David Flinn, of Alamo, Calif., writes, “The note at the bottom of page 32 of the fall alumni magazine asks if one is in public work/civil leadership. I guess that is me. As a member of the UC Board of Regents representing alumni, I so enjoyed serving the public as opposed to serving a single client. 

“I accepted an offer to become, in 1997, a judge of the Contra Costa Superior Court. While I retired in 2014 (age 75), I still sit a week or two a month where needed (I have presided in 19 counties to date). Most importantly, in reliance on my business school education, I was able to use a legislative grant to form one of California’s first ‘complex business’ trial courts. My entire career, as an attorney and judge, has been greatly based upon my Haas (Cal business school) education. Keep up the good work!” 

John Michael Schaefer, of San Diego, notes, “At 85, I am the oldest constitutional officer in California history. I won a second term as a member of the state’s Board of Equalization in November 2022 and currently serve as vice chair. Constitutional officers are those that are spelled out in the constitution: Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, Controller, Treasurer, Superintendent of Education, Insurance Commissioner, Board of Equalization Members.”

Nelson Estrada reports, “My wife and I are in our seventh decade of very active lives, even now during retirement. We spend a good part of the year in Managua, as the weather is simply great, and the rest in either Miami or Washington, where our daughter lives.

“I began a few years back to paint and, to my surprise, others like it. I was even accepted to exhibit my art at the Florence Biennale in 2019 and again in 2021, but I let the latter go because of COVID. Other people have commissioned art from me, which makes for a great feeling, getting paid for something I love to do. I also play piano, and we are lucky to have a recent Steinway ‘D’ Grand. All is quite fine, except the health issue, which is getting more complex as years pass.”

N. Dean Meyer, of Ridgefield, Conn., “just released his eighth book, How Organizations SHOULD Work—the capstone of his career. It describes an agile, scalable, innovative organizational design where the hierarchy houses a network of entrepreneurs. In addition to this vision, it documents all the mechanics—principles of organizational design and participative change processes. His breakthrough thinking applies the Haas entrepreneurial perspective to everyone at every level of large organizations.”

Mark Unger, of Lafayette, Calif., “started a professional fiduciary practice six years ago. Now managing 50+ private family trusts from $1M to $75M. With a staff of five and offices in downtown Lafayette.”

Sharon Rusconi, of Sacramento, Calif., announces, “I retired at the end of 2019 after 40 years in the surety industry, 25 of which I was an owner in a surety brokerage firm. My husband and I went to Puerto Vallarta for the first two months of 2020, just when the pandemic was rearing. It was an interesting time. 

“I now offer approved continuing education courses on surety bonds through my website, www.suretyu.com. I also serve on the board of directors for an ESOP construction company.

“I love retirement! I am taking piano lessons, Spanish classes, playing more golf, tennis, and pickleball! We travel to Mexico and other fun places when we can.

Hal Bogotch, of Santa Monica, Calif., writes, “Excited to start as a student poet in the inaugural cohort of Pocket MFA, an intensive online creative writing course, launched in winter 2023. Also, I occasionally publish poems under my pen name, William Bearclaw.

“After 20 years living in wacky Venice, my family and I moved to peaceful Santa Monica in 2021. Our 18-year-old daughter is on track to graduate from high school in June 2023.” Shown: Laura and Hal Bogotch.

Steve Peletz See MBA 1999.

Andrew Shapiro, of Mill Valley, Calif., reports, “I continue to enjoy engaging with and serving on corporate boards as well as speaking on corporate governance, hedge fund, and activist investing topics on behalf of my activist investment management firm, Lawndale Capital Management, which is completing its 30th year. As Lawndale’s funds approach their maturity and asset run-off in the next year or two, I have the bandwidth open for board service on a few public or private corporate boards should my Cal classmates know of any good fits.

“I have recently become board advisor to early-stage startup Video XRM, while remaining as a board member of the Northern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and board advisor and immediate past chair/president of the Mill Valley Library Foundation. On the family news front, my wife and I celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary in August.” Shown: Audrey and Andrew Shapiro.

Jeffrey Cousins, of Brooklyn, N.Y., announces the publication of The Right Thing to Do (haas.org/Cousins). “In this sci-fi adventure, a captured alien reveals that the aliens created humans. Humans are just robots. The human race has different reactions to the news. What happens to our values? Should human laws remain? Should we still have compassion for each other? Does killing a human being still have the same meaning? What do you think? Please read the book and write an honest review. Thank you for your support. Yours, Jeff Cousins.”

Timothy Yee, of  Alameda, Calif., and his wife of 31 years, Rose, took an overdue European vacation, which included Barcelona. 

Devin Tau, of Portland, Ore., writes, “I’m currently on my third career, as a director and producer with my independent film company No Sunrise Wasted. I am very excited to share that I just purchased an option on the film rights to Sensored Souls, a speculative fiction novel by Jen L. Hanson, BA 94 (mass communications). The sci-fi thriller The Gallery will be my fourth feature film, following the thriller-suspense Half Sisters, which will be released in 2023. In addition, the federal government commissioned a feature documentary, The Road Home (2022), which traces the journey of six people on probation or parole who are navigating interstate compact transfers.

“I’m still competing in tennis within the USTA league. In addition, inspired by the Beyond Yourself principle, I volunteer on the tennis and DEI committees at the Multnomah Athletic Club. Its 132+ years of traditions and heritage are an amazing opportunity to Question the Status Quo!”

Abdullah Nana, of Mill Valley, Calif., writes that he has the unique distinction of being a qualified Islamic scholar authorized to give fatwas (legal rulings) and an expert in Islamic finance. He presented at the Harvard Islamic Finance seminar, published a research paper on Islamic insurance, and has served as a Sharia advisor for multiple companies. Mufti Abdullah is eager to network and interact with the Haas community and give back by sharing his knowledge of Islamic finance with others.

Will Edmonson, of West Hollywood, Calif., reports, “I continue to practice law, primarily handling litigation matters for individuals and small and mid-sized businesses. I offer big law firm experience and talent at affordable rates. Please feel free to contact me at 424-248-9581 or [email protected] if I can help you with anything.”

Christina Bogatsky, of San Rafael, Calif., announces, “After a long tenure in digital media and tech while supporting Strawberry Creek Ventures along its periphery, I’ve partnered with a fellow Bear to take venture capital back to its people-oriented roots. We can’t wait to share what we have been working on. For a sneak peak, or just to re-engage, please do reach out!

“Since my last community update, I got my MBA (Booth), had two kids (they’re now 3 and 4), and moved to Marin County. I ended up marrying a fellow Bear who happened to live down the street from me on Warring. We figure we may have bumped into each other at Henry’s or Kip’s at some point, but will we ever know?

“When I’m not mom-ing or looking for strong founders with brilliant ideas, I coach people navigating difficult transitions. Check out christinabogatsky.com if interested.”

Kia Gaines, of Long Beach, Calif., updates, “I started a new job as a health care consultant with Freed Associates, where I’m working to transform health care for underserved populations. I continue to stay connected to Cal through my leadership position with the Long Beach alumni chapter, organizing networking opportunities for local alumni.”

David Klees Ding, of Los Angeles, writes, “Love, Actually: David Klees Ding is overjoyed to announce his engagement to Paolo Filippini. The two connected in 2004. They now share a home in Highland Park with their Scottish terrier.”

Stephen Fong, of Irvine, Calif., reports, “After graduating from Haas, I spent the bulk of my career in the Bay Area. More recently, I’ve moved down to Southern California and started as the CFO at Planet DDS, a dental practice management software provider. The time at Haas was truly instrumental in building up the finance, accounting, and leadership skills that come into play daily. While here for just a short while, the experience has been incredible so far as we just completed an acquisition and continued a healthy pace of growth.

“Since moving to Irvine with my wife, we recently welcomed our newborn son.”

Rosalie Ennes, of New York, informs, “After 13 years building my expertise in risk management, internal audit, and transformation, I’m excited to open my own consulting firm that will focus on empowering entrepreneurs to achieve their goals with confidence and peace of mind. I’ll specialize in providing a risk-first approach to helping startups evaluate, protect, and optimize their growing businesses, with a specific focus on helping those led by women and people of color. I’ve always been energized by learning, building, and growing, so this new endeavor is one I’m sure to love. Wish me luck!” Shown: Rosalie with 5-year-old rescue dog Kira.

Tala Beigi, of Los Angeles, updates, “I have been focused on marketing ever since graduating; however, I have most recently discovered a passion for project management, which is why I am studying to pass the PMP exam in early January and be certified.

“In November, I was back in the Bay Area for the Thanksgiving holiday—spending time with my parents and younger sister whom I do not get to see as often as I would like since we are all living in different parts of the West Coast. It was an incredible visit and makes me feel grateful for the people in my life.” Shown: Julienne Nunn; Tala Beigi; Jacob Wamala, MBA 19; Hazel Zambrano; and Ariel Joseph.

Nanxi Liu, of Los Angeles, reports, “Co-founded and serving as CEO of Blaze.tech, a fast-growing platform for teams to build apps and tools that improve business operations and automate workflows without writing any code. Joined the board of directors of CarParts.com (NASDAQ: PRTS) and Proeza Group, a major Mexican conglomerate. Joined the board of directors for the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation. Got married on August 8!”

Clement Kao, of Santa Clara, Calif., writes, “I’m committed to making product management easier for everyone through my company, Product Teacher. For individuals, we provide career services and on-demand education. For product orgs, we provide corporate training and coaching on product strategy, vision, execution, and more. 

“We’ve helped folks from hundreds of leading companies like Google, Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Zoom, Airbnb, etc. This year, we’re actively looking to partner with nonprofits and career centers to give back to the community. Drop me a line at [email protected]!” Shown: Clement with wife, Panpan Xu.

Soo Song, of San Francisco, informs, “I started a new role as the head of marketing for WIL VC, a U.S. and Japan growth-stage venture fund based in Palo Alto. Previously, I oversaw growth marketing for SMBs at Twitter (albeit pre-Elon Musk), which brought me back to the Bay Area from New York where I was doing brand marketing at Squarespace pre-IPO.

“I began volunteering with the SF chapter of a national AAPI-focused nonprofit called Project by Project as a fundraising manager. Our goals are twofold: To uplift and enrich the Asian American community—creating philanthropic leaders—and to support our partner organizations in spreading awareness and demonstrating change.”

Nima Edalatjavid, of San Francisco, notes, “I joined the Townsend Group, an institutional real estate consultant, in February 2022. I cover underwriting for non-core real estate, agriculture, and timberland investments.”

Russ Udé, of Los Angeles, announces, “I recently finished my master’s in data science after completing the Berkeley MIDS program. In September 2022, I joined UBS in Century City, Los Angeles, as a director for the Athletes and Entertainers Strategic Client Segment.

“I spent the holidays in London and Lagos with my family and close friends.”

Ziyuan (Roger) Ying, of Cupertino, Calif., reports, “With the Global Dreamer Foundation, graduated from the latest cohort of UC Launch—the official accelerator of the University of California. Our mission is to Empower All Students to Quality Education by making study abroad accessible, cheaper, and easier for all. With the ease of travel restrictions and quarantine policies in China, my team at the foundation expects a huge rebound in summer 2023 for Chinese students to travel and study abroad again at our partner universities, including UCL summer schools and multiple campuses of the University of California system.”

Matthew Taksa, of San Francisco, announces, “I started working as an associate consultant at Mastercard Data & Services! I’ve also been taking courses to learn more about AI. I’m currently working remotely in Singapore and will be here for about six weeks.”

Garret Nielsen, of Golden, Colo., writes, “I am currently pursuing my master’s at Colorado School of Mines in Engineering and Technology Management. I am so blessed to have this opportunity to get this degree and finish out my baseball career. I am excited for 2023 and am looking to enter the financial world once I graduate in May. I am actually playing my last year of baseball with my brother. For me, this is pretty special.”

Pak Chung, of Thailand, is retired.

Laurence Berger, of Orinda, Calif., writes, “I am continuing my 25-year relationship with McKinsey & Company on a part-time basis, supporting our financial services practice in Southeast Asia. Before McKinsey, I enjoyed a 20-year career with J.P. Morgan, leaving the bank as a managing director. My wife and I divide our time among our home in Orinda, Southeast Asia, and our home in Grand Lake, Colo., skiing, hiking, fishing, and enjoying water sports with children and grandchildren.”

Peter Michael, of Adamstown, Md., published his eighth book in in January. “First Explorer” is the only known biography of Frantz Ludwig Michel (1675–1746), the Swiss humanitarian who was the first European to explore the North American Atlantic region beyond coastal communities. His explorations opened up the Appalachians from Pennsylvania to the Carolinas to settlement in the early 1700s. Michel also created six inland colonies to receive European religious and war refugees and set up an extensive public-private partnership, the world’s first, by which he transported thousands from Europe to America. His is one of the most under-told of early American heroic stories. First Explorer is available on Amazon or wherever books are sold. 

“Over the last decade, three of Pete’s books have been awarded national book prizes. Nominations are in the works for First Explorer.”

David Kong, of Castro Valley, Calif., retired in 2016.

45th Reunion
April 28–30, 2023

Brent Donaldson, of Paradise Valley, Ariz., notes, “Continuing to work part time sourcing odd bodkin real estate financings for RE private equity clients; active board member for small privately held winery with innovative, pioneering fermentation techniques.

“Unforeseen events several years back brought us to the Sonoran Desert, and the experience has exceeded expectations.” 

Michaela Rodeno, of Napa, Calif., reports, “I am feeling grateful. After 15 years in New Jersey, my daughter and her growing family (two little boys) are moving west to live near me in the Napa Valley. I’m working on an ADU for myself so they can live in my house, too big for a sole occupant after my husband, Gregory, died two years ago. My son-in-law is eager to learn the wine business and will eventually take over management of our small family winery, Villa Ragazzi. As a farmer of Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese, I am thankful for the generous rainfall we’ve received this year and for having escaped storm damage. (As I write this, it’s still raining, and there are more storms coming.) The vines will demonstrate their appreciation for the replenished water table when they awake and start growing in early spring. The valley will look green as Oz.”

George Dallas writes, “I continue to live and work in London; the second edition of my book Governance, Stewardship and Sustainability (haas.org/Dallas) was published by Routledge this past November. 

“It is a primer, targeted to investment management professionals, companies, boards, and their advisors, that addresses the theory, practice, and evidence relating to corporate governance and responsible investment.” 

40th Reunion
April 28–30, 2023

Michael Cooke, of Thailand, announces, “Writing from Bangkok, where I retired five years ago and then married for the first time. Since relocating to Asia 12 years ago, I changed gears from corporate work and became faculty at several universities in SE Asia. 

“The five years of teaching business strategy, finance, and managerial accounting were satisfying and productive. With the necessity of developing cases and classroom materials, research, public speaking, and learning another culture—similar overseas teaching experience would serve a mid-career Haas graduate well, while benefiting students eager to learn from the teacher’s real-world experience. 

“I’ve applied the deeper understanding of business gained through teaching to formulate personal investment strategies.” Shown: Michael presenting at Thailand’s Prince of Songkla University.

Joe Jimenez, of Oakland, Calif., reports, “I’m back in the Bay Area after 10 years running Novartis and living in Switzerland. I started a biotech venture fund, which we named Aditum Bio, with my former head of research at Novartis, Dr. Mark Fishman. ‘Aditum’ is the Latin word for access, and our mission is to provide access to medicines that otherwise might not reach patients, in areas such as addiction, depression, and obesity exacerbated by the pandemic. 

“We focus on company formation around the translational phase of medicine and are currently investing out of our second fund. I opened an office across the street from where I started my career out of Haas at Clorox, in Oakland City Center.”

Andrea Lepcio, of Bar Harbor, Maine, updates, “I moved into fitness in my 60s. I am the health and fitness director at The Neighborhood House in Northeast Harbor, Maine, a community center. I run my own online fitness business called Mighty Fit. You can find me at mighty.fit or on Facebook/Instagram.

“My mom moved in with me this year. I am delighted to provide her with a comfortable home.”

Michael Sosebee notes, “After a 30-year career as a bond trader and bond salesman, I am now COO of Forsight, Inc., a startup using AI and computer vision to make construction safer and more secure. I recently traveled to Israel, Bahrain, Egypt, and Croatia for work and pleasure. I continue to be on the board of the Jewish Community High School of the Bay.”

35th Reunion
April 28–30, 2023

Ralph Garcia, Jr., of San Mateo, Calif., writes, “My wife, Jean, MA 90 (art history), and I (shown) attended many football games this year, including the 40th anniversary of the Big Game. We had the pleasure of meeting Gary Tyrrell, Stanford’s trombone player who was knocked down in the end zone at the end of ‘The Play.’” 

Malcolm Brooks, of Rockport, Maine, announces, “This year marks a first for me: I’ve been working with people in prison. Oberlin College commissioned me to compose documentary songs with residents at the Grafton Correctional Facility in Ohio. Additionally, I have just finished two documentary songwriting sessions in Washington, D.C., with a group of women who have recently been released from prison. I am learning through prisoners’ spoken words what it is like to be an American citizen with no freedom and no privacy. I feel more grateful than ever for the leadership education I’ve received, for the support to establish a nonprofit like docsong.org, and for the chance to help people through music.”

Steven Terusaki, of Albany, Calif., updates, “The Haas Alumni Forums program is under new leadership. Since 2020, I am leading the effort to bring these peer forums to our alumni community as part of my executive coaching practice, SEIDO Consulting, LLC. If you are seeking your own personal board of directors, looking to truly live the Four Defining Leadership Principles of Haas, and reconnecting with other Haasies, check out the Haas Alumni Forums (haasalumniforums.com). The virtual forums are held monthly with opportunities to connect in person for annual retreats and other social events. I look forward to the launch of several new forums in 2023.” Shown: Steven (far right) with Marcus Catlett, MBA 04; Eric Floyd, MBA 97; Derek Kenmotsu, MBA 17; Monique Baylocq, MBA 96; Jessica Wan, MBA 10; Eric Brink, MBA 87; and Tim Kingsbury, MBA 82.

Klaus Hammer, of Switzerland, reports, “For the sixth time in my professional life I started a totally new career, joining medtech startup PeriVision as its new head of regulatory and operations. Had to get a compliance degree from Zurich University first, which was demanding and fun. We aim to revolutionize eye testing with VR and AI technology and hopefully have our first product on the U.S. market by fall 2023.”

Christine Landon, of Timnath, Colo., announces, “Following 35 years in Silicon Valley in leadership and talent development, now consulting in the area of talent management. My husband, Geoff, MBA 84, is leading a supply chain segment at Oracle. We are living in sunny Colorado near our two children, Rachel and Gregory.

“We moved during the pandemic to Colorado thanks to our companies, Airbnb and Oracle, that support remote work. No more three- to four-hour daily commutes.”

Tim Leach, of Healdsburg, Calif., notes, “My board member chapter continues to advance. I am chairman of MN8 Energy LLC and have served as a board member of three investment companies affiliated with Goldman Sachs. As of January 1, I became chair of all three, including my first opportunity to chair a public company, Goldman Sachs BDC (ticker GSBD).

“In light of all three of our kid-families being located in the East Bay, including five grandkids, we bought a second home in Walnut Creek to spend time with those growing families!” Shown: Tim and his wife of 45 years, Terry, hiking in Canada.

Joe Rice, of Los Angeles, updates, “In 2022 I retired from Wells Fargo, after 30 wonderful years, and started a second career in the biotech industry as EVP of Operations for Nammi Therapeutics, a private immuno-oncology company based in Los Angeles.

“Enjoying my 23rd year of marriage and raising our two sons, one studying engineering at UCLA and the second a high school junior. We took a fantastic family trip to Italy in June and can’t wait to go back!”

30th Reunion
April 28–30, 2023

Cherie Wolfe Hammer, of San Mateo, Calif., writes, “After nine years as development director at Woodside, Calif., nonprofit National Center for Equine Facilitated Therapy (NCEFT), I announced my retirement in January 2023. During my tenure, I was instrumental in helping the organization grow and flourish, leading to a significant increase and diversification of donated funds, eight successful galas, and creation of two beloved client programs, the annual Spring Fling Riders Showcase and Happy Trails summer day camp. I often referred to working at NCEFT as a ‘dream job’ and am grateful to the entire NCEFT community for the outpouring of support. I look forward to the months ahead to reflect and recharge and can’t wait for what the future holds!”

Marcus Stock, of San Anselmo, Calif., notes “In 2016 I left the corporate world to become the CEO of Bay Area Sound, a boutique company that produces audio for narrative-driven video games. The time I spent working with actors and writers inspired me to focus on my own creativity, so at the beginning of 2019, I started writing seriously. Since then, I’ve completed Losers! Don’t Bet on It; a memoir; several short stories; and a draft of a political thriller titled Risk Assessment. 

“At the same time, I’ve been pursuing a personal passion for acting—short films, commercials, a music video, and a Christmas feature as well as modeling—from fire pits (East Oak) to wine (Duckhorn) to e-bikes (Espin). It’s fun and challenging, a great counterpoint to life in corporate business … although, it’s a business too, so my Haas education is always a cornerstone.

“Check out Sardinia—specifically La Maddalena! You won’t be disappointed.”

Kristen (Lusk) Smith, of Colleyville, Texas, writes, “I started a new job at Texas Christian University. Assisting to relaunch the Center for Real Estate. Moved to Texas in 2020. Our youngest is about to head off to college. So we will have two in college, one at TCU and one at Princeton. All is good with the Smith family.”

Annie Miu (Hayward) Wasacz, of San Francisco, announces, “During the pandemic, I had the good fortune of running a virtual program to help engineering managers raise their empathy to increase team trust. Learn more at haas.org/empathy. “Got married the week of Thanksgiving!” Shown: Newlyweds Annie and Mark.

25th Reunion
April 28–30, 2023

Chris Chan, of Daly City, Calif., reports, “This past annum marked my 30th year in the biotech industry, which is doubly amazing since I’m only 29 years old. Time has really flown by since the days I strolled the beautiful halls of Haas and thought, ‘Wow, that commute across the bridge really sucks.’ To this day, I fondly think about every one of my Haas classmates (even James Gray) and reminisce over those years we learned together and bonded over intense group projects and cold-calling professors.” Shown: Chris visits Pompeii.

Benjamin Goodman, of Rotterdam, Netherlands, writes, “Looking forward to reconnecting with classmates at our 25th reunion in April.”

Tomoko Kusamoto, of Hakuba, Japan, updates, “We just opened Hakuba International School, a new international boarding school in Hakuba Valley at the heart of the northern Japan Alps, in September 2022. We have begun our journey with 19 students in the 7th and 8th grades and will eventually cater to the 7th to 12th grades. We are a sustainability-focused, project-based learning school aiming to help the younger generation grow wise, loving, and capable in the real world.”

Miguel Tam, of San Francisco, announces, “After seven years at Propel, starting as employee #7 and doing a number of roles—VP of Marketing, Alliances, Product, etc., I started a new job at Fieldguide (co-founded by Jin Chang, MBA 19) as the head of product marketing.

“I took on a volunteer director role at the Reach Foundation, which helps first-gen, economically challenged high school seniors get into and graduate from college. I spent a few weeks in Paris, Belgium, and Holland with my daughter before she started working at McKinsey.”

Daniel Tellalian, of Los Angeles, notes, “Thriving at the helm of Angel City Advisors, pleased to be managing two catalytic capital funds for early-stage social entrepreneurs.

“I also support coaching to emerging entrepreneurs in California’s criminal justice system via Defy Ventures.” 

Steve Peletz, of San Francisco, writes, “I founded DeepBlueMonthly.com to highlight ocean conditions, ocean research, and today’s science-based conservation efforts. 

In the process I have logged over 2,500 dives in California and abroad, currently helping scientists tag and track migratory sharks and other species to successfully educate and advocate for larger marine protections. Leveraging skills honed at Haas, I have published a handful of articles and am helping scientists and NGOs in strategic planning, marketing, and fundraising.” 

Shown: Steve prepares for a dive at Guadalupe Island in Mexico.

Nancy Riess, of Baltimore, announces, “On December 1, 2022, I embarked on a new career journey. I am serving as chief operations and impact officer at Jewish Community Services of Baltimore. In this role I hope to improve financial sustainability and optimize programs and processes.

“I was motivated to join JCS after meeting the mission-driven leadership and staff who deliver high-quality services to help those in need of mental health, financial assistance, disability services, and beyond. 

“Adam and I just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary—particularly notable as we were married during my first-year MBA program.

“Meanwhile, our daughter, Gabi, is a freshman at University of Maryland, College Park, studying animal sciences. Our son, Noah, began middle school this year. Our sweet dog Cosmo turned four and continues to bring us so much joy!”

Achim Dunnwald informs, “Having spent three years working for Royal Mail in the U.K., we have moved back to Cologne, Germany. I’m now a COO at Royal Mail’s European parcel carrier, called GLS. Some great contacts made and refreshed with Haas alums in London, now I am looking forward to seeing my German friends Dirk Freise, Patrick Meininger, Stephan Menzel, and Thorsten Rehling again more regularly.”

Pascal Hoffmann, of Oakland, Calif., writes, “Lucky me visited Qatar to attend the FIFA World Cup and cheer on my favorite teams, France (vs. Tunisia) and U.S. (vs. Iran). The ambience was thrilling! I already look forward to the 2026 World Cup in the U.S. (+Mexico and Canada).”

Jan Myszkowski, of Munich, Germany, updates, “Produced several videos on leadership—on YouTube, find ‘Jan Myszkowski.’ Wrote 50 Shades of Leadership, started leadership keynotes and executive coaching. More details to be found soon on IdeasInside.org. Completed two children’s books: Where is the Green Button? and Castle Night Fish.”

Merry Richter, of Oakland, Calif., is an OnDeck Marketing Fellow and head of content at OpenSpace.ai, a rapidly growing company that is a leader in the reality capture space and is bringing digital disruption to construction and real estate development. She’d love to connect with alums in these industries!

Charlene (Son) Rigby, of San Francisco, updates, “I moved to the nonprofit world in 2021 to bring together my health tech background with my passion for accelerating therapies for patients with rare diseases. My current organization, RARE-X, is now merging with another nonprofit, Global Genes. I became CEO of the combined organization in January 2023. Bringing these two organizations together will enable us to equip and support today’s rare disease patients and advocates in a holistic and dynamic way.”

Lynelle Cameron, of San Rafael, Calif., reports, “I am focused on accelerating the transition to a regenerative economy through advising, investing in, and working with regenerative companies. After 20+ years leading sustainability and ESG teams, I am proud of the momentum achieved, but the next decade requires we go faster and way beyond sustainability. Regenerative companies profitably restore health to human and natural systems—companies that transform sectors, protect or restore natural systems, sequester carbon, and influence positive system change. Reach out if you want to talk regenerative!”

Thida Cornes, of Mountain View, Calif., announces, “I was elected to the Mountain View Los Altos High School Board in November.

“Both of my kids are now in college, so we have an empty nest. My daughter whom I carried across the stage with me when I graduated from Haas is a junior at Oberlin majoring in computer science. My son is a first-year at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute majoring in materials engineering. I received my fourth service dog, Jeeves, from Canine Companions last May. Service dogs are like people and retire. My previous service dog is living with us as a much-loved pet.” Shown: Kerensa, Castor, Torin, Thida, and Jeeves.

Emilie Cortes, of Bend, Ore., reports, “I’m working as an independent contractor for CFO Selections—a placement firm for fractional CFOs for both for- and not-for-profit organizations in the Pacific Northwest. Types of assignments so far have included interim, part-time, and projectbased work. Many of you will be well aware of the drawbacks of this kind of work arrangement, but I am loving so many aspects of the consulting lifestyle—high degree of flexibility, variety, and results/impact. 

“On the personal front, I’ve been taking American Sign Language classes. My strength is with verbal communications, so it’s been a great stretch experience for me, including learning more about the deaf community and culture.

“Finally, I attended my 20-year reunion (mind blowing!) this past spring, and I can’t begin to express how wonderful it was to connect live with my classmates, especially after this protracted period of virtual connection. It always blows my mind how much it feels like we just pick up where we last left off. Love you all!”

Jungwook Lim, of Seoul, South Korea, “was appointed deputy minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups in South Korea in October 2022. His role in the Korean government involves promoting entrepreneurship, supporting tech startups and the venture capital industry, and providing R&D programs for SMEs and startups.” Shown: Jungwook (right) at CES 2023, with a founder of a robotics startup.

Eric Meyerson, of San Francisco, reports, “We had a wonderful time at the wedding of Tony Rovello to the amazing Michele. Attendees included Jay Badenhope; Inder Grewal; Emilie Cortes; Teresa Hegdahl; Krisila Benson; Brian Fershtman; Marthe Souza; Keith Wilcox, MBA 01, and more Haasies from 20 years ago. What a treat! Congrats to Tony and Michele.” Shown: Eric Meyerson, Brock Reed, Teresa Hegdahl, Brian Fershtman, Inder Grewal, Emilie, and Annette Cardwell.

20th Reunion
April 28–30, 2023

Karl Pisor, of Tokyo, Japan, writes, “Having a great time building my EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) franchise, coaching and facilitating for entrepreneurial leadership teams in Tokyo. In November 2022, I was recognized by EOS Worldwide as a Certified EOS Implementer. We’re in growth mode and looking for new Japanese-capable implementers!”

Fernando Ruiz, of Mexico, updates, “Along with Elena, my wife, I began a recycled plastic roof business targeted to the low-income housing market in Mexico and Latin America. For the last two years, we have been manufacturing and selling roofs with a great value proposition: A beautiful product with great acoustic and thermal performance, at a very low price. From waste to product!”

Dennis Cong, of Palo Alto, Calif., is managing partner of CE Innovation Capital, a $1B fintech- focused venture fund.

Charles (Tim) O’Brien, of Orinda, Calif., notes, “I have had the good fortune to join the great team at Strandview Capital as the manager of its BTech Consortium HUB. Our mission is to help community and regional banks find and adopt technology.” Shown: Charles visits Saline Valley, Calif.

Taylor Schreiner, of El Cerrito, Calif., reports, “I’m still working on macroeconomics for Adobe and expanding my team’s remit to the entire globe. You may have seen our data this holiday season, seen my folks on TV, or heard me on NPR’s Marketplace.

“It’s been a while since my last update, but I’ve got two kids (7 and 11) and a sweet Bernedoodle. Tess and I (shown) are back to traveling and recently braved the polar vortex to see family in South Dakota.” 

Howard Connell, of Atlanta, updates, “In mid-2021, I joined Floor & Decor, where I am leading our sustainability and ESG efforts. We are a rapidly growing warehouse-format retailer of hard surface flooring. Visit one of our stores near you, including in Burlingame, San Leandro, and Milpitas, and let me know what you think.”

Stephane Guerraz, of Denmark, announces, “As leader of executive education at DTU, the prime natural science university of Denmark, it was my privilege to bring 60 Executive MBAs from DTU to Haas in November 2022 (shown). We got to hear from many great Haas professors, including former Dean Rich Lyons. And I got to interview Alphabet’s Chair John Hennessy on stage. Thank you to the Haas Executive Education team for a great time!”

George Lee, of Fremont, Calif., reports, “I retired from tech to pursue other interests: exploring the outdoors and the world, and spending time with my four children, the oldest of whom just started his first year in college.” Shown: George (right) with family Jonah, Noah, Samuel, Hannah, and Connie. 

Amy Omand, of Oakland, Calif., informs, “After eight amazing years, I’ve left my role as CFO of NewSchools Venture Fund, an education venture philanthropy investing in innovative public schools. In 2023, I’m embarking upon a new career as a ‘solopreneur’ providing fractional CFO services to early stage mission-driven organizations that need assistance with strategic financial management. Check out my new website at www.7seatconsulting.com. I’ve had the great fortune to tap into Haas resources this past year by completing the High-Impact Leadership course with Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute, auditing the Business Strategy & Climate Change course, and speaking to first-year MBA students on a panel of CFOs. Students Always, and Go Bears!”

15th Reunion
April 28–30, 2023

Omar Garriott, of Charlottesville, Va., returned to the halls of higher ed as the new executive director of the Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology at the UVA Darden School of Business. He is grateful to be off the corporate treadmill/ladder and is looking for speakers from the Haas network in startup, VC, and tech to get in front of Darden MBAs.

Pedro Vasconcellos, of London, U.K., announces, “I recently added to my responsibilities. I’ve been working at Pearson (a FTSE100 education company) for eight years, the last four leading the Corporate Venture Capital function. Now I have a new function reporting to me—Innovation. Pearson Labs has the mission of transforming the unknown into opportunity and inspiring Pearson to disrupt itself. Lots of room to put MOT knowledge to work!

“In September, I cycled from London to Paris with a group. That is about 300 miles in four days. No, we didn’t swim across the Channel—we took the Dover-Calais ferry.”

Hernan Haro, of Punta del Este, Uruguay, writes, “Having worked many years in tech startups (as founder and executive)—in 2021 I decided it was time for a change. After a period of introspection I decided to launch MrPink VC, a seed fund focused on technology startups in the CAPUC region, consisting of Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Uruguay, and Chile. I am very fortunate to have joined forces with Neravan (Jeep) Kline, who is a partner in  the fund.

“Regardless of the COVID lockdown and the financial turmoil, we managed to achieve a first closing and have done 10 investments already. Fundraising is not yet over—never thought it could be this hard—but I’m confident that we will achieve a final closing soon given the superb portfolio performance and amazing team that we have.”

Swati Reichmuth, of San Francisco, updates, “Back in September, I started a new role as COO of Rune Labs. Rune is a digital health startup focused on harnessing brain data to improve precision neurology. Our first application is in Parkinson’s disease, where we have created an FDA-approved application on the Apple Watch to track tremor in Parkinson’s patients. I was recommended and endorsed for this opportunity by my boss at my previous startup Brightinsight. Thank you to Ryan O’Toole for being a great sponsor and friend.” Shown: Swati (center) with kids Isha and Milin.

Freeman Ding who relocated to Singapore from Shanghai, writes, “I had the pleasure of connecting with Vivek Jadhav, MFE 07, and Xiaogang (Shaun) He, MBA 19. Shaun works for Bayer in Shanghai and is leading an internal innovative project focused on integrated hardware and software solutions for customers in Dutch greenhouse and vertical farming. Vivek is the founder of Precede, an indoor vertical farm startup in Singapore. I introduced the two, as both are in the value chain of farm-tech. Shaun and I also visited Vivek’s farm! It was great to see our very own Haasies from Shanghai and Singapore meet up to talk about sustainable agriculture business!” Shown: Freeman (center), Vivek, and Shaun.

Hamza Khan, of London, U.K., notes, “Our son is 2 now and thinks he’s 12.” Shown: Hamza with wife, Lydia, and son, Kamal. 

Simon Ru, of Danville, Calif., informs, “Simon’s startup UpNest was acquired last year by Realtor.com/NewsCorp. He and his wife, Berkeley alumna Sharon Wu, have donated $519,000 to UC Berkeley via Berkeley Founders’ Pledge gifts to fund scholarships for inner-city high school students and entrepreneurship at SkyDeck.” 

10th Reunion
April 28–30, 2023

Anne Van Brunt Sromek writes, “I’m one of three motivated women founders of Hawai’i Keiki Museum, a 501(c)(3) in Kailua-Kona (keiki is what we call our children in Hawai’i). HKM is a locally focused, hands-on, STEAM-based discovery center on the Big Island. It’s Kona’s first museum of this nature and has been met with incredible support from the island community. The well-attended public grand opening event was held on October 15, 2022. See www.hawaiikeikimuseum.org, HKMKona on Facebook/Instagram, or I’d love to show you around on your next visit to Hawaii—please reach out. Mahalo and Go Bears!”

Oseyi Ikuenobe, of Atlanta, forwards this news: “Oseyi and his wife Sucheta received the Young Alumni of the Year award from Truman State University, their undergrad alma mater (haas.org/Ikuenobe). This award recognizes young alumni leaders who are already leaving their mark on the world and have made significant contributions to
the university.”

WeTravel co-founders Johannes Koeppel and Zaky Prabowo recently landed $27 million in funding. WeTravel, which was founded at Haas, builds tech for the specific needs of group travel. The company provides payments and other tools to some 3,000 companies, working out to 500,000 customers using its platform. 

Yvonne Kumi, of McKinney, Texas, notes, “We moved to Texas from California during summer 2022.”

Kyle Oura, of San Francisco, sends the following: “When Kyle Oura applied to Haas in 2012, he wrote in his application essay that he wanted to help his dad in Hawaii (who had dementia) floss his teeth remotely using FaceTime on an iPad. Ten years later, he’s doing something similar with MemoryVideo.com. After several years working in senior living (moving from activity director to CFO), Kyle started MemoryVideo.com to record the life stories of senior living residents for future generations. The MemoryVideo team records the interviews virtually via Zoom and then edits the videos, transcribes, and can even turn the transcripts into books. It all begins with the MemoryVideo—and there’s nothing like hearing the voice, seeing the face, personality of someone you miss.

“There are regular, everyday people whose stories need to be saved ASAP. Kyle’s dream is to make MemoryVideo Day in senior living as common as Picture Day is in schools. Please email [email protected] or contact him via the website.” Shown: Kyle, Cindy, Kylie, and Christopher.

Kelvin Mu, of San Jose, Calif., shares, “Recently joined Translink Capital, a venture capital firm based out of Palo Alto, focused on Series A digital health and sustainability investments.”

Abe (Abhishek) Sharma, of San Francisco, announces, “I recently started as manager, Real Estate & Business, at a company called Codi, transforming and questioning the status quo in the office commercial real estate space. I am super excited to partner with local landlords and brokers in the Bay Area to create long-term partnerships for their office space through Codi.com. 

“At Codi, we are passionate about making cities more sustainable and more flexible for local workers. We’re on a mission to empower companies to thrive and employees to love their work lives. Codi creates the flexible workplace solution designed for the way people work today, with hospitality at its core. WFH is lonely, co-working doesn’t build your company culture, and brokers offering multi-year leases give people headaches. We built Codi to break the
status quo.” Photo: Jim Block Photography.

5th Reunion
April 28–30, 2023

Jin Chang, of San Francisco, informs, “In 2020, I started Fieldguide to automate the pains I experienced as a Big Four practitioner. Just 2.5 years in, we’ve raised $20M across our Seed and Series A, scaled the team to 50, and we’re on a path to another year of 3x growth in 2023. Very thankful to the Berkeley Haas experience, which helped me develop as an innovative business leader, while providing access to great resources both on and off campus.

“Never been happier! It’s great building a company to solve a problem I intimately know.”

Jason Syu, of San Jose, Calif., updates, “Since 2020, I’ve been with NVIDIA to help with the best-in-class GeForce gaming graphics cards for gamers all over the world. I am happy to say that I am still working there today.

“In 2022, I completed my second David Goggins 4x4x48 challenge by running 48 miles in 48 hours, my second Ironman 70.3, and I started on my Toastmaster’s journey to become a better public speaker.”

Mike Toomey, of San Francisco, announces, “Taryn Toomey (formerly Hadfield) and Mike Toomey, welcomed their baby boy, Calvin ‘Cal’ Toomey, to the world in October 2022.”

Kat Clark, of Chicago, writes, “I left my job on Apple’s education team this summer and am working on a storytelling project called Teachers in their Power. The project aims to change the narrative about the teaching profession. Through a combination of photography and interviews, the project profiles the American teacher, quilting together perspectives from communities across the country. The goal is to foreground teachers as humans, not heroes and—in a sea of systemic challenges—to focus on what can be done to help powerful teachers stay. Because teacher voice is vital to meaningful policy change, the project focuses on empowering and entrusting teachers to share their stories long after the project is done. Nominate teachers at: teachersintheirpower.com.”

Michael de Lyon, of Los Angeles, updates, “I recently launched a savory protein bar company! The bars have a crispy crunch and come in three flavors: Spicy Herb, Everything Bagel, and Zesty BBQ.

“I am looking to grow the company, and all advice is welcome as I am very early in the journey! If you think you could be helpful or just want to learn more, please reach out to me directly: [email protected].”

Dennis Hauser, of New York City, writes, “During my MBA, in 2019, I co-founded Sona Labs with the mission to help people experience the medicinal benefits of restorative music and make anxiety treatment more natural, efficient, and affordable. My co-founder and friend Neal Sarin curated over 10 composers and Grammy-winning producers to create music that induces states of relaxation in minutes. Working together with Dr. Robert Knight and Lance Kriegsfeld at the Berkeley neuroscience department, we tested and refined our proprietary music composition formula to increase alpha waves in the brain and lower stress hormones. At Berkeley, we built our first mobile app of sona, which brings music as medicine to thousands of users, helping to relieve their daily anxiety within minutes. This year, Sona Labs was recognized as a UCSF Health Rising Star Company and won a CES Innovation Award.

“The next chapter is making sona accessible to everyone. We are on track to be the first FDA-approved music therapy treatment for anxiety. We launched our latest funding round on StartEngine to invest in the research and development for clinical trials required to earn FDA approval and scale subscriber growth. The Berkeley ecosystem has been instrumental for bringing sona to life, and we look forward to the continued support to bring the therapeutic benefits of music to the world.”

1st Reunion
April 28–30, 2023

John Dio, of San Francisco, reports, “After wrapping up my project at Wonderschool, I launched a new startup venture called Boombust, a subscription-based talent marketplace for companies to find top-quality candidates and for job seekers to get qualified job leads and additional professional coaching as needed. We offer companies who partner with us access to our talent marketplace and the ability to hire ‘fractional workers’—employees working in a limited capacity for specific projects. It is my personal effort to de-risk what it means to work for one company, when there is a known talent shortage, yet a glut of talent that needs to be hired ASAP.”

Ryan Gibo, of San Francisco, updates, “Started at Cisco in August 2022 as a People Business Partner to  multiple executives in the systems hardware business. Promoted to Lt. Col. (O5) in the U.S. Air Force Reserves.”

Sean Mandell, of Lilongwe, Malawi, writes, “After graduating in May, I moved to Malawi to co-found a social enterprise, Umodzi. We help women-led co-ops start and run poultry farms that are run off clean energy and clean water. I met my co founder, Mathews Tisatayane, MA 23 (development engineering), in a Haas elective last year.”

20th Reunion
April 28–30, 2023

Olin Palmer, of Redwood City, Calif., writes “I’ve been working with Bionaut Labs for the past three years, which has been very exciting. I’m now also consulting with Noah Medical. The medical robot space is amazing.”

Patricia Rose Duignan, of Berkeley, Calif., writes, “Big year for me. Visual Effects Society rewarded me with a Lifetime Membership and feted me at its annual Honors Night. I was a cover girl on Berkeley Hills Magazine, featuring my household of four women as indicative of a future trend of group living. So I started a blog about group living. Find it at GoldenBoomers.net. Also, I was one of the featured original Star Wars and ILM employees in the Disney Plus series Light & Magic, directed by Lawrence Kasdan and aired in July 2022. I’ve been doing podcasts and hearing from lots of friends since the launch of that series.” Back row: Patricia, Luise Hollowell. Front row: Rose Marie Duignan, and Deborah Armstrong.

15th Reunion
April 28–30, 2023

Carter Reue, of Austin, Texas, updates “Our big family update is that we moved to Austin, Texas—yeehaw! Moving away from the Bay Area was a tough call, but we thought it was the right time to give my wife a better shot at a return to the music career she had pre-kids. 

“If you are interested in partnering with an amazing singer/songwriter, please reach out! We actually have a guest bedroom now and welcome visitors. If you are coming to the Austin area, please let us know, as we would love to host you in our new home!” 

Muneer Merchant, of Danville, Calif., announces, “I recently co-founded Swingnotion, a coach-led indoor sports facility in Bozeman, Montana, where my family and I relocated to during COVID. As a father to a 14-year-old aspiring softball player, I got connected with many local coaches who expressed the need to ‘grow the game’ and how funding could help. 

“We partnered with local professional softball players and experienced college athletes to help the community grow the game of softball in Bozeman. We plan to expand these facilities all over the state of Montana in the next five years. 

“Check us out at swingnotion.com.” 

5th Reunion
April 28–30, 2023

John Gribowich, of San Francisco, writes, “After spending some time exploring monasteries in upstate New York and in Big Sur, Calif., I took a teaching position in the Religious Studies Department at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory High School in San Francisco. Shown: Thanksgiving 2022 in Los Angeles. John (far right) with Adele Mucci (second from right) and family and friends. 

1st Reunion
April 28–30, 2023

JP Young, of San Francisco, informs, “We’re in the beginning stages of organizing an official Haas Alumni Affinity Group for Sustainability, in collaboration with Danner Doud-Martin and the Haas Sustainability Task Force. If you’d like to receive updates, share input, or otherwise get involved, please reach out to me, Adriana Penuela Useche, MBA 22, or Christina Cairns. We plan to organize some meetups in the near term to hear from you how a sustainability-focused affinity group can best serve the Haas community.
Stay tuned!”

David Curry, of Cincinnati, shares his memories of late Prof. Emeritus John Myers. “I worked with John as his research, teaching, and consulting project assistant, and he co-chaired my Ph.D. dissertation committee. Learning of John’s passing, I felt warm memories of the kind man flood over me: repeated invitations to his home (thank you Arlyn!) to brainstorm research ideas; opportunities to lecture in his classes on special topics, with such kind support whether the lecture went as planned or not; incredible patience and encouragement on my dissertation; and a large, unexpected ‘bonus’ for work I had done on a project he directed for the State of California. That bonus helped more than he will ever know.

“But these examples don’t really explain why Dr. Myers is so beloved. It was intimidating to join the Ph.D. program at Berkeley in 1968. I was in awe of my classmates and simply thrilled to be part of such a great program. When I started working for John, I gained confidence and insight. John had a humble, self-effacing approach to interactions that made a nervous Ph.D. student feel like he belonged after all. Thank you, John for what you did for me and for every Ph.D. student who had the honor of your friendship and guidance. Multitudes of us share warm memories and everlasting respect.”

Fred Wenstop, of Oslo, Norway, notes, “I retired as an emeritus professor in 2015, 70 years old.”

Cathy Goodwin, of Philadelphia, reports, “Published a new book I call Aging in Sneakers, a humorous, sarcastic view of what it feels like to get older. But that’s not the actual title, which contains a mild expletive that might offend some people. The book description, trigger warnings, and how to order are at cathygoodwin.com/agebook. 

“I live in Philadelphia and spent Christmas in Paris after a long sojourn with no vacations. I sometimes perform stand-up comedy at open-mic events!”