MIX: Monthly Innovation Exchange

​Join us for MIX, a monthly gathering designed to spark collaboration, share ideas, and strengthen our innovation community. Startup, Policy, Industry, Academia, Creatives, Entrepreneurs, researchers, civic leaders, and ecosystem partners come together to explore a rotating theme through lightning talks, small-group conversations, and informal networking. Whether you're launching a new venture, driving scientific discovery, or building community infrastructure, MIX is a space to connect, learn, and grow—together. Enjoy happy hour bites, meaningful dialogue, and the chance to get inspired by others shaping the future in and around our region.

​​This Month's Topic - Designing What Matters: Jobs, Pains & Gains

​How do we build things people actually need? This month’s MIX explores value proposition design: building impactful solutions by understanding the real jobs objectives people are trying to accomplish, the pain points they face, and the outcomes they care about.

​Maybe it's developing tools to support physicians, designing for frontline workers, or launching a new venture. In each case, the conversation is about building with intention, beginning with the people you serve.

​Featured Speakers:

​Tai Nicolopoulos, VP of Marketing & Business Development at BeeWise

​Appolllo Bey, Owner & Creative Director, I Color Inside The Lines For A Living

​Simeon Gant, Executive Director, Green Tech Education & Employment

​Steven Lucero, UC Davis Tech Foundry Operations Director, Development Engineer

​

​​Agenda:

​​Arrive early - beat the traffic & work from the space!!

​​5:00 – 5:30 PM | Arrival & Open Networking

​​5:30 – 6:30 PM | Facilitated Idea Exchange

​​•  Brief background on the chosen theme for the month.

​​•  Expert Lightning Talk

​​•  Roundtables

​​6:30 – 6:45 PM | Reflections & Wrap-Up

​​6:45 – 7:15 PM | Open Networking