2025 SJSU Economic Summit: Bridging Campus and Community

At the 2023 Economic Summit, about 400 business and community leaders, students, faculty and staff gathered at San José State’s Morris Dailey Auditorium to gain a comprehensive analysis and forecast of economic activity at local, state and national levels.

What does the future hold for our local, state and national economies? That was the big question on everyone’s mind at the 2025 SJSU Economic Summit. On June 18, close to 400 business and community leaders, students, faculty and staff gathered at San José State’s Morris Dailey Auditorium to hear from economists and business leaders. 

This annual event, hosted by the SJSU Center for Banking and Financial Services (CBFS) and the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business provides a comprehensive analysis and forecast of economic activity at local, state and national levels. 

“The Economic Summit is a cornerstone event for the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business, highlighting our commitment to connecting academic insights with real-world challenges, opportunities and innovations,” shared Rangapriya Kannan, dean of the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business.

Dean Kannan kicked off the event by extending a warm welcome to this year’s sponsors, distinguished panelists, and moderator, Jay Ross from Lathrop GPM. The summit featured two prominent speakers: Christopher Thornberg, founding partner of Beacon Economics, and Sam Liccardo, Congressman representing California’s 16th district.

Chris Thornberg speaking at the 2025 Economic Summit. Photo by Adriana Avila.

Congressman Liccardo spoke about the need for innovation within the entrepreneurial ecosystem, stating that “America desperately needs an innovation agenda.” He believes a bipartisan approach to innovation could significantly restore U.S. competitiveness. 

In Thornberg’s presentation, he emphasized that California and the Bay Area are misdiagnosing their core issues, focusing on symptoms rather than underlying problems like housing supply and the overall narrative that intensifies economic imbalances.

The engaging discussions and valuable insights shared by the panelists were made possible through key partnerships. Stoyu Ivanov, finance professor, Gloria and Michael Chiang Investment Fellow, and director of the Center for Banking and Financial Services, expressed his gratitude,saying, “This summit truly embodies the power of collaboration. We are immensely grateful for the support of our generous sponsors: Western Alliance Bank/Bridge Bank, Lathrop GPM, the San José Chamber of Commerce, and the Silicon Valley Business Journal.”

“We were absolutely thrilled with this year’s turnout,” shared Tijana Rajkovic, associate professor of finance, director of the master of science in financial analytics program, and associate director of the Center for Banking and Financial Services. “Events like the Economic Summit are crucial for fostering meaningful connections between our campus, local businesses and the broader community. I’ve been involved with the Economic Summit since 2017 and each year reinforces the profound impact these conversations have.”

For some attendees, like first-year business students Jalen Vongnarith and Donya Abdullah, this marked their first Economic Summit. 

“I’m excited to begin studying at SJSU this fall. Events like this are why I chose this school,” says Vongnarith.

She added, “The panelists were engaging and gave valuable information. I also connected with the guests and learned about different companies in Silicon Valley. I look forward to attending more events at SJSU in the future.”

Abdullah also found the Economic Summit inspiring and left with more knowledge of the current economic situation and said it, “showed ways in which we, as future leaders, can form visionary solutions. I am so excited to be a part of the SJSU [student] body this fall!”

View Dr. Thornberg’s presentation