The Office of Innovation and Commercialization’s Innovation at the Edge is an incredible speakers series that is your invite to hear from founders, researchers, venture capitalists, distinguished alumni, and creative leaders as they converge to nurture your entrepreneurial spirit.

Presented by UC San Diego’s MAVERiC Studio, this interactive session invites audiences to experience the evolution of gold from the imperial die to extended reality.

Gold has defined value for more than 5,000 years, shaping civilizations, economies, and trust itself. In this special edition of Innovation at the Edge, Dr. Edward J. Watts, Alkiviadis Vassiliadis Endowed Chair in Byzantine Greek History at UC San Diego, and Jon Cavuoto, founder of First National Bullion & Coin (San Diego), explore how humanity’s faith in gold has evolved from ancient empires to modern markets. Watts reveals how gold coinage helped define empire and innovation, while Cavuoto brings these ideas to life through contemporary insights and hands-on demonstrations from the heart of Southern California’s bullion community.

Joining remotely, Dr. Adam Trexler, founder and president of Valaurum Inc., provides a rare look inside his nanotechnology-driven mint, where gold is transformed into flexible, verifiable Aurum® bills. Together, the discussion bridges history, craftsmanship, and cutting-edge technology to show how gold continues to anchor trust in an age of digital value.