Education leaders from Southern California gathered at the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Business & Education Innovation Summit to discuss challenges and opportunities for educational institutions, as well as ways to connect with local industries. The summit took place on November 18, 2025, at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) and marked the start of Inauguration Season for LMU, which is preparing to inaugurate its 17th president, Thomas Poon, Ph.D., on December 9.
A panel of high-profile education leaders participated in the discussion. Among them was the chancellor of the Los Angeles Community College District. The event also featured interim leadership from USC, presidents from Mount St. Mary’s University and UC Merced, and was moderated by the president and CEO of the L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce, who is an LMU alumnus.
Thomas Poon spoke about LMU’s role in bridging education and business: “At LMU we see ourselves as very nimble,” said Poon. ”We have seven schools and colleges and three campuses and we have utilized our Playa Vista campus as a bridge in the sometimes divide between business, industry and higher education. We see ourselves as a convener of industry, such as the Innovation Summit and the many working groups we have, to address the challenges that the workforce is facing.”
The summit highlighted ongoing efforts among local academic institutions to collaborate with businesses in order to meet workforce needs.
