Mastery of Business & Empathy: Leadership in the Next Economy

A 10-month reinvention of the traditional MBA, equipping leaders with the practical tools, philosophies & inner work to reinvent business for the Next Economy.

Start Date:
-
Dates:
10 months
Format:
3 hours weekly online plus two in-person retreats
Cost:
Pillars
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In partnership with

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Are you looking to lead your organisation toward a hopeful future?

Our reinvsioned MBA, The MBE, is a learning experience that expands your horizons, builds meaningful connections, and deepens your impact in the world.

Join us to collectively redesign, reimagine and renew the world. Developed in partnership with global champions, the MBE reinvents and extends the traditional MBA to build the leaders we need for a better world.

This program equips leaders with the tools, strategies, networks and philosophies to successfully govern a purposeful organisation. If you’re interested in learning more about the MBE, we’d love to speak with you. Book a call with our team.

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 is to build the Next Economy – a system of leadership and governance that supports human flourishing while living in harmony with the natural world.

Who is the MBE for?

We are seeking leaders who are ready to guide 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 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 a better future. 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.

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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:  February 2026 (in-person)
  • A Good Life: August 2026 (virtual)
  • Graduation: November 2026 (in-person)
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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.

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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Designer note: event will appear here on the published site.
Designer note: event will appear here on the published site.
Designer note: event will appear here on the published site.

Tamsin Jones

Head of Programs Small Giants

Tamsin has a background in venture building and creating systems level impact. This has included influencing local and regional shifts to more inclusive and collective innovation and governance. Her passion is reigniting creativity, well-being and healthy growth in conscious leaders that can unlock collective intelligence towards decisions that bring our relationship to all living things into balance.

She is a strategic advisor to conscious CEOs, impact professionals, gender lens funds and women in leadership in the development of projects that sustain people and the planet.  Tamsin is also a regular contributor and advisor on leadership to c-suite networks.

Over the past two decades Tamsin has co-founded and advised a string of initiatives built on principles of inclusivity including the leading solution for board diversity across Africa, TheBoardroom Africa, The Rallying Cry to bring women business leaders for climate action on the frontlines to the forefront of global decision making and the Workshop17 inclusive innovation hub in Cape Town.  

Tamsin is a proud trustee of The Flipflopi Initiative to end single use plastic in East Africa.

Tamsin is the Head of the Mastery of Business and Empathy (MBE) at Small Giants Academy.

Simon Fieldhouse

Leadership and Culture Specialist

Simon Fieldhouse
Leadership and Culture Specialist

Simon is a Leadership and Culture Specialist. He’s a coach and advisor, change agent, master facilitator and culture practitioner with 20 years of experience with small, medium, and large organisations in insurance, finance, energy, retail and philanthropic sectors.

He has an MBA, is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an accredited practitioner in change methodologies.

Gayle Hardie

Co-Founder - Global Leadership Foundation

Gayle Hardie
Co-Founder - Global Leadership Foundation

Gayle and her Global Leadership Foundation co-founder, Malcolm Lazenby, are passionate about and committed to making a positive difference to people, organisations and communities – both locally and globally.  They each bring over 30 years of experience and internationally recognised expertise in developing, strengthening and transforming individuals, teams, organisations and communities.

As a ‘for purpose’ organisation and a certified B Corp, Global Leadership Foundation, uses its business as a “force for good”, placing its profit each year into a philanthropic fund for the development of leaders in community. It’s pro-bono and low bono work also strengthens and supports individuals, organisations and communities to build compassionate and sustainable approaches to leadership and life.

Global Leadership Foundation along with its Global Fellows, works with boards, and senior leaders all over the world in a range of areas, including: transformational leadership and change in individuals and organisations, strategic planning and development, emotional health and leadership resilience, leading through facilitating, strengthening collaboration, and board and executive mentoring and coaching.

Joel Pearlman

Former CEO of Village Roadshow Films

Joel Pearlman
Former CEO of Village Roadshow Films

Joel is the former CEO of Roadshow Films having spent thirty years working in the film industry across distribution, development and production here is Australia as well as internationally.Joel has served on the Board of numerous arts organisations including the Australian Centre For The Moving Image, the Melbourne International Film Festival and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors as well as a member of AMPAS (The Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts & Sciences).

Guest Faculty, a global network of change-makers

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Our Advisory Group

Kaj Lofgren

Head of Labs & CEO Regen Melbourne

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Kaj Lofgren
Head of Labs & CEO Regen Melbourne

Kaj is the Director of the Small Giants Academy Action Labs, where he leads the incubation and development of new initiatives. This has included the creation of Regen Melbourne, launching B Corporation in our region, bringing the School of Life to Australia and co-creating the Mastery of Business and Empathy and Impact Safari. He is a guide on a number of the SGA programs including Impact Safari Scandinavia: the Future of Cities.

Danny Almagor

Co-Founder and CEO of Small Giants Academy

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Danny Almagor
Co-Founder and CEO of Small Giants Academy

Danny Almagor is co-founder (with his wife Berry) 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 including The Sociable Weaver, The Impact Club, and Beyond Creative. He has served on numerous boards, including Tom Organic, The School of Life, The Cape ecovillage, Pacific Biotechnologies, Smiling Mind, The Gross National Happiness Centre in Bhutan.

He has studied Aerospace Engineering, Business Administration and outdoor education. He loves to cook, read, rock climb, talk about philosophy, garden, travel and jump on the trampoline with his three kids. He doesn’t like to run marathons, watch horror films, drink beer, spend time on social media, or invest in anything that isn’t impact.

Gayle Hardie

Co-Founder - Global Leadership Foundation

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Gayle Hardie
Co-Founder - Global Leadership Foundation

Gayle and her Global Leadership Foundation co-founder, Malcolm Lazenby, are passionate about and committed to making a positive difference to people, organisations and communities – both locally and globally.  They each bring over 30 years of experience and internationally recognised expertise in developing, strengthening and transforming individuals, teams, organisations and communities.

As a ‘for purpose’ organisation and a certified B Corp, Global Leadership Foundation, uses its business as a “force for good”, placing its profit each year into a philanthropic fund for the development of leaders in community. It’s pro-bono and low bono work also strengthens and supports individuals, organisations and communities to build compassionate and sustainable approaches to leadership and life.

Global Leadership Foundation along with its Global Fellows, works with boards, and senior leaders all over the world in a range of areas, including: transformational leadership and change in individuals and organisations, strategic planning and development, emotional health and leadership resilience, leading through facilitating, strengthening collaboration, and board and executive mentoring and coaching.

Dr Julia Kim

Partner for Impact Safari Bhutan, Club of Rome Member

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Dr Julia Kim
Partner for Impact Safari Bhutan, Club of Rome Member

Dr. Julia Kim joined the Gross National Happiness Centre of Bhutan in 2013, after serving as a member of the International Expert Working Group for a New Development Paradigm. Julia brings a background in programs, policy, and research in the fields of global health and sustainable development with the UN. Julia co-hosts our safaris in Bhutan.

Lorna Davis

Ex-CEO Danone North America & former B-Lab Board Member

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Lorna Davis
Ex-CEO Danone North America & former B-Lab Board Member

Nora Bateson

Author and Filmmaker Founder, International Bateson Institute

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Nora Bateson
Author and Filmmaker Founder, International Bateson Institute

Nora Bateson is an award-winning filmmaker, writer and educator, as well as President of the International Bateson Institute, based in Sweden. Her work asks the question “How we can improve our perception of the complexity we live within, so we may improve our interaction with the world?”. An international lecturer, researcher and writer, Nora wrote, directed and produced the award-winning documentary, An Ecology of Mind, a portrait of her father, Gregory Bateson. Her work brings the fields of biology, cognition, art, anthropology, psychology, and information technology together into a study of the patterns in ecology of living systems. Her book, Small Arcs of Larger Circles, released by Triarchy Press, UK, 2016 is a revolutionary personal approach to the study of systems and complexity.

Dane O’Shanassy

Country Director, Patagonia ANZ

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Dane O’Shanassy
Country Director, Patagonia ANZ

Dane O’Shanassy believes that business success and environmental stewardship don’t have to be at odds, rather, when pursued in concert with each other can lead to even greater impact. Since 2013 Dane as led outdoor apparel company Patagonia in Australia and New Zealand. A certified B Corporation, the company is recognized internationally for its product quality and environmental activism. Its unique ownership structure commits all future excess profits—all monies not reinvested in the business—to protect nature and biodiversity, support thriving communities, and to fight the climate crisis.Dane has studied in teaching, journalism, arts, and business, and spent his career learning inside global lifestyle brands where purpose, storytelling and impact are fundamental to long term success. A strategic thinker, leader and communicator, Dane believes that fostering thriving teams to value innovation, collaboration, and unconventional thinking is fundamental to solving the complex challenges of our time. He stays grounded and optimistic in the wisdom of American anthropologist Margaret Mead "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has”Dane is energised by the ocean, the mountains, and music, and most of all through spending time in nature with his family.

Your investment

What does the MBE Cost?

The Mastery of Business & Empathy program is offered at $25,800 (including GST).

We offer partial scholarships to ensure the program remains accessible to a diverse community of changemakers. If you'd like to learn more about the program and scholarship opportunities, we invite you to book a call with our team and learn more here. We're here to support you in finding the right path forward and answering any questions you may have about the program experience.

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.

FAQs and Details

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Connect with us

Learn more about the MBE

If you’re interested in learning more about the MBE, we’d love to speak with you.
Book a call with our team, register for our information evening, or sign up to learn more about the journey of our MBE program.

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.

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