Friday, August 28, 2026USC Alumni Leadership Conference
Thank you for attending the 25th annual Alumni Leadership Conference on Friday, Aug. 28, on the University Park Campus. Check back soon for photos from the day, which featured an inspiring conversation with USC President Beong-Soo Kim and much more!
As the flagship event of USC’s Alumni Leaders Weekend, the Alumni Leadership Conference brings together alumni and volunteer leaders from around the world for an inspirational day designed to recharge your Trojan spirit as you hear from senior university leaders, faculty and alumni experts.
Conference Welcome Erika Jordan ML ’18, senior vice president for alumni relations
Leading Together: A Conversation with President Beong-Soo Kim and Dean Guarav Sukhatme Moderated by Jessica Lall ’06, president, USC Alumni Association Board of Governors
Lunch
12:30 – 1:45 p.m.
Tutor Campus Center Ballroom
Educational Block #1
2 – 2:50 p.m.
Various Locations
View Session Details
Leadership Lessons from Accidental Entrepreneurs Pilaar Terry, agency managing partner & head of corporate, POV Michael Chavez Booth, agency founding partner & head of culture, POV Odalys Flores, agency vice president, POV
Turning Innovation, Service and Trust into Real Impact Rosalia Hajek, chief information security officer, technology executive
Two Magic Questions: The Secret to Leading with Instant Connection Apollo Emeka, decision coach, Apollo Strategy Group
The Playbook for Lasting Impact: Growing Membership, Engagement and Leadership Leslie Alvarado, past president, USC Trojan Entertainment Network Renee Radia, immediate president, USC Trojan Entertainment Network Chirsten Vanderbilt Ellis, president-elect, USC Trojan Entertainment Network Amara West, president, USC Trojan Entertainment Network
Connecting Our Community Through Digital Literacy Gwynivere Martin, assistant director of affinity program, USC Annual Giving Iyoni Rice, executive director, USC Annual Giving Lauren Eckhardt, assistant director, USC Advancement Call Center
Educational Block #2
3 – 3:50 p.m.
Various Locations
View Session Details
Leadership Lessons from Accidental Entrepreneurs Pilaar Terry, agency managing partner & head of corporate, POV Michael Chavez Booth, agency founding partner & head of culture, POV Odalys Flores, agency vice president, POV
Turning Innovation, Service and Trust into Real Impact Rosalia Hajek, global chief information security officer, Topgolf Callaway Brands
Two Magic Questions: The Secret to Leading with Instant Connection Apollo Emeka, decision coach, Apollo Strategy Group
The Playbook for Lasting Impact: Growing Membership, Engagement and Leadership Leslie Alvarado, past president, USC Trojan Entertainment Network Renee Radia, immediate president, USC Trojan Entertainment Network Chirsten Vanderbilt Ellis, president-elect, USC Trojan Entertainment Network Amara West, president, USC Trojan Entertainment Network
Connecting Our Community Through Digital Literacy Gwynivere Martin, assistant director of affinity program, USC Annual Giving Iyoni Rice, executive director, USC Annual Giving Lauren Eckhardt, assistant director, USC Advancement Call Center
Closing Main Stage Session
4 – 5 p.m.
Tutor Campus Center Ballroom
Keynote Session
Tomm Polos, director of creator arts, USC School of Dramatic Arts; sports media personality
Volunteer Recognition Reception & Dinner
5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Town and Gown
Additional Information
For questions regarding ticket information, please contact the USC Alumni Association at alumnievents@usc.edu.
We are using Whova for the official conference app. Please visit this website if you are having any issues logging in to your Whova account for the conference.
After the conference, join us* for the USC Volunteer Recognition Dinner, where we honor and celebrate the outstanding contributions of our Trojan community.
*The Volunteer Recognition Dinner is a separately ticketed event. Please visit the event webpage to learn more and register.
