We want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to the business and individual sponsors whose steadfast support fueled the return of our Spring Luncheon. Your partnership is essential, allowing us to continue investing in our students, celebrating our dedicated educators, and building a brighter future for Berkeley’s public schools.
Please join us in celebrating this remarkable show of community support! ✨ If you joined us for the afternoon, we encourage you to tag us in your posts so we can highlight and share those special moments together.
#BerkeleyPublicSchoolsFund #SpringLuncheon #BuildingBerkeleyFuturesTogether
Most people think that coordinating the behavior of thousands of distributed energy resources requires some kind of third-party middleman, like an aggregator managing a VPP. My guest today, veteran research scientist Bruce Nordman, believes there’s a better way: dynamic, time- and location-specific retail prices, communicated directly to consumer devices, which would cut out the middleman and leave more value with customers. #📊
India’s 34 million-strong diaspora is shaping far more than remittances - it is increasingly shaping the future of philanthropy itself.
As diaspora giving expands in scale and ambition, the real shift is not in how much is being given, but in how giving is being approached. Philanthropy is moving beyond acts of contribution toward the work of institution-building.
Across Season 5 of Catalyzing Change, a clear idea emerged: lasting impact is rarely created through isolated interventions. It is built through systems that can endure, through stronger governance, long-term leadership, next-generation stewardship, and the patience to stay with complex problems.
This requires a different mindset from philanthropic families and diaspora leaders: one that sees giving not as an outcome, but as infrastructure. Capital matters, but so do expertise, networks, policy influence, and the discipline to build for the long term.
The most meaningful philanthropy is often the least visible - strengthening institutions, enabling early risk, and creating the conditions for change to sustain itself.
Season 5 of Catalyzing Change brings together these perspectives through conversations with leaders rethinking what it means to give, build, and sustain impact across borders.
Listen to the full season now. Link in bio.
#GivingPi #FamilyPhilanthropy #StrategicGiving #SocialImpact #Podcast
The Force is strong with geothermal energy!
Yesterday, I hosted a geothermal energy briefing in Sacramento and celebrated #maythe4th with some special guests.
Michael Witherell | Berkeley Lab
Laboratory Director | 39 Years of Service
🏆 Outstanding Senior Leadership Award Recipient
For nearly four decades, Michael Witherell has dedicated his career to advancing the UC system and strengthening the culture at Berkeley Lab. Since 2016, his leadership as Lab Director has centered on one key priority: people.
From establishing the Stewardship Office to championing mentorship, wellness, and inclusive leadership, Witherell has created space for collaboration, innovation, and staff voices to thrive.
“Everyone feels responsible for trying to build a culture of stewardship that enables the great science we do for the nation.”
His commitment to teamwork, trust, and service continues to shape a stronger, more connected community.
#CUCSA #UCStaff #Leadership #PublicService #BerkeleyLab StaffExcellence HigherEd TeamScience
As conversations around philanthropy evolve, so does the understanding of what it means to contribute meaningfully.
In the final episode of season 5 of Catalyzing Change, a series that runs on the Unusual Suspects podcast by Moneycontrol in collaboration with GivingPi, Shruti Deorah delves into a dimension of giving that often receives less attention, - time and energy. While financial capital remains foundational, she suggests that deeper engagement comes from the willingness to stay with a problem, to think through it, and to often put in personal effort.
This kind of involvement is not always straightforward. It requires intention, patience, and a readiness to engage beyond transactional support. Yet, it is often this investment that shapes how thoughtfully and effectively philanthropic efforts take form.
In her view, giving is not just about what is offered, but about how closely one chooses to engage with the work itself.
Listen to the final episode of Season 5 now. Link in bio.
What does it take to build for impact in spaces where solutions are still emerging and the path forward is uncertain?
In the final episode of season 5 of Catalyzing Change, a series that runs on the Unusual Suspects podcast by Moneycontrol in collaboration with GivingPi, Shruti Deorah reflects on the role of capital in enabling early-stage innovation, particularly in areas like climate, where both risk and complexity are high. She points to blended finance as a model that allows different forms of capital to work together, each playing a distinct role in shaping outcomes.
At the earliest stages, grant capital becomes especially critical. It creates space for experimentation by absorbing risk, enabling iteration, and supporting ideas that may not yet have a clear path to scale.
For philanthropic families , this opens up a different kind of opportunity: to move beyond funding proven solutions and instead support how new ones are developed.
At its core, this is about recognizing that innovation is not linear, and that building for impact often begins long before results are visible.
Listen to the full episode now. Link in bio.
Another Spring market this week at LBNL: because sometimes you just make the time 🌸#WorthTheHustle
#berkeleylab #cookieartist #decoratedsugercookies #sanfranciscobay
Behind the Science: FIONA | Want a sneak peek at how scientists study the chemistry of rare and heavy elements? Take a look with our scientists in this behind-the-scenes tour of FIONA.
Congratulations to Yashwanth Balaji for winning the Scientific Discovery category of the #NationalLabSLAM! All of us at @berkeleylab are super proud of you!!
We are here at @berkeleylab supporting Yashwanth Balaji as he is a finalist in the #NationalLabSLAM in Washington DC. His work focuses on advanced materials that will help make #quantum computers more resilient. Go Yash! #NLSLAM26
