The Bay Area Manufacturing Conference is taking place on Thursday, August 27 (8 AM – 12 PM) at the Zero Net Energy Center in San Leandro, bringing together manufacturers and leaders in economic and workforce development, education, and labor who are driving investment and quality job growth across the Bay Area. The conference will highlight the trends shaping the future of manufacturing and showcase innovative workforce development partnerships. This event is being presented in partnership with the Association of Bay Area Manufacturers, the Bay Area High Road Manufacturing Initiative, East Bay Economic Development Alliance, EASTBAYWorks, and is supported by the California & Bay Area Jobs First Initiative.

Registration for this event has closed and there is now a waiting list (8/20/26). Bay Area Manufacturers can contact mfg@eastbayeda.org to request attendance. Walk-ins will not be accepted. Thank you for your understanding.

Location:
Net Zero Energy Center
14600 Catalina Street
San Leandro, 94577
Complimentary self-parking is available.

Program

8:00 AM – Registration & Networking

9:00 AM – Welcoming Remarks

• Stephen Baiter, Executive Director, East Bay Economic Development Alliance
• Jennifer Fothergill, Director of Business Development and Government Relations, NorCal Electrical Contractors’ Association
• Hon. Juan González III, Mayor, City of San Leandro
• Khaim Morton, Deputy Treasurer, State of California Treasurer’s Office
• Stacy Cooper Dent, Vice President of Purpose & Strategic Mobilization, Torani

Plenary Panel: Bay Area Manufacturing Today and Tomorrow
What does manufacturing look like across the Bay Area? What issues are businesses and workers facing? What strategies are policymakers using to support and grow quality manufacturing jobs in the region?

Moderator: Jessie Hammerling, Director, Green Economy Program, UC Berkeley Labor Center

Panelists:

• Enrique Lopezlira, Director, Low Wage Work Program, UC Berkeley Labor Center
• Anna Waldman-Brown, Industrial (R)evolution Fellow, California Forward
• Mike Sponsler, District Director, State Senator Tim Grayson
• Paul Nguyen, Chief Economic Development Officer, City of Hayward

Breakout Session #1:    High Road Manufacturing Models
How have employers and labor worked collaboratively to successfully build a high-skilled, high-productivity, high-retention workforce that benefits employers, customers and workers? We’ll take a look at San Jose-based Therma as a case study.

Moderator: Doug Bloch, Principal and Strategic Advisor, Bloch Strategies 

Panelists:

• Felix Gonzalez, Director of Manufacturing and Prefabrication Operations, Therma 
• Keith Sylva, Business Representative, SMART Local 104

Breakout Session #2: Education, Training, and Recruitment Pipelines
What’s working, what isn’t, and what is the emerging regional landscape for manufacturing education? How can manufacturers access candidate pools and influence what training is being offered to the next generation workforce?

Moderator: Michael Katz, Regional Organizer, EASTBAYWorks

Panelists:

• Emily Dilger, CEO, Ignited
• Luis Ruelas, Director, Silicon Valley Subregion, Bay Area Community Colleges Consortium
• Louise Auerhahn, Director of Economic and Workforce Policy, Working Partnerships USA 
• Tarecq Amer, Assistant Director, West Oakland Jobs Resource Center
• Claire Michaels, Regional Manufacturing Careers Specialist, EASTBAYWorks

Breakout Session #3: Bay Area Manufacturing: Opportunities & Trends
As the Bay Area’s manufacturing landscape continues to evolve, learn from industry leaders and innovators about how they are navigating the present and envisioning the future in one of the most innovative regions in the world.

Moderator: Mark Martin, Regional Director of Manufacturing, Bay Area Community Colleges

Panelists:

• Damario Rivers, Continuous Improvement & Training Supervisor, Torani
• Dr. Arun Jeldi, CEO, Velo3D
• Drew Sorley, Director, Capital Projects, Sila
• Jesse Moure, Director of Field Service, Formic
• Sanchit Gupta, Sr. Robotics Engineer, Anyware Robotics

Breakout Session #4: “Grow Your Own”: Resources for Manufacturers to Upskill Their Workforce
Explore options for employers to “grow your own” skilled workforce by building internal training and career ladders. Learn about resources available to support & fund those pathways, including public sector funding.

Moderator: Casey Gallagher, California Director, Machinists Institute 

Panelists: 

• Lawrence Thoo, Strategic Engagement Manager, work2future 
• Robert Meyer, Director of Economic Development, California Employment Training Panel (ETP)
• Michael Shabaka, Director of Sales and Innovation, Manex

11:00 AM – Closing Plenary
As we look to the future, what could a California industrial policy look like to support the growth of innovative industries? What are we doing now, and what could and should we be doing to support a robust manufacturing sector that supports the growth of manufacturing, creates quality jobs and drives the state forward on its goals around advancing equity, reducing inequality and reducing emissions?

Moderator: Betony Jones, Senior Fellow, Roosevelt Institute and Senior Research Advisor, UC Berkeley Labor Center

Panelists:

• Priyanka Mohanty, Executive Director, UAW Center for Manufacturing a Green Economy
• Peter Frischmann, Chief Executive Officer, Sepion Technologies
• Alvaro Sanchez, Senior Fellow, Just Solutions Collective 
• Derrick Tang, Head of Programs, New Energy Nexus California

Call to Action & Regional Collaboration

12:00 PM – Optional Tour of Zero Net Energy Center
Sign-ups are first-come-first-served. See registration table.