Danielle Gilliam-Moore first started her 5-year career on Capitol Hill as an intern for Senator Casey (D-PA) in 2010. Along the way, she worked for the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, working on Cybersecurity and Counterterrorism. She then moved to work for Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) where she was responsible for a portfolio that included defense, foreign relations, homeland security, and veterans’ issues. Danielle first worked off the Hill as the Manager for the Legislative Strategy team at BSA | The Software Alliance. In 2017 Danielle first joined Salesforce as Manager for Federal Government Affairs. Now as the Director for Global Public Policy, she works on software related policy issues such as trade, artificial intelligence, privacy, and cybersecurity. Danielle is a graduate of Smith College where she earned a B.A. in political science and religious studies.

Jarrell Cook serves as the Senior Manager for State and Local Government Affairs at Workday, representing the company throughout the west, southwest, and midwest. He leads Workday’s policy advocacy and issue engagement in California with the aim of positioning the company as a reliable and trusted voice among policymakers. Jarrell began his career in government affairs in Sacramento as a policy director for the California Manufacturers and Technology Association (CMTA) after working for several years as an attorney in Washington, D.C. He is a graduate of Morehouse College and Stanford Law School, and lives in Sacramento with his wife and three children.

Katie Brooke is on Adobe’s global public policy team and leads government relations for the state of California. She brings together a cross-functional group of lawyers, engineers, policy experts and business leaders to develop Adobe's policy positions and strategy on topics including: AI governance, copyright and creators' rights, consumer protection, and antitrust. Prior to joining the policy team, she led executive communications and strategy for Adobe's General Counsel and Chief Trust Officer. In this role, Katie helped drive the development of the company's approach to generative AI and worked to showcase Adobe's unique perspective through events such Congressional hearings on AI & IP and content authenticity; testimony before the European Parliament on AI governance; and other summits and meetings with regulators and lawmakers around the world. Katie began her career as a journalist in Washington, D.C., covering politics and the law, and served as an embed on both Secretary Hillary Clinton and President Donald Trump's campaigns in 2016. She lives in San Francisco with her husband, 1-year-old son, and Australian shepherd.

Kip Wainscott is an experienced leader at the intersection of law, policy, and technology. In his role as Executive Director for Global AI and Data Policy at JPMorgan Chase, Kip drives a firmwide strategy to advance responsible outcomes across the AI public policy and regulatory landscape. Previously, he was Head of Platform Policy at Snap Inc., where he led the development of Snap's product and content policies and engaged policymakers on rights-respecting approaches to mitigating digital risks. Kip worked in the White House under President Obama as Senior Director of Cabinet Affairs and Senior Advisor to the Domestic Policy Council, where he was a member of the National Science and Technology Council subcommittee on AI and Machine Learning. He was also Senior Counsel in the Office of Legal Policy at the US Department of Justice, where his work concentrated on the development of federal policies concerning emerging technologies. After leaving government, Kip led the Silicon Valley office of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and worked at Stanford University, where he was Associate Director for Stanford's Cyber Policy Center, Director of Program at the Global Digital Policy Incubator, and a fellow with the Digital Civil Society Lab.

Patrick Ahrens proudly represents the 26th Assembly District, located in the heart of Silicon Valley within the Santa Clara County. Assembly District 26 includes the cities of Cupertino, Santa Clara, and Sunnyvale, and part of the City of San José including the communities of Alviso and West San José, as well as the unincorporated communities of Burbank and Fruitdale.

A native of Silicon Valley, Ahrens is deeply committed to addressing the challenges faced by his constituents in one of the most dynamic yet demanding regions of California. His journey into public service was shaped by his own challenges, including growing up in a house with substance abuse issues and facing homelessness and housing insecurity as a college student. These experiences fueled his passion for public service and inspired his career advocating for affordable housing and education equity. He has championed policies to expand access and affordability in higher education, focusing on supporting community college students and ensuring pathways for economic mobility.

Prior to joining the Assembly, Ahrens served as a Trustee on the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board, where he led efforts to build affordable housing for faculty, staff, and students, and collaborated with Santa Clara County to establish a first-in-the-state medical clinic at De Anza College.

Assemblymember Ahrens is the Co-Chair of the California Legislative Technology & Innovation Caucus, and a Member of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus and the Bay Area Caucus.

A first-generation college graduate, Ahrens earned an associate degree from De Anza College, a bachelor’s degree from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and a master’s degree in public administration from San José State University. He resides in Sunnyvale and is proud to represent the vibrant communities of Santa Clara County in the State Assembly.

Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin represents California's 42nd Assembly District, which includes portions of both Ventura and Los Angeles Counties; including all of Agoura Hills, Bel Air, Beverly Glen, Brentwood, Casa Conejo, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Lake Sherwood, Malibu, Moorpark, Oak Park, Pacific Palisades, Santa Susana, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Topanga, Westlake Village, and portions of Camarillo.

As the former Mayor of Thousand Oaks, Irwin understands the importance of working across party lines at the national, state, and local level to help make her community one of the safest places to live and raise a family.

In the Assembly, Irwin has successfully authored numerous pieces of legislation into law and brought vital state funds back to her community. Through her leadership funding was allocated for the creation of the CSU Channel Island School of Engineering, an Early Childhood Education Center at CSUCI, and for innovation centers on UC campuses to transform UC research into products. Her legislation has created and expanded tax-free savings accounts for the disabled, increased the cybersecurity of state agencies. During her seven year tenure as Chair of the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee from 2014-2021 she removed barriers for military service members seeking mental health services, reformed the administration of Veterans' homes, and strengthened consumer protections for members of the National Guard and reserved called to active duty.

Irwin has also focused on ensuring safety for California families with laws that protect children from unsafe products, assist law enforcement investigating online crime, and empower parents to safeguard their child’s identity. Irwin also championed the environment with laws that expanded the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, promoted renewable energy resources, while also leading efforts to utilize the local brine line to bring purified water to local farmers.

Assemblymember Irwin currently chairs the Revenue & Taxation Committee, and is a member of the Agriculture Committee, Business & Professions Committee, Higher Education Committee, and the Privacy & Consumer Protection Committee.

Panelist

Annabel R. Chang

Director of State & Local Policy & Government Relations, Waymo

At Waymo, Annabel and her team have been instrumental in launching public autonomous vehicle services in California and other states.  Annabel currently serves as the Vice-Chair and Treasurer of the AV Industry Association. Previously, she was the first Vice President at Alaska Airlines for the San Francisco Bay Area, acting as the senior leader for the airline in the State of California. Annabel also shaped the transportation policy landscape as the Director of Public Policy for Lyft, where she worked on the earliest policy initiatives related to ride-hailing and autonomous vehicles. Before her roles in the private sector, Annabel served as an Assistant District Attorney in San Francisco and as a Litigation Associate at Morrison & Foerster LLP. Her public sector experience includes serving in the Office of U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein and as a Jesse M. Unruh Legislative Fellow in the California State Assembly. Annabel has been recognized as a San Francisco Business Times 40 Under 40 honoree and received the San Francisco Business Times Woman of Influence award. She holds a J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.

At Rivian, Hannah Steinweg leads public policy strategy and development across the West, working to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. She focuses on expanding charging infrastructure, advancing grid decarbonization, and making EVs more accessible to all. Her work involves navigating complex regulatory landscapes, collaborating with elected officials, utilities, coalitions, and agencies to adopt policies that support widespread EV adoption. 

A Texas native, Hannah has dedicated her career to advancing clean energy solutions. Before joining Rivian, she served as Director of Environment Colorado and Chief of Staff in the Colorado Legislature, where she played a key role in shaping the state’s environmental policy. With deep experience in state-level policy, she understands the importance of the intersection of government action and private-sector innovation in building a more sustainable future.

Beyond clean transportation, Hannah is passionate about sustainable fashion. She is the founder of a vintage clothing company, driven by a commitment to reducing consumption and a love for the craftsmanship and detail found in vintage fashion. 

Ted McKlveen is the CEO of Verne, which he co-founded in 2020 to decarbonize the hardest-to-address sectors of the economy. Verne generates zero-emission off-grid power by leveraging their novel hydrogen storage technology, enabling the rapid electrification of heavy industry. Ted built his career in energy prior to founding Verne, serving as the Director of Strategy and Commercialization at Advanced Microgrid Solutions and working as a consultant at Bain & Company. Ted received his MBA from Stanford University and holds an undergraduate degree in chemistry from Harvard University, where he spent time developing battery materials.  

Andrew Stevenson is the Vice President of Commercial at Twelve, the Carbon Transformation Company, where he leads partnerships with global brands to replace fossil-based chemicals and fuels with sustainable products made from CO2. At Twelve, Andrew is helping create a world made from air by advancing the company’s mission to eliminate global emissions and build a fossil-free future through cutting-edge carbon transformation technology.

With over a decade of experience in clean energy, Andrew has held roles as a project developer, advisor, and investor. His career includes leadership positions in the office of the Chief Technology Officer at Tesla Motors and as Chief Financial Officer at Redwood Materials, driving innovation and scaling sustainable solutions.

In her role as Executive Vice President of Finance at Forum Mobility, Jacqueline collaborates with stakeholders across the industry to create scalable and impactful financial solutions that support the transition to zero emission freight transportation. Prior to Forum Mobility, Jacqueline financed over $3B in utility scale renewable energy projects at Invenergy. She also advised clients on M&A transactions in the power and utilities space during her time in investment banking at Wells Fargo. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame.

Ryan leads carbon management and removal policy. His experience and research spans carbon management science, engineering, economics, and policy. Previously, Ryan was an AAAS Congressional Science and Engineering Fellow in the U.S. Senate. He completed a PhD in civil and environmental engineering at Princeton University, where he was also a fellow in the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. His research focused on modeling geological carbon storage and economic analysis for CO2 capture and transport infrastructure systems.

Nora leads a new portfolio of work focused on shaping the carbon removal market to permanently remove legacy carbon emissions via bio-oil sequestration. Previously she served as Senior Director of Government Relations at Saildrone, a global organization focused on changing the way ocean data is collected and managed by utilizing a fleet of autonomous surface vehicles. She also served as Entrepreneur in Residence at Social Capital, where she advised startups on government engagement and partnerships.

Nora came to California after holding several roles in the Obama White House including Senior Advance Lead where she managed 100+ Presidential and Vice Presidential visits at home and abroad.

Vikrum works to align climate policy, workforce development strategies, and legislative affairs to accelerate carbon mineralization sciences that can remove greenhouse gasses from the air, in support of our global net-zero goals. Previously, Vikrum served as Vice President of Public Policy at Postmates. He also held roles in the Obama Administration as senior policy advisor in the White House National Economic Council, and as Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property.  He subsequently served as a Deputy Director at the ACLU’s national political advocacy department.

Jennifer is a Distinguished Member of Technical Staff and lead of the 'Carbon Initiative' at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, adjunct professor at UC Merced, and an investigator at the University of California-Berkeley Innovative Genomics Institute. Trained in soil ecology and biogeochemistry, she studies soil microbiome interactions using isotope tracing, quantitative systems biology and modeling; her current research is focuses on CO2 removal through sustainable agricultural innovation. She has been recognized with the US Department of Energy Early Career award and Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award, and is a fellow of the Ecological Society of America and AAAS. In 2025, she was inducted into the Alameda County Women’s Hall of Fame for her work leading Roads to Removal, a county-level analysis of carbon dioxide removal capacity and costs in the USA.

Dr. Sean Hauze serves as Chief Operating Officer for the IT Division at San Diego State University, where he oversees the strategic alignment of operations, resources, and execution across a dynamic technology landscape, with a focus on operational maturity that enables sustainable growth, effective service delivery, and innovation at scale. He directs IT Finance, HR, and Strategic Operations, managing budget planning, organizational design, and resource allocation to promote financial stewardship and institutional agility. As leader of the Project & Portfolio Management Office, he ensures that high-priority initiatives are strategically aligned, efficiently executed, and measured for outcomes. With over 15 years of wide-ranging academic technology professional experience, Sean led campus-wide learning management system and enterprise-level software transitions; co-led San Diego State University's transition to virtual instruction during the COVID-19 global pandemic; authored and co-authored more than 20 peer-reviewed academic journal articles, book chapters, and refereed conference proceedings; delivered dozens of invited talks and academic conference presentations; and obtained over $2 million in federal and state grant funding.

Cameron Carlin is a strong data scientist and researcher with nearly 10 years of experience in health care and public service. He currently serves as the Manager of Data Science for Clinical Decision Support applications at City of Hope National Medical Center, where he leads adoption of real-time clinical decision support applications for streamlining patient care and improving patient outcomes.

Brian Giera joined LLNL in 2014 as a postdoctoral researcher and is the principal investigator of an LDRD Strategic Initiative on digital twins for virtual inspection of advance manufacturing as well as technical lead on several advanced analytics and additive manufacturing projects. Giera’s research interests include additive manufacturing, digital twins, machine learning, in situ process monitoring, computational materials science, molecular dynamics, electrophoretic deposition and hyperspectral imaging—all with a focus on developing and applying physics-based and machine learning models to a variety of advanced manufacturing systems. Giera has a passion for LLNL’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and works closely with the Strategic Diversity group to advocate for neuro-diverse and hearing or visually impaired individuals. He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Rima Alameddine is the Chief Revenue Officer at IonQ, a leading full-stack quantum computing and networking company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. She oversees global go-to-market and customer success strategies, leading both government and commercial engagements to help customers address complex challenges through quantum technology. Rima joined IonQ in December 2023, bringing decades of leadership in scaling businesses through complex go-to-market strategies, driving innovation, and delivering significant growth and customer transformation.

Previously, Rima was Vice President of Enterprise Sales at NVIDIA, where she spent nearly seven years. She built the Enterprise AI Sales organization from the ground up for the eastern U.S., later leading sales across the Americas for key industry verticals. She and her team played a pioneering role in helping Fortune 500 companies recognize the transformative power of AI to solve problems and unlock new business opportunities. She also led NVIDIA’s first AI for Business Summit, convening global executives to explore AI's transformative impact on business.

Earlier, Rima held leadership roles at Cisco over an 18-year tenure, including leading the New York Enterprise business across Cisco’s full solution portfolio. She also served as the executive sponsor for Cisco’s leadership development program, helping groom the next generation of leaders.

Rima began her career as a software developer and consultant, working at Sun Microsystems, UBS, and Syncsort, where she developed software and advised financial services clients on technology solutions.

Rima frequently shares her insights on quantum innovation, AI, go-to-market strategy, and leadership at industry events and forums. 

She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Computer Engineering from the American University of Beirut and Syracuse University, respectively, and has completed executive programs at Cisco and Harvard University.

David Wiese is the Senior Director of State, Local Government and Education (SLED) at IonQ.  He leads government and education sector engagements, helping state and local government agencies as well as academic institutions understand and adopt quantum computing solutions to address complex challenges through quantum technology.

David brings over 30 years of leadership experience in the technology industry, with a proven record of expanding businesses through innovative go-to-market strategies and driving substantial growth in complex tech sales environments. Based in Austin, Texas, he focuses on developing quantum computing opportunities within the government and education sectors, working closely with clients to identify and develop new quantum use cases.

Previously, David served as Vice President of SLED at UDT (United Data Technologies), where he focused on developing service-driven solutions and building strategic relationships with government and educational customers. Before that, he spent over 25 years with major technology companies, including Dell, HP, and Lenovo, in the SLED/Federal market, holding leadership roles that guided market expansion across the US. 

David holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance from Texas State University.