Friday, Nov 7 (Subject to change)
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM Doors Open for Registration | Expo | Box Lunch Served
- Media Expo featuring 50+ leading new outlets
- Resources for Ethnic & Community media
1:30 PM – 2:00 PM Opening Session: Why We Need High Touch Media
- MODERATOR:
- Malcolm Marshall, Publisher, Contra Costa Pulse
- Welcoming Remarks:
- David McCulloch, PG&E Vice President and Chief Marketing & Communication Officer
- The Power of Pan Ethnic Media:
- Julian Do, America Community Media
- Regina Brown Wilson, California Black Media
- Martha Diaz Askenaz, Latino Media Collaborative
- Keynotes:
- Congresswoman Lateefah Simon, 12th District of California
- State Senator Jesse Arreguín
2:15 PM – 3:30 PM PLENARY SESSION: Communication Specialists Share Success Stories Leveraging Multicultural Media and Challenges for 2026
- MODERATOR:
- Aram Nadjarian, Founder & Managing Partner, Mozaic Media & Communications
- SPEAKERS:
- Devon Keeler, Chief Deputy, Governor’s Office of Community Partnerships & Strategic Communications
- Connie Nakano, Assistant Director, Office of Strategic Initiatives & Equity, California Department of Aging
- Griselda Melgoza, Spokesperson, California Department of Health Care Services
- Jon Christensen, LENS Director; Adjunct Assistant Professor, UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Luskin Center for Innovation, Center for Digital Humanities
- Maeve Elise Brown, Executive Director, Housing & Economic Rights Advocates (HERA)
- Q&A:
- Jean Ho, Executive Secretary, News for Chinese
- Manuel Ortiz Escamez, Founder and Director, Peninsula 360
- Larry Lee, Publisher, Sacramento Observer
3:30 PM – 3:40 PM AFTERNOON BREAK
3:40 PM – 4:30 PM WORKSHOPS 1 & 2
Workshop #1: Reporting on Communities Under Siege (Auditorium)
- MODERATOR:
- Jaya Padmanabhan, Editor, USC Center for Health Care Journalism
- SPEAKERS:
- Jenna Lane, Communications Officer, Blue Shield Foundation of California
- Ed Kissam, Immigrant Rights Researcher
- Jian Zhao, Journalist, World Journal
- Erika Carlos, Editor in Chief, El Tecolote
Workshop #2: Building Inclusive Communications at the Grassroots (Open Collab Area)
- MODERATOR:
- Richard Sandoval, Producer, Hispanic Lifestyle
- Small Business – Rebuilding Synergy with Ethnic Media
- Martha Diaz Askenazi, Publisher, San Fernando Valley Sun
- David Ponomar, CEO, Afisha Media Group
- Public Policy Engagement
- Senator Scott Weiner (video presentation)
- Media Networks
- Maya Chupkov, Media & Democracy Program Manager, California Common Cause, SF Independent Media
- Michele Siqueiros, CEO, LA Local Media
4:30 PM – 5:00 PM Reception
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM Media Awards Ceremony & Communication Champion Awards
- MCs:
- Michelle Benitez, News Anchor, Univision 14 Bay Area
- Martin Reynolds, Executive Director, The Maynard Institute
- Communications Champion Awards
- Senator Steve Glazer
- Jenna Lane, Communications Officer, Blue Shield of California Foundation
- Awards for Outstanding Journalism
- Video Remarks from Judges and Special Recognition
Celebrating California’s Community Media
High Touch Communications in a High-Tech Age
