Why an Executive Education is Worth It for Small Business Owners

In partnership with UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. Scholarships are sponsored by Union Bank.

Driving operational excellence is a must to drive future growth in your business. Whether you’re about to launch your own company, or you’re already an owner of a small to medium organization, obtaining an Executive/Entrepreneurial MBA degree can open doors, strengthen your management skills, and help you address the bottlenecks of your company’s growth. In this webinar, we will be discussing the advantages of attending UCLA’s MDE program and ways you can obtain a scholarship to attend this state of the art Mini MBA program. You will also hear from UCLA’s faculty and former Alumnus of this program and how this program has helped them take their companies to the next level.

Scholarships are sponsored by Union Bank.

ABOUT UCLA’s Management Development for Entrepreneurs (MDE) Program overview: This program is an Online Academy encompassing a 30-hour virtual program with live online classroom sessions. Offered over eight sessions on Fridays and Saturdays in the fall. The program is an intensive learning experience comprising lectures, case discussions and applied workshops that include organization and strategy, operations, management, marketing and finance. http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/mde. Deadline to apply is Friday, August 13th.

Moderated by NAWBO-SFBA President and MDE alumnus Nooshin Behroyan, CEO of Paxon Energy & Infrastructure Services.

About our panelist: Alfred E. Osborne, Jr.

Professor and Faculty Director, Price Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, UCLA Anderson

Alfred E. Osborne, Jr., is UCLA Anderson’s senior associate dean for external affairs, with oversight of a variety of key initiatives for the school, including resource development, alumni relations, corporate initiatives and executive education. Osborne also holds an appointment as professor of global economics, management and entrepreneurship, and is the founder and faculty director of the Harold and Pauline Price Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. He is also the founder and faculty director of the Management Development for Entrepreneurs (MDE) program. Click here for more information.

About our panelist: Lucy Labruzzo

Executive Vice President, Energy Infrastructure, Cordoba Corporation

Lucy Labruzzo leads the Energy Infrastructure Sector of Cordoba Corporation. Lucy joined Cordoba in 2014 and has since successfully led the expansion of their energy business into gas and electric transmission and distribution, renewables, and program management across each of California’s investor-owned utilities. Lucy is a dynamic C-Level Executive with extensive background focused in: Sustainable business growth, Operations, Change Management, Compliance, Regulatory and Governmental Affairs. She has led the successful execution of energy infrastructure programs from funding, planning, design through construction and commissioning. 

About our panelist: Donna Ruff

Director, Supplier Diversity and Development, MUFG Union Bank, N.A.

Donna Ruff joined the Corporate Social Responsibility team, managing Supplier Diversity & Development at MUFG, Union Bank N.A. in 2018. The MUFG Union Bank, N.A. Office of Supplier Diversity and Development is committed to promoting economic vitality in the communities they serve and increasing the number of diverse business enterprises from which they purchase goods and services.

Donna thrives to help diverse businesses do business with the bank and brings the necessary expertise to continue building on strong and sustainable supplier diversity initiatives. She holds a bachelor’s degree and MBA. Before joining the Union Bank family, Donna brings more than 15 years of experience, supporting business development and managing supplier diversity for a non-diverse private corporation, where she was successful at implementing sourcing, process improvement and mentoring programs for small and diverse businesses.

Donna is a committee participant with the Financial Services Roundtable for Supplier Diversity, Western Regional Supplier Development Council Board Member and Board Secretary, Advisory Council Co-Chairperson for the Asian Business Association – Los Angeles, Advisory Council member with the UC Small and Diverse Business Advisory Council, Veterans in Business Network Community Advisory Board, Council for Supplier Diversity San Diego Board Member and South Los Angeles CDFI Consortium.

About our moderator: Nooshin Behroyan

CEO, Paxon Energy & Infrastructure

Nooshin Behroyan has 17 years of oil, gas and utilities industry experience that includes integrity management, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) for pipeline and electric grid infrastructures. Her expertise includes creating sustainable value-creation strategies during a crisis to effectively navigating turbulent times; as well as evaluating and improving processes and building programs to enhance safety, reduce costs, and expedite projects while leveraging environmentally innovative solutions. Her company, PAXON, which she founded in 2016, was named 9th fastest growing company in America on the Inc. 500 list and No.1 female-led company two years in a row. Since inception, PAXON has become a trendsetter and a game changer in the energy industry with a focus on innovative technologies that would reduce methane emissions to zero for oil and gas operators. As a first-generation American immigrant, Behroyan brings extensive cross-cultural experience that promotes gender diversity and work-force equality by addressing barriers and driving change for positive impact for women engineers. Behroyan serves as the board president for National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO-California, USA), chairwoman of the IKAR Energy Group, and the advisory boards for American Gas Association (AGA). She holds a B.A. in architecture from University of California, Berkeley, M.S. in civil and environmental Engineering from UC Davis and an EMBA from UCLA. She is also a professionally trained piano player and has played for the U.C. Berkeley Jazz Ensemble.