Ascend GenAI

Ascend GenAI is Southern California’s premier GenAI community, bringing together builders, executives, investors, and professionals who are shaping the future of AI.

We host live panels, keynotes, and networking events in Irvine, CA, featuring speakers from Google DeepMind, BlackBerry Cylance, Synergetics.ai, and other leading organizations. Our events attract engineers, product leaders, founders, and researchers from companies including Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Oracle, NVIDIA, Salesforce, and Experian.

Ascend GenAI provides expert-led panels on real-world AI adoption, strategy, and innovation, alongside networking opportunities with 300+ GenAI professionals across Southern California. We offer insights from startup founders, enterprise leaders, and academic researchers, fostering a growing community of repeat attendees and AI practitioners.

Founded in 2025, Ascend GenAI is located at the Merage Jewish Community Center in Irvine, CA, and is led by Itay Sharfi, a Product Lead at Zendesk and former Google executive. Itay also runs Application Owl, a GenAI-driven job search platform, and previously founded Mobile Monday US, a successful tech community organization.