About the Event

In partnership with the UC Berkeley Institute for Business Innovation (IBI) and the Deep Tech Innovation Lab (DTIL), this invitation-only roundtable and dinner convened leading academics, industry decision-makers, startup founders, and a select group of UC Berkeley students to discuss the future of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. Designed as a closed-door forum rather than a presentation event, the discussion focused on strategic research directions, commercialization pathways, and real-world deployment, fostering candid exchange and mentorship at the intersection of academia and industry.

NOVA is a robotics and AI community that empowers collaboration between academia, industry, policymakers and the public to shape the future of technology. We provide a global platform for knowledge exchange, events, and insights, giving everyone a voice in responsible decision-making. Guided by integrity, diversity, freedom of speech, and a human-first approach, NOVA aims to be the world’s most influential robotics and AI platform—uniting interdisciplinary communities and serving as a trusted hub for innovation and impact.

Featured Speakers


Speaker Name

Daniele Bernardini

CEO

Cognivix

Speaker Name

Stefan Knoll

VP - Research & Technology Center

Robert Bosch LLC

Speaker Name

John Ha

CEO

Bear Robotics

Speaker Name

Henning Roedel

Founder

Hardhat Robotics

Speaker Name

Kadidia Konate

CEO

Hair Robotics Inc

Speaker Name

Alex Horovitz

VP Manufacturing Operations

Snowcap Compute

Speaker Name

Sriharsha V. Thimmareddy

Global Software R&D Manager

ABB Inc.

Speaker Name

Prithvi Akella

Research Scientist

Siemens

Speaker Name

Negar Mehr

Assistant Professor

UC Berkeley

Speaker Name

Ben Varkey

Founding Engineer

Dexterity AI

Speaker Name

Eric Chen

Postdoctoral Researcher

UC Berkeley

Speaker Name

Oguzhan Aygoren

Director, IBI

UC Berkeley

Speaker Name

Lining Yao

Assistant Professor

UC Berkeley

Speaker Name

Sam Sakata

COO

INTEC IT USA

Speaker Name

Annas Farra

Strategy

Caterpillar

Event Schedule

A full day of inspiring talks, panels, and networking opportunities.

Welcome & Introduction

5:00 PM – 5:10 PM

10 mins

Opening Panel Discussion

5:10 PM – 5:40 PM

30 mins

Networking & Dinner

5:40 PM – 6:00 PM

20 mins

Round Table #1 - The Regulatory and Ethical Gap: Should the "Move Fast and Break Things" Mentality Apply to Robotics?

6:00 PM – 6:40 PM

40 mins

Round Table #2 - The Automation Tipping Point: Redefining Work and the Social Contract.Which World are We Creating?

6:45 PM – 7:25 PM

40 mins

Open Networking

7:25 PM - 8:00 PM

35 mins

Our Partners

Location