Triton 5: Stanley Fu ’03

Name: Stanley Fu
College: Muir
Grad year: 2003
Major: Political Science and History
Current city: New York City

What do you do?

I joined Sense Innovation in 2016 and is currently serving as its COO.  We beat out contestants from 25 countries to become the Grand Prize winner of Asia Social Innovation Award in Hong Kong on 1/23/19.  Sense was founded to provide eye-tracking assistive technology to the severely disabled.  We aim to become a platform for communities of the disabled around the world; where caretakers, therapists, hospitals, special needs schools and organizations, corporate social responsibility departments congregate and leverage what they’ve built to improve the quality of life and maximize the potential of each disabled individual.

Why do you do it?

I’ve always had a passion for social causes; served as President of Rotary Club of Brentwood (Los Angeles) where I organized fishing trips for blind patients of the Braille Institute;  coordinated events for Junior Achievements such as fundraisers, school visits and mentorship programs for the benefit of underprivileged children.  With my paternal uncle a special needs patient, I saw my grandmother, father and uncles’ struggles and understand the value of helping the disabled gain a sense of independence and improving their quality of life.  

What have you done?

After graduating from UCSD, I’ve took on a wide range of career opportunities from financial services to logistics to retail marketing.  But the one that allowed my career to propel was the management consulting opportunity I had, where I implemented major projects for Unilever China and Cisco Systems.  And obviously, my current role at Sense Innovation is the most rewarding, as it allows me to leverage my education and experience to help those in need.  We’re currently looking to build on the momentum from our recent victory at the Asia Social Innovation Award to expand into other markets, as well as connect with more Corporate Social Responsibility departments to sponsor severely disabled patients to be trained.

What did you learn at UC San Diego?

As a political science and history double major at UCSD, I’d say I learned gained a certain level of perception that allowed me to grasp the way things work quickly.  It’s a skill that proved extremely helpful especially in the business world where you need to peel through the facade or dig through the words in order to understand what’s going on.  It was also at UCSD where I truly discovered the importance of life-long learning, it allows me to continue to grasp the latest ideas and developments in the world, not to mention that it’s a scientifically proven way of Alzheimer’s prevention!

What have you learned since?

After graduating from UCSD in 2003, I also received his MBA from University of Southern California and is expected to receive my Masters of Science in Business Analytics from New York University in 2019.  I look to leverage his professional experience, academic knowledge and philanthropic network to help bring Sense’s assistive technology to those in need.