CEO Panel Participants (Pictured left to right): Waheed Baqai, Kimberly Starrs, Edwin Gomez, Tomás D. Morales, Kelly May-Vollmar, and Ashish Vaidya
On February 21, 2025, Growing Inland Achievement (GIA) and California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) partnered to host the 2025 PROPEL AI Symposium, bringing together educators, industry leaders, and community partners to explore how artificial intelligence is shaping education and workforce development.
Held at the CSUSB campus, the symposium provided a space for regional leaders to discuss AI’s potential and its implications for students, educators, and employers. GIA and CSUSB worked together to convene experts, foster collaboration, and highlight opportunities for innovation in the Inland Empire.
Keynote speakers included:
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Dr. Ajey Jacob, Director of the ASIC Lab at USC’s Information Sciences Institute, who shared insights from his 16 years at Intel and GlobalFoundries on AI hardware innovation.
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Dr. Karen Vignare, Vice President of Digital Transformation for Student Success at the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, who focused on how technology is reshaping higher education.
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Dr. Sabba Quidwai, CEO of Designing Schools, who discussed strategies for preparing students with the skills needed in an AI-driven workforce.
GIA CEO Ashish Vaidya led a CEO roundtable with regional leaders from the education, healthcare, and nonprofit sectors, including Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Edwin Gomez, Desert Sands Unified School District Superintendent Kelly May-Vollmar, former Wise Healthcare COO Waheed Baqai, Inland SoCal United Way CEO Kimberly Starrs, and CSUSB President Tomás D. Morales, to discuss AI’s impact across industries.
Plenary sessions explored:
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How AI collaborations, including OpenAI partnerships, are shaping the future of higher education, with insights from Arizona State University.
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Efforts to expand AI knowledge and capacity in K-12 education, highlighted by San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS) Technology Services.
The discussions and collaborations at the 2025 PROPEL AI Symposium reflect a shared commitment to preparing students and workers for an AI-driven future. As AI continues to evolve, the insights and partnerships formed through this event will help shape the region’s approach to education and workforce development, ensuring the Inland Empire remains at the forefront of AI adoption and innovation.
