Gerald Wheeler, of Orting, Wash., just finished working as an enumerator for the 2020 Census, where he met a lot of interesting people.

Robert Hall, of San Rafael, Calif., is now a solo lawyer in Marin County, specializing in construction risk management. Hall helps contractors and owners negotiate and successfully sign contracts for residential and light industrial remodels and repair projects.

Steve Peletz See MBA 1999.

Laura Bertolli, of Los Angeles, updates, “After decades of small business ownership and a stint in the corporate world, I am now focusing on my real estate brokerage and helping business owners sell their businesses (Business Team, Inc.). After a lifetime in the Bay Area, I followed my kids and moved to Los Angeles.”

Alice (Chou) Lin, of Singapore, writes, “After working for Oracle for half my life, I decided a few years ago to retire from the corporate world to spend more time with family and on projects where I control my time more. I now split my time between nonprofit volunteering/foundation projects and family investments.

“My husband and I are spending the next six months in Taiwan, on the Yilan coast. We celebrated our 25th anniversary on September 16; ever grateful to have this wonderful man in my life. Our two adult boys came out from Northern California and spent some time with us, and we are doubly grateful they were willing to quarantine for 14 days with us to have family bonding time. Our eldest son, a UCLA grad, started a new job with STG in Palo Alto in private equity, while middle son, Matthew, graduated from Berkeley (Go Bears!) with a CS degree—sadly with only a Zoom graduation, though hopefully in 20 years he will be able to boast of his 2020 special graduation.

“After losing our youngest child to a senseless accident 4.5 years ago, I am more conscious of what it truly means to live our lives beyond ourselves every day. Purpose has a different meaning for each person, but often purpose outside of ourselves gives us more reason to continue every day.” Shown: Joel, Alice, Michael, Brandon, Matthew.

Marci (Bratman) Zaroff, of New York City, reports, “My newest venture, ECOfashion Corp., a ‘Greenhouse of Brands,’ launched in 2019 and has extraordinary momentum across all verticals: Farm to Home (on QVC), Yes And (D2C brand), and MetaWear (B2B private label sustainable apparel and home manufacturing). We are in fundraising and hiring mode, so please reach out with any ideas/contacts! [email protected]”

Timothy Yee, of Alameda, Calif., continues to add new 401k clients in these challenging times. He writes, “Now more than ever, we must question the status quo and think beyond ourselves.”

Mister Emael (Ernesto Arellano), of Valencia, Spain, updates, “I continue as a cultural ambassador in Spain. I have tried to land a job at one of the official language schools run by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture, but the competition is fierce. This desire prompted me to move from Bilbao to Valencia, but unfortunately not in the site that I wanted. Looking for other options at this time. “I am fearful that Spain will force us back into quarantine. Stay-at-home laws here are enforceable with steep fines, which
of course aren’t fun. At this point I’m open to moving to Berlin or London if the opportunity presents itself.”

Kevin Long, of  Monterey Park, Calif., and his partners have started a new business venture named ProtectGears, Inc., to manufacture and distribute protective masks and other equipment to fight the COVID-19 epidemic.

Sybil Yang, of Oakland, Calif., received tenure as an associate professor at the Lam Family College of Business at San Francisco State University and was named faculty director of SFSU’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fellows Program. “I’ve started volunteering as a business and entrepreneurship mentor at La Cocina SF, a small business food concept incubator with a mission to offer equitable opportunity for living-wage work and asset generation for entrepreneurial women.”

Libby Leffler Hoaglin writes, “I am thrilled to announce the arrival of our daughter, Hope Hilary Hoaglin. We welcomed Hope into the world this past spring at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in San Francisco. Hope was ultimately delivered by new #girldad Dr. Mike, who jumped in to help bring Hope into the world. We are tickled pink, blue, and gold.

“We named our baby girl Hope because of the optimism, strength, and faith that hope inspires—something all of us could use a little more of these days.”

Chérie R. Williams, of Los Angeles, was one of only 30 CPAs honored by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) to attend its fall Leadership Academy, a program designed to strengthen and expand the leadership skills of promising young professionals. Williams began her public accounting career at Windes, Inc. Now a tax manager with the firm, her primary responsibilities are tax compliance and consulting for public charities, private foundations, high-net worth individuals,
trusts, and tax-exempt organizations.

Walmart selected Back to the Roots, the organic food and gardening company co-founded by Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez, as its 2021 Gardening Spotlight Brand for its focus on innovation and sustainability. The classmates were also featured on Amazon’s homepage in July as part of Amazon’s small business spotlight series.

Richard Zen, of Hong Kong, notes, “Doing attractive real estate debt deals in Hong Kong! Normally, you wouldn’t hear those words uttered in the same sentence by a private equity investor, but these are far from normal times. Can’t travel anywhere for work or leisure, so really taking the time to hike Hong Kong trails and cook at home. Work from home has been a blessing in disguise—I get to spend more time with my uber-cute 1-year-old daughter.”

Brian Thomas, of Marina Del Rey, Calif., updates, “I just started my 10th year with CBRE in a new position as the senior director for CBRE Global Workplace Services on the Snapchat account. We provide industry-leading real estate consulting services, including strategy, occupancy planning, transaction management, project management, facilities management, and property management for 1M square feet of real estate globally.

“My wife, Stephanie Spilker, our dog, Nugget, and I moved in June from South San Francisco down to sunny Marina Del Rey to be closer to the Snap Santa Monica headquarters and my family in Huntington Beach.”

Anjali Menon, of San Francisco, reports, “As VP of Operations, I helped lead IfOnly to acquisition by Mastercard and am excited about the platform joining its team, Priceless. I was also selected as a fellow to assist Stockton, California, Mayor Michael Tubbs!”

Miraya Berke, of Oakland, Calif., announces, “I joined a new software startup, Mixily, as the head of marketing. Mixily.com is an event hosting platform for IRL and URL events. I’m bringing my 8+ years of event-planning experience to help make the process easier for other event organizers.”

Eva Lin reports, “Due to the pandemic, I’ve temporarily moved to Taiwan from London to be close to family. I am very pleasantly surprised by the connectivity of our Berkeley and Haas network—meeting old friends from my undergraduate years and making new friends at the recent Berkeley Club of Taiwan event. Many of us work remotely for our jobs based in the U.S./U.K. Some are new MBAs who are taking courses virtually. In times like these, we are more grateful than ever for the Berkeley and Haas community globally!” Shown: Burgundy wine tasting by the Berkeley Club of Taiwan in Taipei on August 29, 2020.

Clement Kao, of San Francisco, updates, “I’m currently a product manager at Blend, a fintech startup digitizing the consumer lending ecosystem. We just raised our Series F round, and we’re now officially a unicorn! We’re actively hiring, so if you’re looking for a new role, check out our openings at blend.com. My newly published third book on product management, Excellent Execution as a Product Manager, is at haas.org/kao-book.”

Antonia Acquistapace, of New York, writes, “Most recently, I’ve worked at Better Mortgage, whose mission is to make homeownership more accessible by leveraging technology to reduce overhead and fees, which plague the traditional process. This year, I started a strategy team focused on optimizing our operations. We grew the team to 10 members and helped drive triple-digit yearly revenue growth.

“I’m currently on sabbatical volunteering full time on Biden for President’s digital fundraising team. There is a lot at stake in this election, and I feel compelled to contribute.”

Liliana Hu Wu, of Oakland, Calif., writes, “Right after graduation, I organized one of the first hackathons aimed at undocumented immigrants’ integration into tech, ‘Stay Hacking,’ with the support of Dreamers Roadmap and Netflix Employee Resource Groups. Since then, I’ve been grateful to work at a small accounting firm with amazing bosses who dedicate their work to nonprofits in the Bay Area. Meanwhile, I also learned Javascript. This helped me think about how the technology and business fields go hand in hand to provide equal opportunity, education, and success to underresourced communities.

“I moved from Daly City (very cold for me) to Oakland this year! The walks are definitely sunnier, and I am closer to my job.” Shown: Hu Wu with Class of 2018 classmates Victor Espinoza, Esteban Vasquez, Hezekiah Burton, David Giongco, Austin Drake, Liliana Trujillo, Katherine Necochea, Xiu Ying Li Yu, and Angela Escobedo.

Patrick Laird, of Miami, is in his second season with the Miami Dolphins.

Moncarol Wang notes, “I’ve moved to Chicago to pursue a JD at the University of Chicago Law School. With my CPA license and this forthcoming degree, I hope to return to the Bay Area and practice at the intersection of law and business.”

Andrew Chi, of San Francisco, reports, “I started a new job at Cisco working within the People and Communities (HR) function, through a rotational/talent development program called HRUP. It’s been nothing short of amazing, and the work we do is quite innovative and cutting edge. Recently, we’ve established a social justice framework for our business and partners, created a neural network to map out the communities that exist within Cisco, utilized analytics to create work personas, researched the future of work, and done everything in between. I had the opportunity to work in Asia for five weeks with our Seoul and Tokyo HR partners on global diversity and inclusion—quite the formative experience for someone a year out of Berkeley. All in all, truly a year in which I went beyond myself and what I could have ever imagined. Moved from S.F. to Oakland and restarted studying Korean! Looking to move to Seoul after my program is over, doing consultative work for the HR team there.”

Neel Somani, of San Francisco, notes, “I wrapped up my job as a software engineer at Airbnb and joined Citadel as a quantitative developer! I will be moving to Chicago soon.”

Lydia Wang, of Irvine, Calif., updates, “After graduating in May 2019, I moved to NYC to begin my career at Dalberg, an international development consulting firm that works with multilaterals, bilaterals, foundations, governments, the private sector, and more. I just wrapped up my first year as an analyst and was recently promoted to associate consultant. I look forward to spending at least one more year there before beginning law school.”

Sparsh Jain, of Berkeley, Calif., announces, “Started a new job as a strategy associate at EY-Parthenon’s Software Strategy Group. Through this role, I will learn the ins-and-outs of diligence, strategy and execution for private equity investors and their portfolio companies. Investing my time in learning more about wellness real estate, technology for college counselors and understanding the importance of spirituality in a day-to-day lifestyle.”

Sameed Jawaid, of San José, Calif., reports, “Right after graduating in May, I compiled a reading list to finish by the end of the year. I made it a goal to try to finish at least one book a month. Many of my professors at Haas recommended great titles. I have found reading to be a great downtime activity where I am still able to learn. Moreover, many of my classmates are in different places now, so I have been trying my best to keep in touch with them virtually!”

Jessica Jimenez, of Los Angeles, writes, “I am grateful to share that I just started working with Biz 3 as the team’s project manager. Biz 3 is an entertainment-focused publicity company that is selective in its projects, big and small, to ensure that the team works with creatives who have reputations that align with our social values. The team has repped a wide array of indie and major clients over the years, including The Weeknd, Colin Kaepernick, Daft Punk, Skrillex, Migos, Megan Thee Stallion, Run the Jewels, Justin Bieber, Diplo, Lauryn Hill, Jessie Reyez, Sampha, Miguel, A$AP Rocky, and more.”

Desiree Moshayedi, of Newport Coast, Calif., started a JD program at Columbia Law School.

Bryan Wang, of Orinda, Calif., reports, “After graduating in May, I spent my summer launching The Job Hunt, a podcast (thejobhunt.buzzsprout.com) and newsletter (bryanwang.substack.com) for students and prospective job/internship seekers who are looking for a fresh, postgrad perspective on recruiting. As I begin my first-ever job with Accenture as a strategy analyst (remotely, of course), I still intend to create content for my listeners and to provide free career prep resources for my thousands of subscribers!”

Gaetano (Michael) Yovino-Young, of Oakland, Calif., notes, “Having survived 60 years of appraising real estate and serving as president of Yovino-Young, Inc., I have finally entered semi-retirement, turning the company over to my wife, Alison Teeman, and daughter Diana Yovino-Young, BA 89 (social sciences), and Tamara Spokane, BA 99 (human biodynamics).”

Max Oliva, of Spokane, Wash., writes, “I am the Jesuit liaison to the Gonzaga University School of Business. In addition, I am the author of seven books, one on spirituality and ethics in the workplace. I also write a monthly column for Res Gestae, a magazine for incarcerated men and women and for ex-felons to help them live meaningful and purposeful lives. My website is ethicsinthemarketplace.com.”

Laureen Chang shares news from a Zoom call connecting classmates (above) in Paris, New York, and Los Angeles: “Heinrich Stucki is now retired and sporting a healthy glow from the French Alps, having just returned from Mont Blanc, celebrating his 46th anniversary with Marie José in L’Etang-la-Ville. Kudret Oztap and Jackie Stanley (MSW 75), who met at I-House, recounted their harrowing escape from the World Trade Center on 9/11 and their NYC pandemic experience as they continue to work virtually. Kudret, who is from Turkey, noted that it was the first time since the 1970s that they have not traveled overseas.”

Laureen, a retired corporate banker, reports she was impacted by smoke from the Bobcat fires but is safe from harm. “Community involvement with children and education, real estate management, and planning trips/Zooms to visit friends around the world—date unknown—keep me busy. Good friends can pick up the warmth and connection where they left off in spite of gaps in time and distance. We are glad to have met at Haas and I-House. As Heinrich says, ‘We all have the best souvenirs of our time at Berkeley!’”

45th Reunion
April 23–25, 2021

Joseph Carlson, of Monument, Colo., writes, “Just returned from a 30-day-plus trip to Turkey, learning about its vibrant culture, from the Hittites to modern-day Turkey and how economic, social, and religious factors played into the rise and fall of so many powerful empires. Istanbul’s Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, and Topkapi Palace tell tales of the Ottoman and Byzantine empires. My journey continued to Nicaea, Sogut, Cappadocia, Konya, Pamukkale, Ephesus, Sardis, Pergamum, Laodicea, Gallipoli, and Edirne, seeing the sites of the Seven Churches of Revelation along the way. The trip truly made me think about where our country is headed and the benefits and drawbacks of various ideologies. Thoughts like some lines from a Pete Seeger song: ‘Where have all the graveyards gone? Long time passing. Where have all the graveyards gone? Long time ago. Where have all the graveyards gone? Covered with flowers every one. When will we ever learn? When will we ever learn?’”

Calvin Marr, of Lincoln, Calif., retired after more than 14 years selling commercial real estate throughout the West Coast, after a long career in corporate finance with Levi Strauss (in San Francisco, Brussels, and São Paulo) and The Money Store. “We moved into an active adult community two years ago in anticipation of retiring soon,” he writes. “Little did we know sheltering in place would shut down all of our community activities in our HOA that we were looking forward to! My wife, Corinne, and I continue in the foster care system, helping families with respite nights and actively involved with former foster teens, now young adults, who were placed in our home previously. Working with junior high special needs students, Corinne finds distance learning creates even more complications and challenges. She hopes to join me in retirement in two years. Daughter Chloe is earning her master’s degree in exercise physiology at SFSU, and Casey, transferring to SFSU, aspires to be a screenwriter.” Shown: Calvin Marr with family: Chloe, Casey, and Corinne.

40th Reunion
April 23–25, 2021

Akito Yamazaki, of Tokyo, manages a Wheelchair Fencing Team preparing for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics/Paralympics, and shares: “The games were postponed to summer 2021 due to COVID-19; however, we are still trying our best to run the project. Whether they can take place in 2021 is not something we can control, and we are concentrating on what we can control only.” Shown: Akito teaching volunteers about wheelchair fencing at University of Tsukuba, north of Tokyo.

Deborah Stern, of New York, reports, “I’ve co-founded Capital for Climate with fellow Haas alums to accelerate large-scale capital to the climate solutions required to achieve the Paris climate goals, net zero carbon by 2050. Happy to report that Wells Fargo Foundation has provided anchor funding, and we’re actively building the inner circle of alpha members (institutional investors), funders, advisers and strategic partners to deliver the solution in time for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November 2021. Open to more Haas family participation (capitalforclimate.com)!

“Have been spending the pandemic in a combo of NYC, Stamford, Conn., and the Berkshire Mountains. Grateful to be healthy, working hard on good stuff, spending as much time as possible outdoors in nature!”

Michael Henry, of Berkeley, Calif., joined Aldatu Biosciences as chief business officer, leading its deal making. Aldatu sells its PANDAA qDx™ SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic test kits to clinical diagnostic labs performing SARS-CoV-2 testing services (www.aldatubio.com).

Michael Sosebee, of Oakland, Calif., notes, “I retired from investment banking in 2015 after 30 years as a bond trader and bond salesman. In 2018 I picked up the baton again when I became the COO of a startup called Forsight, Inc., based here in Oakland. We’re using computer vision and artificial intelligence in combination with CCTV cameras to make commercial construction sites safer and more secure. Using technology to save lives and assets.”

35th Reunion
April 23–25, 2021

Ann (Brighouse) Cripps, of Redwood City, Calif., writes, “I retired from Wells Fargo at what was, in retrospect, just the right time—2016. Moved on, expecting to travel the world and enjoy volunteer projects. As it happened, I have been consulting for a small company, heading up marketing for Recruitology, in the HR technology area, and it’s keeping me quite busy. It’s been an opportunity to stay engaged and learn new skills.

“Prior to the pandemic, my husband, Peter, and I did a couple of major trips a year. Highlights included South Africa and several great trips to Southeast Asia, especially Vietnam, Bali, and northern Thailand. In my spare time I volunteer with the Friends of Huddart and Wunderlich Parks. We focus on nature education and wellness programs for community members, especially low-income families in San Mateo County.”

Paul DeMuro, of Miami, reports, “In June I was appointed chief legal officer, health and wellness, for the Royal Palm Companies in Miami, where I am responsible for certain operational and legal issues for the proposed pandemic-ready,100,000-square-foot Center for Health + Performance and the medical center for Miami Worldcenter, the mixed-use downtown development project.”

Lauri Kibby, of Palm Springs, Calif., writes, “One of my companies, Endourage, is holding seminars every Thursday for longhaulers—people suffering long-term effects after having been ill with COVID-19—on the benefits of using full spectrum CBD, and we are receiving great reports on its efficacy. I also serve as vice chair of a local federally qualified health center, DAP Health, that opened a COVID-19 clinic just days after the declaration of the pandemic, in an effort to bring its expertise with HIV and health care to a community now dealing with COVID-19. We have served thousands of individuals, and I am very proud of the doctors and health care professionals who have stepped up in service.”

Keven Baxter recently moved to Washington, D.C., to join ICC, a nonprofit advocating for religious liberty and human rights and providing assistance to those impacted  by persecution.

Kevin Renner, of Portland, Ore., has founded the Growth & Innovation Group (GrowAndInnovate.net) to support health care investors with due diligence and help health innovators bring new companies, products and ideas to market.

30th Reunion
April 23–25, 2021

Zou-Hsin Stanley Liu, of Taipei, Taiwan, started up a venture that engages in development, investment, and assets management in large-scale ground-mounted solar PV projects, providing expertise to renewable energy and infrastructure project investments in Taiwan.

Steven Ramirez, of San Francisco, reports, “I continue to lead Beyond the Arc, a customer experience and data science agency based in San Francisco. I’ve recently been asked to lead a diversity and inclusion initiative for the Customer Experience Professionals Association. Looking forward to equipping CX pros with the tools they need to spark productive conversations in their organizations.”

Dale Sartor, of Petaluma, Calif., announces, “After 35 years, it was with mixed emotions that I retired from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in July. My research, development and deployment focused on energy efficiency in buildings for high-tech industries (laboratories, cleanrooms, data centers, and health care). Most recently I led LBL’s Center of Expertise for Energy Efficiency in Data Centers (datacenters.lbl.gov). Just as I was walking out the virtual door, the Department of Energy, our primary sponsor, awarded me the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Sustainability Award. I do plan to continue working part time in this area as an affiliate and rehired retiree of LBL. In anticipation of retirement, my wife, Judy, and I returned to Petaluma a few years ago to the house we bought in 1982.”

Scott Galloway’s latest book, Post Corona: From Crisis to Opportunity, was published late November. It’s billed as “a keenly insightful, urgent analysis of who stands to win and who’s at risk to lose in a post-pandemic world.”

Wynn White, of Portola Valley, Calif., writes, “It may have taken some time to share this, but a year ago this month and in what we now know to be more innocent times, Yael Zheng and I hosted a Haas get-together at our home in Portola Valley in honor of classmate Audrey Yu, who was in town from Singapore where she lives. Joining for brunch were Dave Stadlin and his wife, Patti; Ken D’Amico and his wife, Terry; Kirt Jorgenson and his wife, Liz; and Ray Lin and his wife, Mei-Hsia Tan, MBA 98. A good time was had by all!” Shown: MBA classmates 27 years later having a great time together in pre-COVID-19 days.

Larry Marcus, of  Hillsborough, Calif., reports, “Held final close of Marcy Venture Partners Fund I, a consumer- and culture-focused VC co-founded by JAY-Z, Jay Brown and Larry Marcus. Supporting companies with positive impact and values like inclusivity, accessibility, sustainability and health and wellness. See marcyvp.com.”

Koji Asada, of Tokyo, announces, “I have been appointed executive officer and CIO of DIC Corporation, heading its newly formed information systems and supply chain management unit. These are central to the Covid-19 pandemic crisis management, but my mission is also to execute the closing of the recent acquisition of a specialty pigment business from BASF and to design and implement a global management structure that maximizes our global group synergy.”

Tamar and Thomas Lowell founded Cuiline (cuiline.com), a platform for online kitchen-to-kitchen culinary experiences with chefs around the world. This revolutionary cooking class concept transports participants to their country of choice for a fun evening of authentic cooking instruction, complete with a virtual kitchen assistant and home delivery of pre- measured ingredients.

25th Reunion
April 23–25, 2021

Ashu Goel, of Santa Clara, Calif., writes, “I have been producing and hosting Purpose-Driven Virtual Fireside Chats with top industry leaders.”

Paulo Penteado, of Sydney, Australia, noted what “a crazy 12 months” he and Ana, LLM 97 (law), have experienced since becoming Australian citizens last year. Paulo “left management consulting for the third time to become COO of TrailBlazer Finance, first time working in finance, trying to transform us into a fintech,” while Ana made a three-hour commute to her federal government job in Canberra. During a trip to Japan for the Rugby World Cup they managed to see Taka Koga, (MBA exchange in 1994), narrowly dodging a hurricane. Then last year’s terrible Australian bushfires were a monthlong apocalyptic scenario: “I remember driving to Canberra after the New Year in the middle of a summer day as if we were driving through a thick red fog. Very sad for all those affected.”

His two sons Marcos and Luis returned from marathon round-the-world backpacking trips, having visited almost a hundred countries between them, and entered the Australian National University, the family moving to Canberra (Paulo remained in Sydney weekdays). When COVID-19 shut down Australia he spent “terribly stressful months” defining the company response for employees, clients, and funders, while worrying about family in Brazil and friends in the US. “Unfortunately, I missed the Black Lives Matter events in Sydney, which focused here on violence suffered by the Indigenous (aboriginal people). Marcos managed to attend in Canberra. My solidarity to all who suffer any type of discrimination. I have suffered it myself, don’t wish it on anyone. I do hope these demonstrations bring about some real change. ‘May you live in interesting times,’ the Chinese proverb states, and it has been a year of change and tragedy. My heart goes out to all who have suffered; I hope we’ve hit the low and things get better.” Shown: Luis Penteado, Ana Penteado, Taka Koga, and Paulo Penteado.

Xander Shapiro, of Sharon, Mass., updates, “I have joined Anthony Zografos, MBA 95, in his new venture, Akorn Technologies. Our scientific breakthrough allows a natural corn protein to be used for the first time as a water-soluble coating on fresh fruits and vegetables, extending shelf life and providing added post-harvest protections. Our smart multifunctional coatings drive better economics and sustainability in the industry. Check us out at akorn.tech.”

Steve Peletz, of San Francisco, announces, “I am cutting back on for-profit work, helping NGOs that protect the ocean, which we all depend on for 50% of the oxygen we breathe, the weather, crop yields, commerce, protein, and livelihoods too. We are empty nesters with two kids out of college and gainfully employed.” Shown: Tagging
sharks boatside.

Tanya (Shaw) Steinhofer, of Mill Valley, Calif., updates, “My firm, Redwood Grove Wealth Management, became a certified B Corp and joined One Percent for the Planet earlier this year, reflecting our commitment to all our stakeholders and the environment. We are also in the process of hiring our next generation of leadership. If you know any individuals who might be interested, have them check out redwoodgrovewm.com/resources/careers.”

Jennifer Weiss was featured in the North Bay’s Press Democrat newspaper for her work expanding services for the Boys & Girls Club of Sonoma-Marin. Weiss serves as CEO of the organization. Read the article: haas.org/weiss-article.

20th Reunion
April 23–25, 2021

Werner Goertz, of Seattle, reports, “In March I left Gartner after six years as an analyst for the artificial intelligence and machine learning industry and joined Amazon Web Services to bring Alexa for Business to the enterprise space.”

InOrbit, a robotics company co-founded by Florian Pestoni, CEO, recently raised $2.6 million in seed funding. InOrbit is a secure, scalable platform that allows engineers and operators to efficiently manage a fleet of robots in the field. Investors include members of Berkeley Angel Network, a group of angel investors who are alumni, faculty, and former faculty of UC Berkeley.

Jungwook Lim became managing partner of TBT (Thoughts Become Things), a Korean early stage venture capital firm. “We closed our second fund focused on post-Covid-19 open innovation,” Lim updates. Read more about how TBT links innovation-seeking conglomerates with startups at lnkd.in/gK2_HJn.”

Darren Reinke writes, “I continue to run Group Sixty, an executive coaching and training company based in Encinitas, California. I am excited to publish my first book in October, about the internal journey to leadership: The Savage Leader: 13 Principles to Become a Better Leader from the Inside Out. Key principles include how to exhibit values-based leadership, persevere in the face of great challenges, connect with your tribe, and overcome self-limiting beliefs. I am also launching The Savage Leader Podcast, where I will interview entrepreneurs, Fortune 500 executives, community activists, athletes, entertainers, and Navy SEALs to discuss and unpack lessons
about leadership.”

Patrick Defreitas, of Portland, Ore., reports, “Earlier this year when PPE was limited and East Coast hospitals and medical facilities experienced shortages, I took some time off from work to connect with university hospitals, medical centers, and county and city offices of emergency management to understand the shortages and distribute PPE. Gear went to Long Island, Brooklyn, Queens, NYC, Boston, Detroit, Chicago, New Orleans, Charlotte, Newark and Atlanta. What started out as an idea to support my home state of New York quickly turned into a global effort of volunteers. Team and staff members based in China helped source and ship PPE to Portland, which I repackaged and distributed to each facility based on their changing needs. Despite all of the unknowns about how the virus was transmitted, everyone felt the need to help as many front-line workers and patients
as possible.”

Nelly Spieler, of Sausalito, Calif., updates, “This month I became a partner at Frank, Rimerman+Co LLP,  leading a group that conducts technology and cybersecurity attestation and certification audits. Among my clients are a lot of Bay Area startups, including many
founded or funded by Berkeley alums.”

Howard Connell, of Atlanta, notes, “At the end of 2019, I joined ERM, a global environmental and sustainability consulting firm. I help clients navigate issues around environmental sustainability, safety, health, and governance including strategy, reporting, and climate risk. Great people, culture, clients and work.

“Katharine and I are raising Henry (3) and Willow (1) and just finished building a 700-square-foot cottage in our backyard for her mother.” Shown: Howard Connell and his daughter, Willow.

15th Reunion
April 23–25, 2021

Putri Pascualy, of New York City, announces, “Amid the pandemic, I started my new role as managing director and senior product specialist with Angelo Gordon, an alternative asset manager focusing on credit and real estate in N.Y. It’s been a wonderful transition, with the AG team being so incredibly welcoming and collegial. I’m thrilled to use my experience managing public and private alternative credit investments to help Angelo Gordon in its strategic positioning and product creation. We miss our California friends but are thrilled about our New York chapter. N.Y. Haas community—look forward to meeting and reconnecting!”

Joseph Lazar, of Corte Madera, Calif., updates, “My product marketing agency, Article Group, hit the five-year milestone this year. We’re making our way through the pandemic and economic uncertainty due to our great clients, some of whom are my fellow 2008 alumni.”

Prashant Bansal writes, “2020 has been a year that cannot end fast enough. In the midst of all these terrible events, it’s difficult to write anything without coming across as self-serving, and for that I humbly apologize. We founded MoNuI (More Nutritious Ingredients), a food and beverage company creating a more nutritious experience for customers. Our products are focused on ‘beauty-from-within,’ and we supplement our beverages with other plant-based superfoods to deliver a nourishing and glowing experience. Our story begins with a curated journey to find the best ingredient sources, with the majority of our organic ingredients sourced from local farms across California. Our motto is to provide a more nutritious experience in a single serving while being transparent every step of the way. We launched at six locations on Sept. 4 in L.A. and look forward to coming to a store near you.”

Tim Ziemann, of Austin, Texas, spun out his M&A advisory practice from Accenture, focused on middle- and emerging-growth markets. Tim is based in Austin, but his firm has a presence in San Francisco, Chicago, and St. Louis as well.

Ari Beliak, of Foster City, Calif., became president and CEO of Merritt Community Capital Corporation, a nonprofit investor in affordable housing. Merritt raises equity capital from corporations, banks, and insurance companies to invest in affordable housing communities across California. Ari is tasked with dramatically increasing the size of the organization and raising equity from California corporations focused on addressing the housing crisis.

10th Reunion
April 23–25, 2021

Nitin Agrawal, of San Francisco, informs, “Christian Eder and I co-founded Interstride in 2017 to help alleviate challenges for international students—the same challenges we once faced as students. Interstride supports international students’ personal growth, education goals and career endeavors by providing access to data-driven resources, insights, and networks through one platform. Interstride has so far partnered with more than 100 higher-ed institutions in the U.S. and is now gearing up for international expansion. “Unfortunately, in 2019, Christian unexpectedly passed away from a rare heart condition. I hope to continue to build on his legacy and our vision of supporting students in their international education journey and beyond. The Haas and Berkeley community have been instrumental in helping us build this edtech company.” Shown: Class of 2012 classmates Nitin Agrawal, Christian Eder, Tarek Hosny, Carlos Armijo-Medina, and Jesse Tejeda.

Francisco Rochadel Leão de Carvalho, of São Paulo, Brazil, announces, “After 15 years in management consulting, I have recently founded an equity and performance management firm (mondore.com.br) focused on supporting small and medium-sized entrepreneurs of traditional segments. We aim to transition invested companies to a different baseline, preserving and increasing the value of their business through environmental, social, and corporate governance practices, technology, and management processes. This crazy mix of search fund, private equity, and social impact is even more challenging in the global and local landscape (Brazil). Well, for some people, challenging equals fun!

“I also had a baby boy (Augusto). He was really happy to return to the day care center after six months.”

Andrew Berry, of San Francisco, writes, “After graduating from Haas, I started a CFO consultancy that partners with health tech startups that are solving core public health issues. I love working with diverse groups of leaders in a field that—due to how COVID-19 has stressed our traditional system—is really starting to come into its own. I have spent the last two years consulting as the CFO at Big Health, whose mission is to help millions back to good mental health. I’m excited to announce that, alongside Jessica Hovick, we just completed a $39M Series B to tackle health care inequity and bring digital therapeutics to those who need them most.”

Nick Caldwell, vice president of engineering at Twitter, was featured in an August InfoWorld article discussing how the U.S. tech industry could improve its diversity. Caldwell said that getting better representation in tech is a complicated problem, but one that could be addressed with some relatively simple steps, which he outlined. Read it here: haas.org/caldwell-infoworld.

Sandeep Pahuja writes, “I wanted to share some exciting personal news and ask for a little Haas love. IDEO launched our first narrative podcast, Food by Design (www.podfollow.com/ideo). It is an eight-part miniseries where we talk to the people who are building the food systems we’ll need in the future…right now. I co-created and host it, and I am super proud of how it turned out. I hope you’ll give it a listen. If you all could subscribe, specifically on Apple and Spotify, rate it 5 stars on Apple, and re-share/re-tweet me on IG/Twitter (@sandiddy), I would greatly appreciate it!”

5th Reunion
April 23–25, 2021

Kenny Vaughn writes, “I would like to thank the entire Haas family for giving me the courage and conviction to step into the next rewarding chapter of my career. After 12 amazing years of military service, I will join BreakLine Education to build pipelines of opportunity for people of color.

“To this day, the words of then-Dean Rich Lyons on path-bending leadership resonate in my heart and inspire me to dream big. My Haas experience instilled in me a belief that we have the opportunity, maybe even the responsibility, to dedicate our lives to bringing about generational change in our own respective ways. I would like to thank Steph Fujii, MBA 04; Sean Li, MBA 20; Jamaur Bronner, MBA 16; and Bree Jenkins, MBA 19, for selflessly taking time to prepare me for this specific opportunity. Thanks also to Haas staff Marco Lindsey and Élida Bautista for being courageous thought leaders, mentors, and friends in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space.” Shown: Vaughn celebrating with Seneca in New Orleans.

Owen Corso, of New York City, reports, “Left Google after 6.5 years to take a role as a senior product manager (technical) at Amazon Web Services in the cost management team. The team focuses on building tools that help customers analyze, optimize, and control their cloud spend, which ultimately empowers confident cloud adoption. My products include AWS Budgets, Forecasting, and Outposts Cost Management. I got a delightful golden retriever named Clifford: instagram.com/cliffordtheoreddog.” Shown: Mak Kern, MBA 17, and Owen Corso.

Ben Fong, of Albany, Calif., updates, “I am completing my third year at Spin. I’ve been there through the startup phase launching dockless bikes, the pivot to electric vehicles, and post-acquisition. This month, I launched a solar-powered electric scooter sharing program at Edwards Air Force Base, leveraging my former government background as a U.S. diplomat. I am also running for the AC Transit Board–Ward 1, which includes Berkeley! I’m running to stop the service cuts and reinvest in environmentally friendly buses and transit infrastructure.

“I also founded a nonprofit charity, A  Fork in the Road, which is dedicated to helping East Bay restaurants transition outdoors onto city streets and sidewalks. We’ve raised more than $5,500 so far and have been covered by the Daily Cal and Sierra Club.”

Annie Ma-Weaver and her husband, Jacob, welcomed their first child, Minerva, in April 2019. Named for the Etruscan goddess, Minerva is getting along nicely with her brother-who-is-a-dog, Aristotle. Annie and Jacob note they are fortunate to be working remotely during the pandemic. However, like many parents, they have found it difficult and at times near impossible to balance their jobs with taking care of their dependents, especially without family nearby. The silver lining is that Minerva took her first steps while with her parents, rather than at day care, and she and Aristotle are now best friends, mostly because they are each other’s only companions. The Ma-Weavers look forward to seeing Haasies once it’s safe to gather again.

Yvener J. Petit joined EY-Parthenon’s San Francisco office after graduation as a strategy consultant mainly focused upon clients in technology, media, and telecom. Most recently, he transferred to EY-Parthenon’s Los Angeles office to become a director in the corporate and growth
strategy practice.

1st Reunion
April 23–25, 2021

Nicholas Craig, of San Mateo, Calif., announces, “On August 24, my wife and I welcomed our first child, Ryan August Craig. Mom is doing great while Ryan is adjusting to the new world.”

Benny Johnson, of Berkeley, Calif.,started work as a consultant at EY-Parthenon in San Francisco. He adds, “Took my electric car on a 48-state (49, if you ask D.C. friends) road trip over the summer, charging in every state and seeing friends old and new.”

Vaibhav Khire, of Portland, Ore., transitioned from engineering to product management, and is now working at Amazon.

Dipti Ranjan Sahoo, of Santa Clara, Calif., joined F5 Networks as a senior product manager and has been acquiring excellent analytics skills using Salesforce and Tableau in this new role

15th Reunion
April 23–25, 2021

Tracy Gray, founder and managing partner of The 22 Fund, was featured in the Los Angeles Business Journal for her work backing businesses led by women and members of minority groups. “Our mission is job creation in underserved communities,” she says. “We highlight tech-enabled and tech-based manufacturing because those kinds of businesses are more likely to upskill their workers.” Read the article: haas.org/gray-labiz.

Sid Sahoo, of Cupertino, Calif., writes, “As we are getting ready to get back to work, organizations are looking for tools to get employees safely back in the office. With employee wellness and safety in mind, Spotline has developed WorkPass, a solution to help organizations reopen the workplace. An omnichannel app (web, mobile, and chatbots) integrated with SSO and badging systems, WorkPass follows a CDC-approved questionnaire to pre-screen employees before enabling their access to the workplace. Our integrated solution provides various reports, including contact tracing. To date, we have already implemented WorkPass at various organizations. Learn more at workpass.ai.”

Adam Tachner, of Palo Alto, Calif., returned home from a 14-month world tour with his wife, Christine, and three children (home schooled throughout), to become VP of corporate development and CLO at Groq, Inc., an AI/ML ASIC startup headquartered in Mountain View. Shown: Adam and Christine Tachner with children, Avra (12), Sam (14), and Allegra (16) in Israel.

10th Reunion
April 23–25, 2021

Sonoma Brands Founder Jon Sebastiani, who sold his Krave jerky brand to Hershey Co. in 2015 for $232 million, recently bought the brand back for an undisclosed sum, according to The Press Democrat. Read the article: haas.org/sebastiani.

Charlie Silver, of Oakland, Calif., announces, “I closed a $70M Series C financing for Mission Bio, bringing our total raised to more than $120M. We’re on a mission to help our customers eradicate cancer, and our category-leading genomics platform has been adopted by top cancer centers and drug companies worldwide to accelerate their path to cures.”

5th Reunion
April 23–25, 2021

Guillaume Lardeux, of San Francisco, writes, “Thrilled to be joining the board of the French-American Chamber of Commerce of San Francisco. I look forward to engaging and contributing to the vibrant French-American business community of entrepreneurs and business leaders in tech, food and beverages/wines (Napa, Sonoma), and other local industries. The FACCSF is the only chapter in Northern California, and one of the largest in the country, for French and American business leaders to meet and discuss common interests (faccsf.com).”

1st Reunion
April 23–25, 2021

Imelda (Meili) Hau, of San Diego, Calif., updates as follows: “Started a new job in June as assistant director of medical services at Father Joe’s Villages, a large multi-segment nonprofit serving the homeless in San Diego. In addition to continuing my work as a family nurse practitioner at our FJV Village Health Center, I also do project management for the FJV Street Health program. I lead mass COVID-19 testing at the San Diego Convention Center, where many of our homeless clients currently reside—work that is fast-paced and deeply rewarding, as well as humbling. I just moved to a trendy part of San Diego called North Park, and I’m loving my new apartment, designed by local architect Jonathan Segal.” Shown: Meili Hau with Jennifer Wilkens (red shirt), Dr. Parissa Youseffi (gray scrubs), Shela Rocha (glasses), Catherine Tran (gray scrubs), Serena Arts, and Edward Redikop.

Ernie Svehla, of Dublin, Calif., notes, “Working on some radical ideas in the health care space. Flew my Extra 300L airplane across the country from California to Virginia. It was a Route 66 tour at 12,000 feet. Took four days, flew 2,197 nautical miles.” Shown: Ernie Svehla practices aerobatics many times a week.

Jerold Zimmerman is a professor emeritus at the University of Rochester Simon Business School, where he’s taught since graduating from Haas in 1974. His new book, Relentless: The Forensics of Mobsters’ Business Practices, will appear in 2021. After analyzing the American Mafia, the Sinaloa Cartel, the Hells Angels, and the Bloods and Crips, Relentless describes how the unlikeliest of all endeavors, organized crime, applies core economic principles to create durable institutions that survive decades. Zimmerman now resides in Denver, Colo.

Jeanne Logsdon received the 2019 Ann K. Buchholtz Mentor Award from the Social Issues in Management Division of the Academy of Management. The award is given “in recognition of and appreciation for extensive service in mentoring doctoral students and junior faculty members.” Jeanne writes, “In retirement, I continue to be active professionally in the Academy of Management and the International Association for Business and Society.” She volunteered with the League of Women Voters of Central New Mexico to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, and lives in Albuquerque with her husband and their German shepherd, Bart.

Cathy Goodwin, of Philadelphia, writes, “After many years of teaching and researching, I’m offering online classes, creating information products for small businesses, and consulting and copywriting. My focus is on using storytelling to create the Small Business Branding Advantage (CathyGoodwin.com). With quarantine I’ve been keeping busy working and taking online courses. My dog died a year ago, when I moved from Old City Philadelphia to South Philly. I now live with two cats. There’s quite a bit of drama, as one is a bit of a bully and the other a scaredy-cat.”