Ascend GenAI
Ascend GenAI is a Southern California-based community focused on how Generative AI is reshaping industries, careers, and opportunities. We host curated in-person panels, networking events, and local meetups with real leaders doing real work in GenAI.
Whether you're shipping products, investing in new ventures, or navigating your next career move, Ascend GenAI gives you the signal, not just the noise.
Itay Sharfi is the founder of Ascend GenAI. A former Senior Product Manager at Google, he led privacy and infrastructure efforts across global AdTech platforms. He currently teaches computer science at Cal State Fullerton and runs Application Owl, a GenAI-driven job search platform.
Previously, Itay led Mobile Monday US, a nonprofit community with monthly events that drew thousands of regular participants across four major cities—connecting tech professionals, founders, and product leaders around emerging innovation.
Itay built Ascend GenAI to bring high-quality conversations to SoCal—connecting builders, thinkers, and doers in one room to talk about what’s really happening in AI.