Menu
Now in its 6th year, this Symposium has emerged as the premier event in the region focused on new opportunities emerging from a rapid pace of innovations and creative new approaches in meeting the challenges of mobility and transportation in Southern California and beyond.
Major mobility sector stakeholders will be gathering together to explore developments related to technologically advanced vehicles and the next generation of transportation infrastructure that will be assisting those vehicles and their operators in utilizing and optimizing newly available vehicle features.
Featured Presentations:
“Air Quality and the Future of Mobility”
Matt Miyasato, Ph.D.
Deputy Executive Officer, Science & Technology Advancement
South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD)
“Venture Capital Trends in Mobility”
Asad Hussain
Analyst, Emerging Technology
PitchBook Data
View Asad Hussain’s recent Bloomberg TV interview…
8:00 – 8:25 Registration / Networking / Expo
8:25 – 8:30 Welcome Remarks
Scott Kitcher, President & CEO, Sustain SoCal
8:30 – 8:50 Air Quality and the Future of Mobility
Matt Miyasato, Deputy Executive Officer, Science & Technology Advancement, SCAQMD
8:50 – 9:10 Venture Capital Trends in Mobility
Asad Hussain, Analyst, Emerging Technology, PitchBook Data
9:10 – 9:50 Hydrogen Pathways Panel
Randal Kaufman, Sales Director, Transformative Technologies, Black & Veatch (moderator)
Cliff Thorne, Director of Maintenance, Orange County Transportation Authority
Gil Castillo, Sr. Group Mgr., Alt. Vehicle & Advanced Vehicle Strategy, Hyundai Motor America
9:50 – 10:10 Electrification of Fleets: Challenges & Opportunities
Mark Kerstens, VP Global Fleet Solutions, ChargePoint
10:10 – 10:20 Break
10:20 – 11:00 E-Mobility – Multimodal Transportation
Byron Washom, Director of Strategic Energy Initiatives, UC San Diego (Moderator)
Janet Purchase, Utility & Energy Analyst, California State University, Fullerton
Shane Burckle, Watershed/Conservation Specialist, Public Works, City of Newport Beach
Travis Roper, Supervisor, Maintenance Dept, CHOC Children’s Hospital
11:00 – 11:20 A City’s Perspective: Transportation and Mobility in Anaheim
Jamie Lai, Traffic and Transportation Manager, City of Anaheim
11:20 – 11:50 Transportation Agencies Panel: Setting the Bar
Kurt Brotcke, Director of Strategic Planning, Orange County Transportation Authority
Duane Baker, Deputy Executive Director, San Bernardino County Transportation Authority
11:50 – 12:30 Mobility as a Service (Maas) Taking Shape
Frank Ferrara, Principal, Mobility Enablement, Traction Labs (moderator)
Katherine Corwith, VP Research & Analytics, Irvine Co. Apartment Communities
Aric Ohana, Co-Founder, Envoy
Jonathan Palacios-Avila, CEO & Co-Founder, StratosFuel
Ian Gardner, CEO & Founder, Royale EV
12:30 – 1:30 Networking Lunch and “Meet the Innovators” Session
Start-ups companies and innovation leaders in the mobility sector
1:30 – 1:50 Closing Remarks
1:50 – 2:30 Adjourn / Networking / Expo
Join us for Driving Mobility 6 as mobility and transportation industry specialists, trendsetters and innovators from both private and public sectors converge on the state-of-the-art conference facilities at The Cove at UC Irvine Applied Innovation to learn about the latest breakthroughs and new ideas that are impacting Southern California, one of the most mobility-challenged regions in the world.
Asad Hussain, Analyst, Emerging Technology, PitchBook Data
Asad Hussain is a Technology Analyst at PitchBook, the premier data provider for private and public equity markets. Hussain leads PitchBook’s coverage of privately held companies, technologies, and investments in transportation and supply chain. He recently published a market segmentation of the venture-backed mobility ecosystem and has published multiple analyses on rideshare IPOs, like Uber and Lyft. Hussain’s work on emerging technology trends has been featured in publications including CNBC, CNN Business, the Financial Times, Forbes, Fortune, and Reuters. Prior to joining PitchBook, Hussain was an equity research associate at Westwood Holdings, where he supported the coverage of 100+ publicly listed technology companies. He is a Harvard College graduate, where he earned his BA in Economics.
Byron Washom, Director of Strategic Energy Initiatives, UC San Diego
Mr. Byron Washom has served as Director of Strategic Energy Initiatives at the University of California San Diego since 2008. Previously he served as the CEO of a technical due diligence firm in CleanTech while concurrently serving as Sr. International Advisor to The World bank and being a four-time Rockefeller Foundation Grantee in renewable energy development. In 1984, Mr. Washom received an R&D100 for one of the 100 most outstanding innovations in the world based upon his entrepreneurial leadership that set eight technical world records for the conversion efficiency of sunlight- to-grid connection that remained unsurpassed for 24 years. Fast Company magazine named him to their June 2010 cover story “100 Most Innovative Persons in Business”. In 2013, he was retained to help design the microgrid for the Hawaiian Island of Lana`i which is 98% owned by Larry Ellison. Mr. Washom’s responsibilities at UCSD are to bring quantum innovations in zero and low carbon technologies to its 52 MW microgrid that self-generates 80% of its annual electrical load. UCSD has deployed 3 MW of PV, 2.5 MW/5 MWH of energy storage, 27 MW of CHP gas turbines, 2.8 MW of a directed biogas fuel cell with the world’s first fuel cell-absorption chiller, 9 million gallons of thermal energy storage, and 220 Level II and 5 DC Fast EV charging stations. UCSD’s microgrid is the world’s largest, most diversified portfolio of distributed energy resources.
Cliff Thorne, Director of Maintenance and Motorist Services, Orange County Transportation Authority
Cliff Thorne is the Director of Maintenance and Motorists Services who works with the Executive Team at OCTA to strategically plan and maintain company assets for the purpose of providing transportation services in Orange County. With over 20 years of experience in the public transit industry, Cliff oversees all fleet and facility maintenance which includes developing, reviewing, and approving policies and procedures for maintenance and related operations. Cliff and his staff develop, implement, and monitor new vehicle technology including emissions reductions efforts. Cliff is a member of the California Transit Association and currently chairs the Maintenance Committee. Cliff has a passion for making process improvements utilizing advanced technologies with a common-sense approach. He believes that one must remain in a state of continuous growth in terms of knowledge and skills in order to be the most effective and relevant.
Dave Park, Fueling Infrastructure, California Fuel Cell Partnership & Frontier Energy
Dave Park leads hydrogen infrastructure development for the California Fuel Cell Partnership, which requires balancing the needs of the rapidly developing retail hydrogen market with consumer demand. His role is best described as aligning the economics of vehicle manufacturing with those of retail hydrogen and providing industry consensus feedback to California agencies tasked with stimulating electric drive vehicle markets. Dave’s passion lies in the subject of motivating society to prefer sustainable transportation choices through changes in long-term behavior. His core background is the development of public policy related to transportation and the environment, and has advised transportation policy while serving in public, private and nonprofit sectors. He holds degrees in environmental engineering and public health.
Dean Adams Curtis, MOEV Inc., Senior Manager of Communications & Training
For the past decade, Dean Adams Curtis has served as an instructor of classroom and online courses for the UCLA Extension Sustainability Certificate Program. Courses Dean instructs include Principles of Sustainability II: Economic Dimensions, Principles of Sustainability III: Stakeholders and Engaging Communities, as well as Organizational Change for Sustainability, and Electric Vehicles & Infrastructure. Before joining the EV infrastructure startup MOEV, as their Senior Manager of Communications & Training, Dean worked for several years as Operations Manager of the UCLA School of Engineering’s Smart Grid Energy Research Center. He is a LEED accredited professional of the U.S. Green Building Council and was previously a sustainability consultant with the Advanced Sustainability Institute. Dean earned his master’s degree in organizational management from Antioch University. His career has also included varied entertainment industry operations and IT positions, which led to Dean serving as the first director of interactive media development for MGM/United Artists.
Duane Baker, Deputy Executive Director, San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) and the San Bernardino Council of Governments (SBCOG)
Duane Baker is the Deputy Executive Director of the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) and the San Bernardino Council of Governments (SBCOG). These agencies were formerly known as SANBAG. Duane has been with the organization since August 2008. Duane’s responsibility at SBCTA includes overseeing the council of government functions such as implementing the energy efficiency programs, overseeing grants for alternative fuel vehicles, serving on the steering committee for the Countywide Vision, and coordinating regional efforts to address common issues such as wellness and healthy communities. Duane also manages the Air Quality and Mobility Programs operated by SBCTA. These programs include ridesharing, vanpool, the 5-1-1 and IE511.org systems for traffic and commuter information, emergency call boxes and the Freeway Service Patrol. Duane is also responsible for human resources, information technology, facilities and operating policies for SBCTA. Prior to joining SBCTA, Duane served as the Assistant City Manager for Hemet, California where he was responsible for community and economic development. Duane has over 30 years of experience in the city management profession serving cities in Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties.
Frank Ferrara, Principal, Mobility Enablement, Traction Labs
Frank Ferrara is a Principal at Traction-Labs specializing in Mobility and commercialization of start-ups. He has consulted with some of the major companies in the automotive space. Frank retired from Hyundai in 2017 as Executive Vice President of the Customer Satisfaction Division. His career included responsibility for all aspects of the parts and service operations including telematics, quality, safety, call center and dealer operations. He was twice recognized by Automotive News as an All-Star for his innovative work. Frank sits on the board of Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, California.
Gilbert Castillo, Senior Group Manager, Advanced Vehicle Strategy, Hyundai Motor America
Gilbert Castillo is the senior group manager of advanced vehicle strategy at Hyundai Motor America. He is responsible for the company’s exploration into new vehicle segments, including those with alternative powertrain technologies. He also is responsible for the strategic planning for the company’s future line of vehicles in the United States. Castillo led the successful introduction and launch of the Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell Vehicle, the first production fuel cell vehicle sold in the United States. Castillo joined Hyundai in 2012 from Honda R&D Americas, where he worked in the areas of vehicle research and design and strategic vehicle development. Prior to joining Honda, he worked for Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan. Castillo graduated from Stanford University and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Product Design Engineering. He is married and has two children. Castillo can often be found on weekends driving, both for work and pleasure, on the back roads of Southern California in a variety of vehicles, including his classic Alfa Romeo Spider.
Ian Gardner, CEO & Founder, Royale EV
Ian Gardner is a seasoned energy, sustainability and transportation entrepreneur. With stints at Duke Energy, The Boston Consulting Group, the Esalen Institute, the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator and Chanje Energy he has been involved in starting, financing and growing companies for a 25+ year career. Most recently Ian has launched Royale EV, a smartphone based, on demand, integrated electric TaaS platform for medium duty commercial vehicles. Royale is based in Los Angeles.
Jack Axelrod, Business Development Manager, Envoy
Jack heads up Business Development and Strategic Partnership efforts at Envoy. Through his brief but colorful career, he has been very active in the Silicon Beach start-up scene helping to launch a variety of technology companies across a multitude of industries. Most recently, he started “SQKY” in New York City to help service the new eco-system of shared mobility fleets. As a proponent for shared mobility, he has embraced a car-light lifestyle and preaches its benefits to whomever might be in earshot.
Jamie Lai, P.E., Traffic and Transportation Manager, City of Anaheim
Jamie Lai is the Traffic and Transportation Manager at the City of Anaheim, where she manages diverse and innovative projects ranging from implementation of Intelligent Transportation Systems, such as connected and automated vehicle technologies to neighborhood traffic management. She oversees traffic and transportation issues within Anaheim’s 50 square miles and over 300 signalized intersections including those in The Anaheim Resort and the Platinum Triangle. Jamie also oversees operations of the City’s Traffic Management Center (TMC), which provides for safe and efficient trips for commuters throughout the City especially during events within and around The Anaheim Resort, Honda Center and Angels Stadium. She works closely with the community, managing the City’s neighborhood traffic management programs that includes oversight of the City’s permit parking and traffic calming programs. Jamie has also managed projects such as the LEED Platinum certified Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC) as well as coordinates transit and transportation planning activities with the Orange County Transportation Authority, Caltrans, Southern California Association of Governments, and neighboring Orange County cities and agencies. She has also worked on numerous development project ranging from infill to commercial and mixed use residential. Jamie has been instrumental in bringing complex and high profile projects through the entitlement process and into construction. Prior to joining the City of Anaheim in 2005, Jamie worked on transportation projects at OC Public Works and the private engineering sector. Jamie received both her Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and Master’s degree in Civil Engineering, specializing in Transportation Planning, from the University of California, Irvine. She is a licensed Professional Civil Engineer in the state of California.
Janet Purchase, Utility & Energy Analyst, California State University, Fullerton
Janet Purchase is the Utility and Energy Analyst for California State University, Fullerton. She has over 30 years of experience in the public sector, with the vast majority of that time in Facilities Management. She has worked in the higher education, municipal and county arenas. Some of her achievements include installing 13 MW of solar, 126 EV charging stations and being part of a team that is bringing the new California Air Resources Board research facilities to Riverside. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music, as well as a Master’s degree in Public Administration.
Jonathan Palacios-Avila, CEO & Co-Founder, StratosFuel
Jonathan has worked on environmental projects for implementing climate action plans, specifically in the field of hydrogen and electric vehicles. For the past four years, he has been researching and developing energy storage methods and is an environmental consultant for private businesses. Jonathan serves as the Chief Executive Officer for StratosFuel and executes the business operations, as well as seek out new avenues to further expand a zero emission infrastructure.
Katherine Corwith, VP Research & Analytics, Irvine Company Apartment Communities
Katherine Corwith currently serves as Vice President of Research & Analytics at Irvine Company Apartment Communities. She is responsible for leading the development of analytical models and research programs that contribute to the long-term operational success of the organization. Katherine has a broad range of commercial real estate experience across major sectors, including multifamily, retail, office, and hospitality. Immediately prior to joining Irvine Company, Katherine was an office REIT equity analyst at Green Street Advisors. Katherine spent much of her early career in Europe, where she worked for retail REIT Unibail-Rodamco and Meridia Capital, a small Private Equity firm focused on luxury hotel investment.
Director of Strategic Planning, Orange County Transportation Authority
Kurt Brotcke has over 29 years of transportation planning and project funding experience in Orange County. He is the Orange County Transportation Authority’s (OCTA’s) current Director of Strategic Planning. Kurt’s responsibilities include creating freeway, street, transit, bikeway, and technology plans to address current and future Orange County transportation issues as well as developing and implementing funding programs. Kurt’s most recent efforts focus on evaluating infrastructure readiness for connected and autonomous vehicles.
Mark Kerstens, VP Global Fleet Solutions, ChargePoint
ChargePoint is the leading electric vehicle (EV) charging network in the world, with charging solutions in every category EV drivers charge, for fleets, at home, work, around town and on the road. With more than 66,000 public and semi-public commercial charging spots and thousands of customers (businesses, cities, fleets, agencies and service providers), ChargePoint designs, develops and manufactures hardware and software solutions across every use case. Leading EV hardware makers and other partners rely on the ChargePoint network to make charging station details available in mobile apps, online and in navigation systems for popular EVs. ChargePoint drivers have completed more than 55 million charging sessions, saving upwards of 60 million gallons of gasoline and driving more than 1.4 billion gas-free miles on dispensed energy. For more information, visit www.chargepoint.com
Mandar Padhye, Founder, EMC Squared Vehicles
Mandar Padhye is a graduate in mechanical Engineering with a Bachelor of Science Degree. He has over 20 years of cumulative experience in Automotive Product development. Mandar was born and grew up in India before immigrating to United States in 1997 to achieve a Master’s Degree at University of Michigan-Dearborn. After university studies at Michigan, since 1999 , Mandar worked as a consultant engineer for various Ford Motor Company projects in automotive product development and digital innovation. The 2006 Ford Fusion program on which Mandar was assigned was to become the first ever program in Ford North America to achieve 100% green status for Package and Geometric compliance. After working at Ford, in April 2008, Mandar joined PHEV start-up company Fisker Automotive in California to assist in creating a totally new company with cutting edge Electric Vehicle technology from scratch. Mandar was lead engineer with oversight of a team of dozen skilled designers to architect and package the vehicle. After Fisker, In October 2013 , Mandar Co-founded a 3-wheeler vehicle project at Robertsham LLC to create concept prototype of Single Seater Car based on a motorcycle platform . Mandar then founded EMC Squared Vehicles LLC where he continues technical & commercial development of the 3-wheeler vehicle concept. Mandar believes that such compact vehicle which combines benefits of car and motorcycle could be future of inner city commute to address congested roads and pollution. The 3-Wheeler vehicle is available for test ride and for technical study upon request.
Matt Miyasato, Ph.D., Deputy Executive Officer, Science & Technology Advancement, South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD)
Dr. Matt Miyasato is the Deputy Executive Officer for Science & Technology Advancement at the South Coast Air Quality Management District. He is responsible for the SCAQMD’s Technology Advancement Office, Mobile Source Division, and Monitoring and Laboratory Analysis Division. Dr. Miyasato’s principal charges are to identify, evaluate and stimulate development and commercialization of clean air technologies, develop and coordinate mobile source regulations, and to conduct ambient monitoring, source testing and laboratory analysis. Dr. Miyasato received his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering, and his Masters and Ph.D. in Engineering, specializing in combustion technologies and air pollution control – all from the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Miyasato has worked at Southern California Edison in the Nuclear Engineering Department and at General Electric, where he designed burners and combustion modifications for utility boilers. He was also a research scientist at UCI, where he managed the industrial burner research program and has publications on combustion phenomena, active control, and laser diagnostics. Dr. Miyasato has also been a lecturer at UCI for the undergraduate air pollution control course.
Randal Kaufman, Sales Director, Black & Veatch’s Transformative Technologies
Randal Kaufman is Sales Director for Black & Veatch’s Transformative Technologies business. With over 15 years of experience in the electrical power industry, Randal has expertise in electric vehicle charging infrastructure and complimentary energy delivery systems, data centers, distributed generation, energy management, power quality, and backup systems. He also spent two years in the stationary fuel cell power generation business, with special focus on application engineering and product development. His previous work experience includes ABB, ClearEdge Power, and Schneider Electric. Randal holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from California State University-Chico, and an MBA from the University of California-Irvine. http://www.linkedin.com/in/randal-kaufman-60760a8
C. Scott Kitcher, President & CEO, Sustain SoCal
Scott has 30 years of financial services experience in investment banking, investment management, private equity, and consulting. Just over 13 years ago, he began focusing on clean technologies. Today, he is President & CEO of Sustain SoCal, and serves on various corporate, non-profit and academic boards and committees in various roles almost all related to cleantech and sustainability.
Shane Burckle, Watershed/Conservation Specialist, Public Works, City of Newport Beach
Shane Burckle started his career in 2000 with the City of Newport Beach Water Quality Enforcement. His role in improving ocean water quality migrated into a passion for all things environmental. Currently, he is working with the Public Works Division-Environmental Section as the Watershed and Conservation Specialist. His responsibility as Project Manager for the City includes, promoting alternative transportation and improving the charging infrastructure for the increasing demand of e-mobility.
Steve Nilsen, Consulting Engineer, EMC Squared Vehicles
Steve Nilsen is a passionate engineer and leader of chassis and powertrain technology development in the automotive space. His passions are environmentally friendly vehicles and international business. Steve is a consultant and part-time MBA student at USC, specializing in strategy, new product development, consulting, and data analytics. He has been a consultant for EMC Squared vehicles since 2017. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon and began his career at Chrysler Corporation while earning his Masters in Mechanical Engineering from University of Michigan. At Chrysler/ DaimlerChrylser, he conducted multiple vehicle development projects from concept to completion with teams in Mexico, Japan, and Europe. His engineering designs are on the Neon, PT Cruiser, Caliber, Compass, Patriot, Durango Hybrid, and ML450 Hybrid. He spent nearly 5 years engineering the regenerative brake system and chassis systems on the Fisker Karma, then went on to engineer CNG fuel storage systems for Quantum Technologies, and most recently was Product Development Process Leader at Canoo, another LA-based EV startup. www.linkedin.com/in/steve-nilsen9
Travis Roper, Supervisor, Maintenance Dept, CHOC Children’s Hospital
Travis is the Maintenance Supervisor at CHOC Children’s Hospital. His background is as a licensed Journeyman Electrician and has been in the electrical industry for 15 years. He came to CHOC working with Berg Electric on the construction of their new patient tower. After completion of the project he was hired as CHOC’s Electrician. Travis is a Certified Healthcare Safety Professional (CHSP), Certified Healthcare Emergency Professional (CHEP), and Thermographer Level I certified. He has also completed course work for both NFPA 70E (Electrical Safety in the Workplace) and NFPA 101 (Healthcare Life Safety Code).
