Re-Imagining the Border
Transboundary Governance
Managing Cross-Border Housing, Urban Mobility & Workforce Development
Educating a Binational Workforce
Trans-boundary Climate Adaptation & Resiliency
The U.S.-Mexico Border’s Role in Global Wellbeing: Strategies for Management
Join us on November 12-13, 2024 in San Diego, California at the
IQHQ Research and Development District (RaDD)
This conference will take place in the San Diego-Tijuana region and focuses on innovative policy design and the cultural collaboration that shapes our area. With panels, workshops, and keynote speakers, participants will explore strategies to improve the future of urban communities.
Join us for a unique experience connecting global design and policy leaders—powered by UC San Diego Design Lab and the City of San Diego.
Together, we’ll help shape a better tomorrow.
Chair, IDEO
President, MooreDesign Associates
Author, Design of Everyday Things
Chair, National Endowment for the Arts
President & CEO,
Institute of the Americas
Beyond Borders Chair
Co-founder, President & CEO, Burnham Center for Community Advancement.
Beyond Borders Co-Chair
Senior Advisor, Strategic Initiatives
Institute of the Americas
Beyond Borders Co-Chair
Dean of Liberal Arts, University of Texas, El Paso
Commissioner, United States International Boundary and Water Commission
Managing Director, Principal, Gensler
Mexican Consul General, San Diego
Executive Director, Smart Border Coalition
President, National University
Director of the Environment & Climate Change Program, Institute of the Americas
CEO, SANDAG
Former Ambassador of Mexico to the U.S.
U.S. Consul General, Tijuana
Chairwoman of the Board of Supervisors
Associate Vice Chancellor,
UC San Diego
Beyond Creative: Policy & Applied
United Nations: Year of Creative Economy
Lessons from the Latin American Creative Economy
Design x Policy: Global Models Driving Impactful Change
Community-lead Creative Development
The Role of Design Museums in Community Development
Democratizing Design in the San Diego/Tijuana Transborder Region
Executive Director for the Arts & Culture, City of San Diego
Beyond Creative Chair
Jonathon Glus is San Diego’s Executive Director for Arts and Culture, leading the city’s investment in arts, culture, and creative industries. With over two decades of experience in senior public sector roles, he collaborates across sectors and with partners in philanthropy, tourism, and international cultural initiatives.
Head of Policy, Policy Lab UK
A dynamic policymaker and strategic designer, she co-leads the UK Policy Lab, integrating design into government policy. With experience at the UK Design Council, European Commission, and more, she bridges academia and advocacy. A Visiting Scholar at Parsons and Fellow of The Public Policy Lab, she drives impactful change through her passion for complex systems.
Chair, National Endowment for the Arts
In January 2022, Dr. María Rosario Jackson became the first African American and Mexican American woman to chair the National Endowment for the Arts. A tenured professor at Arizona State University, she has a distinguished career in strategic planning, policy research, and urban planning.
Senior Policy Designer, Policy Lab UK
Neha Sharma is a Senior Policy Designer at Policy Lab UK, leading projects that innovate complex government policies. Since 2020, she has specialized in policy design, following a career in digital product development for higher education. Policy Lab UK, founded in 2014, enhances policymaking with design, innovation, and people-centered approaches.
Host, The World
Marco Werman, host of The World, began his journalism career at 16. His diverse experience spans documentary photography, print, radio, and television. He started in radio in Burkina Faso and has since won numerous awards, including an Emmy. Marco is dedicated to bringing compelling international news to American audiences.
AI and the New Information Age
The Path to Clean Energy
Beyond Space
Housing Innovation
Integrating Life Science in the Californias
Innovations in Financial Inclusion
Director, The Design Lab
Beyond Innovation Co-Chair
Mai Thi Nguyen is a Professor of Urban Studies and Planning and Director of the Design Lab at UC San Diego. An award-winning public scholar, her research focuses on social equity, housing, immigration, and climate change policy. She is committed to building equitable, resilient cities through her leadership and academic work.
Cellphone Inventor
Martin (Marty) Cooper, inventor of the portable cellular phone at Motorola in 1973, is a wireless industry pioneer. He founded Cellular Business Systems and GreatCall, Inc. Cooper’s Law, describing spectral capacity growth, highlights his influence. He teaches at the Illinois Institute of Technology and advises the U.S. Government on technology.
CEO, ITijuana
Maritza Diaz, CEO of ITJ USA, Inc., is a seasoned technology executive with 20+ years in IT and software engineering. She excels in digital transformation, agile adoption, and team building. Maritza leverages her international experience and Tijuana’s talent to drive innovation for California-based companies.
City Manager, Riverside, CA
Mike Futrell became Riverside’s City Manager on January 9, 2023. With extensive executive experience in government and private industry, he led South San Francisco for nine years, achieving a AAA credit rating and transforming it into a biotech hub. He previously served in Baton Rouge and holds advanced degrees from multiple universities.
Senior Director of Strategic Development, General Atomics
Zabrina, Senior Director of Strategic Development at General Atomics, brings over 20 years of expertise in defense, energy, and advanced technologies. A former U.S. Navy nuclear propulsion officer, she holds degrees from Santa Clara University and master’s degrees from Old Dominion and the University of San Diego.
Chancellor, UC San Diego
Pradeep K. Khosla became UC San Diego’s eighth chancellor in 2012, leading a campus of over 43,000 students and renowned research institutions. An electrical and computer engineer, he has expanded access to education, led major fundraising efforts, and strengthened university-community partnerships.
Former VP Design, Credo.Ai
VP of Design at Credo AI, a startup pioneering responsible AI. With 20+ years in UX design and leadership roles at Teradata, eBay, MicroStrategy, and Sears Holdings, Kyle champions user needs and ethical software development. Passionate about human-centered AI, they lead the design team in crafting impactful solutions for today’s challenges.
President & CEO, Biocom California
Joseph Panetta is President and CEO of Biocom California, representing over 1,700 life science members. He co-founded the Biocom California PAC and workforce development programs. With experience in industry and government, Panetta holds degrees in biology and public health, joining Biocom California in 1999.
Senior Vice President, Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.
Daniel J. Ryan is Co-President and Regional Market Director – San Diego at Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. He oversees the San Diego region’s growth and operations. Previously, he was CEO of Veralliance and a founding principal at Pacific Management Services. He holds a B.S. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Vice President, Tongji University
Lou Yongqi, PhD, is Vice President of Tongji University and Chair of China’s National Graduate Education Steering Committee for Design. A pioneer in design-driven innovation, he has led Tongji’s College of Design and Innovation, served on global boards, and earned prestigious international honors for his contributions.
The Future of Health Today
Genesis
One Person Can Change the Healthcare System
A Trust-Based, Resilient Healthcare System is Possible
Si Se Puede
Beginning From the End: Co-Designing a Use Case for a Positive-Sum, Resilient Healthcare Ecosystem
Making it Inevitable
Professor of Medicine and Design and Director, Center 4 Health Design
Beyond Health Chair
Dr. Spencer is an Assistant Professor of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at UCSD and Director of the Design Lab Center for Health. His work spans healthcare systems in resource-limited settings, advanced biometrics and diagnostics, and participatory design for cancer care in Appalachia.
Research Professor, USC
Beyond Health Co-Chair
Dr. Jadad, a physician, innovator, and philosopher, co-designs resilient healthcare systems with global leaders. He founded the Centre for Digital Therapeutics and created the Jadad Scale for assessing clinical trial quality. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy from Oxford and honorary doctorates in Arts and Laws.
Partner, Vivenxia Consulting
Beyond Health Co-Chair
Managing Director, NextMed Health
Shawna Butler RN, MBA, is a renowned nurse economist and managing director of NextMed Health. As the creator of the EntrepreNURSE-in-Residence role and host of the SEE YOU NOW podcast, she champions nurse-led innovations in healthcare, integrating cutting-edge technologies to drive systemic change and improve global health outcomes.
Director, MITRE Health Innovation Center
Linda Fischetti is the director of MITRE’s Health & Society Innovation Center, with experience across payer, provider, government, and private sectors, including roles at Aetna and the VA. She serves on several health IT boards and holds advanced degrees in nursing and informatics from the University of Maryland-Baltimore.
Founder, Humane Genomics Inc.
Andrew Hessel is the founder of Humane Genomics Inc., a virtual biotech company focused on open-source synthetic viruses. Their first project is a platform for creating personalized cancer therapies for dogs. He also co-founded the Genome Project-write, advancing the design and testing of large genomes, including the human genome.
Founder, NextMed Health
Daniel, a member of the Aspen Institute Health Innovators Fellowship and Kaufman Fellows Society, is a partner at Continuum Health Ventures, funding early-stage digital health companies. He has given TED and TEDMED talks, holds numerous scientific publications and patents, founded Digital.Health and IntelliMedicine, and is an advisor to several startups. Daniel is also an inventor, pilot, and former Air National Guard flight surgeon.
Interim Deputy Public Health Officer, County of San Diego
Dr. Seema Shah is the Medical Director of the Epidemiology and Immunization Services Branch for the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency. A pediatric emergency medicine physician, she was previously the Medical Director at Rady Children’s Hospital and a UC San Diego Professor.
We’re delighted to announce our collaboration with Hi-Res, bringing an unexpected playful twist to policy.
Hi[gh]-Res[ilience] is an untethered unpolicy unconference of surprise, culture and music nested within the World Design Capital Design Policy Conference 2024 in San Diego USA / Tijuana Mexico. It’s a shot in the arm of joy and a glimpse at how we build thriving societies where people live in balance between their dreams and their debt to a shared earth by tapping into our natural superpowers of curiosity, art, play, collaboration and love.
These immersive day-time and night-time experiences from Hi-Res energize the mind and body, creating a positive environment where bold thinking and collaboration thrive. Rooted in the values of World Design Capital 2024, Hi-Res and Beyond Boundaries fosters well-being and community, proving that impactful design begins with connected individuals and thriving communities.
Experience the power of design to connect, inspire, and transform.
Co-producers: Michèle Morris, Danica Vallone, Eliah Aronoff-Spencer
Executive producer: Eliah Aronoff-Spencer
Sponsored by: UC San Diego Center 4 Health Design, UC San Diego Office of Innovation and Commercialization, UC San Diego Design Lab, Resilient Collective