(AGENPARL) – mar 25 aprile 2023 [City of Sacramento Office of Innovation & Economic Development Header]
BizX business event is next Tuesday!
Entrepreneurs, small business owners and industry professionals are invited to join the City’s Office of Innovation and Economic Development and Sacramento County from 3 to 6 p.m. May 2 for an exploration into innovation and creativity.
The event is in person at The Urban Hive 1007 7th St. Those interested in attending can register for $10.
BizX is presented by the City of Sacramento’s Office of Innovation and Economic Development and the County of Sacramento.
[Register now](https://t.updates.cityofsacramento.org/r/?id=h521e251,457ab34,457af32)
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The agenda
This year’s event — “The Art of Innovation” — will examine what it means to be innovative in today’s world. The event will feature a lineup of engaging speakers followed by a networking reception.
DJ Rock Bottom: We have DJ Rock set to play for us during the Biz-X Event!
Monique Brown, Growth Factory: “Innovation Throughout the Industries” – A fireside chat style discussion where speakers share their insights about the innovation that they see through different industries, exploring what it means to be creative and imaginative in today’s world.
Cheri Chastain, “Sustainable Communities” – Sharing the vision of building a sustainable community from scratch, with a focus on creating a holistic town ecosystem that benefits residents, businesses, and the environment.
Amadeu Goncalves, “Overcoming Adversity” – Sharing his stories of overcoming obstacles and challenges on the road to success and offer tips for others looking to do the same.
Stephen Walton, “Breaking the Mold” – Breaking away from conventional thinking and pursuing your own path to success.
Louis Stewart, “The Future of Innovation” – Offer a vision of what the future might hold in a specific field or industry, and how innovation can help us get there.
Networking and reception – Guests will have the opportunity to connect with each other and with the speakers, building new relationships and sharing ideas and experiences.
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Meet the speakers!
Amadeu Goncalves
Director and Producer of the Adapting History Youth Project
Amadeu Goncalves is Director and Producer of the Adapting History Youth Project, an educational learning tool that teaches American music through history and American history through music. The program uses music and spoken word poetry to narrate the complex history of our nation, and shows students how a closer understanding of our collective past can help us build a better future. The Adapting History Youth Project was funded and sponsored by the US State Department and the Mondavi Center at UC Davis.
As a Sacramento native, Amadeu attended California State University Sacramento receiving a B.A. in International Relations and Spanish. Amadeu also attended law school in Sacramento at McGeorge School of Law where he received a Juris Doctor degree and a Trial and Appellate Advocacy Certificate of Concentration. With his diverse background, Amadeu strives to create and develop professionally using his experience in business, art, law, and education.
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Cheri ChastainDirector, Public Affairs & Sustainability for Somers West Development
Cheri Chastain is an experienced Director of Energy, Sustainability, & Public Affairs with over 17 years’ experience. Cheri has demonstrated leadership in the food & beverages industry, higher education, community development, and local government. Focusing on carbon neutrality, climate resilience and community connectivity, Cheri has a long history of challenging the status quo.
She currently serves as Director, Public Affairs & Sustainability for Somers West Development where she is focused on climate-positive community development. In addition, Cheri serves as the Chair of the City of Chico Climate Action Commission and is a board member for the non-profit bicycling advocacy organization Chico Velo.
Cheri is proud to call Sacramento her hometown.
Louis Stewart
Head of Strategic Initiatives at NVIDIA
Louis Stewart currently serves as the Head of Strategic Initiatives at NVIDIA. He served as the City of Sacramento’s first Chief Innovation Officer for three years prior to joining the tech leader. Mr. Stewart was responsible for the development of a broad citywide portfolio of programs and initiatives that support, drive, influence and build upon the City of Sacramento’s economic inclusion philosophy, business development strategies, goals, customer relationships and business results.
He spent seven years serving as California’s Deputy Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). In that capacity he oversaw the coordination and promotion of innovative programs, activities, and emerging technologies throughout California for the last seven years.
Mr. Stewart served in the public sector for 13 years including as the Deputy Director of the Census for the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, the Assistant Deputy Director of the Field Operations Division for the Department of Motor Vehicles, and the Information Technology Director for Californians for Schwarzenegger. His professional experience also includes 17 years in the private sector in sales, marketing, and information technology.
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Stephen WaltonCommunity Developer & Investor
Stephen Walton is a visionary and strategist who possesses a unique ability to articulate his vision to people from all backgrounds. As a North Sacramento native by way of Del Paso Heights, he was raised with a deep love for his community as the son of a community Pastor.
Stephen has been involved in several impactful projects that aim to uplift his community. With a focus on residential redevelopment, he has worked on existing properties and currently working to create new infill development projects that help to revitalize neighborhoods and create new opportunities for growth.
Stephen is also a Financial Literacy Coach, having taught over 400 students on the tools needed to grow up financially.
Stephen’s wife, Carolina, is also an executive in the real estate profession, and together they are a dynamic team. They have a son, Trè, who is in his second year at UC Berkeley. When he’s not working, Stephen enjoys spending time with his family, listening to music, and traveling to visit friends across the country
Monique Brown
Managing Director, The Growth Factory
Monique Brown is Co-founder and Managing Director at The Growth Factory, a startup accelerator with an accompanying venture fund on a mission to unleash the potential of world class founders, scale truly great companies, and create a thriving entrepreneurial culture in the Greater Sacramento region.
She also serves as Entrepreneur in Residence at Sierra College where she works to infuse an entrepreneurial mindset and skillset across disciplines on campus and to connect the college to the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem. Outside of work, Monique serves on the board for Teach for America Capital Valley Region.
Outside of work, Monique serves on the board for Teach for America Capital Valley Region and is proud mom to 5 awesome daughters. She holds a B.A. from American University in International Relations, Sustainable Development
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DJ Rock Bottom
DJ Rock Bottom is one of Sacramento’s most respected DJs, being nominated for a SAMMIE four consecutive years. Starting his career in 2004 with residencies at various venues around Sacramento and Northern California. He is known for having an ear for authentic and quality
music.
DJ Rock Bottom’s passion for DJing began just over 19 years ago. After relocating over 3,000 miles to Sacramento, California, he found that his walk to a different beat needed a soundtrack. Thus began a journey through the exploration of music & quietly developing the skills that made mixing music natural to him.
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