How do program and product management intersect with serial entrepreneurship? In the June 17 episode of ELEVATED, host Jen García of Caltech’s Center for Technology and Management Education sits down with Leslie Fine, Managing Partner at Enjoy the Work and Caltech Ph.D. in Social Science, Game Theory, and Behavioral Economics. A serial entrepreneur, Leslie was also Salesforce’s first VP of Product in Data and Analytics, where she helped build the company’s first Einstein products. She'll share how game theory has shaped her approach in the wide range of experience she holds, from founding and advising startups to integrating acquisitions at Salesforce, and how it all ties back to strategic product and program management.
What you'll take away from this episode:
This live webcast discussion will be compelling and insightful, and is ideal for anyone interested in strategic decision-making, leadership, and AI product innovation.
Leslie Fine, PhD, earned her PhD in Game Theory and Behavioral Economics from Caltech. In 2008, Leslie founded her first startup, Crowdcast, and successfully exited the company in 2012. Following Crowdcast, she helped lead three more startups: Spigit (SVP Product), tenXer (Head of Product), and Swerve (Founder, CEO). After Leslie’s startup experiences, she ventured into the enterprise world and joined Salesforce (VP Product), where she helped ship the company’s first AI product. But it was through her involvement in Salesforce’s M&A process that she ultimately realized she wanted to return to startup life. Each chapter of Leslie’s career was chosen based on where she would find her next challenge. Leslie is a problem solver at heart, and she takes pride in repackaging all that she has learned throughout her career in order to effectively mentor the next wave of passionate founders. ♦
Jen García is Caltech CTME’s AI Tools Instructor and the host of ELEVATED. With over 20 years in higher education and workforce development, she served as a program manager at Orange Coast College while also teaching at institutions like UCLA Extension, UCI Extension, and USC. She later founded Employ California, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advancing workforce development, and Ingrained.ai, which equips businesses, educators, and social impact organizations with accessible AI tools training. Jen serves as the AI Executive in Residence at the Goldhirsh Foundation and sits on the boards of Vidby.ai and Pledge, a platform that raises nearly $50m in donations each year for many of the largest nonprofits and brands in the world. She has led AI tools trainings at the Getty Research Institute, and for the County of Los Angeles, DoorDash, the LA Fire Department, Brooklyn Public Library, and more. Through her work with Break Through Tech AI, Jen has also guided teams in developing custom AI/ML solutions for nonprofits. ♦