On August 23, more than 150 alumni, postdocs, and friends gathered in San Francisco for the first Bay Area Professional Summit—Caltech’s new regional event dedicated to mentorship, career exploration, and community connection.
The program began with mentorship sessions organized by Caltech Career Achievement, Leadership, and Exploration (CALE). Alumni serving as mentors met with students, postdocs, and early-career Techers for small-group conversations, sharing advice and professional insights across industries.
After an afternoon of one-on-one conversations and breakout groups, the larger Caltech community arrived for the evening reception. The venue was generously hosted by Vance Bjorn (BS ’89), while Philip Naecker (BS ’76) provided financial support for the event. Together, their contributions made the networking, food, and evening culinary science program possible.
The evening program featured Tom Mannion, Caltech’s senior director of student activities and programs, and Harold McGee (DAA ’10, BS ’73), acclaimed author of On Food and Cooking. Together, they offered a live culinary science demonstration exploring the chemistry and techniques of cooking.
From mentorship and career conversations to culinary demonstrations and networking, the inaugural Bay Area Professional Summit showcased the strength of the Techer community in the Bay Area.
Whether you joined as a mentor, mentee, or guest for the evening, thank you for making the first Bay Area Professional Summit a success.
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