AAEOY Afternoon Program

Zee Zhai July 19, 2026

Registration Link: https://luma.com/tg9walub

​There will be tracks in the afternoon program “Technology Track” and “Education Track”.

​
Technology Track:

Engineering the AI-Native Future
How AI Is Transforming Technology, Business, and Innovation

​Artificial intelligence is transforming software engineering, cybersecurity, accessibility, autonomous systems, and the way organizations build and compete. The 2026 AAEOY Afternoon Technology Session brings together Silicon Valley founders, technology leaders, investors, and innovators to examine the emerging AI-native future.

​
Keynote Speaker

​Jeremiah Owyang
General Partner, Blitzscaling Ventures
Founder & Host, Llama Lounge

Title: The AI-Native Era: How Organizations Will Compete, Build, and Scale

​Jeremiah Owyang will discuss AI-native organizations, agentic AI, enterprise transformation, and how artificial intelligence is changing the way companies innovate, compete, and scale.

​
Featured Fireside Chat

​Bernard Harguindeguy
Founder, Executive Venture Fund (EVF)

​Title: AI, Enterprise Innovation, Cybersecurity, and Leadership

​A serial entrepreneur, former CTO of Ping Identity, and venture investor, Bernard Harguindeguy will share perspectives on how AI is reshaping enterprise technology, cybersecurity, innovation, and leadership.

​​
Featured Technical Speaker

​Leo Tchourakov
Principal Engineer, Factory

​Title: Beyond Coding Agents: Inside the Self-Improving Software Factory (Tentative)

​Leo Tchourakov will explore how autonomous Software Factories are transforming the software development lifecycle through AI agents, continuous feedback, model evaluation, and self-improving engineering systems.

​
Startup Leaders Panel

​How AI Is Transforming Startups and Creating New IndustriesStartup founders will discuss how AI is enabling new products, industries, and real-world applications.

Xiaoran Wang
CEO & Co-Founder, AGIGA AI

​Xiaoran Wang leads the development of EchoVision, an AI-powered smart glasses platform that assists blind and low-vision users through real-time scene understanding.

Tom Pritsky
CEO & Co-Founder, Captify

Tom Pritsky leads the development of AI-powered smart glasses that provide real-time captioning for people with hearing loss.

​More Speakers to Be Announced

​Additional speakers from AI infrastructure, software engineering, semiconductors, robotics, cybersecurity, venture capital, enterprise AI, and emerging technologies will be announced soon.

​Join founders, engineers, researchers, investors, executives, and students for an afternoon of technical insights, industry perspectives, and meaningful networking.

​==========================

Location

Santa Clara Convention Center
5001 Great America Pkwy, Santa Clara, CA 95054, USA

Asian American Engineer of the Year Award and Conference Announces 2025-2026 Awardees

Zee Zhai June 9, 2026

SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 9, 2026 — The Asian American Engineer of the Year Award (AAEOY) Executive Committee officially announces the 2025–2026 AAEOY awardees:

Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award

  • Mr. Lip-Bu Tan, CEO, Intel Corporation

Distinguished Leadership in Science and Technology Award

  • Dr. Arun Majumdar, Dean of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University

Executive of the Year Award

  • Dr. Xiaodong Che, Chief Technology Officer, Western Digital
  • Dr. Indradeep Ghosh, CEO, Fujitsu Research of America
  • Dr. Sam Heidari, CEO, Lumotive
  • Dr. Jungwon Lee, Corporate Executive Vice President, Samsung Electronics
  • Dr. Stacey Ma, Executive Vice President, Gilead
  • Dr. Liu Ren, Vice President & Chief Scientist, Bosch Research
  • Dr. Sokwoo Rhee, Executive Vice President, LG Electronics
  • Mr. Brandon Wang, Vice President, Synopsys

Engineer of the Year Award

  • Dr. John Hu, Sr. Director, Advanced Technology Group, Nvidia
  • Dr. Ganping Ju, Chief Technologist, Seagate
  • Ms. Vivian Ye, Principal Member of Technical Staff, AT&T

Most Promising Engineer of the Year Award

  • Dr. Sakun Duwal, Manager, R&D Science and Engineering, Sandia National Laboratories
  • Mr. Max Fang, Director of Architecture, Ambarella
  • Mr. Johnny Ho, CSO & Co-founder, Perplexity AI

The AAEOY Award has been presented annually since 2002 as a cornerstone of the National Engineers Week program, honoring distinguished Asian American professionals across academia, public service, and industry. Since its inception, the AAEOY has recognized over 300 honorees — including nine Nobel Laureates, pioneering scholars, prominent corporate executives, and an astronaut — serving as a beacon of inspiration for the global STEM community. After a series of impactful ceremonies nationwide, the 2025-2026 AAEOY Award and Conference will be held in the heart of innovation in Silicon Valley at the Santa Clara Convention Center on September 18-19, 2026.

For more information regarding the AAEOY program, awardees, and event registration, please visit www.aaeoy.org.

The Chinese Institute of Engineers in USA (CIE-USA), founded in 1917, is a nonprofit professional organization that promotes science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); supports professional advancement and leadership development; and recognizes the achievements of Asian American professionals through flagship programs such as the Asian American Engineer of the Year (AAEOY) Awards. One of the oldest and most prestigious Chinese American engineering associations in the United States, CIE-USA has seven regional chapters nationwide and hosts events throughout the year.

Media Contact:
AAEOY Public Relations Committee
2025-2026 AAEOY Award and Conference
Phone: 510-497-1788
Email: public_relation@aaeoy.org

SOURCE AAEOY

Afternoon Technical Session Keynote Speaker

Zee Zhai May 30, 2026

Mr. Jeremiah Owyang to Serve as Keynote Speaker for the Afternoon Technical Session at the 2025–2026 AAEOY Award & Conference

Jeremiah Owyang is a Silicon Valley venture capitalist and globally recognized thought leader focused on emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and the future of business ecosystems.

With decades of experience at the intersection of technology innovation and market transformation, Jeremiah has advised Fortune 500 companies, startups, and investors on disruptive trends shaping the future economy. He is widely known for his early insights into the creator economy, collaborative technologies, Web3, AI ecosystems, and the evolving relationship between consumers, communities, and brands.

Jeremiah is an active investor and advisor to high-growth technology startups, helping founders navigate product strategy, market positioning, and ecosystem development. Prior to his investment work, he held influential roles as an industry analyst and technology executive, earning recognition as one of Silicon Valley’s leading voices on innovation and digital disruption.

A frequent keynote speaker at global technology conferences and executive forums, Jeremiah is known for translating complex technological shifts into actionable business insights. As the Keynote Speaker for the Afternoon Technical Session at the 2025–2026 AAEOY Award & Conference, Jeremiah Owyang will share his perspectives on the next wave of technological transformation and the opportunities emerging for founders, enterprises, and investors in the AI era.