goods and SaaS-based companies. She is also devoted to women's empowerment and supporting the VP of training and development at the Junior League of San Diego. Selbo was at the forefront of evolving the JLSD's training curriculum and building a network of partnerships with local businesses, executives, and coaches to further expand on JLSD's mission to empower, develop, and promote women's civic leadership in the Greater San Diego community. Born and raised in Santa Barbara, CA, she holds an undergraduate degree in business administration from Sonoma State University.

Director, Customer Centricity, Illumina

Rachel is a business transformation powerhouse who knows how to get results—and create a positive, authentic community in the process. Over the course of her career, she has led marketing, commercial, and R&D excellence initiatives across multiple global healthcare companies, directly impacting thousands of colleagues and $10B+ in annual revenues. Her business superpower is turning complexity into clarity, and aligning cross-functional teams to unlock powerful, scalable growth. Whether it's harnessing customer insights, creating virtuous cycles to embed VoC and market research into new product introductions, driving commercialization excellence, or guiding brand strategy, she transforms marketing from a cost center into a growth engine.

Her leadership is rooted in a deep understanding of people, process, and performance. And through it all, she manages to juggle big strategic visions, demanding stakeholders, and real-life chaos (including snowboarding trips with her two kids!) with a smile and warm curiosity. It's a continuation of her lifelong passion for learning and connection, as her educational background spans Computer engineering and English from Tulane University (yes, she speaks tech and storytelling), plus an MBA in New Ventures and International Business from the University of San Diego.

How do you help a legendary biotech firm (that literally invented the next generation of DNA sequencing) and its legions of science PhDs (whose day jobs are to create the future with the next, next generation DNA sequencing) pivot from being product-centric to customer-centric? Illumina had historically spent much of its operating expense on R&D investments, so the organizational structures and operating model have been oriented around the company’s technology. As part of Illumina’s new strategy to grow by creating more value for the customer, Rachel was selected to evolve the operating model so it would build on the technology foundation while centering on the customer and their needs.  

This initiative, started in early 2024, is still underway and is tapping into all of Rachel’s core areas of expertise: business transformation, marketing and commercial excellence, and leadership. Business transformation: With over 15,000 hours in capability development and change management across marketing, sales, and R&D, Rachel is a leader who changes cultures by meeting people where they are, showing them what’s possible, and inspiring them to take each step and embrace each obstacle to achieve their goals. At Illumina, this has meant embedding Illumina’s new customer segmentation, customer journeys, and personas into decision-making at every level of planning and execution, from the corporate strategy through build/buy/partner decisions, from portfolio management to Illumina’s go-to-market approach. Developing relationships and new ways of working to put the customer at the center have already shown early results, with new processes and connections helping different teams across Illumina to embrace the customer, whether they are in marketing, commercial, R&D, corporate strategy, or supply chain.

Over the last two decades, she’s been involved in more than $11B in biotech and med tech product launches, seamlessly navigating from upstream strategy to downstream execution. She brings a sharp marketing mind and an even sharper sense of customer insight, leading teams that blend qualitative depth with quantitative precision. Illumina’s customer listening program was already strong when Rachel became the department leader, and she amplified their reach and helped to connect that critical customer voice to cross-functional initiatives from new product introductions to customer success. Leadership is a team sport, and Rachel’s approach is visionary and inclusive, strategic yet hands-on, and always collaborative. She’s built diverse, cross-functional global teams that not only innovate but thrive. It’s energizing to create a movement at Illumina to empower each person across the company to learn more about the customer and turn that insight into meaningful value.

Director of New Student Programs, University of San Diego

Gabriella Rangrej is the Director of New Student Programs at the University of San Diego, a Catholic institution committed to advancing academic excellence grounded in the liberal arts, creating an inclusive community, and preparing leaders dedicated to ethical conduct and compassionate service. She co-directs the Learning Communities program, the University of San Diego’s signature first-year experience program, and is responsible for ensuring all new undergraduate students are successfully welcomed and supported in their transition to the institution.

Rangrej is an experienced professional with progressive expertise in higher education and exudes a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. During her tenure at the University of San Diego, she has been responsible for leading the successful onboarding of over 13,000 undergraduate students. She brings extensive experience in policy development, strategic planning and implementation, and organizational leadership. Dedicated to building a dynamic, mission-driven organization, she empowers and engages her team and community members to navigate complex environments and drive change at all levels of the organization while exercising strong judgment and decision-making skills.

Rangrej graduated from the University of San Diego with a Master of Arts in Higher Education Leadership and a Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Neuroscience and Theology and Religious Studies. She also holds a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace Certificate from the University of South Florida Muma College of Business and a Restorative Justice Facilitation and Leadership Certificate from the University of San Diego. Rangrej is passionate about student success and ensuring equitable access and outcomes for all.

Director, Cushman & Wakefield

Morgan Reno is a Director at Cushman & Wakefield. As the daughter of the largest locally-owned general contractor in San Diego, Reno was fortunate to grow up on her father’s job sites, including DiamondView Tower and Kilroy Center Del Mar, which is where her affinity for office and biotech projects began. Beginning her career in brokerage with Cushman & Wakefield in 2016, Reno has risen to the top as one of only a handful of female office brokers in San Diego County. 

Reno has represented and/or transacted with some of the most impactful companies in San Diego who have played a large part in the corporate ecosystem and shaped the skyline of San Diego, including Illumina, Torrey Pines Bank, Arrowhead Insurance, and Alliant.