Judges & Speakers – Aspen Challenge San Diego

Judges

We are thrilled to welcome the 2025 Aspen Challenge: San Diego Judges. Click on their photos to learn more about them.

Alex Waters

Director of Economic Development, Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation

He/Him

Alex Waters

Alex Waters is the Director of Economic Development at the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation (JCNI). Waters’s primary role is running San Diego’s first low-to-moderate income and diversity focused business accelerator program. Previously, he spent close to a decade in Ed Tech scaling graduate programs, and prior to joining JCNI he ran the Collaboratory for Downtown Innovation. Waters is committed to using past experience to work to develop new ways to build social impact programs through his nonprofit, The Program Labs. Alex has taught business and leadership at the University of San Diego, served as an Enterprise Innovation Consultant, and currently serves as a board member for the San Diego Neighborhood House Association and the San Diego State University Research Foundation.

Katie Rast

Director, Community Impact at San Diego Foundation

She/Her

Katie Rast

Troy Johnson

Owner & Content Chief, San Diego Magazine

He/Him

Troy Johnson

Born and raised in San Diego, Troy Johnson is a national award-winning food writer, author, and Food Network personality. Three years ago, he and his wife Claire became the new owners of San Diego Magazine, revitalizing the city’s iconic lifestyle magazine as a modern media, co-producing a national TV-caliber video series, launching a storytelling studio for brands (SDM Studios) and the Del Mar Wine & Food Festival. Johnson has been a judge on Food Network for 13 years – over 150 episodes of “Guy’s Grocery Games”, plus guest stints on “Iron Chef America”, “Best Thing I Ever Ate”, “Superchef Grudge Match”, “Alex vs. America”, and “Wild Card Kitchen”. His funny takes on life have been posted on CNN, Washington Post, Buzzfeed, Reader’s Digest, and Funny or Die!. He earned a poetry degree in college and still managed to find employment.

Courtney Baltiyskyy

Vice President of Policy & Advocacy, YMCA of San Diego County

She/Her

Courtney Baltiyskyy

Bio Here

Solution Showcase Speakers

We have some exciting speakers lined up this year. Click on their photos to learn more about them.

Natasha Carrizosa

Poet, Writer, Creative Writing Teacher and Speaker

Poet, Writer, Creative Writing Teacher and Speaker

she/her/hers

Natasha Carrizosa

Natasha Carrizosa is a poet, writer, creative writing teacher, and speaker, and draws inspiration from her childhood and life experiences. Raised as the daughter of a fierce African-American mother and Mexican father, her writing reflects the dichotomy of these two rich cultures. Carrizosa is the author of "mexiafricana," "heavy light," and "crown." With a passion for the arts, she has performed and conducted workshops globally, including in Madrid, Paris, St. Lucia, New York, Chicago, and Houston. Carrizosa's impact extends to the creation of "Natty Roots & Rhyme," one of the nation's most dynamic poetry open mics.

Fabiola Bagula

Interim Superintendent

Interim Superintendent

she/her/hers

Fabiola Bagula

Fabiola Bagula, Ph.D., grew up negotiating the hyphen between Mexican-American. Born and raised in San Diego, she often found herself in Tijuana Mexico. A pocha bilingual (y qué?), she earned her Bachelor's degree from University of California, San Diego, her Master’s and Doctorate degrees from the University of San Diego.

As a practitioner researcher, Bagula currently serves as the Senior Director of the Equity Department for the San Diego County Office of Education. In this role, she leads the development and professional learning programs focused on issues of equity in education for 42 school districts. Her work builds the capacity of school site (K-12) and district leaders across California, and her department is recognized as one of two geographic leads for equity in the state.

Bagula leads learning for educators, and partners with stakeholders and policymakers to improve equity consciousness and cultivate inclusive learning environments for all students. Over her career in public education, she has served as a teacher, teacher coach, principal, principal coach, and assistant superintendent. Across these roles, her focus has been on transforming educational systems into places of opportunity and high-quality learning for all students.

Over her career in public education, she has served as a teacher, teacher coach, principal, principal coach, and assistant superintendent. Across these roles, her focus has been on transforming educational systems into places of opportunity and high-quality learning for all students.