The Success of The Stanford Challenge

This past December, Stanford University concluded an unprecedented five-year campaign that positioned the school to address a range of challenges in today's global economy. The success of The Stanford Challenge, which was made possible with the extensive support of GSB alumni and friends, will further enable the school to educate the next generation of leaders to address real-world problems.

Stanford Launches Institute to Alleviate Poverty with $150 Million Gift

“More than a billion people live on less than $1.25 a day,” says Robert King, MBA ’60. “That’s just not right.” With that in mind, he and wife Dottie have committed $150 million to create the Stanford Institute on Innovation in Developing Economies, housed at the Graduate School of Business. Their gift is one of the largest ever to Stanford University.

Investing in Faculty Ideas: The Robert A. and Elizabeth R. Jeffe Professorship

Robert, MBA '74, and Elizabeth R. Jeffe were motivated to bring their passion for promoting services and education in the developing world to the business school by endowing a new professorship. The inaugural chair holder is Professor Jesper Sørensen, an expert in organizational behavior and sociology who is one of the directors of the new Stanford Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies. 

Couple Endows Faculty Fellow Position for Entrepreneurship in Developing Economies

Devoted long-time Stanford benefactors Katherine August-deWilde, MBA '75, and David deWilde,
Sloan '84, extend their support to establish a new faculty fellow/scholar position at the GSB. The new fund supports a faculty member working on entrepreneurship in developing economies and has been awarded for 2011-12 to Professor Jim Patell.

Leveraging Matching Funds for Faculty

Thanks to the generosity of donors who established the Class of 1968 Matching Fund and the GSB Challenge Fund, alumni and friends were able to leverage new gifts, donors endowed more than 23 new match-eligible faculty funds. Taken together with the original matching funds and other gifts to support faculty, the school raised more than $96 million during the campaign in the form of professorships, faculty fellow and scholar awards, and named faculty funds.

Couple Carries on the Fellowship Tradition Aided by Matching Fund

A recent generous gift to the Stanford Graduate School of Business encourages the establishment of new student fellowships by leveraging donors’ commitments through matching funds. And, in the spirit of giving back to an institution that shaped their lives, Sara and Bob Lumpkins, MBA ’68, and Alexander and Christine Noyer Seaver, MBA '86, are the first donors to take advantage of the match.   

Couple Supports Global Priorities

Bob Selig, MBA ’69, and his wife, Meryl, strongly believe that successful business leaders must acquire a global mindset. The advantages are evident to them in their professional lives and ongoing engagement with the GSB. Seeking to enhance continued growth for CGBE programs like these, Bob and Meryl decided to contribute to the Director’s Fund for the Center for Global Business and the Economy.

Argentine Entrepreneur Makes Campus Gift

As the plans for the Knight Management Center were being formulated, both the administration and the architects were aiming for a design that would inspire big ideas. Marcos Galperin, MBA ’99, fully embraced that risk-taking spirit during his time at the business school and put it to work founding MercadoLibre, the largest e-commerce platform in Latin America, with several GSB classmates. So now it is fitting that he has invested in the future of the school with a $1.5 million gift to name two spaces in the Knight Center.

Donors Back Innovative Healthcare Program

The GSB’s Program in Healthcare Innovation (PHI), which promotes research and teaching on the transformation of global healthcare, got a boost recently from the support of donors who believe in the program’s work to leverage the resources of Stanford to improve the lives of people around the world.  A supporter of PHI, Katie Kaiser, MBA '05, says, “I wanted to support the Program for Healthcare Innovation because the interdisciplinary approach is a fantastic model. Collaboration and partnership will be the keys to success for future leaders in the healthcare industry,”

Enriching the Intellectual Life of the GSB

Many prospective students come to the GSB for its intellectual rigor, to gain broad exposure to different professional disciplines, and to forge new connections on a global scale.  For Peter Copses, MBA ’86, these benefits continue to accrue long after graduation through his engagement with the school.

Establishing a Trust to Support Leadership

Making a planned gift to the GSB to support leadership enabled Timothy Sullivan, MBA ’89, to achieve several goals. Not only does the school benefit from his support but the Chicago-area alum feels good about giving back to his alma mater and supporting a key part of the school that he is passionate about, while providing that any assets remaining in the trust in the future will pass to family.

Giving to the Dean’s Fund: Advancing a Tradition of Innovation

Unrestricted support through The Dean’s Fund is a key driver of the momentum to build new opportunities that extend the school’s global reach.  It exemplifies the spirit of innovation for which the school is renowned. A donor to the Dean’s Fund, Jerker Johansson, MBA ’86, notes “our gift helps leverage the strategic assets already in place at the GSB, and supports Garth as the dean to move forward boldly in trying out new ideas.”

Leaving a Mark on the Knight Management Center

A high-tech executive with three Stanford degrees and a history of generous support throughout the university invested in the future of the GSB by naming a classroom at the Knight Management Center. After contributing to other areas across campus during The Stanford Challenge, Kevin Wells, BS ’84, MS ’85, MBA ’90, and his wife, Stacia, made a capital gift to the business school.

Planning a Legacy: Encouraging the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs

With more than 20 years as a successful internet media CEO and entrepreneur, Mark Jung, MBA ’87, has been a long-valued mentor to students and a dedicated volunteer and supporter of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies (CES) at the business school. “When you find a way to really engage with the school, you get back so much more than you give,” says Jung.

Leaders in Annual Giving: Jump-Starting Good Ideas

As a consistent donor and energetic volunteer for the school, Bret Hewitt, MBA ’85, demonstrates the commitment of alumni who are the lifeblood of the Leaders in Annual Giving program at the GSB. Year in and year out, Hewitt’s consistent, unrestricted support of the school provides flexible funding. He notes, “I understand the power of endowed gifts, but I also understand how important my annual unrestricted giving is.”

50th Reunion Efforts Renew Unique Fellowship

The MBA Class of 1961 bolsters its GSB legacy by raising enough money during its 50th reunion to endow the fellowship that it established at the 25th reunion. The fellowship, which has supported more than 40 students, encourages the recipients to renew the fund through their own contributions after graduation.

Laying the Foundation: A Legacy for the Future

Dean Garth Saloner reflects on the generosity of the school's alumni and friends on the occasion of the opening of the GSB's new facility, the Knight Management Center in April.

Innovating for Emerging Markets
Through the generosity of Marko Dimitrijevic, MBA ’85, the GSB will be able to place even greater focus on emerging markets – and their opportunities in trade, technology transfers, and foreign direct investment – with the establishment of the Emerging Markets Innovation Fund. Dimitrijevic hopes to stimulate activity among faculty and students who share this interest.

Enhancing Leadership: Eli Lilly and the Partnership for Diversity Fellowship Program
The Charles P. Bonini Partnership for Diversity Fellowship Program is unlike most other fellowships at the GSB. Funded in part by Eli Lilly and Company and with a goal of supporting students with unique perspectives, the program provides full-tuition grants to talented fellows after they spend 9 to 12 months at the firm.

Tribute to Excellence: the James C. Van Horne Professorship
A group of grateful former students, colleagues, and friends honored James C. Van Horne, the A.P. Giannini Professor of Banking and Finance, Emeritus, with an endowed professorship named in his honor. Reflecting on Van Horne’s four decades of service, Robert L. Joss commented "I was privileged to know him during my time as a student and to then be part of this extraordinary effort during my tenure as dean."

Family Gift Honors a Mother's Inspiration
When Laura and Kevin J. O’Donohue, MBA ’87, thought about making a gift to the Knight Management Center, they knew they wanted to honor Kevin’s mother – a Stanford alumna and former employee – by dedicating a named space for her. "Dedicating a classroom to my mother is a very fitting tribute to a parent whose commitment to higher education was a great inspiration to me," says Kevin. /giving/news/StanfordLaunchesInstitutetoAlleviatePover

Alumnus Draws From Personal Experience in Endowing Fellowship
For Christopher Li, MBA ’90, getting accepted to the GSB was just the first step. Despite saving for years, Palo Alto proved to be much more expensive than he had thought, and he found himself in need of additional funding. But after a loan from his girlfriend, Li completed his studies, forged a successful career, and is now excited to establish a fellowship fund to support students in need.

MBA Class of 1968 Shatters Records, Names Building
As the first class to occupy GSB South, the MBA Class of 1968 knows the incredible impact that a new facility can have on students’ everyday experience. So when their 40th reunion coincided with the construction of the Knight Management Center, the class outdid itself in fundraising. The results: $46.7 million from 82% of the class and the MBA Class of 1968 Building, the Center’s central building along Serra Street.

Reunion Giving: A Resounding Success by Every Measure
2010 was a banner year for reunions at the GSB. Fall reunion weekend saw its highest attendance ever, and collectively, the 10 reunion classes doubled the amount of gifts and pledges they contributed from their last reunion. As volunteer Anne Casscells, MBA ’85, described it: “Our weekend together gave us a chance to appreciate each other and our shared GSB experience.”

Stanford Social Innovation Fellowships Awarded to Two MBA Students’ Ventures
Federico Lozano Fernandez and Jayampathy “Chari” Ratwatte Jr won support from the Center for Social Innovation for their nonprofit ventures to serve disadvantaged populations in Mexico and Sri Lanka.

Classmates Honor Social Innovator
When Mark Koulogeorge, Scott Macomber, and David Wong, three friends from the MBA Class of 1989, made a gift to the Stanford Graduate School of Business on the occasion of their 20th reunion, they decided to recognize a classmate, Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International, who has helped improve the lives of nearly two million people.

Gifts Help Transform Educational Experience at the GSB
R. Michael Shanahan, AB ’60, MBA ’65, has made two extraordinary gifts to the GSB for student fellowships and curricular innovation.

Vidalakis Family Gives Back with Capital Gift
Ten academic degrees. Nearly 20 volunteer roles. Gifts to 25 funds across the university. The Vidalakis family has a long history with Stanford University and, specifically, with the Graduate School of Business.

Encouraging Collaboration through Multidisciplinary Fellowships
In transforming the model for business education for the decades ahead, the Graduate School of Business has undertaken a complex endeavor stemming from a simple truth: tomorrow’s leaders must tackle challenging issues across borders and disciplines.

Couple Honored for Extraordinary Volunteerism
Julie Kaufman and Walter J. Niemasik, both MBA '82, were honored with the Stanford Associates Award of Merit for their long history of volunteering at the school, including serving in key roles for their reunions.

Class of 2009 Achieves 100% Participation
The MBA Class of 2009 joined the community of annual gift donors by achieving an unprecedented 100% participation in their class gift campaign, which raised a total of $1,141,398 million in unrestricted support.

Alumni Support Collaboration Lab in New Campus
Ken Hersh, MBA ’89; Billy Quinn, MBA ’98; and David Albin, MBA ’85, of NGP Energy Capital Management LLC, have invested in a distinctive space, designed for collaboration, within the Knight Management Center, the school’s new campus that is under construction.

Encouraging Greater Global Business Knowledge
David Fite, MBA ’90, MA ’90, and his wife, Danita Lowes, JD ’89, recently endowed The David Fite and Danita Lowes Global Education Fund to help educate future business leaders about the challenges and opportunities in the global business sector.

Fellowship Opens The Door to Opportunities
Ira D. Hall, BS ’66, MBA ’76, knows what it takes to transform the lives of promising students. As a member of the GSB Advisory Council and volunteer leader at the school and university, Hall embodies the Stanford tradition of making a difference by giving back. Hall established the Ira D. Hall Fellowship to provide financial support to MBA candidates at the GSB, with a preference for African-American students.

Service-minded Alumnus Sets Shining Example
A self-described farm boy who started out in a one-room schoolhouse in North Dakota, Ralph Thrane, MBA ’58, came to the Graduate School of Business on the GI bill. A research assistantship helped finance his studies. Since leaving the GSB, his leadership in fundraising and volunteer activities has become a hallmark of his long and successful career.

Professorship Reflects Lifelong Stanford Ties
With the generosity of Robert Eliot King, MBA ’60, and Dorothy J. King, the Stanford GSB has added the Thrive Foundation for Youth Professorship to its roster of endowed chairs. As an investment in the intellectual vitality of the school, their gift is essential in continuing to attract, retain, and develop superior faculty members at the GSB whose path-breaking ideas shape the way we understand management in an increasingly complex world.

Delivering on Our Vision: A Message from the Dean
In his final year as dean, Robert L. Joss reflects on the transformations underway at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Since the launch of The Stanford Challenge, the school has embarked on implementing a vision that will have significant impact on generations of future students, faculty, and alumni.

The Center for Entrepreneurial Studies Sparks Bright Ideas
The Mark and Karen Jung Expendable Fund in the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies is funding a pilot program that gives financial assistance to teams in the course to enable them to conduct market research, develop mock-ups and/or product prototypes, and generally
make progress in the business evaluation.

Gift Emphasizes the Business of Education Through Multidisciplinary Collaboration
Louise Bryson, AM ’69 and MBA ’79, and her husband, John, AB ’65 have committed $1 million to support interdisciplinary collaboration between the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Stanford University School of Education.

Reliance Industries Creates Fellowships for Indian MBA Students
Reliance Industries Limited and the Stanford Graduate School of Business recently established the Reliance Dhirubhai India Education Fund to support promising Indian students with financial need in obtaining an MBA at Stanford. 

GlaxoSmithKline Fellowships Pay Tribute to JP Garnier
In honor of its former CEO, Jean-Pierre Garnier, MBA ’74, GlaxoSmithKline established two fellowships at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Garnier retired in May 2008 after serving as the CEO of the company since its creation in 2001.  

Alumni Leave Lasting Legacy Through Planned Gifts
After being consistent annual donors to the school for years, Bob Gee, MBA ’61, chairman of the Stanford Investment Group, and his wife, Jean, created a charitable remainder trust (CRT) to benefit the GSB, and is actively encouraging his classmates to do the same.

Volunteering at the GSB Is a Family Tradition
Noel Fenton, MBA ’63, and his daughter, Wendy McAdam, MBA ’97, both volunteer their time on the Business School Fund Council in recognition of the impact the GSB has made on their lives.

Stanford Business School Breaks Ground On New Campus for 21st Century
The Stanford Graduate School of Business formally broke ground on its new business school campus September 10. Designed to fulfill the academic needs of the School’s new MBA curriculum and other programs for the 21st century, the 360,000-square-foot campus will comprise eight buildings around three quadrangles and will be named the Knight Management Center.

MBA Class of 2008 Gift Shatters Record: $1.2 Million
Members of the MBA Class of 2008 will be remembered as the class of One Million Dreams, the name they gave their class gift campaign when they embarked on their goal to raise $1 million. At graduation, their record-breaking $1.2 million gift to the business school exceeded previous records both in terms of dollars raised and classmates participating.

One of a Kind: The George G. C. Parker Professorship
It is a GSB tradition to honor outstanding faculty members with an enduring legacy designed to benefit future generations. It comes as no surprise that George G. C. Parker, the Dean Witter Distinguished Professor of Finance, Emeritus, is the inspiration for a number of colleagues, friends, and former students to establish an endowed chair in his honor.

Alumni and Friends Help Build a Better GSB: The Knight Management Center
Richard Rainwater, MBA ’68, has pledged to make a $50 million commitment to the school’s new campus if the GSB can raise an additional $50 million by June 2008.

Investing in Faculty: the Moghadam Family Professorship
Christina, BA ’78, and Hamid Moghadam, MBA ’80, add their names to an elite honor roll of donors with the recent establishment of the Moghadam Family Professorship.

Investors in Social Innovation Leverage Matching Fund
John Morgridge, MBA ’57, and his wife, Tashia, made a $5 million gift to the Center for Social Innovation (CSI) at the Stanford Graduate School of Business that will encourage others to give by matching, on a dollar-for-dollar basis, gifts to selected expendable and endowed center funds.

Endowed Faculty Position for Social Innovation
Susan Ford Dorsey, one of the founders of the Center for Social Innovation at the GSB, recently expanded her programmatic support and also endowed the Susan Ford Dorsey Faculty Fellow/Scholar Award, to honor the school's faculty who are involved with or have an interest or expertise in the work of the center. 

Going Green: Environmental Sustainability for the New Business School Campus
A collection of alumni collaborate to establish the GSB Campus Sustainability Fund to support the cost of achieving LEED® Platinum for the new campus.

Instilling a Global Perspective in Students
Inspired by the faculty’s vision for a redesigned MBA curriculum that features an integrated global approach and experiential real-world learning opportunities for students, Roger Deromedi, MBA ’77, and his family recently established endowed and expendable funds to support the Center for Global Business and the Economy.

Environmental and Business Innovation Go Hand In Hand
Three alumni, Gene Sykes, MBA ’84; Bill Patterson, MBA ’89; and Joe Gleberman, MBA ’82; pooled their resources to establish a seed fund for the school’s various environmental activities that contribute to the university’s broader initiative on the environment and sustainability.

Connecting Through Volunteerism
The spirit of volunteerism that animates Robin Reynolds, MBA ’01, is evident through the many forms of service that she has taken within the GSB community.

The Business of Preserving Our Planet
As the lead donor to the GSB's Campus Sustainability Fund, C. Angus Wurtele, MBA '61, is ensuring the Knight Management Center will not only be a friendly environment for innovative teaching, research, and multidisciplinary collaborations, but will also be friendly to the environment.

Leading the Way: A Young Alumnus Gives Back
As co-chairman of his class gift committee, Roy Gilbert, MBA '02, came away with a clear picture of how much the GSB depends on the generosity of graduates to create opportunities for succeeding generations of students, and was inspired to support the school's annual giving efforts through the Business School Fund, as well as endow the Roy and Leigh Anne Gilbert Fellowship Fund.

Classmates Establish Fund to Support and Inspire International Students
Two classmates in the MBA Class of 1981, Sacha Lainovic and Yasunori Kaneko, jointly established a $1 million fellowship to support international students in honor of their 25th reunion.

PepsiCo Supports Diversity Efforts Across the GSB
By establishing the PepsiCo Diversity Fellowship Fund, PepsiCo will support five participants to attend the Summer Institute for General Management, a four-week residential GSB program offers college juniors, seniors, and recent graduates a unique opportunity to build critical business skills.

Generations of a GSB Family Envision the New Campus
John G. McCoy, MBA ’37, and John B. McCoy, MBA ’67, recently committed $4 million toward the McCoy Family GSB Building Fund as early investors in the school’s efforts to construct new state-of-the-art facilities.

Charles A. Holloway Professorship: Honoring a Legend
Chuck Holloway, the Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers Professor of Management, Emeritus, was honored with an endowed professorship in his name. A faculty director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at the GSB, Holloway helped many Silicon Valley entrepreneurs get their start by, in the words of John Morgridge, MBA ’57, "exposing students to real-world business challenges through his teaching and collaboration with practitioners."

Nike Founder Phil Knight to Give $105 Million to Stanford Business School

NIKE Inc. founder and chairman Philip H. Knight, MBA'62, commits $105 million to Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, to be primarily directed toward paving the way for a new campus. It is believed to be the largest gift ever given to a business school.