Artists and entrepreneurs named 2024 SFSU Alumni Hall of Fame inductees
For 30 years, San Francisco State University has recognized notable alumni for their contributions to their communities, whether it’s the creation of innovative arts programs, their leadership in business or through the art they’ve made. This year’s San Francisco State Alumni Hall of Fame inductees are innovators in dance, poetry, food and health care and are also community and business leaders. SF State President Lynn Mahoney and the University community will honor the four newest inductees at a celebration and dinner Friday, Nov. 1, at The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco.
“Each year, as we induct new alumni into our Hall of Fame, I’m impressed by the range of their accomplishments — though I’m not surprised by their success. SF State prepares students to be successful global citizens focused on problem-solving with a lens toward equity,” Mahoney said. “All our Hall of Fame alumni share a desire to leave an enduring mark through their work and in their communities. These four inductees exemplify this, and it is a pleasure to welcome them to the Hall of Fame.”
Stephen Gillett
MBA, 2007
Stephen Gillett is the chairman and chief executive officer at Verily, an Alphabet health technology company focused on research, care and public health to deliver on the promise of precision health and help people live healthier lives. He leads teams that create tools to accelerate data and evidence generation, products to enable more personalized care and science-based approaches to manage disease at a population level.
Gillett is a highly recognized and sourced tech executive and thought leader who has 15 years of C-suite experience at some of the nation’s biggest brands, including Alphabet’s Chronicle, Symantec, Best Buy and Starbucks.
Gillett’s achievements span industries and disciplines. He has been featured in Fortune’s “40 under 40” list, included in CNNMoney’s “Executive Dream Team” and selected as a Henry Crown Fellow by the Aspen Institute. His influence in the health-care industry is underscored by his inclusion in The 2022 Healthcare Technology Report’s “Top 25 Healthcare Technology COOs” and his nomination to Modern Healthcare’s 2023 “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare” list. His ingenuity extends beyond the corporate world: He was recognized by WIRED magazine as an innovative “Guild Master in World of Warcraft.”
A devoted family man of Lebanese descent, he married his high school sweetheart, and together they have eight children living in Dallas. He is a board member for Discord, Dutch Bros and Granular Insurance. Amazon named him a bestselling author for his 2019 memoir “From Simi Valley to Silicon Valley.”
Evan Kidera
B.A., 2004; MBA, 2014
San Francisco native Evan Kidera is the co-founder and CEO of Señor Sisig, a trailblazing Filipino-fusion restaurant. Raised in a culinary environment, with his late father being a sushi chef, Kidera was no stranger to kitchens across San Francisco. However, by college, he discovered his true passion was business. Determined to marry his entrepreneurial drive with his roots, he chose to channel his expertise into an industry that felt like home —food.
In 2010, inspired by the street food movement, Kidera partnered with childhood friend Gil Payumo to launch their first food truck. While earning his MBA at SF State, Kidera applied his business acumen to grow Señor Sisig from a single truck into a celebrated name in the Bay Area’s culinary scene. Fourteen years later, Señor Sisig boasts a fleet of food trucks and three brick-and-mortar restaurants in iconic locations, including the Mission District, San Francisco Ferry Building and Oakland. A fourth restaurant is set to open at Chase Center in 2025.
Under Kidera’s leadership, Señor Sisig has gained national recognition, appearing in major publications and on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” The brand has played a key role in bringing Filipino flavors to a wider audience, popularizing it across the Bay Area and beyond.
Kidera’s commitment to the community is equally strong. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Señor Sisig provided meals to frontline health care workers and communities in need. He maintains close ties with SF State, regularly speaking to business students and sharing insights on entrepreneurship. Above all, Kidera values his family, considering them his greatest achievement and source of joy.
Genny Lim
B.A., 1977; M.A., 1988
Genny Lim is a second-generation Chinese American born and raised in San Francisco’s Chinatown. She is an award-winning playwright, poet, performer, educator and community leader. San Francisco Mayor London Breed named her poet laureate of San Francisco in 2024, the first Chinese American to hold the title. She was previously the SF JAZZ poet laureate (2016 – 2018). She’s been a San Francisco Arts Commissioner and established community-based arts programs such as the Cultural Equity Arts Program and Writers Corps.
Lim has authored five poetry collections: “KRA!” (2017), “La Morte del Tempo” (2017), “Paper Gods and Rebels” (2013), “Child of War” (2003) and “Winter Place” (1989). Her award-winning play “Paper Angels” (1978) has been produced in the U.S., Canada and China and was the first play by an Asian American to air on PBS’s “American Playhouse” in 1985. She is the co-author of “Island: Poetry and History of Chinese Immigrants on Angel Island” (1980), which won an American Book Award. She’s collaborated with jazz legends Max Roach and Herbie Lewis, as well as Bay Area musicians Marcus Shelby, John Santos, Francis Wong and many others.
Over the years, she’s been honored for her work. Most recently, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the city of Berkeley in 2022 and the Reginald Lockett Lifetime Achievement Award from PEN Oakland in 2021. She’s taught poetry at local colleges and K – 12 schools and curated the Poetry in Schools Program at the de Young Museum from 1989 to 1993. She earned a certificate in Journalism from Columbia University.
Patrick Makuakāne
B.A., 1989
Patrick Makuakāne founded and oversees the cultural organization Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu, which features a traditional dance company that blends classical hula with stylized movements and contemporary music with a theatrical flair. Raised in Honolulu, he began dancing at 13 and studied with some of Hawai’i’s most recognized hula masters. Makuakāne founded his dance school in 1985.
In 2023, he received a MacArthur “genius” grant for his groundbreaking work as a cultural preservationist. As the leader of the organization, he’s trained thousands of dancers in hula, creating and sustaining a thriving community. His productions combine traditional hula with contemporary music and movements that uplift Hawaiian culture and history while tackling powerful topics such as colonialism and Native Hawaiian transgender artists.
Over the past 39 years, Makuakāne has been honored for his work. He received a Lifetime Achievement Kulia i ka Nu’u Award from the Honolulu Chamber of Commerce of Northern California. In 2020, he was a recipient of the prestigious Hewlett 50 Arts Commission, which supports the creation and premiere of 50 exceptional works by world-class artists. The San Francisco Arts Commission presented him with a Legacy award in 2018. He is the spiritual and cultural adviser for the Native Hawaiian Religious Spiritual Group at San Quentin State Prison.
His latest projects are writing and choreographing a musical based on the epic tale of Hi’iakaikapoliopele, the youngest and favorite sister of the Hawaiian god Pele. He’s directing and choreographing the first major Hawaiian-language opera based on the life of native Hawaiian patriot Timoteo Haʻalilio, which will premiere with the Hawai’i Opera Theatre in May 2026.
More details about the event, including how to purchase tickets, are available online.
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