Pick up your registration materials and enjoy light breakfast offerings in the courtyard with your fellow attendees.

Join us for an engaging conversation between Bank of America Dean Jennifer A. Chatman, PhD 88, and Haas Board Member Christina Ma McFarland, FTMBA 01. Christina will share insights from her distinguished career in finance, most recently as Head of Global Banking, Asia-Pacific at HSBC. Together, they will explore the school’s current successes and the bold vision shaping our community’s future.

View Bios: Jennifer A. Chatman, PhD 88 | Christina Ma McFarland, FTMBA 01

Morning break will take place in the O’Donnell Courtyard & Bank of America Forum.

Choose from concurrent conference sessions. Session interest will be gauged during registration. Seating is available on a first come, first served basis

Discover the invisible force of social status and how it influences everything from who we trust to which innovations succeed. Drawing from his new book, Anointed, Professor Toby Stuart will reveal how status creates "winner-take-most" outcomes, turning small initial advantages into insurmountable leads and baking inequality into its core.

You will learn the answers to critical questions, like: Why do people choose the same seats in meetings, and why are health disparities so pronounced? The session will also expand upon Stuart’s current research on artificial intelligence, examining how AI will change economic markets and corporate organizations.

View Bio: Toby Stuart

In this session, we’ll use a case-based discussion to examine a pivotal real-world leadership failure—one where technical expertise, organizational dynamics, and time pressure collided with tragic consequences. By unpacking what went wrong, we’ll explore what responsible, courageous leadership looks like when the stakes are at their highest.

Understanding responsible crisis management is essential for today’s leaders: crises are unavoidable. Supply shocks, social backlash, cyberattacks, and product failures have become the norm rather than the exception.

Participants will walk away from this interactive session with insights to leverage principled decision-making to turn crises into catalysts for long-term value creation.

View Bio: Amy Chan

Healthcare is one of the largest, most complex sectors of the economy—and one where better decisions can have enormous human and financial impact. In this session, Professor Dave Chan introduces his path from practicing physician to economist, and how that dual perspective shapes his research at Haas.

He will highlight recent work on diagnostic skill, the productivity of nurse practitioners versus physicians, and new projects using machine learning to design better clinical guidelines for conditions such as atrial fibrillation. Together, these examples show how economic reasoning, data science, and frontline clinical insight can improve quality, equity, and efficiency in healthcare delivery.

The session will also preview an emerging vision for a “Health at Haas” pillar, developed with colleagues across campus, that brings together business, economics, policy, and AI to train leaders and generate ideas with real-world impact. Attendees will see how Haas is uniquely positioned to lead at the intersection of healthcare and management.

View Bio: Dave Chan

In an era of increasing polarization, the ability to bridge divides is a critical leadership competency. Inspired by the success of the "Dialogues over Dinner" initiative at Haas, this panel brings together alumni to explore a proven model for facilitating high-stakes conversations in intimate settings. We will move beyond the surface of DEIJB to discuss how "Breaking Bread, Bridging Divides" creates the psychological safety necessary for true inclusion. Join us to gain actionable strategies for fostering diverse perspectives within your organizations and communities, carrying the spirit of open dialogue into your professional and personal circles.

Alumni panelists include:

Laura Andersen, FTMBA 19

Travis Bautista, FTMBA 25

David Brown-Dawson FTMBA 21

Lucas Chagas-Vital, FTMBA 18

Enjoy lunch in the courtyard with fellow alumni as well as conference speakers and student participants. Over lunch, learn more about your alumni benefits by visiting any number of the information tables in the O'Donnell Courtyard.

Choose from concurrent conference sessions. Seating is available on a first come, first served basis

Learn how to turn AI from a party trick into a precision collaborator so you can sharpen any leadership message in three minutes, boost your creative courage, and communicate with the clarity and confidence today’s tech environment demands. Led by Adam Leipzig, former Disney and National Geographic executive, communication expert, Hollywood producer responsible for more than 40 movies (including March of the Penguins, Dead Poets Society, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Titus, The Way Back, and A Plastic Ocean), and award-winning faculty at UC Berkeley Haas.

AI cannot replace your authenticity, but it can amplify your impact. In this fast-paced, hands-on session, Adam Leipzig shows you how to transform AI from a party trick into a precision collaborator that sharpens your leadership communication in just three minutes. Drawing from his upcoming book Fearless Persistence, Adam reveals how creative courage combined with practical tools leads to messages that land with clarity, confidence, and influence. You’ll walk away with a simple, repeatable framework you can use on your phone anytime you need to persuade, motivate, and lead.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

1. Sharpen any leadership message in under 3 minutes using AI as a collaborative partner (not a crutch).

2. Translate technical or complex ideas into audience-ready communication with clarity and precision.

3. Apply creative courage from Fearless Persistence to real-time messaging, turning uncertainty into confidence and noise into narrative.

View Bio: Adam Leipzig

Global trade and technological change have reshaped the world economy, contributing to real pressure on U.S. workers and episodes of rising inflation. In this session, we will look at how persistent U.S. trade deficits, global savings imbalances, and China’s rapid rise in manufacturing set the stage for deep economic and political tensions.

In this session, you will hear what we’ve learned about the China shock, the role of automation, and why these disruptions hit some communities so much harder than others—ultimately helping to fuel the backlash that led to the U.S.–China trade war. We will also consider the new era of industrial policy, export controls, and shifting supply chains, and what they imply for the future of globalization.

View Bio: Matilde Bombardini

From a seed fund for student founders to the 10th anniversary of UC LAUNCH, Berkeley Haas Entrepreneurship has been training and supporting founders across campus as well as the greater UC system. Hear from these student, faculty and alumni innovators and how they have used these and other curriculum-driven programs like Berkeley StEP, NSF I-Corps, Berkeley Ventures and more to learn, pivot mid-career and keep being Students Always.

In this session, you will hear an update on the latest in Berkeley Haas Entrepreneurship, followed by a panel discussion featuring alumni innovators on how you can access resource and/or contribute expertise to:

AI Entrepreneurs @ Berkeley

Berkeley StEP

NSF I-Corps Northwest

Trione Seed Fund

UC LAUNCH

Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC)

Virtual Mentor Hours


Alumni panelists include:

Manny Smith, FTMBA 21

Santiago Pezzoni, FTMBA 21

Sneha Sheth, FTMBA 16


View Bio


Rhonda Shrader, FTMBA 96

Seize this time to reflect on your career, what might be next for you, and how Haas can help. This interactive workshop will feature alumni leaders sharing their experiences and tips on editing your career (and life) to elevate purpose. Discuss pivots, second act or “encore” career moves, board or public service, and new ways of incorporating purpose-driven work in your life.

Alumni panelists include:

Mark Buchanan, BS 86

Deary Duffie, FTMBA 84

Rebecca ‘Becky’ Messing Haigler, MBA/MPH 09

View Bio: Nora Silver

Afternoon break will take place in the O’Donnell Courtyard & Bank of America Forum.

Emceed by Professor Kellie McElhaney, Lecturer | Founding Director, Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership

The pace will be fast! The ideas will fly! Join an extraordinary group of Berkeley Haas alumni who will conclude the day with personal stories that inspire, engage, and provoke conversations that matter.

Featured Alumni:

Liz Callahan, FTMBA 11

Remona Moodley, FTMBA 16

Uyen Nguyen, FTMBA 06

Ed Ruben, FTMBA 96

Manny Smith, FTMBA 21


View Bio: Kellie McElhaney

Conclude your day on campus with invigorating conversation and a cold drink. Meet fellow alumni and featured speakers.