About us
The Greater Sacramento Economic Council is committed to educating and engaging national and regional audiences through informative events. We host a number of signature events and programs annually as well as numerous in person and online programs. Below you will find information on upcoming programs as well as links to recordings and materials from past ones.
engagED
GSEC’s engagED program provides opportunities for constituents of the six-county Greater Sacramento region to develop a deeper understanding of local economic development efforts and how to become involved in them. Join our public trainings, forums and webinars to learn about exciting work currently underway in YOUR community to drive regional growth, sustainability, equity and competitiveness.
Upcoming events
Join us for our first engagED Forum and learn more about key regional economic development initiatives. Agenda, speakers and location TBA.
March 25, 2022 | 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Hosted by the GSEC’s Competitiveness Council, attendees of the engagED Forum will hear directly from national site selectors and gain insight into how key decision makers perceive the Greater Sacramento market, how these perceptions influences how business is brought to the region, and what can be done to boost our region’s competitive position.
GSEC’s engagED program provides opportunities for constituents of the six-county Greater Sacramento region to develop a deeper understanding of local economic development efforts and how to become involved in them. Join our public trainings, forums and webinars to learn about exciting work currently underway in YOUR community to drive regional growth, sustainability, equity and competitiveness.
Join us for Greater Sacramento’s 6th Annual Celebration, presented by Moneta Ventures
April 28, 2022 | 5:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Join us for our 6th Annual Celebration—a gathering of public and private sector leaders from around the region that inspires collaboration and sets the vision for the Greater Sacramento region’s economic future.
Attended by CEOs, elected officials and other regional leaders, this event catalyzes cross-sector collaboration critical to building an advanced economy, and celebrates award honorees who have made impactful progress towards building a thriving regional economy.
As GSEC’s first in-person Annual Celebration since 2019, this event will reunite leaders, celebrate economic development wins and align and inspire guests under the vision and milestones that will help the region continue to build momentum, recover jobs lost during the pandemic and create a more sustainable and prosperous economy for all.
Past Webinars
The future of food & ag in Greater Sacramento
Learn about innovative companies in the food & ag space throughout the Greater Sacramento region. Greater Sacramento is where innovators are revolutionizing agriculture technology. The region combines agricultural abundance from farmers to processors, highly skilled science and tech talent and the #1 agricultural sciences university in the nation – UC Davis.
Digital Upskill Sacramento Webinar
Sarah Chaney Cambon (Economic Reporter, The Wall Street Journal)
Michael Guyette (President & CEO, VSP)
Cassandra Jennings (President & CEO, Greater Sacramento Urban League)
Lisa Lewin (CEO, General Assembly)
Darrell Steinberg (Mayor, City of Sacramento)
Rebecca Taber (Co-CEO, Merit America)
The Future of Regenerative Medicine
Featured speakers:
Alvin Cheung (Founding President, California Northstate University)
Cate Dyer (CEO & Founder, StemExpress)
Jim Kovach (Executive Director, Translational Entrepreneurship, UC Davis School of Medicine)
Jan Nolta (PhD, Director, Stem Cell Program and Gene Therapy Center, UC Davis Health)
Joseph Panetta (President and Chief Executive Officer, Biocom California)
Jonathan Thomas (Chairman of California Institute for Regenerative Medicine)
Sandy Sharon (Senior Vice President & Area Manager, Kaiser Permanente)
Technology Vision 2021: Presented by Accenture
The COVID-19 pandemic has incited a sudden and dramatic social experiment — forcing millions globally to work from home. To Technology has played a vital role as we navigated through the pandemic, and it is redefining our reality. Visionary leaders today are reinventing what comes next and using technology to master change and define the future. In collaboration with Accenture, we will explore five key tech trends from Technology Vision 2021 research that cross-industry, government and community leaders must embrace to forge a better future.
Join us for an interactive panel discussion on what this means for Greater Sacramento and those invested in the success of our region.
Featured speakers:
Rob Barber (West Technology Lead, Accenture)
James Conforti (Chief Operating Officer, Sutter Health)
Jennifer Hall (Innovation Lead, Accenture)
Mary Hamilton (Managing Director, Technology Innovation, Americas, Accenture)
Dr. Brian King (Chancellor, Los Rios Community College District)
Fiona Ma (Treasurer, State of California)
Mark Noriega (Sacramento Office Managing Director, Accenture)
Barry Broome (President & CEO, Greater Sacramento Economic Council)
Champions Program
March 26, 2021
The State of Fintech and Cryptocurrency
Join the Greater Sacramento Economic Council for a conversation with industry leaders as they discuss the future of the Fintech industry and opportunities for growth in the Greater Sacramento region. A panel of thought leaders will also dive into the regulatory and compliance considerations of cryptocurrency as more mainstream companies begin to embrace this trending form of currency as an opportunity for growth and investment.
Featured speakers:
James Beckwith (President & CEO, Five Star Bank)
Joe Ciccolo (Founder & President, BitAML)
Aaron Klein (Co-Founder & CEO, Riskalyze)
Mike McCarthy (SVP, Chief Information Officer, SAFE Credit Union)
Ciaran McMullan (President & CEO, Suncrest Bank)
Ally Medina (Executive Director, Blockchain Advocacy Coalition)
Manvir Sandhu (Co-founder & CEO, Zennify)
Chris Schultz (Chief Deputy Commissioner, California Department of Financial Protection & Innovation)
Jeremiah Z. Smith (Senior Executive VP & COO, First Northern Bank)
Champions Program
February 26, 2021
Growth and Innovation in Greater Sacramento: A conversation with Cushman & Wakefield
Champions Program
January 29, 2021
Greater Sacramento Annual Celebration
December 3, 2020 | 4-6 P.M.
Join us for GSEC’s 5th Annual Celebration, presented by Suncrest Bank. While we’re shifting to a digital format this year, you can expect the same wow-factor event. Join us to celebrate the region’s wins and to raise money for a good cause – all net proceeds will be donated to a charitable organization.
Social Connectivity and the Future of Workplace: Panel
The COVID-19 pandemic has incited a sudden and dramatic social experiment — forcing millions globally to work from home. To understand how this is affecting employees now and how it might redefine the workplace in the future, HGA surveyed over 3,500 professionals across generations, from a wide range of industries, and working in various roles.
This webinar is a follow-up to HGA’s presentation of their findings and data from the week prior. The five key pillars HGA identified through this research are: authorship, quality, fellowship, membership and resilience. This webinar will dive into what each of those pillars will mean for the future of the office space. Speakers will discuss the findings and their relevant applications and compare them with their own experiences on their teams and industry sectors.
Featured speakers:
Hardeep Gulati (CEO, PowerSchool)
Heather Kampa (CID, EDAC, WELL AP, Corporate | Workplace Principal HGA)
Angel Torres (Global Digital Transformation Executive, Salesforce)
Linda Grandlund (Managing Principal, Experis)
Social Connectivity and the Future of Workplace: HGA Research Presentation
The COVID-19 pandemic has incited a sudden and dramatic social experiment — forcing millions globally to work from home. To understand how this is affecting employees now and how it might redefine the workplace in the future, HGA surveyed over 3,500 professionals across generations, from a wide range of industries, and working in various roles.
Following clues in the qualitative and quantitative data, HGA and their team of researchers and workplace strategists formed five core insights into people’s experiences, motivations, and behaviors, and translated them into key considerations for the future workplace.
Featured speakers:
Heather Kampa (CID, EDAC, WELL AP, Corporate | Workplace Principal HGA)
Amin Mojtahedi (PH.D. Design Strategist HGA)
Future Technologies as Economic Drivers
Fireside Chat with a Futurist
Economic Development Advancement Series: Manufacturing and Supply Chain Considerations
Global supply chain and manufacturers have been immensely affected by COVID-19. Social distancing regulations have created disruptions in productivity and proximity. Reshoring and diversification of supply chain have become of major conversation for this industry. What technology advancements, and adaptations will lead the manufacturing industry to prosperity?
Digital Transformation of Organizational IT: Future Predictions
COVID-19 has ushered in a new era of digital transformation. GSEC’s Business Development Advancement Council and Experis IT have partnered together to produce a three part webinar series that will explore the future of organizational IT.
Digital Transformation of Organizational IT: Part 2
COVID-19 has ushered in a new era of digital transformation. GSEC’s Business Development Advancement Council and Experis IT have partnered together to produce a three part webinar series that will explore the future of organizational IT. Leaders in IT throughout the region will discuss the immediate effects of COVID-19 on their organizations, and how they have begun to adapt to the new landscape.
Digital Transformation of Organizational IT: Part 1
COVID-19 has ushered in a new era of digital transformation. GSEC’s Business Development Advancement Council and Experis IT have partnered together to produce a three part webinar series that will explore the future of organizational IT. In the first webinar of this three part series, leaders in IT throughout the region will discuss the immediate effects of COVID-19 on their organizations, and how they have begun to adapt to the new landscape.
Our Path Forward Webinar
Champions Program
Join us for our upcoming Champions Program. This special edition of our Champions Program positions you as a partner and advocate as we build an advanced economy for Greater Sacramento region, even in the midst of an economic crisis. You will join a select group of change agents who have the skills and knowledge to sell our market, build community-wide agendas, and work to rebuild the Greater Sacramento region’s economy.
Business Guidance on Next Steps in Recovery for Yuba and Sutter Counties
Small businesses across the Greater Sacramento region and communities in the area are not only dealing with pivoting to try and keep businesses afloat, but are also working to determine the best course of action to protect their business or to close it with the least losses possible, while working to protect their employees. This webinar featured a demo of business planning tool SizeUp, as well as presentations from industry experts on best practices for those re-opening their offices.
The Current and Future Picture of Education in the Wake of COVID-19
Counties, local communities, Chambers, SBDC’s and many others have been fast at work in Placer County providing critical services to businesses in the wake of COVID-19. In this webinar, we take a pivot and explore something that long term will be equally critical: workforce education in the new economy. GSEC is pleased to host this program, featuring higher education leaders and experts that are highly active in Placer County and serve on the GSEC Board of Directors.
Economic Recovery Next Steps in Yolo County
Small businesses across the Greater Sacramento region and communities in the area are not only dealing with pivoting to try and keep businesses afloat, but are also working to determine the best course of action to protect their business or to close it with the least losses possible, while working to protect their employees. GSEC Board representatives are some of the most knowledgeable individuals in the banking and human resources fields who can help connect the dots between the COVID-19 disaster relief program information being circulated and practical applications for business.
The Current State and Predicted Impacts of COVID-19 on Commercial Real Estate in Greater Sacramento
A panel of commercial real estate brokers discuss the anticipated impacts of COVID-19 on the region’s commercial real estate industry. These leaders will share their insights regarding the current state of the market and projections about the implications of COVID-19 on the market. Following the panel, these industry experts will answer your questions during an interactive Q&A portion.
Small Business Planning Tool SizeUp Live Demo
The Greater Sacramento Economic Council launched a free interactive tool to help businesses large and small through this economic downturn. GSEC is offering an online tool, SizeUp, which provides custom market research and data to empower companies to make strategic and data-driven decisions on their next move. This will assist businesses that are struggling or those that have closed, have access to hyperlocal information to help them get back to work.
GSEC Board Leadership Experts Answer Critical Small Business Questions
April 15, 2020
Small businesses across the Greater Sacramento region and communities in the area are not only dealing with pivoting to try and keep businesses afloat, but are also working to determine the best course of action to protect their business or to close it with the least losses possible, while working to protect their employees. GSEC Board representatives are some of the most knowledgeable individuals in the banking and human resources fields who can help connect the dots between the COVID-19 disaster relief program information being circulated and practical applications for business.
Economist and site selection consultant weigh in on COVID-19
April 10, 2020
We partnered with Christopher Lloyd of McGuire Woods Consulting, Christopher Thornberg of Beacon Economics, Dr. John Jackson of William Jessup University and Kaina Pereira of GO-Biz to share best practices for economic development organizations in responding to COVID-19 and what recovery will look like.