Alumni Spotlight Introducing...
Klein Lieu
B.S. Cognitive Science ’13
Pronouns: They / He
Klein is the son of Chinese and Vietnamese Buddhist refugees and hails from East Oakland. They are a new parent and engineering manager at Affirm, Inc. They lead with a commitment to leveraging tech as a path toward social justice. Klein is an avid chess player, new parent, and budding gardener on a mission to learn about and grow plants from personal ancestral history.
What was your undergraduate life like at Cal? Cal was like studying abroad for a kid from East Oakland. I felt compelled to learn anything and everything that would ultimately lead to the liberation of my community. In the post-Prop 209 world, I gravitated toward finding and working alongside other low-income Southeast Asian students at Berkeley. I practiced activism through REACH! Recruitment and Retention Center and the ASUC Senate.
Anthony Galace ’13, Anais Lieu ’13, Klein Lieu ’13, and Salih Muhammad ’13 visiting Sather Gate as Cal alumni in 2014 (left to right)
What advice would you give your undergraduate self? Where to start! Don’t be intimidated by the idea of graduate school and places that you feel you don’t belong because no one looks like you - we belong here. Invest more in Bitcoin.
What life lessons did you learn at Cal that still impact your daily life? Any pursuit you have in life must come from a deep understanding of both your own core values and the current political context. Berkeley taught me how to analyze systems, both digital and societal, in order to break them down into constituent parts, reflect on their flaws, and rebuild them in ways that don’t replicate injustice.
What are some current projects you are working on? Outside of my job, I’m on the board of Oakland’s largest affordable housing nonprofit (also started by Cal alumni), the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation, which brings a community-driven approach to solving issues of displacement and affordable housing. I also recently started contributing to building the Plum Village mobile app to help people around the world practice my monastic community's Zen meditation in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh for free.
How do you tap into your Cal Alumni network? You can’t work in venture backed start-ups in Silicon Valley and not run into a Golden Bear. I’ve leveraged my network for introductions and informational interviews at other companies and venture firms. I’ve learned that the Berkeley name carries weight and opens doors in the world of startups. On the community development side, I am partnering with other Asian American alumni to bring us together toward a common goal of giving back to Cal.
Talk about your involvement in your Cal Alumni Chapter, why you joined and why you continue to contribute. I joined and continue to be involved because Cal is a springboard for the Asian American experience. Look around Cal's history and you see that it has been a foundational epicenter for writers, community builders, scientists, and engineers who have a deep understanding of what it takes to craft a cultural identity for diasporic Asian communities in America. Being involved with the Berkeley Asian American Alumni Group, I’ve learned that both students and the campus could use a lot of support. COVID-19 derailed the momentum of campus life and student activism, and saw a spike in anti-Asian hate. There’s a need and opportunity for Asian American alumni in industry to bridge gaps and demonstrate to students that they are not alone in figuring out how to navigate their futures.
Learn more about Klein, his involvement with the CAA Scholarship Program and his continued fight for social justice.
