CorpGov hosted the second LA CorpGov Forum on Sept. 18, 2026, at The Huntington Library in San Marino, California. This event brought together members of the financial community from both LA and beyond in panels focused on the finance of entertainment and media, sports, along with capital markets and shareholder activism.
Panel: Keynote Fireside: Business and Governance in LA
- Paul Haaga, Former Chairman, Capital Research and Management Company; Chair of the Board, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation; Board Director, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
- Dick Drobnick, Former USC Vice Provost for Globalization and IBEAR MBA Program Director, Asia Society Southern California Chairman Emeritus
Main Topics of Discussion:
- AI and governance: The panel discussed AI’s growing role in corporate governance, emphasizing the continuing need for ethics and human judgment. It also noted that some sports fans are rejecting AI-generated content and prefer human-created material.
- Long-term investing: A longer investment horizon can encourage companies to protect employees, reputation and customers, while potentially addressing some ethical concerns.
- College sports economics: The speakers questioned whether the growing financial investment in university athletics generates meaningful net financial support for academic missions, citing their past experience at USC.
- Los Angeles wildfire recovery: Recovery is progressing, with thousands of rebuilding applications approved and homes under construction, although many residents remain displaced. New initiatives aim to make rebuilding faster, affordable and fire-resistant.
- International students and economic integration: The panel highlighted the historic role of international students—particularly from Asia and India—in connecting Southern California with Pacific Rim economies, while noting a reported 23% decline in U.S. student visas in 2026, including larger declines from India and China.
Speakers and Notable Attendees
- Paul Haaga, Former Chairman, Capital Research and Management Company; Chair of the Board, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation; Board Director, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
- Jason Alejandre, President, Founder and Creative Director, Game Mechanic Studios (GMS)
- Nicolle Brady, Managing Director, Protiviti
- David Carter, Principal, The Sports Business Group
- Travis Cloyd, Director of Digital Research Entertainment Arts Media Storytelling, California Institute of the Arts
- Thomas Courtney, Jr., President and CEO, The Courtney Group
- Dick Drobnick, Former USC Vice Provost for Globalization and IBEAR MBA Program Director, Asia Society Southern California Chairman Emeritus
- Daphna Edwards Ziman, Co-Chairman, Project Rise Partners
- Jon Feldman, Partner and Business Law Group Head, Goodmans LLP
- Joseph Fish, CEP, Managing Director, Stock Operations, Infinite Equity
- Baird Fogel, Head of Global Sports Practice, Partner, Eversheds-Sutherland
- Noah Francis, Banker, J.P. Morgan Private Bank
- Brent Granado, Partner, Sweetwater Private Equity
- Sagar Gupta, Portfolio Manager, Anson Funds
- Evan Hainey, Partner, Untitled Entertainment
- Thomas W. Hulick, CEO, Managing Partner, Strategy Asset Managers
- Rafique Jiwani, Head of GTM Value Creation, Operating Advisor, Goldman Sachs Private Equity
- ElizBeth Jones, Founder and CEO, Atomic Venus Media
- Ryan Keating, Partner, Industry Leader, Venture Services, EisnerAmper
- Ramey Layne, Partner, Capital Markets and Mergers & Acquisitions, Vinson & Elkins
- Jeff Meyer, Managing Director, Protiviti
- Pete Michelsen, Leader, Activism and Shareholder Advisory Practice, Qatalyst
- JL Pomeroy, Founder and CEO, BRIDGELINE Media
- Josh Waldron, Interim CFO, Scale AI
- Jarrett Banks, Editor-at-Large, CorpGov (Moderator)
- John Jannarone, Editor-in-Chief, CorpGov (Moderator)
More Upcoming Events:
Preliminary Agenda: 6th Palm Beach CorpGov Forum Nov 4-5 with Activism, Sports, VC
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