2026 Fall Luncheon: Creating and Defending a Successful Company

Deployment of Plant-based Crop-preserving Polymers: Being science-based in a culture of disinformation

CALPACS members and the general community are cordially invited to our Fall Luncheon. This year, we will host James Rogers of Apeel for a lecture on a plant-based, edible, produce-protecting polymers. James will detail the discovery, development, and commercialization into the agricultural business. The event will include appetizers and a three course lunch. Attendees can also choose to stay for the annual open session of the CALPACS Executive Committee.

Date & Time: Saturday, October 3, 2024 at 11:30 – 2:00 PM
Place: Firestone Walker Barrelworks, 620 McMurray Rd, Buellton, CA 93427 (Google Maps).
Cost: $25/$10 for students 

Please click here to make your reservation.

Note: Seating is limited. Please scan the QR code to RSVP, or do so through our web site, https://lospadresacs.org

James Rogers is preoccupied with tipping civilization into an era that will allow us to regard the ‘plastic age’ the same way we regard the ‘stone age’. After receiving his PhD from UCSB in Materials, James founded Apeel with two graduate school friends. Apeel uses materials found in nature to create an invisible ‘peel’ on the outside of fruits  and vegetables that allows them to live 2-3x longer in storage. James’ time building Apeel led him to think of technology as a catalyst for system change. He is obsessed with expanding the concept of community beyond the number of people that one can maintain in one’s mental ledger.

James Rogers, Ph.D, Founder of Apeel Sciences 

Vaccines: Efficacy and Safety

Vaccines are among the most impactful public health innovations in human history, yet questions about their development, effectiveness, and safety remain widely discussed. This lecture explores the scientific foundations of vaccines, tracing their research and invention from early immunization practices to modern technologies such as mRNA platforms. Attendees will gain insight into how vaccines are designed, tested, approved, and continuously monitored for safety. The lecture will also address common concerns and misconceptions, explain how risks are evaluated and minimized, and highlight the role vaccines play in preventing disease and protecting communities. By examining both the science and the safety systems behind vaccines, this talk aims to provide a clear, evidence-based understanding of how vaccines work and why they remain a cornerstone of modern medicine.

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CALPACS Sponsored Lecture on Psilocybin

You are invited to hear about the recent renascence in the research of psilocybin for the treatment of major depression disorder and other behavior problems. 

CALPACS is excited to invite Dr. Robert Kargbo from the Usona Institute to share their journey from chemical synthesis to the recent Phase II clinical trial program with psilocybin. Dr. Kargbo has been instrumental in advancing this field through the optimization of the chemical synthesis of psilocybin and other psychedelic compounds. These discoveries enabled the large-scale manufacturing and formulation of active pharmaceutical ingredients to be fed into the clinical trials. Further, hear his experience, insight, and progression of other psychedelic drugs and their treatment for a variety of societal maladies. 

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