UCLA, Los Angeles
11 AM to 3 PM · meridianventura.com
CEOs come to you.
24 executives. 400 students.
Free for every student. Tell us what you need, one short form when you register.
Meridian is a free conference on Saturday, November 14, 2026 at UCLA, for university students across Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. It is built and run by a UC Berkeley undergraduate from Oxnard.
Leaders don't speak from a stage and leave. They circulate, sit with students, and each one names a single concrete thing they can do for someone in the room.
What the day looks like →How it works
You write down what you need. They come find you.
Tell us what you need
One short form when you register. An internship, a mentor, funding, a field you want into. Whatever it is, write it down.
They come find you
No lining up, no elevator pitch. CEOs work the room and come to you, already knowing your ask. What you get is concrete: an introduction, a referral, a direct line in.
You leave with something real
Not a stack of business cards. An introduction, a referral, a name to write to, and a room full of people who now know what you are working on.
Support
Who helped build this
George Leis
Chairman, YMCA of the USA / Executive Vice President, CalPrivate Bank
George Leis was among the first to believe in this conference and in the person building it. He personally donated $1,000 to make the first event possible. Every time Jaxton is in town, they meet, without exception. He was present at Jaxton's high school graduation. His investment in Meridian Conference is a direct extension of his investment in what young people from this community are capable of.
Behind Meridian
Who is behind it
General Atomics
The General Atomics Sciences Education Foundation funded Meridian and is bringing a hands-on aerospace engineering lab to the day. Students build something real instead of sitting through a talk.
Working with us
More partners will be named here as they are confirmed.
The day
What the day looks like
Arrive
Doors are open. Come in, get your name tag, and settle in.
Check-in, portraits, ask cards
You sit for a real portrait you keep. Then you write your ask card: what you are looking for and who you want to meet. You wear it all day, so a leader can walk up already knowing why.
The open floor
Leaders and students mix in one room. Partner organizations run tables you can walk up to, a hands-on aerospace lab runs all day, and hosts make introductions so nobody stands alone.
Student demos
Already building something? A company, a project, a research idea? You get a table to show it. Sign up when you register.
The Favor Wall
When a leader offers something, it goes up on the wall as it happens. By the end of the day you can see everything that was offered, in front of everyone.
Keynote conversations
A few leaders talk about their path, then take questions. Conversations, not speeches.
Direct access
The center of the day. Leaders sit with small groups and answer the asks on your cards: an introduction, a referral, a direct line in.
The close
Everyone joins the Meridian network, so you have a place to ask for help after the day ends.
In-N-Out, on us
Most conferences end over food. Ours does too. Anyone who wants to come is invited.
Questions
Before you ask
Yes. No ticket, no fee, nothing sold.
Anyone who is excited to be there. University students of any major or year, high school students, and people who already graduated. There is no cutoff. If you are ready to meet people, you belong in the room.
Yes, but they need their own registration. Seats are capped at 400.
Business casual is ideal. If that is not something you have, wear whatever you would wear to meet people you respect. Nobody is checking.
Stay the whole time. The best conversations happen late in the day, after people have loosened up and the room knows who you are. The students who arrive first and leave last get the most out of it.
Many people there have not. You introduce yourself, they introduce themselves, and it goes from there. Your ask card does a lot of the work for you, because people can see what you are looking for before they walk up.
Something else? Email us at jaxtonwright11@berkeley.edu
Getting there
Covel Commons at UCLA
We are at Covel Commons, 200 De Neve, Los Angeles, CA 90095. Put that address into your maps app and it will take you to the door.
- Building
- Covel Commons
- Address
- 200 De Neve, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Date
- Saturday, November 14, 2026, 11 AM to 3 PM
Follow Meridian on Instagram for parking and day-of updates.
Free for every student. Tell us what you need, one short form when you register.