OC Tech Week 2026 | Free, in person
Prove what you made. Protect your name.
AI can fake your face, your voice and your words in seconds. One fake video or made-up quote can undo a reputation in a day. Come to OC Tech Week and learn how to prove what is really yours, with our team beside you.
Bring a laptop, your phone and a photo ID to get verified on the spot.
After the pre-launch, The AI Lab invited NVIDIA, Meta, OpenAI, Google and Microsoft to adopt TIP.
Hosts, partners and sponsors
Hosted by The AI Lab, with Dinesh Mendhe (Founder and Chairman), Dr. Sofia Martinez (Chief Executive Officer), Tushar Bhendarkar (Chief Technology Officer) and Sairamakrishna Karri (Director of Engineering). With thanks to the partners and sponsors who made the afternoon possible.
Platinum sponsor
Rooverse (opens in a new tab)Rooverse is the human-only social network, built on verified personhood, with zero AI-generated content and no bots. Real people share real moments there, on iPhone, Android and the web.
Ross ThorpeChief Executive Officer, RooverseChairman, AI Trust CouncilGold sponsor
Port of Los Angeles Trade Connect (opens in a new tab)Represented by Marisela Caraballo DiRuggiero, Director of Trade Development, Port of Los Angeles. Trade Connect is the Port's free export education program for small and mid-size businesses.- Co-host
Tech Coast Venture Network (TCVN) (opens in a new tab)Southern California's startup accelerator and entrepreneurial community since 1984, represented by Executive Director Aaron Klein. - Launch partner
Iffel International (opens in a new tab)Led by Hema Dey, Founder and CEO, and an Advisor to the AI Trust Council, who helped bring this launch together. - Launch partner
The AI Translator Academy (opens in a new tab)Led by Hema Dey. Practical AI education for individuals and business teams. - Promotional partner
Women In International Trade, Orange County (WITOC) (opens in a new tab)With Chair Simona Racek, President Destinee Broussard and Treasurer Sharla Marocchi. - Cross-border legal and trade partner
Mexico Business Lawyers (opens in a new tab)Led by Founding Partner Juan Felipe Sánchez Curiel. Legal counsel, corporate structuring and transaction advisory across the U.S. and Mexico business corridor. - Media and production partner
COLDEA Productions (opens in a new tab)Led by Founder and Executive Producer Cristian Coldea, photographing and filming the afternoon so its ideas reach people beyond the room. - Venue
EvoNexus Irvine (opens in a new tab)101 Academy Way, Suite 130, Irvine, California. - Part of
OC Tech Week 2026 (opens in a new tab)October 19 to 24 across Orange County, hosted by Tech Coast Venture Network. - Supporter
Krieger Worldwide (Norman Krieger, Inc.) (opens in a new tab)Domestic and international logistics, from specialized trucking to ocean and air freight and customs brokerage. Supported the launch through Women In International Trade, Orange County (WITOC).
Program
From understanding to action, the launch of TIP in Orange County.
Understand quantum. Question trust. Adopt TIP. Put it to work.
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 12:00 to 12:15 pm | Welcome and sponsor recognitionTony Crisp, Co-Chair, OC Tech Week |
| 12:15 to 12:30 pm | Opening remarks from The AI LabDr. Sofia Martinez and Dinesh Mendhe |
| 12:30 to 1:00 pm | Session 1. Quantum, explained. What it is and why it matters to everyonePresented by Ana Valeria Flores |
| 1:00 to 2:00 pm | Session 2. Trust broke. Now what? The People vs. The AI LabModerated by Simona Filip Racek |
| 2:00 to 2:35 pm | Session 3. The room adopts TIP. Launch of the Trust Identity ProtocolPresented by Dinesh Mendhe |
| 2:35 to 2:55 pm | Session 4. TIP for business, simplified. One Brain by itsbusiness.aiPresented by Hema Dey and Dinesh Mendhe |
| 2:55 to 3:15 pm | Session 5. Open floor. Preparing the world for quantum |
| 3:15 to 4:00 pm | Networking, book signing and WITOC registration |
The sessions
12:00 to 12:15 pm
Welcome and sponsor recognition
Tony Crisp, Co-Chair, OC Tech Week
A welcome to The AI Lab team, who traveled from the East Coast to launch the Trust Identity Protocol here in Orange County, and thanks to the sponsors who made the afternoon possible.
12:15 to 12:30 pm
Opening remarks from The AI Lab
Dr. Sofia Martinez and Dinesh Mendhe
Why The AI Lab chose Orange County for this launch, and what everyone in the room will take part in today.
12:30 to 1:00 pm
Session 1. Quantum, explained. What it is and why it matters to everyone
Presented by Ana Valeria Flores
Before we can talk about trust, we need to understand the technology reshaping it. This session explains quantum in plain language, how it differs from today's computing, and why it will affect every business and every person.
1:00 to 2:00 pm
Session 2. Trust broke. Now what? The People vs. The AI Lab
Moderated by Simona Filip Racek
Now that we know what is coming, the next question is who protects us. This live debate puts human concerns about reputation, dignity, livelihoods and accountability head to head with the people building the answer.
What happens to our work? Who can we trust? Who is responsible when technology causes harm? And how do people keep a voice in the decisions shaping their future?
For the people, Sheikh C. Ali, Dr. Kevin H. Sakamoto, Lernard Mack and Sajindra Gunawardane. For The AI Lab, Dr. Sofia Martinez, Dinesh Mendhe and Hema Dey.
2:00 to 2:35 pm
Session 3. The room adopts TIP. Launch of the Trust Identity Protocol
Presented by Dinesh Mendhe
The debate made the case, and now the answer arrives. Dinesh Mendhe, the scientist behind TIP, walks through its purpose as a pro-human technology. Then the room adopts TIP live, together. Learn what it is, get your TIP-ID and use it.
Read about the Trust Identity Protocol, then get your TIP-ID at vp.theailab.org.
2:35 to 2:55 pm
Session 4. TIP for business, simplified. One Brain by itsbusiness.ai
Presented by Hema Dey and Dinesh Mendhe
You have adopted TIP, and this is how your business puts it to work, protecting your clients. A first look at the One Brain prototype shows how TIP-powered automation can make trust simple across everyday business operations. The pilot is open to 10 companies, by invitation. Full launch is coming soon at itsbusiness.ai.
2:55 to 3:15 pm
Session 5. Open floor. Preparing the world for quantum
With quantum explained, trust debated, TIP adopted and One Brain previewed, the floor is yours. Bring your questions about what comes next, what needs to change, and what we can start doing today.
3:15 to 4:00 pm
Networking, book signing and WITOC registration
Connect with speakers, business leaders and fellow attendees. Meet Hema Dey for a signed copy of The AI Translator. Join WITOC and get access to The AI Translator Academy.
Speakers
Tony Crisp on LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)Co-Chair, OC Tech Week
Hema Dey on LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)Founder and CEO, Iffel International | #1 bestselling author, The AI Translator | Forbes Top 5 AI Leader | AI Trust Council Advisor
Dr. Sofia Martinez on LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)Chief Executive Officer, The AI Lab
Dinesh Mendhe on LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)Founder and Chairman, The AI Lab | Inventor of TIP
Ana Valeria Flores on LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)Founder, Quantum Tesseract
Simona Filip Racek on LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)Chair, WITOC | CEO, Just Down The Street LLC
Sheikh C. Ali on LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)Brand builder for clinicians and healthcare executives
Dr. Kevin H. Sakamoto on LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)AI and digital transformation advisor | TEDx speaker | Cal State Fullerton faculty
Lernard Mack on LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)Strategic development leader | Federal grants, clean energy and AI
Sajindra Gunawardane on LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)Outside general counsel and business lawyer, US Business Counsel, A Professional Law Corp
When fake content hurts your name
A doctored clip, a quote you never said, an old post edited and passed around. Content goes rogue fast, and the hardest part is proving it was never you.
The Trust Identity Protocol (TIP) lets everything you publish carry a signed public record tied to your verified identity. When a fake spreads, you point people to the real thing, and anyone can check for free that the fake carries no record from you. Content that carries this record is a Verifiable Asset.
TIP does not take fakes down or stop copying. It gives you a fact you can show a platform, a journalist, a client or a court.
What you will do
- Watch TIP go live, from verified identity to signed content to anyone checking it.
- Get your TIP-ID, your verified identity, with our team beside you.
- Sign your own post, video or article, then watch someone else check it.
- Leave knowing how to show your audience, your clients and the brands you work with that your work is really yours.
Who should come
- Content creators of every kind, from YouTubers, TikTokers and podcasters to writers, photographers, artists and journalists.
- Anyone whose name or face is public, and anyone whose reputation has been hit by fake videos, fake quotes or false posts.
- Reputation management, PR and crisis communications teams.
- Founders, executives, and legal and healthcare teams whose work needs to be believed.
Coming from Orange County, Las Vegas or Silicon Valley? This is the afternoon to learn it first, in person, from the people who built it.
What to bring
A laptop with Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Arc or Brave, your phone, and a government-issued photo ID if you want to get verified on the spot. We do not store your face image. It is used once to confirm you match your ID, then deleted right after processing. Nobody can retrieve it later, including us.
Questions
Someone posted a fake video or a made-up quote of me. How can I prove it is not real?
Make the real you checkable. With the Trust Identity Protocol (TIP), everything you publish can carry a signed public record tied to your verified identity, called a CTID. When a fake spreads, you point people to your real posts, and anyone can see for free that the fake carries no record from you. The session shows you how to set this up, step by step.
How does TIP help with reputation management?
Reputation work is about proving what someone really said and did. TIP gives a person, a company or a PR team a dated, signed record of every official post, video, statement and article, so a fake or an edited copy can be told apart from the original. It gives reputation managers a fact they can show a platform, a journalist, a client or a court.
Can TIP take down fake content or stop it from spreading?
No. TIP does not remove content, detect deepfakes or stop copying. Report harmful content to each platform and get legal advice where it is defamatory or impersonates you. What TIP adds is proof of the original, which is what those reports and conversations need.
What if my content was edited and reposted, or went viral in a way I never meant?
Each CTID records a fingerprint of what you published, so anyone can check whether a copy has been changed since. You can show which version is yours and when you published it, even after the content has travelled far from where you posted it.
Who is this session for?
Content creators of every kind, people whose name or face is public, reputation management, PR and crisis communications teams, executives and founders, journalists, and legal and healthcare teams. Anyone whose work needs to be believed is welcome.
Is it free, and what should I bring?
It is free. Bring a laptop with Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Arc or Brave, your phone, and a government-issued photo ID if you want to get verified on the spot. We do not store your face image. It is used once to confirm you match your ID, then deleted right after processing. Nobody can retrieve it later, including us.
Tuesday, October 20 | EvoNexus Irvine
Come prove what is yours. Free, in person.
Need help? Call (845) 464-5347 or email tip@theailab.org.