Pasadena Economic Summit to Examine Innovation and Local Development

Pasadena business leaders will examine the city’s innovation economy, development plans and the national economic outlook at a City of Pasadena and Chamber of Commerce summit on Thursday, Oct. 22. 

This year’s program is organized around economic conditions, city development and the connections between research institutions and business, the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce said in an Oct. 13 press release. 

Jennings Imel, vice president for the Western Region at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is scheduled to deliver the keynote address. He will discuss the economy and the outlook for the coming months and year, according to the Chamber. His regional responsibilities include California, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah, according to the U.S. Chamber. 

Pasadena planning official Jason Mikaelian will present an overview of local development and economic initiatives. City newsletters have identified Mikaelian as acting director of the Planning and Community Development Department.

Former Chamber board chair Frank Girardot will moderate a panel on Pasadena as an innovation center. The speakers are Taylor Lenton, director for corporate partnerships at Caltech; 

Tom Daly, an intellectual property attorney with Womble Bond Dickinson; and Andy Wilson, the University of Southern California’s vice president for research partnerships and innovation. 

Wilson, who previously served on the Pasadena City Council and as vice mayor, oversees USC efforts involving industry partnerships, entrepreneurship and research commercialization. Caltech’s corporate-partnerships office works with businesses and faculty on research relationships. 

The institute reports that 41 companies sponsored research during fiscal 2025. 

“The Economic and Business Summit is an opportunity to drill down on the local economy and examine forces that may have an impact locally,” said Pasadena Chamber President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Little in the news release. 

The summit follows a 2025 gathering that concentrated on the economic implications of the 2028 Olympic Games. This year’s announced panel brings together university research, patent law and business development as the city presents an update on its own planning work. 

Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo is expected to welcome the participants, according to the Chamber. The city underwrites the program. The Chamber identifies Kaiser Permanente, PCL Construction and Verizon as gold sponsors.

Individual admission is $90 and includes lunch. The Chamber lists corporate tables of eight at $1,000. Parking is free in adjacent Rose Bowl lots, and the Chamber is accepting registrations through its website and office. 

NEED TO KNOW 

Event: Pasadena Business and Economic Summit. When: Thursday, Oct. 22. Time: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Cost: $90, including lunch; corporate table of eight, $1,000. Where: Mediterranean Room, Brookside Golf Club, 1133 Rosemont Ave., Pasadena. Parking: Free in the adjacent Rose Bowl lots. For more, call 626-795-3355 or visit https://www.pasadena-chamber.org/events/business-economic-summit.