Registration and Morning Refreshments in the Exhibit Area

Opening Remarks

Jeffery Marino, Director, Office of Data & Innovation, State of California

Keynote

Jennifer Pahlka, Author, Senior Fellow, Niskanen Center / Federation of American Scientists, Founder, Code for America

Networking Break in the Exhibit Area

Concurrent Sessions

Responsible AI: Frameworks, Partners, and First Steps

As AI and GenAI tools gain traction, agencies need more than curiosity; they need clear frameworks to guide responsible use. In this session, our panel will share how they approach AI adoption with ethics, accountability, and practicality in mind. We’ll discuss enabling internal pilots, identifying the right partners, setting up guardrails, and monitoring for unintended impacts. Whether you're just starting or refining your approach, this session offers actionable steps to move forward with confidence and care.

Design from the Inside Out: Human-Centered Innovation for Internal Teams

Human-centered design isn’t just for public-facing services, it’s a powerful approach for improving internal processes, systems, and culture. This session will discuss how departments are using design thinking strategies and visioning exercises to engage internal stakeholders, surface real needs, and co-create better solutions. Through practical use cases, panelists will share how this approach helps build trust, align teams, and drive innovation that works for the people doing the job. Learn how to bring empathy, creativity, and collaboration into your agency’s internal transformation efforts.

Digital Identity and Trust: Modernizing for Security and Service

As digital services expand, managing identity and protecting constituent data have become central to both security and public trust. In this session panelists will discuss how they're modernizing digital identity systems, improving access while strengthening safeguards and stacking layers of data protection and access controls. Learn how agencies balance usability and privacy, coordinate across departments, and build trust by treating identity and information protection as core to service delivery and not just compliance.

Ivy Teng Lei, Chief Digital Strategy Officer, Office of Digital Services, Department of Technology, State of California

Rapid Response: Innovation in LA Fire Recovery

When wildfires devastated Los Angeles in early 2025, California's government rapidly launched the CA.gov/LAfires platform to provide real-time recovery data and connect survivors with essential services. Join us to hear from government IT and business leaders about how they collaborated across agencies to deliver an integrated Disaster Recovery Center experience both in-person and digitally. Learn how they overcame logistical hurdles, integrated data systems, and prioritized user needs to support over half a million Californians in record time. This session offers a behind-the-scenes look at how urgency, empathy, and innovation came together to serve the public when it mattered most.

Blaine Wasylkiw, Deputy Chief Technology Innovation Officer, Department of Technology, State of California

Delivering Better Government: Service, Feedback, and Impact

Today's residents expect services that are easy to find, simple to use, and responsive to their needs. This session explores how agencies are improving customer experience through smarter service design, better accessibility, and continuous feedback loops. Join us to learn how digital tools and improved processes are helping teams understand user needs in real time and how that insight is turning into action that streamlines services, builds trust, and delivers real impact.

Lunch

Bits and Bytes

Short Break

Please proceed to the concurrent sessions.

Concurrent Sessions

Practical AI: Small Wins, Big Impact

AI doesn’t have to start with massive investments or enterprise-wide overhauls. In this session our panel shares examples of small, manageable AI use cases that made a meaningful difference. From automating routine tasks to improving service delivery, these stories show how departments can start now with the tools and teams they already have. Discover how to identify low-risk, high-value opportunities, get started without a big budget, and build momentum for broader innovation.

Scott Capulong, Chief Information Officer, Department of Tax and Fee Administration, State of California

Innovation Under Pressure: Lessons from the Front Lines

When a crisis hits, governments don’t have the luxury of long timelines or perfect plans. This panel features public sector leaders who led rapid innovation efforts in response to urgent challenges, often building solutions on the fly, working across agency lines, and partnering with the private sector to meet the moment. Hear how they cut through red tape, aligned fast-moving teams, and turned crisis into a catalyst for change. These real-world stories offer practical takeaways on collaboration, agility, and turning pressure into progress.

Moderator: Ajay Gupta, Chief Digital Transformation Officer, Department of Motor Vehicles, State of California

Get Innovation Ready

AI is quickly becoming a tool that can reshape how government serves the public. But readiness isn’t just a tech issue. It requires coordination across IT, operations, and leadership. This panel explores how different departments are preparing for AI, from modernizing infrastructure and data practices to building cross-functional buy-in. See how agencies are aligning strategy, people, and policy to responsibly integrate AI and set the stage for long-term impact.

Moderator: Hayley Figeroid, Deputy Director, Strategic Initiatives, Office of Data and Innovation, State of California

Design for All: Accessibility, Language Access, and Inclusive Innovation

With the WCAG 2.1 compliance deadline approaching, agencies are under pressure to make digital services more accessible, understandable, and inclusive. Join us for a discussion on how organizations meet accessibility standards, adopt plain language practices, expand language access, and explore where AI can support these efforts. Learn how to build more equitable digital experiences and why accessibility isn’t just a requirement, but a driver of better government for everyone.

Beyond Contracts: Nurturing Public–Private Collaboration

Strong public–private partnerships can accelerate innovation, but they require the right conditions to succeed. Our panelists will share how they nurture meaningful collaborations between the public sector and industry through clear communication, shared goals, and the right tools and ecosystems. You’ll also discover what private sector partners are looking for from the state, what makes a partnership work, and how to build trust, transparency, and value on both sides. Whether you're looking to launch a new initiative or improve existing relationships, this session offers practical insight into making partnerships work.

Moderator: Sarah Soto-Taylor, Undersecretary, Government Operations Agency, State of California

Exclusive Briefing for Industry Partners

Networking Break in the Exhibit Area

Lightning Rounds 1: Innovation in Action: Emerging Tools, Smarter Teams, Better Services

From quantum computing to AI prompt engineering, these 25-minute lightning rounds showcase how California’s public sector is embracing innovation not as a buzzword, but as a set of practical, people-centered strategies. Hear how agencies are adopting emerging technologies, building internal capacity, and collaborating across departments to deliver smarter, faster, and more responsive government services. Whether it’s streamlining processes, empowering staff, or partnering for progress, these talks offer real examples of innovation in motion.

Quantum Computing 101

Quantum computing is moving from theory to possibility, and its future intersects with AI in surprising ways. In this lightning talk, we’ll break down what quantum is, why it matters, and what government should watch for as the field evolves.

Using Hyperautomation to Supercharge Efficiency

Hyperautomation goes beyond basic task automation to connect AI, robotic process automation, and analytics for end-to-end efficiency. In this lightning talk, we’ll share how it’s being used to streamline processes, reduce manual work, and reimagine service delivery without massive budgets or long timelines.

Using Data Science to Drive Innovation

Not all AI is Gen AI, and AI practices like machine learning and data science can drive massive improvements at a low cost. What does applied data science look like in government? In this lightning talk, hear from state teams about their data science projects that helped improve services, streamline decisions, and deliver better outcomes for Californians.

Prompt Engineering 101

As generative AI becomes more common in government, prompt engineering is emerging as a key skill and component of AI efficiency. In this lightning talk, we’ll discuss how agencies can train staff to use AI tools effectively and responsibly, understanding the possibilities and limits of GenAI.

Building Together: How ODI Supports Innovation Across Government

California’s Office of Data & Innovation (ODI) is more than a team. It’s a resource for departments ready to try new approaches. In this lightning talk, hear how ODI collaborates with other agencies to tackle complex problems, test new ideas, and build capacity for lasting innovation.

Lightning Rounds 2: Innovation in Action: Emerging Tools, Smarter Teams, Better Services

From quantum computing to AI prompt engineering, these 25-minute lightning rounds showcase how California’s public sector is embracing innovation not as a buzzword, but as a set of practical, people-centered strategies. Hear how agencies are adopting emerging technologies, building internal capacity, and collaborating across departments to deliver smarter, faster, and more responsive government services. Whether it’s streamlining processes, empowering staff, or partnering for progress, these talks offer real examples of innovation in motion.

Quantum Computing 101

Quantum computing is moving from theory to possibility, and its future intersects with AI in surprising ways. In this lightning talk, we’ll break down what quantum is, why it matters, and what government should watch for as the field evolves.

Using Hyperautomation to Supercharge Efficiency

Hyperautomation goes beyond basic task automation to connect AI, robotic process automation, and analytics for end-to-end efficiency. In this lightning talk, we’ll share how it’s being used to streamline processes, reduce manual work, and reimagine service delivery without massive budgets or long timelines.

Using Data Science to Drive Innovation

Not all AI is Gen AI, and AI practices like machine learning and data science can drive massive improvements at a low cost. What does applied data science look like in government? In this lightning talk, hear from state teams about their data science projects that helped improve services, streamline decisions, and deliver better outcomes for Californians.

Prompt Engineering 101

As generative AI becomes more common in government, prompt engineering is emerging as a key skill and component of AI efficiency. In this lightning talk, we’ll discuss how agencies can train staff to use AI tools effectively and responsibly, understanding the possibilities and limits of GenAI.

Building Together: How ODI Supports Innovation Across Government

California’s Office of Data & Innovation (ODI) is more than a team. It’s a resource for departments ready to try new approaches. In this lightning talk, hear how ODI collaborates with other agencies to tackle complex problems, test new ideas, and build capacity for lasting innovation.

Best of California Awards

Networking Reception in the Exhibit Area

End of Conference

Conference times, agenda, and speakers are subject to change.