The Mastery of Business and Empathy
Leadership in the Next Economy
Are you a creator, dreamer and leader?
Are you looking for a learning experience that expands your horizons, builds meaningful connections, and deepens your impact in the world?
Join us as we collectively redesign, reimagine and renew the world. Developed in partnership with global champions, the MBE reinvents and extends the traditional MBA into the Next Economy.
This program equips visionary leaders with a renewed understanding of leadership and business, including the tools, strategies, networks and philosophies to successfully lead a purposeful organisation.
Why choose the MBE?
The system is broken.
We can no longer go on as if it is business as usual.
We live in an historic moment of turmoil, transition and opportunity: a climate and biodiversity emergency threatens the planet, our world remains a vastly unequal place, and a pandemic has taken lives, livelihoods and caused the greatest economic rupture since the Great Depression. History tells us that in moments of great uncertainty and pain, extraordinary progress can be born.
Our vision for the Next Economy is one that supports human flourishing while living in harmony with the natural world.
Who is the MBE for?
We are seeking intrepid explorers who are ready to lead their organisations towards a better world for people and the planet.
The MBE program is targeted at leaders from business, social enterprise and civil society who are conscious of our urgent social and economic context. We are seeking global stewards of the Next Economy; those who are ready to use their power to shepherd in a safe and just economic paradigm for humanity.
We have no formal pre-requisites and base our application process on diversity, lived experience and vision for the Next Economy. We are searching for those seeking a unique peer-to-peer learning experience rather than topdown lectures and traditional accreditations. We actively encourage applications from people of all ages, backgrounds and experiences.
The curriculum
The MBE offers an interconnected mandala of modules, connecting the inner and outer worlds in service of the Next Economy
Through an interactive blend of live virtual sessions, group work, coaching and transformative retreats we will explore the role of community and culture, the power of storytelling and communication, the magic of purpose-led operations and governance, the complexity of decision-making and strategy, the potential of finance, and the critical importance of imagination, creativity and flow.
The Program Structure
An infusion of wisdom and action
The MBE is a 10-month program running from the end of January with each content module held virtually via Zoom.
Each module is split into four weekly sessions with 3 hours of contact time per week. There will also be at least one week between each module for integration, reflection and homework.
Our time together will include globally renowned and expert guest speakers, one on one coaching, case studies and group work. Participants can expect an immersive, participatory and peer-to-peer driven experience. There will be a pre-reading pack shared for each module and participants will complete projects and reflections outside our contact hours (an additional 3 hours per week).
We will also come together for two experiential in-person retreats in Australia.
Key dates
A Good Society: 19 February - 22 February 2024 (in-person)
A Good Life: 1 - 2 August 2024 (virtual)
Graduation: 27 November - Sun 1 December 2024 (in-person)
What our alumni say about the MBE
“The Mastery of Business & Empathy is an opportunity to really learn from some amazing global leaders ... each and every week when we have a class there’s something new for me to apply into my organisation.”
Anna Crabb
CEO Australian Energy Foundation
MBE 2021 Alumni
“This has been a challenging year for me in many ways. The course served as a beautiful escape and delve into this North Star that I’ve always felt so deeply within myself but the MBE has put shape to it creating space for me to act. The course has inspired me to read more, think differently, ask more questions… it’s been everything for me. I can’t wait for this to integrate and permeate.”
Erin Roy
Commercial Storyteller
MBE 2022 Alumni
“The MBE gives you new ideas and differen’t perspective. It asks, ‘How can profit and growth and earth go hand in hand? Doing the MBE might be the only way our children and grandchildren might respect us. “
Steven Braekveldt
CEO Ageas Group
MBE 2022 Alumni
“I found the cohort inspirational and diverse and that is what made the course enjoyable. Each of the guides moved us all to a new place - Small Giants can take all the great credit for the people you have brought into our lives and the wisdom you share. I am grateful to each of you for the deep thinking you have challenged us with.”
Ian Robinson
CIO Water NSW
MBE 2022 Alumni
Your facilitators
The MBE Guides
The MBE is delivered by a team of experienced facilitators led by Small Giant’s Academy co-founder and Chair Danny Almagor and Head of MBE, Tamsin Jones.
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Danny Almagor
Danny is co-founder and the Executive Chair of Small Giants. Danny was the inaugural Social Entrepreneur in Residence at RMIT, the founder and former CEO of Engineers Without Borders Australia and is the co-founder and Chair of the Impact Investment Group. He has founded over a dozen for profit and non profit organisations, as well as non-profit boards and advisories boards including the Jewish Museum of Australia, Stand Up, Smiling Mind, The Gross National Happiness Centre in Bhutan and Toniic. Danny has been recognised through many awards including a Churchill Fellowship, RMIT Alumnus of the Year, EY Social Entrepreneur of the Year, UN PRI Social Investment Pioneer and the Medal of the Order of Australia.
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Tamsin Jones
Tamsin is the Head of Mastery of Business and Empathy at Small Giants Academy. She brings several decades of leadership experience and systems change in Europe, Australia and Africa. After working as a policy advisor to the Premier of South Australia over two successful campaigns, Tamsin went on to ignite and co-create a string of initiatives including co-founding: Workshop17 inclusive innovation hub in Cape Town; TheBoardroom Africa to bring board gender balance; and The Rallying Cry to shift investment at the intersection of gender and nature for climate outcomes. She is a strategic advisor to CEOs on feminine leadership, gender lens investing and embodiment and holds an MBA from the University of Oxford as a scholar of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship.
The Fellows Community
The MBE connects you to a rich community of fellows – a network of thinkers and leaders building a better future together.
Completing the Mastery of Business and Empathy is just the beginning of your journey. Our Fellowship is made up of leaders who integrate wisdom and action to support each other, co-create learning opportunities and actively collaborate on impactful projects for a more hopeful future.
Stories from the MBE
Journeys of our alumni
Guest Faculty, a global network of change-makers
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Dr Vandana Shiva
Author, Environmental activist, and President of Navdanya International
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Lorna Davis
Ex-CEO, Danone, North America
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David Ritter
CEO, Greenpeace Australia Pacific
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Roman Krznaric
Philosopher
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Simon Griffiths
Co-Founder & CEO, Who Gives a Crap
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Nate Hagens
Director of the Institute for the Study of Energy & Our Future (ISEOF)
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Jo Kelly
Co-Founder The Connective NZ
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Rangimarie Price
Director, The Connective NZ
Your investment
What does the MBE Cost?
AUD $23,600 inc GST
Upfront and interest-free monthly payment plans are available.
The MBE is for people of influence across industries and sectors – from executives to grassroots change-makers. A limited number of partial scholarships are available for social innovators and leaders experiencing systemic and/or financial barriers to participation. If you are interested in a scholarship position, please complete an application – shortlisted applicants will be invited to apply for scholarships.
Connect with us
Talk to the Small Giants team
If you’re interested in learning more about the MBE, we’d love to speak with you.
Book a call with our team, or sign up to learn more about the journey of our MBE program.
FAQs
Questions you might have
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The MBE is facilitated by the Small Giants Academy, led by co-founder and Chair Danny Almagor OAM and the Head of MBE Tamsin Jones. The program draws on a global network of guest speakers and case-studies presented by leading organisations.
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Active participation throughout the program, including attendance at sessions, and completion of reflection exercises and project work, will result in successful graduation from the Mastery of Business and Empathy.
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Our time together will include guest speaker sessions, case studies and group work. Participants can expect an immersive, participatory and peer-to-peer driven experience. As such, participation at each weekly session is required. We do not have a minimum rate of participation as such, and of course, life sometimes gets in the way! Some sessions will be recorded for catch-up viewing, however, regular participation is expected.
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The emphasis of our program is on peer-to-peer learning. Our time together will also include guest faculty sessions, case studies and group work. Participants can expect an immersive, participatory and peer-to-peer driven experience.
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The monthly payment option is the total fee payable minus a $2,000 deposit (AUD), divided by 10 months. The deposit will be due in September 2023 and the first monthly payment begins in February 2024.
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Our Mastery of Business and Empathy is a non-accredited course and does not result in the award of a qualification recognised with the Australian Qualifications Framework. As such unfortunately HECS/HELP funding is not available. We do offer a monthly payment option.
Got more questions?
Reach out to us at mbe@smallgiants.com.au or book a call
For Employers
Invest in transformational leadership development that makes real difference to your organisation.
Accelerating the personal and professional evolution of your top talent builds a resilient and agile organisation that’s ready for the future.
Sponsor your employee to complete a Mastery of Business and Empathy (MBE) and join a fellowship of outstanding leaders re-imagining business for a rapidly changing world.
Our Advisory Group
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Erin Axelrod
Worker-Owner,
LIFT Economy -
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Ingrid Burkett
Co-Director, The Yunus Centre at Griffith University
