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AI Ignites the Tri-Valley: 2025 Summit Unites Innovators Across Industries
September 2, 2025
Dublin, CA — The Tri-Valley was buzzing with energy and innovation on August 20 as nearly 200 leaders from energy, healthcare, education, and national security gathered at the Patelco Credit Union Headquarters for the 2025 Tri-Valley AI Summit. Organized by Startup Tri-Valley, hosted by Patelco Credit Union, and presented by the City of Dublin, the three-hour evening event showcased how artificial intelligence is transforming industries—and how the Tri-Valley is leading the charge.
With the theme, “AI as the Catalyst for Change in Industries,” the summit delivered a high-impact program that packed thought leadership, collaboration, and networking into just a few hours. Attendees engaged in panel discussions, lively table topics, and dynamic networking sessions that highlighted real-world AI applications.
In energy, Pacific Fusion shared how AI is accelerating the path to clean power through its groundbreaking work to build the world’s first fusion reactor for renewable energy. In healthcare, Stanford Health Care demonstrated how it is empowering every employee—from clinicians to administrators—to safely and securely integrate AI into workflows, streamlining operations and improving patient outcomes.“ The energy in the room was electric,” said Yolanda Fintschenko, Executive Director of i-GATE Innovation Hub and Daybreak Labs. “This summit proved that the Tri-Valley is not just participating in the AI revolution—we’re helping lead it.”
Mayor Sherry Hu of Dublin welcomed attendees with opening remarks that set the tone for the evening. “The Tri-Valley AI Summit is a testament to our region’s commitment to innovation and collaboration,” said Hu. “We are proud to host an event that brings together leaders from across industries to shape the future of technology.
Host and Patelco Credit Union executive Bhavani Palukuri, added, “It was an honor to welcome so many visionaries to our headquarters. The conversations sparked here tonight will ripple across the Tri-Valley and beyond.”
The event’s success was made possible by the generous support of presenting sponsor City of Dublin and host Patelco Credit Union, whose hospitality set the stage for a dynamic experience. Special thanks go to the panelists Cindy Gonzales, Dyrell Foster, Leland Ellison, and Nikesh Kotecha, as well as Stephen Lee of Carbide Ventures, —who moderated the panel and table topics that fueled meaningful dialogue and sparked new collaborations.
Adding a local touch to the summit’s closing reception, five Livermore Valley wineries—JMC Cellars, Occasio Vineyards, Del Valle Winery, Omega Road Winery, and McGrail Winery—donated wine and time to create a memorable tasting experience. Coordinated by the Livermore Valley Wine Growers Association, the reception celebrated the region’s excellence in both innovation and hospitality.
Startup Tri-Valley invites the community to stay engaged as we continue to build momentum around AI and deep tech in the region. For updates and future events, follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/startuptrivalley/ .
About the Host
About Patelco Credit Union
Patelco Credit Union is a not-for-profit credit union committed to serving the financial health and well-being of its membership. With more than $9 billion in assets, Patelco empowers its 500,000 members to live their best financial lives by offering personalized solutions, advice, and expertise. Patelco has received numerous multi-year awards for excellence from leading consumer and business organizations, including Newsweek’s America’s Best Regional Banks and Credit Unions and Bankrate’s Best Credit Unions, and was named a Best-In-State Credit Union in 2025 by Forbes. The company was founded in 1936 with $500 by Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company employees and is based in Dublin, CA. For more information, visit https://www.patelco.org/.
About the Organizers
About Startup Tri-Valley
Startup Tri-Valley is an initiative to grow and strengthen our region by helping more startups succeed. We do this by connecting founders and innovators to a tightly networked ecosystem of resources built specifically for science-based startups. The initiative is sponsored by the Tri-Valley cities of Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton, the Town of Danville, and i-GATE Innovation Hub partners Lawrence Livermore and Sandia National Laboratories. To learn more, visit https://startuptrivalley.org.
About i-GATE Innovation Hub
i-GATE Innovation Hub is a non-profit organization focused on increasing economic prosperity through entrepreneurship in the Tri-Valley. i-GATE provides startup incubation resources through Daybreaks Labs and connects the regional innovation ecosystem through the Startup Tri-Valley initiative. To learn more, visit https://igatehub.org.
City of Dublin, California – Presenting Sponsor
From a population of approximately 14,350 in 1982, the City of Dublin has become a highly diverse city with a resident population of nearly 75,000, and a thriving community with more than 2,100 businesses. Learn more at https://dublin.ca.gov.
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Caption: “AI: The Catalyst for Change in Industries,” hosted by Startup Tri-Valley. The event was held on Wednesday, August 20, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., at Patelco Credit Union HQ in Dublin, CA. The summit featured (left to right) panelist Nikesh Kotecha (Head of Data Science, Stanford Health Care), moderator Stephen Lee (General Partner, Carbide Ventures), panelist Cindy Gonzales, (Deputy Director, Data Science Institute and Group Leader of the Intelligent Detection, Exploitation, and Analysis (iDEA) Group, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, with organizer Yolanda Fintschenko, City of Dublin Mayor Sherry Hu, Panelist Leland Ellison (Founding Member, Pacific Fusion) and Panelist Dr. Dyrell Foster (President, Las Positas College). *
Caption: Almost 200 attendees participating in the panel discussion.
*A high-resolution copy of this image is available upon request. Also, contact Yolanda Fintschenko for more images from the event from the event’s image gallery.