B2b Agenda

Carol Colombo is the managing member of Fedelta Partners, an Arizona-based management company that oversees the private investment holdings primarily of its members, with sector specific focus on real estate, secured debt portfolios and operating businesses in the technology, health and energy sectors. On behalf of Fedelta Partners, Ms. Colombo served for the past 8 years as CEO of AlertGPS, a technology company that provides sector-leading safety solutions to the enterprise market and provides core-alerting technology to state law enforcement for issuing Amber Alerts.

Ms. Colombo has been an investor in, and officer and director of, numerous entities. She co-founded Colombo & Bonacci, P.C. (1992), a boutique law firm specializing in international business law. She co-founded Pivotal Research Centers and helped build it into one of the largest private clinical research organizations in the US prior to its successful sale to a publicly traded company in 2005. She has served, since 2017 as Board Chair and Board member of Pyx Health, a tech enabled health care solution that addresses loneliness and social isolation in high-risk patient populations.

Ms. Colombo contributes her time to advance international trade and economic development objectives. She is (since 1994) the State of Arizona’s liaison to the United States Trade Representative’s Office (USTR) and is the current chair of the Arizona District Export Council. She has advised many past administrations in Arizona regarding international trade and economic development. Ms. Colombo has lobbied and helped obtain state and federal funding for trade, transportation and economic development initiatives that have been implemented throughout North America. She is a past president of the Arizona Mexico Commission, past Co-Chair of the Governor’s CANAMEX Task Force, and she led development of Arizona’s statewide foreign direct investment framework. She received the Outstanding International Business Leader Award for the State of Arizona (United States Department of Commerce 1993), the Governor’s Award for Outstanding Service (June 2006), the Women of M2M Industry Leadership Award (2013), the Outstanding Economic Development Champion Award (Maricopa Association of Governments 2016), and the Phoenix Mayor’s Export Award as Trilateral Trade Champion (2021).

As Assistant Vice President for Mexico and Latin American Affairs, Justin Dutram is responsible for regional international education initiatives including developing new partnerships and managing dual degree micro-campus locations in Latin America and Spain, and serving as an institutional liaison with higher education, government, and private sector partners in Mexico and Latin America. Dutram joined the University of Arizona in 2008 and has since served in multiple roles focused on international collaboration development. Dutram received his MEd in Bilingual and Multicultural Education from Northern Arizona University in 2003 and his BS in Geography from New Mexico State University in 1993.

With nearly three decades of economic development experience, Christine Mackay began service with the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) as President
& CEO in October 2025 after serving as the City of Phoenix Community and Economic Development director for 11 years. During Mackay’s tenure with Phoenix, the department facilitated the creation of over 100,000 high-value jobs, saw the average wage of those jobs increase from over $30,000 in 2014 to more than $86,000 in 2024, and closed deals with more than $75 billion in capital investment to date. She led a department of over 70 full-time staff that encompassed the full spectrum of economic development areas including business attraction, retention and expansion, community development, international relations, Sister Cities, the Phoenix Business and Workforce Development Board, administration, research, marketing, the city owned Mortgage Matchup Center and Phoenix Bioscience Core.

Christine was named one of USA TODAY’s Women of the Year and received the Arizona Association for Economic Development’s (AAED) William Lampkin Award for Long-Term Excellence in 2024. In 2021, Christine was named as one of the Top 50 Economic Developers in the Country by Consultant Connect. She is a three-time honoree as “Economic Developer of the Year, Large Community” by AAED. Mackay was recognized as “Leader of the Year in Economic Development–Public Policy” by the Arizona Capitol Times, and “Industry Leader of the Year – Economic Development” by Arizona Commercial Real Estate Magazine. She has also been on the list of the Arizona Business magazine’s “50 Most Influential Women in Arizona.”

She is a member of Maricopa Association of Government’s Building a Quality Regional Community committee, Flinn Foundation Biosciences Roadmap committee, the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), Commercial Office Real Estate Executives (CoreNet), and the Arizona Association for Economic Development. Christine has more than 28 years’ experience in economic development overlapping 35 years of commercial real estate experience. She has spent both her personal and professional life in Greater Phoenix.

The Honorable Drew Trojanowski is the President and CEO of the Southwest Mission Acceleration Center (MAC), where he drives mission-driven innovation and fosters collaborations across entrepreneurs, academia, industry, and national security networks. Previously, his public service career included roles as a Presidentially Commissioned Officer and Senior Advisor in the White House, Military Legislative Assistant to Senator John McCain, Assistant Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Arizona State University (ASU),and a decade of service as a U.S. Army scout/sniper with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. A dedicated advocate for defense and veteran issues, he played a key role in crafting and implementing the MISSION Act, transforming VA healthcare. Trojanowski holds a degree in Sustainability & Biochemistry from ASU and has been recognized as a “40 under 40” honoree by the Phoenix Business Journal. He lives in Phoenix with his wife, Samantha, and their four children.

Lisa Morris leads all aspects of supply chain for Virgin Galactic. She is responsible for directing and planning the entirety of our supply chain initiatives, policies, and objectives, including leading our procurement, sourcing, material planning, transportation & logistics, and support for our commercial team.

Most recently Lisa has focused on securing contractors to supply the major subassemblies for Virgin Galactic’s Delta Class spaceship and future motherships. Lisa’s leadership in selecting and defining these partnerships is crucial to the company’s goal of scaling production, allowing for future daily flights to space.

Lisa joined Galactic with more than 25 years of progressive accomplishments and leadership experience in supply chain, manufacturing operations, A&D repair operations, material planning, marketing, and product management. She has held senior leadership positions with Honeywell Aerospace, Irwin Tools (Newell Rubbermaid), Stanley Works, and TRW Automotive including global experience building and running operations in Europe, Malaysia, & India.

Lisa holds a Master of Business Administration in Technology Management from University of Phoenix, and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from University of Arizona.

John Russo is the Vice President, Global Production Engineering Services (GPES), in the Chief Technology Office of Honeywell Aerospace. GPES is responsible for providing engineering support to Honeywell ISC Operations facilities worldwide.

Previously, John was General Manager for Military Turboshafts in Engines & Power Systems, focused primarily on performance and growth of Honeywell’s turboshaft product lines.

Joining Honeywell in 2006, John has held various roles in engineering, test services, program management and product management. Prior to Honeywell, John worked for seventeen years at Pratt & Whitney in West Palm Beach, Florida and East Hartford, Connecticut.

John earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Virginia, as well as a Masters of Industrial Engineering and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Florida.

John lives in Gilbert, Arizona. He is the proud father of 23-year-old twins Alexandra and Matthew, attending graduate school at Texas A&M and Abilene Christian University, respectively.

Mark is an accomplished executive with an extensive background leading sourcing, supply chain, operations, and P&Ls, and is responsible for the development, communication and execution of Sourcing Strategies, for suppliers and categories, for Honeywell Aerospace.

Mark has led high-performing cross-functional teams in Direct Material Sourcing, Indirect Material Sourcing, Supply Chain, Logistics and Manufacturing forging consensus around credible, executable solutions and managing complexity and risk with the ability to integrate financial outcomes with strategy development and execution to achieve and exceed corporate performance targets.

Mark earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering and his Master of Science degree in Supply Chain and Operations Management from Clarkson University. He is an Army veteran who has worked in the Industrial, Energy, O&G and Aerospace industries. Prior to coming to Honeywell Mark worked in Private Equity, General Electric and at Crane Co.

Mark lives in Mesa, Arizona with his wife and two of his three children who are currently attending college. The third runs his own business in Houston, Texas.

Brent is a founder, operator, and strategist with 20+ years of experience building and growing companies. He’s currently leading a health tech startup and recently exited a retail technology company where he was instrumental in scaling the business, driving a merger, and leading its successful transition.

From big data at Infogroup (now Data-Axle) to growth marketing for global brands like Coca-Cola, Amex, and LG, Brent has a track record of turning insights into outcomes. He’s known for building high-performing teams, simplifying complexity, and getting things done.

Outside the boardroom, Brent serves on multiple nonprofit boards, and formerly held the coveted title of “Head of Sails” while living aboard a sailboat.

Lalitha Immaneni is a Vice President of Semiconductor Research & Development in the Advanced Packaging & Technology Manufacturing organization for Intel Corporation. Lalitha manages a world class and diverse team of packaging architects, designers, and specialized engineers in the “Advanced Design & Customer Enabling” group, spanning multiple geographies (USA, Malaysia, and India). She is responsible for developing substrate/silicon, assembly, and board design rules, designing essential building blocks for emerging packaging technologies, developing electrical and physical design methodologies for packaging as well as delivering product package architectures, supporting product electrical analysis, and executing product designs for Intel Foundry. She is also responsible for the thermal, mechanical, and electrical analysis of Intel’s packaging choices and the implications across the product envelopes while also delivering industry leading power delivery and HSIO solutions.

Lalitha owns the vision and execution of a centralized package and board flows/tools as well as the enabling of the EDA ecosystem readiness for Intel’s packaging and board design needs. She leads the Back end technical interface to foundry customers.

Lalitha is a global leader and role model with a 30-year track record of stellar technical achievement in the semiconductor packaging industry. Her technical accomplishments include leading Intel through multiple transitions in the package design tools towards better efficiency and quality. Widely recognized within the packaging EDA partner community, Lalitha is known for driving design tool capabilities for die disaggregation. She has led many “firsts,” including enabling the definition of the first industry EDA packaging tool and leading package co-design for the first Foveros and EMIB products. She recently led the Package Assembly Design Kit delivery for Intel foundry Services and is currently focused on EDA ecosystem enablement, interoperable formats, and standards for chiplets. 

Lalitha volunteers extensively as a coach and mentor for Positive Paths, a non-profit organization serving women in Phoenix. She is a co-chair for the Intel Network of Executive Women (iNEW). She is a renowned mentor and coach to countless engineers within and outside Intel.

Brian Lent is currently Senior Director in Advanced Packaging Global Sourcing at Intel Corporation. He is an accomplished executive with an extensive background leading technology, engineering, and supply chain organizations.

Brian has developed multiple high-performing organizations in logistics, sourcing, and engineering, spearheaded multi-million-dollar global contracts and investments, and driven large-scale supply chain initiatives focused on commercial strategies, capital management, and technology development. Over his career, Brian has delivered more than $1 billion in cost savings through exemplary leadership, strategic deal-making, and world class supplier management.

Brian’s expertise spans global organizational leadership, strategic business planning, operations and purchasing management, and international negotiations, with a proven ability to build collaborative alliances and execute complex business and technology strategies. He is recognized for converting visionary strategies into measurable business impact, fostering innovation, and championing people development. Brian’s enduring commitment to operational excellence and talent growth positions him as a catalyst for organizational success in the evolving technology landscape.

Michael “Mike” Cruz is a seasoned public policy leader and Arizona native with a strong track record of driving strategic government relations and advancing impactful policy initiatives across the United States. He holds a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from Arizona State University and an MBA.

In his current role as Senior Manager of State Public Policy at Lucid Motors, Mike leads the company’s state-level policy, government affairs, and community relations strategy throughout the country. He works closely with stakeholders and communities to promote innovation, sustainability, and economic growth aligned with Lucid’s mission and values.

Prior to joining Lucid, Mike served as County Administrator for Pinal County District 3, where he played a pivotal role in shaping pro-growth policies and advancing economic development initiatives. His leadership was instrumental in strengthening community engagement and launching transformative public-private partnerships that expanded access to essential services for residents.

Deeply committed to education and civic service, Mike has served as a member of the Casa Grande Elementary School District Governing Board. He is also the Past President of the Board of Directors for the United Way of Pinal County, and an active board member of the Salvation Army Casa Grande Corps. Mike also represents the Arizona business community as a member of the Arizona Workforce Council, Vice-Chairman of the Pinal County Workforce Development Board and Treasurer of the Arizona Manufacturing Council.

Emery Meeks is a Policy Specialist at Lucid Motors, where he focuses on crafting thoughtful, forward-looking policies that support innovation and sustainability in the automotive sector. His background includes serving as Senior Land Use Specialist for Yavapai County, where he navigated complex zoning and development challenges to help shape responsible growth. He previously served as 3rd Vice President of the Code Enforcement League of Arizona, working to elevate standards and foster collaboration across the state. With a passion for public policy and a deep understanding of land use and regulatory systems, Emery is committed to building bridges between industry, government, and community.

Steven G. Zylstra serves as president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council and SciTech Institute, roles he assumed in 2007. He is responsible for strategy, operations, finance and policy development. Zylstra is a vocal spokesman for the value technology and clean energy can provide in raising social and economic standards in Arizona and was named “Leader of the Year, Technology,” by the Arizona Capitol Times, “Most Admired Leader” by the Phoenix Business Journal and participated in the year-long Greater Phoenix Leadership Workforce Academy, coordinated by the Center for the Future of Arizona and the Aspen Institute.

From 2000 to 2007, Zylstra served as president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Technology Council and Catalyst Connection. He concurrently served as president and CEO of the Pennsylvania NanoMaterials Commercialization Center and the Doyle Center for Manufacturing Technology. Additionally, Zylstra was president of the Pittsburgh Biomedical Development Corporation, an affiliated organization of the Pittsburgh Technology Council that invested in start-up biomedical and biotechnology companies.

He serves on numerous committees and boards including the Arizona Advisory Committee of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition; Arizona Bioscience Roadmap Steering Committee; Arizona District Export Council Board; Arizona Science Center Board of Trustees; Arizona Space Commission; Arizona AI Steering Committee; Center for the Future of Arizona’s (CFA) Development Committee; Code.org Advocacy Coalition; Common Sense Arizona Advisory Council; Greater Phoenix Chamber Cyber and IT Workforce Collaborative Advisory Boards; Maricopa Community College Workforce Development Leadership and Innovation Council; Sun Corridor Inc. Board of Directors; University of Phoenix, College of Business and IT Advisory Council; United States-Mexico Foundation for Science (USMFS) and several others.

Zylstra holds a bachelor’s degree in automotive engineering technology from Western Michigan University. In 2011, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science in technology from the University of Advancing Technology.

Adam Hawkins’ decades of experience span every phase of the mining process,
from early-stage exploration and entitling projects to permitting new facilities,
expanding operations, and closures. He has worked on projects on every
continent except Antarctica.

Adam began his career as a U.S. Senate staffer and spent seven years in-house with Rio Tinto. Mining companies trust and seek Adam’s expertise in identifying and addressing social, political, legislative, regulatory, and reputational risk factors—vital for firms seeking eBective guidance in moving mining projects from concept to closure.

In addition to his consulting work, Adam has founded a number of mining startups including American Copper, 2G Minerals, and TAGC Ventures, which led to the Cactus Mine project. He holds an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Angela Johnson is a professional geologist and a diversified mining and
exploration professional with fourteen years of experience holding numerous
technical, operational, and sustainability leadership roles for junior and
intermediate producers across North and South America. Ms. Johnson
currently serves as VP Corporate Development & Sustainability for Faraday Copper, as well as an Independent Director on the Boards of Endeavour Silver and Gold Royalty.

Ms. Johnson has spent her career specializing in advancing exploration eBorts with a focus on sustainability, permitting, and community and stakeholder engagement. Angela holds a B.Sc. (honors) in Geology from the University of Alberta, an M.Sc. in Geology/Geochemistry from the University of Victoria, an MBA in Financial Services from Dalhousie University, and is a registered member of the Association of Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia. She also volunteers as a committee member for AME’s (Association for Mineral Exploration) Policy and Government Relations Committee.

With over 20 years of experience in corporate communications, stakeholder management, and social performance, Curtis is renowned for his strategic approach to fostering community partnerships and sustainable development on large complex projects. His career highlights include leading corporate affairs at Shell Polymers and BP America, managing significant social investment budgets, negotiating stakeholder agreements, and working on the ground in rural communities across America to advance transparent two-way dialogue and mutually beneficial Partnerships.

Erika Castro is the Supplier Diversity & Supplier Management Manager at Salt River Project (SRP), a public power utility providing power and water services to more than 2 million Arizona residents. Erika has been with SRP for nearly 17 years and enjoys being able to lead a team that makes such a difference with small and diverse businesses.

Erika’s team is responsible for SRP’s supplier onboarding process and Supplier Diversity strategies by connecting small and diverse businesses to SRP for procurement opportunities. Prior to this role, Erika had various roles in Community Engagement such as managing SRP’s Safety program, managing Corporate Contributions and the SRP nonprofit board member program among other responsibilities. Erika has also been an active member of the Hablamos SRP, Employee Resource Group and chaired that group for 4 years before becoming their advisor. An active community leader, Erika is a board member of the Chandler Cultural Foundation Board and Commission and WBEC-West (Women’s Business Enterprise Council West). She also serves as Chair for the Public Policy Committee at the Chandler Chamber of Commerce, selection committee for the Arizona Educational Foundation Teacher of the Year and Volunteer for Girl Scouts Cactus Pine Council Troop 3587.

Erika is a graduate of Valley Leadership, Hispanic Leadership Institute and Chandler Leadership. Her accolades include: 2023 SRP President’s Volunteer Spirit Award, 2022 Women of Chandler, 2024 Arizona Business Magazine Most Influential Business Leader, 2024 Phoenix Business Journal 40 under 40, 2024 WBEC West Arnice Lamb Inclusion Award and the 2024 Hispanic Heritage Month Employee Leader Award.

Hilen Cruz is a bilingual and bicultural leader with a strong foundation in engineering and strategic engagement. She holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Sonora, an MBA from the University of Phoenix, leadership certifications from the Hispanic Leadership Institute and the Chandler Chamber Leadership Foundation, and an energy certification from Stanford University.

Since 2004, Hilen has held diverse roles in Arizona’s electric utility industry, spanning underground and overhead design, engineering standards, customer program innovation, street lighting management, government relations, and strategic engagement.

She serves as Co-Chair of the Energy Committee of the Arizona-Mexico Commission, appointed by the Governor of Arizona, and serves as Director on the Chandler Chamber of Commerce and Global Ties Arizona Boards. She is also the author of the book ¡Ponte las Pilas, México! and was recognized as one of the “40 Hispanic Leaders Under 40” by Valle del Sol and Univision Arizona.

Known for her collaborative spirit, assertive communication, and respect for diversity, Hilen is a proud mother of two, and enjoys traveling, hiking, and photography.

Kelly Patton has spent 23 years in the economic development industry with 18 years of experience specific to Arizona.

She currently holds the title of Economic Development Manager at Arizona Public Service (APS) and is responsible for working with all state, regional, county and community partners in the attraction and expansion of business and industry within Arizona and APS service territory.

Prior to joining APS, Kelly spent eight years in the Gilbert, Arizona Office of Economic Development and five years with the Kansas City Area Development Council.

A Kansas City native, she holds a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism from the University of Kansas and a master’s in business administration from Ottawa University.

She serves in a leadership capacity for several regional and national organizations including the Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona, Pinal Alliance for Economic Growth, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, the Utility Economic Development Association, and Teach for America.

Kelly was also recognized by Consultant Connect as one of North America’s Top 50 Economic Developers in 2022.

Darian is a multi-exit, 6x founder and the Founder & Managing Partner of one of the nation’s leading dual-use accelerators, as well as the General Partner of Connected Capital. With a track record of building and scaling companies across marketing, finance, and sports & entertainment technologies, he has consistently demonstrated his ability to spot market opportunities and drive ventures toward successful exits.

Over the course of his career, Darian has helped more than 300 startups bring their products to market, collaborating directly with some of the largest corporations in the world. He is known for connecting strategic dots, accelerating commercialization, and guiding founders through the complex journey from idea to market readiness.

Prior to leading the Fuse Accelerator and building high-impact innovation pipelines across North America and Europe, Darian served as a Merchant at Walmart, where he contributed to the integration of Walmart.com with in-store operations and supported key initiatives on the Special Projects team.

A driving force in dual-use innovation, venture building, and founder development, Darian continues to shape the future of emerging industries through his leadership, mentorship, and vision.

Fernando Garcia serves as Executive Vice President of International Trade and Investment at the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA), leading global strategy for trade, foreign direct investment (FDI), and early-stage ventures. He oversees Arizona’s network of international offices across Mexico, Canada, Europe, Israel, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and Romania — advancing Arizona’s position as North America’s hub for AI-driven trade, semiconductors, and advanced manufacturing leadership.

Mr. Garcia was appointed by ACA President & CEO to serve as delegate to the Arizona-Mexico Commission (AMC), where he co-leads the Economic Development Committee and drives binational collaboration to strengthen Arizona’s global competitiveness. A graduate of the University of Arizona’s Master of Public Administration program, Mr. Garcia also serves on the Advisory Board of the Arizona Association for Economic Development and is a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, leading Marines in aviation logistics operations.