Ten local leaders will each get 10 minutes to lay out their vision for the Conejo Valley's future at a Nov. 12 event at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.

The lineup includes Thousand Oaks deputy city manager Akbar Alikhan, who will speak on the city's downtown transformation. The Thousand Oaks City Council voted 5-0 in June to approve the long-planned downtown project, a mixed-use development centered on the Civic Arts Plaza area. Alikhan's talk, titled "Reimagining Downtown: The Transformation of Thousand Oaks," comes as the city moves forward on a project with roughly $150 million in public investment, according to Ventura County Star reporting.

The event is the annual 10x10, organized by the Conejo/Las Virgenes Future Foundation (CLVFF), a nonprofit civic think tank founded in 1972, as first reported by the Thousand Oaks Acorn. Topics include artificial intelligence in education, wildfire prevention and sustainable water supplies, according to the Acorn.

Other speakers and their subjects, listed on the event's Eventbrite page:

  • Rich DeMuro, KTLA technology reporter: "What's Next in Tech: The Trends Changing How We Live and Work"
  • Julius Sokenu, Moorpark College president: "How AI is Impacting Education"
  • Dave Pedersen, Las Virgenes Municipal Water District general manager: "The Future of Water: Tapping the Ocean for a Sustainable Supply"
  • Bobby Milstein, founder and manager of SoCal Fire Supply: "Fighting Fire with Technology: The Future of Wildfire Detection and Suppression"
  • Jon Irwin, chief operating officer of CENTEGIX: "Every Second Matters: Improving Emergency Response Time"
  • Carlo Reyes, MD, JD, co-owner of Oneness Clinic: "Beyond Traditional Medicine: The Future of Integrative Healthcare"
  • Erick Went, chief technology officer of Matter Labs: "Rise of the Robots: How Robotics Is Changing the Real World"
  • Estelle Bussa, deputy executive officer for economic vitality and service excellence: "The Hive: Where Autonomous Innovation Comes to Life"
  • Cristina Dennstedt, founder of Conejo Valley Visionaries Podcast: "The People, Ideas and Companies Shaping Our Region"

The downtown topic carries particular weight locally. The city plans to build housing, a hotel, retail space, a renovated city hall and a public market around the Civic Arts Plaza, according to the Ventura County Star. Construction could begin as early as mid-2027, with the final phase completing as early as 2034, the Star reported.

The 10x10 runs 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, at the Lundring Event Center in the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center at Cal Lutheran. Admission is $10. Registration is available through the Future Foundation's website and on Eventbrite.