Class reunions tend to draw even far-flung Bears out of their dens and back to Berkeley. Though decades separate their campus days, Nanxi Liu ’12 and Carl J. Stoney Jr. ’67, J.D. ’70, M.B.A. ’71 have never needed coaxing to show their love of Cal.
Engaged with Berkeley since day one, both are actively involved in their reunion committees — and both have made generous gifts to Berkeley.
Liu, who holds a spot on Forbes’s 30 Under 30 list of innovative young tech leaders, is the CEO and cofounder of Enplug, which develops leading software to help businesses create compelling digital displays. She is serious when she says, "If you want to start a successful company, you have to go to Berkeley!”
Nanxi Liu ’12
Liu’s journey includes spending her first five years in rural China without running water. She later moved to Colorado and came to Berkeley on several scholarships. A business and political economy major, she was an ASUC executive vice president.
Because she needed to pay for her schooling, Liu brainstormed ideas that routinely generated prize-winning apps and startups. She credits student groups and an entrepreneurship class taught by her mentor Jennifer Walske, a social impact fellow at Haas, for the skills and confidence that led to her success.
“I came to Berkeley not knowing anything about the world of finance and business,” says Liu. Berkeley “meant the world to me.”
To honor her fifth reunion, she made a significant challenge gift to encourage her young peers to get in the spirit of regular giving. Liu’s donations support the Haas School of Business and the College of Letters & Science.
Stoney, a recently retired attorney, co-chairs his Class of 1967 50th Reunion Committee. Raised in a sheltered Southern California community, he attended Berkeley in the midst of the Free Speech Movement. Though he never participated in the protests, he credits the movement with opening his eyes and shaping his perspective.
“We received a great education at, no question, the world’s best public university, and we owe it to Cal to give something meaningful back.” — Carl J. Stoney Jr. ’67, J.D. ’70, M.B.A. ’71
Stoney seized Berkeley from the get-go. A business major, he was active with Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, served on the Interfraternity Council, played intramural sports, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. He stuck around campus for his law and M.B.A. degrees. “I had never thought about being a lawyer, I just wanted to stay at Cal,” he says.
Stoney has managed to stay close — contributing his leadership as president of the Cal Alumni Association and a longtime UC Berkeley Foundation trustee, among other volunteer roles. Recently honored as a Builder of Berkeley for his philanthropy, Stoney has supported Cal Athletics, the Fiat Lux Scholarship, which assists high-achieving students from California, and Berkeley Law, to which his reunion gift was made.
Beyond their generous contributions, Liu and Stoney hope to inspire nearly 14,000 classmates along with alumni from all generations to support Berkeley. Says Stoney, “We received a great education at, no question, the world’s best public university, and we owe it to Cal to give something meaningful back.”
Carl J. Stoney Jr. ’67, J.D. ’70, M.B.A. ’71
