On November 8, at the Regent Hotel in Taipei, Taiwan, a group of UC Berkeley friends and alums gathered to celebrate the signing of the gift agreement. There, Sheng sat down with Lauren Haney Provost, the College of Chemistry’s senior assistant dean of development, for a conversation about his engagement with Berkeley, his decision to support Heathcock Hall, and why it is important to gather Berkeley alums in every corner of the world. Below we share a lightly edited version of their conversation.
Bobby Sheng, Dean Douglas Clark, and Charlotte Kuo at the signing ceremony in Taiwan
Lauren Haney Provost: Tell us a bit about your background and what led you to attend Berkeley. When you recall your time as an undergraduate, is there a particular memory that is emblematic of your Berkeley experience?
Bobby Sheng: I grew up in Orange County. I was lucky to be exposed to Berkeley through my sister, who went there first. I visited one summer, and I was just in awe of the campus. To be honest with you, what stood out was the diversity, how everybody just kind of accepted everybody for who they were. It was just such a dynamic culture that existed at Berkeley. As an undergrad, I loved the way everybody co-existed together.
One of the biggest clubs in Berkeley at the time was the Young Republicans Club, believe it or not. We had People’s Park, we had nudist rallies, we had conservative rallies, and everybody just coexisted. And that kind of coexistence and the acceptance of other cultures was a shock to me. When I went there, that was the most amazing experience and it exposed me to the international world. And to be honest with you, it’s given me the foundation, even today, to just meet [people from] different cultures and accept them. I can go on and on about how international it was and how it introduced a world that didn’t exist to a person growing up in Orange County.
LHP: That’s awesome. So what led to your decision to support the College of Chemistry in Heathcock Hall with this gift? And when you envision Sheng Commons, what do you see?
BS: Well, obviously the College of Chemistry is one of the most prestigious colleges, I would say in the world, but especially in the chemistry community. It’s number one. Everybody knows that the 18 Nobel Laureates are unprecedented in any other college. But the reason why I’m so honored to contribute to the College of Chemistry is that I felt it was imperative to continue that legacy, and considering how competitive it is now as a public university, I think we need to contribute as much as we can. Specifically, we need to keep it at the forefront of the next generation of innovation, which is definitely in chemistry and biochemistry. We talk about AI, but the continuation of humanity really relies on the next generation of innovators, who are hopefully going to gather in a place like Sheng Commons. I’ve always remembered, I always wanted a place to kind of hang out at Berkeley. If we can have a common area where people can just sit and there’s no need to buy coffee, it’s just a common area indoors, I thought that was a great opportunity for me to give back to the college and to the next generation of people who will help solve the world energy crisis, help cure Alzheimer’s, and can contribute to world peace. Yeah, I think if we can have those people collaborate in the Sheng Commons, it’d be amazing.
LHP: Great! Tell us a bit about serving as president of the Berkeley Club of Taiwan. What are some of the highlights of your experience with the club and why is it important to gather Berkeley alums and friends in Taiwan?
BS: Okay, I think for that question, I want to start with this gift would not have existed without the Berkeley Club of Taiwan. I think it’s really important for any institution, but especially Berkeley, with the success of all of our alumni, to continue to reach out and let them know that the alumni community is the extension of their college experience. What I experienced was the leaders before me bringing me into the alumni association and helping me understand where Berkeley is now and understand my role as an alum. That’s what the alumni association does. It allows us to have a commonality amongst each other and it’s almost a fraternity in a way. I’ve been able to find great opportunities in the network and I’ve actually hired many people from meeting them in the alumni association. So, I think it’s integral to the future of any university and the strength of the university. My experience as president — I will say that it was unique in that it was during COVID — was that we came together through adversity, had a lot of great events, and were able to meet all the deans. The Chancellor came twice while I was the president. And to have that interaction just made it that much more special. I wanted to be a servant leader for the college, for the University of California, and to also associate with all the alumni and bring the alumni together.
LHP: Is there anyone in particular in the Berkeley Club of Taiwan or at Berkeley or in general in your life who influenced you to make this particular gift to the college?
BS: Oh, easy. Steve Pan. He’s been my personal friend for more than thirty years. When I started branching out into the business that I have now, he was my mentor. He guided me through the process. He said, you can be the president of this Berkeley club. He guided me through the process of how to give back. He is the sole reason, to be honest with you.
LHP: What advice would you offer to young people, including Berkeley students, who seek to emulate your career or follow a similar path?
BS: For Berkeley? Students, tap into the network! It’s not as, I would say, organized or as chummy as a lot of the Ivy Leagues may be. But there are people like me, like Steve, and all the presidents that really have an affiliation with and an affinity for Berkeley. So, reach out to that organizer, that network will guide you in your career path. Just like Steve guided me, I’m guiding some young students. One recent graduate works for me now. He was a part of the executive committee for me. We just gave him a promotion, so he is doing really well. But for young people in general, I would say I would never consider myself successful. It’s a journey. Growth is a journey. Success is sort of an endpoint, which you don’t really have in business. But I would say number one, always believe in yourself. A key phrase that I have had on my computer every day for the last fifteen years, since I started Bora, was why not me?
If a naive person from Orange County can come to Taiwan and build a global pharmaceutical company that primarily does imports back into the U.S., anybody can do anything. So, that’s one idea for a young entrepreneur. Secondly, I would say hard work beats intelligence any day of the week. So really continue to work hard. Finally, don’t plan too much. You’ve got to get out and do it. You can’t buy time back. When you think of something, go ahead and go for it! I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but those mistakes have come back with rewards. I’ve seen a lot of people with paralysis by analysis and they don’t know what to do and they’re afraid to come forward. Especially very successful, intelligent people, who have succeeded academically. They’re very afraid to get out of their comfort zone. For people who are at Berkeley, they’re already very smart. Getting to be an entrepreneur is different. You start from ground zero, but don’t be afraid. Keep on going. The hard work and intelligence will take you to where you need to be.
LHP: I think that’s amazing advice. I’m taking it on board too.
