The Invited MBA program has been carefully crafted to include person-to-person networking, teamwork, and high-intensity competitions – ingredients that have made this 12-week mini-MBA a highly sought-after MBA alternative. Many prior graduates of the program claimed that these interactive components were some of the highlights of their experience. “I really loved getting to connect with new people with different perspectives,” said Valerie Figlin, graduate of the Fall 2019 cohort. “For me, the network was the most important part of the experience.”
As the Spring 2020 cohort of the Invited MBA kicked off, the world spiraled into crisis. We had to do what we teach – react quickly and turn crisis into opportunity. We quickly pivoted to utilize the online Zoom platform to organize study groups and Saturday Intensives. We kicked our technical production into high gear, organized additional online help for students, and ensured that participants felt as connected as possible in the virtual space.
Fortunately, we have already had a lot of experience with running virtual programs. We have delivered our leadership programs to corporate clients across the globe in a virtual format since 2014, and were prepared to implement the necessary changes quickly.
The swift transition to the virtual space included cultivating meaningful group discussions online, allowing space for participants to work through complex problems, and creating fun and highly competitive simulation environments virtually. The participants, on their part, took the changes in strides and fully engaged with the virtual environment without complaints – as the program morphed and adapted, their grace and humility will always stand out for us as an example of what true adaptability and openness to change looks like.
The Spring 2020 cohort is set to graduate on May 23rd, 2020.
Applications are now open for the Fall 2020 cohorts. There will be one Austin-based, one London-based, and – based on the success of our Spring pivot – one virtual cohort offered.
