Starting in 2000, the Berkeley Mini Stat Mech Meeting has been an annual tradition that is enjoyed and valued by a broad community of molecular scientists. The meeting’s program has consistently drawn speakers and participants from the best statistical mechanicians in the world, highlighting areas of modern interest and contributions from emerging leaders. In 2026, we will host the 25th Berkeley Stat Mech Meeting. It will also be the first meeting following the instantiation of Berkeley as CECAM-US-WEST, a CECAM node. In order celebrate the establishment of the node, and the anniversary of the Stat Mech meeting, we will host a kickoff event. The meeting will feature themes relevant to the study of modern statistical mechanics, including nonequilibrium systems, biophysics, active and soft matter, as well as quantum materials and quantum information, all discussed within the framework of statistical mechanics and all using the modern tools of computer simulation that CECAM has heralded for over 50 years.