Entering its 10th year of serving the State of California, Cal-IPGCA launched Cohort 2021 on January 7, 2021. There are 4 Innovation Teams that launched 4 Moonshot projects representing 8 Innovation Priorities.  If what you see and read on our homepage "ignites the innovator in you" and you would like to join the movement, the door of opportunity opens through joining as a member of the Cal-IPGCA Association.  Our price is right...the cost of membership is FREE with the opportunities to volunteer your voice, thoughts, and ideas as "Beta-Testers" of work-in-progress open-ended!  Membership is open to all - JOIN TODAY!  The amount of volunteer time you contribute will be based upon the role you choose to take on. Here's additional information on volunteering as a Beta-Tester for Cohort 2021 - Do you "Dare to be this person!"

We describe a moonshot as:

"The essence of a Moonshot is the combination of a huge problem, a re-imagined solution to that problem, and the creation of innovative ideas that can shift approach and outcomes of people, process and technology to make that solution possible."

As a "leaders training leaders" program, Cohort 2021 is guided by a combined leadership of 28 pioneers of innovation representing, secretaries, directors, and key State of California leadership – all responsible for charting the real-time terrain of supercharged pandemics – COVID 19, racial inequality, social unrest, and accelerating climate change where emergency response activities in 2020 totaled 8200 unique events and resulting in more than 4 million acres of land burned. The first 5 weeks of Cohort 2021, on consecutive Thursday's, these leaders share their strategic advisory with an "auxiliary" team of cohort trainees from across the State of California

A "North Star" for Cohort 2021 is Governor Newsom's Executive Order N-04-19. Through cascading rapid innovation sprints, Cohort 2021 is a testbed that operationalizes the intent of this EO by "forming partnerships across state agencies and departments, working together with the private sector, academia, and non-governmental organizations to spur innovation, promote collaboration and entice partnership in solving some of the state's most complex business and technology challenges.

Cal-IPGCA Cohorts use a facilitated curriculum for the development of our teamed Moonshot Projects. Here's a short overview of the Cal-IPGCA Program followed by an INDEX of program features. A major component within the Cal-IPGCA is a curriculum that integrates "Just Ask Why". This is instructed by Kathleen Webb, Chief Deputy Director of the DMV as a long-term Executive Sponsor of the Cal-IPGCA Program. "Just Ask Why" is an iterative process in the facilitated development of the Moonshot Projects via an 8-Step Path.

"Innovation Priority Overview + SACNet Pilots Innovation Priorities."

"Innovation Priority Overview + M & M Innovation Priority."

"Innovation Priority Overview + TeleTeam Innovation Priority."

"Innovation Priority Overview + The Unifiers Innovation Priorities."

The Cal-IPGCA Association Gives Back

Since 2017, Cal-IPGCA has offered a statewide "give-back" program where the "Change Challenge Forums" are open to all state employees at no cost, and earning PDH credits. Each Cohort year State of California Leadership advises Cal-IPGCA "innovationist trainees" on developing their Moonshot projects that reimagine enterprise-wide challenges facing the State of California. Our leaders are the instructors for Cal-IPGCA’s state-of-the-art curriculum, and they are the advisors for the innovationists’ Moonshot prototypes and "test-bed" activities.

The COVID-19 and racial injustice pandemics have exponentially reshaped both the structure and approach of Cohort 2021’s Change Challenge Forums, and "Cal-IPGCA’s Leaders Training Leaders" environment is being honed and deployed in real-time. We've had 500 trainings enroll in this 5-week series. This is a testament to our leaders that never has there been a more pivotal time to challenge, change, and grow yourself and your teams - Kudo's to the plethora of participating departments statewide!

Master Video: Accelerating Government Leadership Through Moonshot Projects

Note: Due to continuous COVID and emergency response impacts, Director Ghilarducci remains on the Moonshot Panel, but he will be filmed at a future date as a “Moonshot Keynote” with an accompanying live Q & A session.

Master Video - Live Questions and Answers: Accelerating Government Innovation Through Moonshot Projects

"At the close of each Q & A Live Session, Leadership Forum Trainees and attendees are asked to communicate one word that expresses their feedback and their return on investment for the time spent. At the time this feedback was given, 504 attendees were participating statewide. Deploying the Strategic Advisory of our Leaders out to the rank and file of the State of California has represented an overarching mission of the Cal-IPGCA Program. In this respect, this outcome represented a "Moonshot realized" for the Cal-IPGCA Association and Cohort 2021."

Master Video: Accelerating Government Innovation Through a Culture of Change Leadership

Master Video: Live Questions and Answers: Accelerating Government Innovation through a Culture of Change Leadership

The Experience – What our Trainees Said..

Master Video: Accelerating Government Leadership through Digital Upskilling

Master Video: Live Q & A - Accelerating Government Innovation through Digital Upskilling

"At the close of each Q & A Live Session, Leadership Forum Trainees and attendees are asked to communicate one word that expresses their feedback and their return on investment for the time spent. At the time this feedback was given, 450 attendees are participating statewide. Deploying the strategic advisory of our leaders out to the rank and file of the State of California has represented an overarching mission of the Cal-IPGCA Program. In this respect, maintain this level of stability week to week, represents a "Moonshot realized" for the Cal-IPGCA Association and Cohort 2021."

Master Video: Accelerating Government Innovation through Intrapreneurship

Master Video: LIVE Q AND A: ACCELERATING GOVERNMENT INNOVATION THROUGH INTRAPRENEURSHIP

"At the close of each Q & A Live Session, Leadership Forum Trainees and attendees are asked to communicate one word that expresses their feedback and their return on investment for the time spent. At the time this feedback was given, 450 attendees are participating statewide. Deploying the strategic advisory of our leaders out to the rank and file of the State of California has represented an overarching mission of the Cal-IPGCA Program. In this respect, maintain this level of stability week to week, represents a "Moonshot realized" for the Cal-IPGCA Association and Cohort 2021."

Master Video: Live Questions and Answers: Accelerating Government Innovation through Risk Intelligence

- Written Responses from Henry Jones, President, CalPERS Board of Directors

Master Video: Live Questions and Answers: Accelerating Government Innovation through Risk Intelligence

"At the close of each Q & A Live Session, Leadership Forum Trainees and attendees are asked to communicate one word that expresses their feedback and their return on investment for the time spent. At the time this feedback was given, 380 attendees are participating statewide. Deploying the strategic advisory of our leaders out to the rank and file of the State of California has represented an overarching mission of the Cal-IPGCA Program. In this respect, maintain this level of stability week to week, represents a "Moonshot realized" for the Cal-IPGCA Association and Cohort 2021."