ELEVATED

Caltech CTME ELEVATED: Creating Value at the Intersection of Systems and Experience: Lessons from Intrapreneurship. January 2026

Join us for our webcast of ELEVATED as we present Creating Value at the Intersection of Systems and Experience: Lessons from Intrapreneurship. We are pleased to welcome Melody McClaren, Researcher, Writer, Consultant and Caltech Alum as we kick off the new year of ELEVATED. Host Jen García of Caltech’s Center for Technology and Management Education will discuss with Melody how she has grown and nurtured a passionate and committed career rooted in intrapreneurship. Melody’s professional life has been characterized by curiosity-driven, non-linear pathways, working with global companies, NGOs, and cross-sector partnerships. Her work has focused on how individuals create value at the intersections of systems, institutions, and lived experience. Melody will illustrate how her experiences over the years have given her the ability to reflect across generations into how people can navigate complex careers with integrity and imagination. We are delighted to have her share her journey with us.

Caltech CTME ELEVATED: Project Management - Peter Sairafian - December 2025

ELEVATED, crafted by Caltech, is the only monthly webcast series converging technology with project management. Host Jen Garcia engages with pioneering thought leaders to illuminate pathways to success in the world of large-scale program and project management, cultivating a community dedicated to strategic leadership and career advancement within high-stakes domains. Peter Sairafian has broad project organization and management experience, spanning strategic planning, enterprise governance, PMO development, project management, business process management, and ERP implementation. He has led the development of several IT systems, applying best practices in change control, risk management, action item tracking, budgeting, and project management. At Southern California Edison, Mr. Sairafian led teams managing business cases and financial controls for project portfolios in excess of $300 million/year. He helped set up a PMO project organization. In addition, he performed strategic planning for the start-up of a non-regulated subsidiary, specializing in the operation and maintenance of power and non-power plant operations. At Molina Healthcare, he developed a governance framework for the Enterprise Project Management Office of Molina Healthcare, including identifying initiatives and programs, generating estimates, business cases, portfolio prioritization, benefits validation, stakeholder management, and decision body charter and composition.. Mr. Sairafian has managed programs in healthcare, utilities, engineering, and construction. He has worked with Sempra, Belkin, Kaiser Permanente, Memorial Care Health Systems, United Health Group, The Irvine Company, The Capital Group, Cisco, TransUnion, and Zodiac Aerospace. He has held certifications as a Project Management Professional, CGEIT, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Enterprise IT, COBIT, and ITIL governance. He holds a BS in civil engineering and a Master’s in Business from the University of California, Irvine.

Caltech CTME ELEVATED: Lead Like Her - Rethinking Leadership Development

Caltech CTME ELEVATED: Lead Like Her - Rethinking Leadership Development   “When pressure mounts, our instinct is to grip. Yet, the breakthrough lies in release.” This month we are pleased to welcome Shruti Dhupia, HR & Leadership Development expert. Host Jen García of Caltech’s Center for Technology and Management Education will discuss with Shruti how women leaders can discover their true essence, embody unshakable confidence, and build an ecosystem that authentically reflects their values. Shruti Dhupia brings 15+ years of experience in Leadership Alignment, Succession Planning, Learning Strategy, and Capability Development, and has worked with Harvard Business Publishing and Infosys Leadership Institute, among others. A certified assessor and leadership coach, Shruti actively contributes to blogs and research, with a focus on women in leadership.   We're happy to have you tune in as we explore these areas of professional development and empowerment.     Shruti Dhupia serves as an Associate Partner at Salto Dee Fe. Her rich work experience spans 15+ years with clients across the globe in the space of talent and leadership development. She was previously associated with organizations like Harvard Business Publishing, Infosys Leadership Institute Right Management, and Max Life Insurance. She has worked with renowned global brands in the APAC and ME regions and has handled a wide spectrum of clients across industries and sectors like Tata, Mahindra, Infosys, Genpact, HCL, Kotak, etc. She has extensive experience in the digital learning strategy to converge the right learning platforms and content providers. Shruti received her Masters in Human Resources from IISWBM- Kolkata. Her key capabilities include In-depth Needs Assessment, Leadership Alignment, Succession Planning, Learning Strategy Formulation and Capability Development. ♦   Jen García is Caltech CTME’s AI Tools Instructor and the host of ELEVATED. With over 20 years in higher education and workforce development, she served as a program manager at Orange Coast College while also teaching at institutions like UCLA Extension, UCI Extension, and USC. She later founded Employ California, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advancing workforce development, and Ingrained.ai, which equips businesses, educators, and social impact organizations with accessible AI tools training. Jen serves as the AI Executive in Residence at the Goldhirsh Foundation and sits on the boards of Vidby.ai and Pledge, a platform that raises nearly $50m in donations each year for many of the largest nonprofits and brands in the world. She has led AI tools trainings at the Getty Research Institute, and for the County of Los Angeles, DoorDash, the LA Fire Department, Brooklyn Public Library, and more. Through her work with Break Through Tech AI, Jen has also guided teams in developing custom AI/ML solutions for nonprofits. ♦

Caltech CTME ELEVATED: From Rocket Science to Cybersecurity: How Program Management + Systems Thinking Fuels Innovation

Caltech CTME ELEVATED: From Rocket Science to Cybersecurity: How Program Management + Systems Thinking Fuels Innovation     In this ELEVATED episode, Dr. Tina Srivastava, an MIT-trained rocket scientist, inventor, and co-founder of Badge, shares her journey from aerospace engineering at Raytheon to founding a cybersecurity company and developing Badge’s “identity without secrets” platform. She explains how her experiences in systems engineering and program management revealed the importance of collaboration between PMs and SEs, especially through practices like shadowing, rotation programs, and defining clear roles. Dr. Srivastava discusses her research and books, including Innovating in a Secret World and another she edited Integrating Program Management and Systems Engineering, which explores how innovation thrives even in secure, high-stakes environments. The conversation expands into how AI tools can enhance project collaboration, communication, and education when used responsibly and with privacy in mind. Finally, Dr. Srivastava emphasizes the need for lifelong learning and technological literacy, urging leaders to immerse themselves in technical understanding to drive better decision-making and innovation.

Caltech CTME ELEVATED: Unconventional Journeys & Daily Realities - Advice for Aspiring Managers

Zeina Barrett has over 25 years of experience in the management and execution of programs for the Department of Defense and Departments of State Health and Social Services and across multiple Northrop Grumman Sectors. She has a wide breadth of expertise in program management, risk management, process re-engineering, and operations management across various levels of the organization. Zeina is currently the Program Excellence Director for the Space Sector shaping program management governance, process, and is responsible for executing PM training and development. Prior to this role, Zeina was most recently the Operating Unit Director for Space Vehicles within the Tactical Space Systems Division, where she was responsible for our ESPAStar Product Line (>$1B product line) and growth of space vehicle market within the division. She has led teams across all phases of program execution. Zeina received her bachelor’s in business and a master’s of information systems from the University of Phoenix and a graduate certificate in Project Management from the University of California Los Angeles. She achieved her Project Management Professional certification in 2011, is a certified scrum master and Agile coach. She is currently working towards her masters of business administration at Liberty University on her path to a Doctorate of business administration in the future.   Jen García is Caltech CTME’s AI Tools Instructor and the host of ELEVATED. With over 20 years in higher education and workforce development, she served as a program manager at Orange Coast College while also teaching at institutions like UCLA Extension, UCI Extension, and USC. She later founded Employ California, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advancing workforce development, and Ingrained.ai, which equips businesses, educators, and social impact organizations with accessible AI tools training. Jen serves as the AI Executive in Residence at the Goldhirsh Foundation and sits on the boards of Vidby.ai and Pledge, a platform that raises nearly $50m in donations each year for many of the largest nonprofits and brands in the world. She has led AI tools trainings at the Getty Research Institute, and for the County of Los Angeles, DoorDash, the LA Fire Department, Brooklyn Public Library, and more. Through her work with Break Through Tech AI, Jen has also guided teams in developing custom AI/ML solutions for nonprofits.