Anna W. Ngai

Anna W. Ngai

Restaurant entrepreneur (ret.); philanthropist
1974, Bachelor of Science, Business and Finance, CSULB

As a co-founder of two banks in Northern California and the co-founder, vice-president, and treasurer of several companies that operate restaurant franchises throughout Northern California and Southern Oregon, Anna W. Ngai helped created more than 2,000 jobs during her 30-year business career. 

When Ngai returned to Southern California in 2007, she continued to make a difference in her community by joining the Newport Beach Rotary Club and serving as the club’s treasurer for two years.  Born in China and raised in Hong Kong, Ngai was an international student who attributes much of her success to CSULB.  She says she loved the campus and the city and was fortunate to meet compassionate faculty and administrators and to make many friends during her college years. 

She so valued her Beach experience that she decided to “give back” by supporting the planned new alumni center with a lead/naming gift.  The Anna W. Ngai Alumni Center will not only serve as a welcoming campus gateway and gathering spot, but it will also foster rewarding connections between alumni and current students and help tomorrow’s alumni understand the importance of building a lifelong relationship with their alma mater. 

In recognition of her transformational gifts to the campus, Ngai has been honored with the university’s prestigious Carillon Society Award.  Ngai serves on the board of the CSULB 49er Foundation.

She enjoys yoga, bridge, aquatic exercise, flying, traveling, reading, and spending time with her family, including her mother, four siblings, two daughters and two grandchildren.