Octet Alumni Club

At 20, Helen Tombropoulos left Berkeley with a degree in public law and a hunger for the world, what followed was a life few could imagine.

At Berkeley’s VC and Startup Summit, four insiders drop the usual advice and focus on what actually determines who makes it—and who doesn’t.

I am honored to stand before you as part of a community that represents the very best of UC Berkeley. And just as the Cal Alumni Association (CAA) is undergoing a redesign of its leadership structure, so is California magazine. We hope you like it! Having returned to Berkeley in February 2026, after two previous […]