Imagine what’s possible when hundreds of Cal Bears and Cal Eeyores give together. Sonita Lontoh committed $25,000 — but we had to reach 150 gifts to the IEOR Fund to unlock the full match.

On Big Give, every gift carries extra power. Each contribution moved us closer to 150 — and once we reached it, Sonita’s $25,000 unlocked, doubling our impact. We didn't leave a single dollar on the table, Cal Eeyores. We hit 150 gifts. Go Bears!

Q&A with Big Give 2026 Match Donor, Sonita Lontoh

Who is one Berkeley IEOR shining star?

There are honestly too many to name, which is a very “IEOR problem” (optimal choice set is huge; constraints are my word limit). But I’ll say this: the Berkeley IEOR shining star is the student who keeps going, the one juggling classes, work, family obligations, and still showing up to office hours with questions and grit. That person becomes the colleague who makes teams better, the leader who makes decisions clearer, and the human who makes organizations kinder.
I’ve met so many of them, and Berkeley keeps producing them like it’s part of the curriculum.

What is one Berkeley IEOR shining moment?

For me, a shining moment is when you realize you’re not just learning formulas, you’re learning a way to see the world. I still remember the first time a messy, real-life problem suddenly became… solvable. Not easy. Not neat. But solvable.
It’s a special Berkeley IEOR moment: you walk in thinking, “This is chaos,” and walk out thinking, “This is a system.” (And then you probably still lose sleep over the homework. Character-
building.)

How has Berkeley IEOR helped you shine brighter?

Berkeley IEOR gave me a superpower: structured thinking under pressure. It taught me how to break down complexity, find the signal in the noise, and make decisions when the data is incomplete, because let’s be real, the data is always incomplete.
It also gave me confidence. Not the loud kind, the quiet kind that shows up when something is hard and you still think, “Okay. Let’s go.”

Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the department?

One of my favorite memories is the feeling of being surrounded by people who were incredibly smart… and somehow still willing to help each other. There was a real culture of “we’re in this together.” Also: the late nights. The kind where you’re tired, your brain is running on caffeine and hope, and someone says something hilarious at exactly the wrong time and suddenly you’re all laughing like maniacs. That’s Berkeley IEOR too: rigorous and human.

How does your Berkeley IEOR experience continue to shape how you lead today?

IEOR trained me to lead with both analytics and empathy. I still use the IEOR mindset constantly: define the problem, test assumptions, model scenarios, measure outcomes. But the bigger lesson was: optimize for people, not just for numbers.
Good leaders don’t just chase efficiency. They build systems where humans can thrive and other leaders can be developed. Berkeley IEOR planted that seed early for me, and it keeps growing.

Why is giving back important to you?

Because I’m a product of people investing in me: through time, teaching, mentoring, and yes, resources. Giving back is how we keep that cycle going. Also, I’ve learned something over time: you don’t “arrive” and then magically stop needing community. Community is the whole point. If Berkeley helped shape my path, then supporting Berkeley is part of honoring that story.

What motivated you to support IEOR during Big Give this year?

Berkeley IEOR helped build the foundation for my career and my leadership—full stop. Supporting IEOR during Big Give is my way of saying: let’s keep that door open for the next generation, and let’s keep pushing the department forward.
I want students to have opportunities that are even bigger than what I had—more support, more access, more real-world connection, more belief that they belong here. And if a gift can help do that, I’m in.

What would you say to someone who wonders whether a small gift really makes a difference?

I would say: small gifts are not small impacts. In operations research terms, small inputs can create huge downstream effects, like a tiny change in a system that unlocks a much better outcome. A modest gift can help fund a student project, travel to a conference, tutoring support, mentorship programming—things that can change confidence, networks, and
direction. And confidence is one of the highest-leverage resources there is.

Why do you think it is important to support women pursuing paths in engineering, analytics, or technology?

Because talent is universal, and opportunity isn’t always. Supporting women in these fields isn’t just about fairness (though yes, that matters). It’s also about results: better teams, better questions, better solutions. And representation has a compounding effect. When women see other women thriving in technical leadership, it sends a powerful message: “You belong here too.” I want more women building the models, leading the teams, shaping the future and getting credit for it.