Los Angeles Times Media Group and Arizona State University to Host Inaugural Aerospace and Defense Summit
The one-day event, featuring expert insight into the future of space exploration and global defense, will take place May 15 in El Segundo
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LA Times Studios, part of the Los Angeles Times Media Group (LATMG), in partnership with Arizona State University (ASU), has announced a one-day summit examining the future of space exploration and global defense. Taking place on Friday, May 15 at NantStudios, a premier virtual production studio in El Segundo, the Aerospace and Defense Summit will feature high-level, strategic panel discussions and networking opportunities. Tickets are available for purchase now.
The full-day event will convene government leaders, tech companies and top universities to discuss the challenges and opportunities in aerospace and space communications. Below is a full schedule of keynotes and panels:
- 9:00 a.m. - Welcome remarks by Anna Magzanyan, President of LA Times Studios, followed by Dr. Sally Morton, Executive Vice President & Professor, ASU Knowledge Enterprise, Arizona State University.
- 9:15 a.m. - Industry and Government Cooperation to Advance Space Communications: A keynote with Kevin Coggins, Deputy Associate Administrator of SCaN, NASA.
- 9:45 a.m. - U.S. Space Leadership: Keynote speaker to be announced.
- 10:00 a.m. - Financing and Scaling Aerospace Innovation: A panel discussion on how investors, banks, law firms and others are raising capital, managing growth and scaling operations, including strategies for deal structuring, regulatory navigation and commercial expansion. The panel will include: Dr. Leon Alkalai, CEO and Founder, Mandala Space Ventures; Jay Tamsett, Executive Director Aerospace and Defense, Ernst & Young; Dr. Jon Morse, President, AstronetX; and moderator Stephen Cheung, President and CEO, Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC).
- 11:15 a.m. - Commercial Space’s Role in U.S. Space Dominance: How commercial space providers are scaling operations, driving innovation, and partnering with government and academia. The panel will include Dr. Robert Spalding, CEO, SEMPRE and Dan Krauser, Chief of Staff, Vast, with moderator Christian Davenport, CBS News Contributor.
- 12 p.m. - The Future Frontier: Advanced Materials and Next-Gen Capabilities for Space Scaling and Cross-Sector Partnership: A discussion on how breakthroughs in materials science and next-generation technologies are critical for developing future space and defense capabilities. The panel will include: Jordan Croom, Vice President of Payloads, Varda; Philip June, Vice President of Programs, Millennium Space Systems; Simon Waddington, CEO, Cambium; Liz Stein, Managing Director, USIT; and moderator Chris Pimentel, Mayor, City of El Segundo.
- 1:45 p.m. - U.S. Space Warfighting Dominance: Keynote speaker to be announced.
- 2:15 p.m. - The Space Innovation Imperative: A conversation on why space communications matter for the 21st century and beyond with Michael Crow, President, Arizona State University and Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, Founder and Executive Chairman, ImmunityBio, Inc.
- 3:00 p.m. - Accelerating Research and Development into Action: A keynote with Dr. Laurie Leshin, Professor for Space Futures, Arizona State University.
- 3:30 p.m. - Education and Workforce Development: A discussion about how to best prepare the next generation for the complexities of space exploration. Speakers include: Dr. Elena Rocchi, Clinical Professor and Director, MSD Space Architecture & Extreme Environments Program, Arizona State University; Anna Sophia Kulenguski, Planetary Science Ph.D. Candidate, ASU, School of Earth and Space Exploration; Dr. Andrea Belz, Vice Dean, Transformative Initiatives, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California; and moderator Dr. Sally Morton, Executive Vice President and Professor, ASU Knowledge Enterprise, Arizona State University.
- 4:30 p.m. - Reception
The Aerospace and Defense Summit is supported by platinum sponsors Cambium, Millennium Space Systems and Varda, plus gold sponsor the City of El Segundo.
For tickets and additional information, visit latimes.com/b2b/events/aerospace.
