Kathy and Stephanie Yeung: Climate Leadership in Action

It’s one thing to worry about climate change — most of us do. It’s another to get personally involved in efforts to confront the climate crisis and ensure a livable world for future generations, like the Community Environmental Council’s featured donors Kathy and Stephanie Yeung.

Kathy grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. She received her undergraduate education at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and subsequently earned a Master of Business Administration from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. She is a doer and, besides her involvement in climate action, is deeply concerned about social justice and equity. She founded and managed several tech and entertainment sector businesses in the Los Angeles area, and is currently the Chief Executive Officer of ViQi, a Santa Barbara-based software company that applies artificial intelligence to imaging to help expedite drug discovery. Kathy is also deeply concerned about interconnected issues of social justice and climate change. She served on CEC’s board from 2018 to 2023.

Stephanie was born in Washington, D.C., and spent some of her earliest years in Texas. After earning her undergraduate degree from Notre Dame University, Stephanie joined the United States Air Force where she flew as the navigator on the F-15E “Strike Eagle”, a technologically advanced dual-role fighter aircraft. After leaving the Air Force, Stephanie attended the University of Southern California, where she received a master’s degree and a doctorate in Media Studies. After completing her education, she spent five years as a teacher, trustee, and program leader at Cate School. She currently serves as Director of Talent Development at AppFolio. Besides her interest in environmental issues, Stephanie is also deeply concerned about diversity, equity, and inclusion in our society. She has shared her insights and experience as a consultant and in training sessions for businesses and nonprofits, including CEC.

Kathy, Stephanie, and their son moved to Santa Barbara in 2015 where they soon experienced some of our recent wildfires at close range. Kathy says that, when she first heard about CEC, she expected it to be a large organization with ample funding, given CEC’s record of achievements. She was astounded to learn that CEC does incredible work with minimal resources. That’s when she and Stephanie decided to contribute a generous legacy gift to CEC.

“We are both concerned about the impact that climate change will have on our son’s life,” says Kathy, “And we want to make sure we’re doing what we can to ensure a place that he can safely grow up in.” 

The Yeungs particularly support CEC’s growing climate justice and resilience initiatives. Kathy says that CEC has been one of the best non-profit organizations she has worked with and is encouraged by the deeply knowledgeable staff and 50-plus-year track record of developing cutting-edge environmental solutions.

CEC is deeply grateful to Kathy and Stephanie for all they contribute to our community, and for their confidence in our organization to make a large impact on the California Central Coast and the state so that we can continue to lead the most progressive environmental policies and initiatives.