Date June 23, 2025

Learning to lead the workplaces of the future

As Brown’s School of Professional Studies passes its ten-year mark, see how alumni have translated the leadership skills they developed into real-world impact.

For 10 years now, Brown’s School of Professional Studies (SPS) has been inspiring and preparing learners to transform the way the world works.

That’s the ambitious goal that the school was established to pursue. As SPS celebrated its tenth anniversary throughout the 2024-25 academic year, its faculty, staff, students, and alumni reflected on how far the school has come in achieving that. 

SPS has significantly evolved over its first decade—continuously growing, innovating, and adapting to keep up with the rapid changes in the professional landscape. 

Today, the school offers an extensive list of flexible, hybrid graduate degree and certificate programs—from a master’s degree in healthcare leadership to an executive MBA to certificates in mindfulness teaching and artificial intelligence. Though each program is unique, all are designed to equip professionals with skills and knowledge needed to lead the workplaces of the future.

The anniversary celebrations included a roadshow of events that culminated in a conversation between Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi ’91 and President Christina H. Paxson. That final event, which was titled “Going Beyond: Lessons in Leadership and Innovation,” was attended by nearly 450 students and community members. A “10 for 10” story series also featured remarkable faculty, staff, and alumni that helped shape its first decade.

As SPS moves into its second decade, it will continue to expand and evolve—in fact, the school just launched two new online master’s programs in management and organizational leadership.  

No matter what they studied, SPS alumni have one thing in common—they’re prepared to find solutions to modern challenges, and they’re ready to change the world for the better.  

Here are three examples of how recent alumni have leveraged their SPS experience to transform their careers and help others. 

1. Maheen Mausoof Adamson ScM'22 is empowering voices through neuro-communication

While in the master’s in healthcare leadership (MHL) program, Maheen Mausoof Adamson ScM'22 delivered a groundbreaking capstone project. And the idea she presented has since evolved into Soof Solutions, Inc.—her company which is at the forefront of neuro-communication innovation. 

Soof Solutions helps give a voice to individuals who struggle with speech due to neurological conditions. Mausoof Adamson says the SPS program helped her lay the foundation for her company.

 Read more about her global impact

The MHL program taught me so much about building a company. Coming from a Ph.D. background, I had to shift my mindset — not just focusing on the customer, but on building a strong team and fostering a positive environment for employees. Learning how to organize, lead, and prioritize my team’s well-being has been invaluable to me to this day.

Maheen Mausoof Adamson ScM'22

2. Colleen Thamm ScM’24, Tyler Van Hook ScM’24, and Matt Ackerman ScM’24 launched a fast-growing tech startup together

Colleen Thamm ScM’24 and Tyler Van Hook ScM’24 —a husband-and-wife duo—came to Brown seeking specialized business education in the tech space. And it was in the classrooms of SPS that they met Matt Ackerman ScM’24, who would later take the leap and join their startup tech company, Kognitiv Edge.

For these three entrepreneur alums, the master's in technology leadership (MTL) program helped accelerate their company’s growth. It was an invaluable experience not only because of the coursework, leadership training, and capstone project, which served as a launch pad for Kognitiv Edge—but also because of the people. 

 Read more about how this team grew Kognitiv Edge

“ The education was world-class, but the real magic came from the relationships. Being surrounded by ambitious individuals with unique perspectives who push you to be a better version of yourself. ”

Matt Ackerman ScM’24

3. Michelle Johnson Tidjani EMBA’24 is driving meaningful change in healthcare

Michelle Johnson Tidjani EMBA’24 embodies the values of innovation, excellence, and inclusion in her leadership. 

That’s why she recently received the inaugural School of Professional Studies Dean’s Distinguished Alumni Award for her work promoting health equity as senior executive vice president and chief administrative officer at CommonSpirit Health. 

Tidjani wanted to pursue an executive MBA in order to improve her financial acumen, and was drawn to SPS because of its liberal arts context, international residences, and student diversity. She says the program shaped both her professional journey and leadership approach.

read Q&A with Tidjani

“ For me, the greatest takeaway from the program wasn’t just the financial knowledge—it was the ability to expand my worldview. ”

Michelle Johnson Tidjani EMBA’24

Explore what SPS has to offer for Brown alumni 

If you’re inspired to explore all that SPS has to offer, no matter what stage of your career you are in, be sure to check out the alumni discount—Brown alumni receive 20% off degree and certificate programs. 

What will you do next with your career? What would you like to change about the world? You can start that journey at SPS. 

Learn more about Brown alumni discount