Pepperdine University will hold its first Waves Innovation Summit on March 28 at 10 a.m. in Elkins Auditorium, according to an announcement released on Mar. 11. The event is open to the university’s business and entrepreneurship community, including students, alumni, faculty, and industry leaders.
The summit aims to foster conversations about innovation and technology, with a particular focus this year on artificial intelligence. Organizers say the program will highlight practical AI literacy and career opportunities in emerging technologies. The conference is cosponsored by Pepperdine Graziadio Business School and Seaver College.
Keynote speakers for the event include Anthony Kennada, founder and chief executive officer of Goldenhour; Eric Egland, AI subject matter expert at Cisco AI; Mike Umbro, principal at FieldView Capital; Jonathan Pearce, partner at SoCal IP Law Group LLP; Parker Lowrey, former head of Data at Riot Games and chief executive officer of Syntrologie; and Cristie Zellmer, marketing operations lead at OpenAI. Attendees can find more information about featured speakers and preview summit topics through Pepperdine’s official podcast PeppTalk or by visiting the event’s webpage.
A notable feature of this year’s summit is a partnership with producers of ABC’s Shark Tank. Live casting calls will be held during the event for qualified participants interested in pitching their business ideas for a chance to appear on the show. Eligible applicants include Pepperdine alumni, students, faculty, staff, and participants from Pepperdine’s Most Fundable Companies Competition.
Those wishing to audition must apply during registration by submitting a brief description of their idea. Audition slots are limited and not guaranteed for all applicants; selected individuals will be notified via email before the event with details about their pitch time and location.
Registration for the Waves Innovation Summit is free. However, attendees are encouraged to make a gift of $20 or more to support future editions of the program.
