Debbie is the Founder and CEO of Hydrostasis, Inc., a former amateur Muay Thai fighter, and a mom of two. She has a Bachelor of Science from University of California San Diego (UCSD) and a Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering from Tufts University. Hydrostasis, Inc. was founded in 2018, based on previous experience with dehydration training for her amateur Muay Thai fights combined with her background in optical sensing technologies. She realized there is a need for personalized, continuous hydration monitoring to be able to notify people before dehydration or fluid overload occurs. Chen speaks regularly in the startup community, mentors, gives workshops and has been an EIR at UCSD Office of Innovation. She is an advocate for under-represented founders and passionate about entrepreneurship mindset.

Sarah Tuakli Cooper is Executive Director at the Elementary Institute of Science. The Elementary Institute of Science was established in Southeastern San Diego in 1964 to ensure diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM. She spent 20 years teaching computer composition and studio production in London, before moving to San Diego in 2008. Sarah currently is Co-Chair of the Jobs and Education Working Group for the San Diego Promise Zone and serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for the United Women of East Africa Support Team (UWEAST). Sarah’s global perspective, extensive background in tech education, and commitment to serving diverse San Diego communities inform a leadership approach that is focused on inclusion and belonging in fields that are traditionally exclusive. In 2022, she was recognized as a Woman of Influence in Technology in the San Diego Business Journal and is increasingly sought after as a thought leader on issues of diversity in tech.

Danielle Goldberg is Managing Director at Community Alliance for Child Rights at UNICEF USA. In this role, she has been responsible for the development, launch, evaluation and expansion of UNICEF’s Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) in the U.S., as well as UNICEF USA’s wider strategy to support local governments to prioritize the needs, rights and voices of children and youth in local decision making.

Goldberg is a social impact leader, training and facilitation specialist, and executive coach with more than 20 years of domestic and global experience working with non-profit organizations, governments, and UN entities to design, implement and evaluate transformative programs and partnerships that promote children's rights, gender equality, inclusive development, international peace-building and global citizenship.

She graduated from American University with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and a Master of Arts in International Peace and Conflict Resolution.

Jim Rawlins serves as Associate Vice Chancellor of Enrollment Management for the University of California San Diego (UCSD). In this role, Rawlins leads the work of the financial aid and scholarships, admissions, and registrar offices, encompassing the administration of more than $500M per year in aid to undergraduates and oversight of the second-largest freshman applicant pool in the United States. In addition, he serves as Chief Outreach Officer for UCSD, with oversight of its Student Academic Preparation and Educational Partnership (SAPEP) grant portfolio and the California Student Opportunity and Access Program (Cal-SOAP) efforts for San Diego and Imperial County. With 30-plus years in the profession, Rawlins has served as president of the National Association for College Admission Counseling, and in various admissions roles at the University of Washington, University of Oregon, Colorado State University, and Western Washington University. He has consulted for a number of American and Canadian institutions, and served as a visiting professor for Osaka University’s Center for Higher Education and Global Admissions.

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.

Alexis Villanueva is the Executive Director of City Heights Community Development Corporation (CHCDC), a California public benefit nonprofit corporation instrumental to growth and development of City Heights.

Raised in City Heights, Villanueva is a longtime community leader and activist dedicated to creating a sustainable and equitable neighborhood by fostering community pride, job training and economic development. She is known for her ability to create enduring and productive relationships – with stakeholders, partners, and community members – and has a stellar track record with CHCDC, originally joining the organization as Senior Program Manager of Economic Development three-and-a-half-years ago and climbing the ranks to her current position in 2023.

Sidd Vivek is President & CEO of Junior Achievement (JA) of San Diego County. As a first-generation American and self-described “latchkey kid” from Boston, he has come a long way – literally and figuratively – to most recently being named one of the San Diego Business Journal’s 2022 CEO’s of the Year. From Boston to Washington, D.C. and now San Diego, Vivek’s cross-country career has focused thinking globally and acting locally to help build thriving, inclusive local communities.

In his current role, Vivek and his team are focused on social mobility for underrepresented young people using experiential lessons, skill development and social capital to better understand business, money, and future career opportunities. Through programs across San Diego County and in their interactive 25,000 square foot facility, JA of San Diego empowers tomorrow’s leaders today.