Capstone Conversation by Jared Asch

Host Jared Asch discusses gov tech with Civic CEO John Kokot and Legislaide CEO Roger Lin on how AI can improve government efficiency without replacing workers. Kokot, a former Navy pilot and Capitol Hill staffer, explains Civic Revere, an integration-first platform that consolidates inbox, calendars, and other tools to triage constituent communications and service requests, route work, draft tail...

Host Jared Asch discusses California’s summer fire season and how technology is changing wildfire preparedness, response, and recovery with Bowen Kyle (CTO/co-founder, Ladris) and Gadi Benjamini (co-founder, FireDome). Kyle describes Ladris software used by counties and cities for wildfire spread and evacuation simulations, planning documents like LHMPs and community wildfire protection plans, rea...

Host Jared Asch interviews Assemblywoman Ana Maria Avila Farias about her background and priorities representing 13 of 19 Contra Costa County cities from Crockett to Brentwood. A third-generation resident based in Martinez, she describes 30 years in housing and community development across local, state, and federal government, including work under mayors Willie Brown and Gavin Newsom and over $5 b...

Host Jared Asch interviews manufacturing engineer Gregory Theyel about the Bay Area’s biomedical and life science ecosystem and why it matters for long-term regional economic stability. Thao frames manufacturing as a “big M” strategy that bridges ideas and public needs, and defines biomedical as an umbrella spanning biotech, pharmaceuticals, medtech, cell and gene therapies, digital health, and ge...

Host Jared Asch interviews Mark Joffe, president of the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association (Coco Tax), about taxes and government efficiency in the East Bay. Joffe describes Coco Tax’s 1937 origins and mission to advocate for “good government at an affordable cost,” noting the group is nonpartisan and focuses on effectiveness rather than government size. He explains their key work is analyzing bal...

Host Jared Asch interviews Jim Wunderman, head of public affairs for California Forever, about plans to develop roughly 70,000 acres of largely undeveloped land in south-central Solano County between Suisun City and Rio Vista into a dense, walkable urban community with an adjacent 2,100-acre advanced manufacturing park and a proposed major shipyard along the Sacramento River. Wunderman argues Sola...

Host Jared Asch interviews Danville Councilman Mark Belotz and Lafayette Councilman John McCormick, second-year elected officials from Central Contra Costa County, about what contributes to their towns’ success, including strong schools, vibrant walkable downtowns, and effective city management. McCormick, a retired tech worker and downtown business owner, describes entering council after Chamber...

Host Jared Asch interviews Brandon Cardwell of the City of Livermore about the city’s economic development and innovation strategy. Cardwell describes Livermore as the easternmost Bay Area city, celebrating its 150th anniversary, with a symbiotic mix of a revitalized historic downtown, wine country, significant industrial/flex space, and two national labs employing about 12,000 people. He highligh...

Guest host Alex Greenwood records Capstone Conversations live at the ICSC Idea Exchange in Monterey, interviewing economic development leaders from five California cities about retail attraction strategies, successes, and lessons. Martinez describes zoning streamlining, concierge support, by-right approvals (including breweries), expedited permitting, a successful Ross store opening, housing upzon...

Host Jared Asch interviews procurement experts Ricardo Martinez, a former California Department of General Services chief procurement officer, and Oscar Garcia of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce about how companies sell to state and local governments in California. They explain that public-sector procurement is a law- and policy-driven process—from need identification through solicita...

Host Jared Asch interviews Marco Li Mandri of New City America about downtown economic development funded through special districts, including business improvement districts (BIDs), property-based BIDs (PBIDs), charter-city community benefit districts, and tourism improvement districts (TBIDs). Mandri explains how California’s Proposition 218/Article 13D governs property assessments, contrasting g...

Host Jared Asch interviews Deborah Levine, executive director of the Lesher Foundation, about changes affecting East Bay nonprofits and philanthropy. Levine explains the foundation’s 30+ year focus on Contra Costa arts and culture, education, and children and families, awarding 172 grants totaling about $6 million in 2025, and distinguishes philanthropy’s resourcing role from service-delivery nonp...

Moraga Mayor Kerry Hillis back to the Capstone Conversation and discusses lessons from Hillis’s first four years in office, including that the role can be “as much or as little as you want it to be,” the need to read community perspectives, and coping with harsh virtual public comments. Hillis explains Moraga’s weak-mayor structure, the division of responsibilities between elected officials and st...

Host Jared Asch interviews longtime California political journalist Dan Walters of CalMatters, who recounts his career from 1960 through decades covering Sacramento and writing columns, and describes CalMatters’ nonprofit model and its Digital Democracy tools. Walters explains how newspapers’ economic model collapsed, how Capitol reporting shifted from in-person logistics to online access, and adv...

In this episode of the Capstone Conversation podcast, host Jared Asch is joined by Dr. Chris Thornberg of Beacon Economics to discuss an economic development blueprint for the Greater East Bay. Dr. Thornberg outlines the stagnation in the East Bay, highlighting issues such as population decline, job losses, and inadequate economic growth. He attributes these problems to a lack of focus on economic...

In this episode of the Capstone conversation, host Jared Asch engages in an in-depth discussion with Tim Sobrante, a fifth-generation resident of Contra Costa and a representative of the Contra Costa Building and Construction Trades Council. Tim provides insights into the role and impact of building trades and labor unions in the East Bay. He elaborates on the structure and responsibilities of the...

In this episode of the Capstone Conversation, host Jared Asch discusses the impact of AI on government efficiency with his guests, Manuel Lopez of Asignet and Erica Olson of Madison AI. The conversation covers various applications of generative AI and other technologies in government settings, emphasizing how these innovations can streamline administrative tasks, improve accuracy, and save money w...

In this episode of the Capstone Conversation podcast, host Jared Asch engages attorney Sblend Sblendorio in a detailed discussion on municipal finance. The conversation covers the fundamental principles of how cities generate revenue and manage expenses, the differences between municipal finance and personal or business finance, and the types of revenue sources, including property taxes, sales tax...

The Capstone conversation, hosted by Jared Asch, explores workforce development and the impact of AI on labor markets, particularly in government and education sectors. Guests John Valencia from Good for Others and Divvy from Nexa discuss their organizations' roles in workforce development. Valencia details his nonprofit's efforts to connect training programs with employer needs, while Div...

In this episode of the Capstone conversation, host Jared Asch speaks with San Leandro Mayor Juan Gonzalez and Economic Development Manager Katie Bowman about the city's rapid economic development. They discuss the city's strategic focus on innovation, particularly attracting and supporting companies in clean tech, food tech, advanced manufacturing, and biomedical sectors. They highlight no...

In this episode of the Capstone Conversation, host Jared Asch discusses the future of urban transportation with Jason from Telo Trucks and Nav from YCurb. The conversation explores the advancements in electric mini trucks, curb management systems, and the integration of AI in transportation. Jason explains Telo Trucks' mission to build smaller, more efficient electric trucks for urban environm...

In this episode of the Capstone Conversation, hosted by Jared Asch, Assembly Member Lori Wilson discusses her district in Solano County and parts of Contra Costa and Sacramento counties, highlighting its cultural diversity and the unique challenges it presents. Wilson delves into environmental concerns surrounding the Delta, emphasizing the need for strategic water management in light of climate c...

In a Capstone conversation hosted by Jared Asch, experts from tech companies Polimorphic and Ichi discuss the evolving role of AI in govtech, focusing on improving efficiency and service in state and local governments. Parth Shah of Polimorphic and Brandon Levey of Ichi share insights into how AI can enhance customer service, streamline operations, and address staffing challenges in government age...

In this episode of the Capstone conversation, hosted by Jared Asch, the focus is on innovation in government technology (GovTech). The guest is Manveer Sandhu, a Fairfield, California, city councilman with a background as a technology executive and Air Force reservist. The conversation covers the challenges and opportunities in adopting new technologies in government, including AI's role in im...

In this episode of the Capstone Conversation, host Jared Asch discusses the pervasive issue of human trafficking with three experts: Katrina Natal from the Contra Costa District Attorney's Office, Amy Schumann from Arm of Care, and Erika Keaveney from Freedom Insight. The episode covers definitions and indicators of human trafficking, including sex and labor trafficking, and emphasizes that tr...