A Life Built on Mountains

If you had met Nader Fathi in 1975, you would have seen a quiet, curious teenager, newly arrived from Tehran, Iran, trying to find his place on the campus of The Storm King School. Fast forward 50 years, and that same man is now the CEO of Enlil, Inc., a Silicon Valley software company helping medical device manufacturers bring life-saving technology to patients around the world.

His journey—from the foggy hills of Tehran to the slopes of Storm King and the entrepreneurial peaks of Silicon Valley—is a story of courage, transformation, and the lifelong impact of an education shaped by mountains that served as its backdrop, both literal and metaphorical.

A Mountain, a Mentor, and a New Beginning

Nader was born into a middle-class family in Tehran in a home filled with books, tools, and a deep respect for education. His father, an engineer at the Iranian National Oil Company, was both a role model and a quiet force of nature. "My father wanted me to be strong—not just physically, but mentally," Nader recalls. "Every Saturday, we would hike a small mountain outside Tehran with my older sister. We'd make our way to the mosque, often stop, and then go for a climb. Those hikes helped to shape my attitude for life."

“My father taught me to climb mountains—Storm King taught me to do it on my own.”

His mother, a teacher, brought discipline and balance to their household, encouraging intellectual curiosity and responsibility in equal measure. Nader attended the prestigious Alborz High School, and outside the classroom, he studied English through the Iran-America Society, preparing for the possibility of a future beyond Iran's borders.

That future arrived unexpectedly when a family member in Newburgh, New York, told his parents about a small boarding school perched on a hilltop. Over on a crest of Storm King Mountain. His parents made a bold decision: at just 16, Nader would leave everything he knew for the United States and enroll at The Storm King School.

He boarded a one-way flight to New York, filled with nerves and anticipation. "All I had was an address and a dream," Nader recalls. What awaited him on Storm King Mountain would go on to shape the course of his life. A few weeks later, Kamran Rahbar '77—the son of his father's coworker—arrived at Storm King. Their friendship grew during their time at SKS and continued long after.

Learning the Language of Independence

“All I had was an address and a dream. What I found on Storm King Mountain shaped the rest of my life.”

Adjusting to a new country and culture could have been overwhelming, but Nader recalls his arrival at Storm King as surprisingly joyful. "It felt like a big camp," he says with a smile. "We played sports every day, explored the outdoors, and learned to live alongside classmates from all over the world."

He was assigned a roommate, Jeff Hodes '78, who quickly became both a friend and a cultural translator. "Jeff helped me understand the language and the lifestyle. I still remember the movies and TV shows—The Love Boat, Saturday Night Fever, One Flew Over—and the music. Pink Floyd, KISS. It was all part of our American education."

Academically, Storm King challenged Nader in new ways. He discovered unexpected passions—art, math, and engineering—and nurtured ones he brought from home, like karate. But it was the structure of daily life on campus that left the deepest impression. "You had to wake up early, clean your room, go to class, be on time, be respectful, and manage your time," he says. "It was like a bootcamp for life. I didn't realize it then, but it became the blueprint for how I run companies today."

In one particularly vivid memory, Nader recalls working in the dining hall when a fellow student asked what was for dessert. Confidently, he replied, "Ananas"—the French word for pineapple—believing it was English. "They looked at me like I had three heads," he laughs. "That's how I learned the English word for pineapple. And also, the important lesson that confidence doesn't always mean correctness."

A Thanksgiving to Remember

Nader recalls that holidays at boarding school could be lonely, especially as an international student. But an act of kindness from Headmaster Thad Horton would leave a lasting impression. "One Thanksgiving, Headmaster Horton invited us to his home in Maine. I'd never eaten lobster before, but there we were, having a New England Thanksgiving. That kind of kindness stays with you. I tell that story to my family every year to this day."

California Calling

When graduation came in 1977, Nader wasted no time. That same day, he boarded a plane to Los Angeles along with Kamran. Their friend who was supposed to pick them up at LAX never arrived, so they hailed a cab and checked into a cheap motel near the University of Southern California. "As we drove through the palm-lined streets, 'Hotel California' was playing on the radio," he remembers. "It felt surreal. That song will always remind me of that moment."

Enrolled at USC, Nader completed both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Electrical Engineering—plus his Ph.D. coursework—in just four years. "The pressure was immense. The Iranian Revolution had cut off financial support from my family. I had to grow up fast. I took on extra classes, worked jobs, and just kept going. There was no option to quit."

Later in life, Nader earned a certificate in Gamification from The Wharton School. "Learning never stops," he says. "That's something I picked up at Storm King."

Innovating from the Inside Out

Nader launched his career at Xerox Microelectronics as a software and chip designer, and soon rose through executive roles at IKOS, Cadence, and Daisy Systems. He gained a reputation for visionary leadership, blending engineering precision with business foresight.

In 2002, Nader co-founded SigmaQuest, a Big Data platform for supply chain quality. He raised over $15 million in funding, secured seven patents, and ultimately led the company to a successful acquisition by Siemens.

“Fifty years later, I still see Storm King as the place that gave me the courage to build a life of meaning and purpose.”

Next came Kiana Analytics, which harnessed real-time location data to improve security and user experiences for Fortune 500 companies. Under his leadership, the company formed key partnerships with Cisco, Google, HPE, and Honeywell.

Today, as CEO of Enlil, Inc., a Shfamed portfolio company, Nader leads a global team developing enterprise software to manage the full lifecycle of medical device development. "From concept to FDA approval," he explains. "It's about making innovation safer, faster, and more collaborative. We're not just writing code—we're helping save lives."

Giving Back to the Mountain

Despite his full professional life, Nader remains dedicated to mentoring the next generation of leaders and achievers. He serves on the Computer Science Advisory Board at USC, is a board member of the Asia America MultiTechnology Association (AAMA), and is Executive-in-Residence at Plug and Play Tech Center and the USC Stevens Technology Innovation.

Nader's commitment to giving back also includes his alma mater on Storm King Mountain. Most recently, he returned for Career Day 2025, where he shared his journey with students who, like him half a century ago, are full of questions about the future. "Coming back was surreal to be back. I saw myself in those students. I wanted them to know that anything is possible, even if you don't have all the answers right now."

He also hopes to encourage more international students to consider attending Storm King. "For me, it was a life-changing experience. I want others to have that same opportunity."

A Life Built on Mountains

Today, Nader and his wife of 36 years—an educator and preschool director—make their home in California. Their daughter works at Apple, and their son, after five years as a senior engineer at Google, now works in venture capital in San Francisco. When he's not leading innovation or mentoring startups, Nader finds solace in gardening and passionately cheers for the USC Trojans on Saturdays.

Looking back, Nader sees a clear thread connecting the many mountains he's climbed. "My father taught me to scale them—both literal and symbolic. Storm King taught me to do it on my own. And Silicon Valley gave me the tools to build."

Now, 50 years after first setting foot on American soil, Nader reflects with a quiet mix of humility and gratitude. "I've been lucky," he says. "But I've also worked incredibly hard. Storm King gave me the discipline and direction to turn dreams into reality. I'll always be grateful for that mountain."

“Learning never stops. That’s something I picked up at Storm King—and it still drives me today.”

For Nader, that mountain—and his alma mater perched upon it—was never just a setting. It was a new beginning. Through every challenge and triumph, he has succeeded in building a life of meaning and purpose. And true to the lessons learned on Storm King Mountain, he's still climbing.