Download the 2027 Syllabus

A word from Alicia

“We can’t afford for you to lose your spark. The world needs naMBA grads.”

In early 2024, Not An MBA went on hiatus. I’d launched in the era of COVID madness, when people were spinning out about ‘pivoting’ and ‘thriving in complexity.’ It went gangbusters, and after running multiple cohorts every year, and back-to-back enterprise cohorts for big companies, I was cooked.

But late in 2025, my alarm bells were going off. I realised I’d been having the same conversation repeatedly - with smart, capable leaders. Senior people. Clever people. People doing important work in government, business, councils, health, consulting, and not-for-profits.

These were switched-on, experienced humans, with lots of value to add - but they were spinning their wheels and going downhill.

They were perpetually worried about the next restructure or 'realignment,' so they kept their head down. They wanted to leave their job but it didn’t feel safe, so they stayed. They didn't know what to make of AI, where they fit in, or what was coming next - so they just went along with things, even when their gut told them it wasn’t right.

I hate to see smart, passionate, ambitious people shrink, so focused on getting through the next week, month, or quarter that they forget what they're capable of.

So in 2026, naMBA came back.

I ran a single cohort, and it filled immediately. The results were incredible.

Our students found their spark again, and brought that energy to their workplaces. They reconnected to the big picture, tackled systemic issues, led challenging conversations, and reprioritised workstreams. I could not have been more delighted.

The way I see it: you can defer doing the stuff you care about until things settle down... or you can accept things are never settling down, and people need you to help them through it.

Every organisation in the world right now, bar none, needs strategic leaders to chart a path through uncertainty. People who see the bigger picture, think in systems, understand second-order effects and bring people along on a bumpy ride to whatever's next.

We need people who are cool with leaning into the mess, navigating tricky trade-offs and competing priorities, and adapting when things shift. People who hold the faith for themselves, and others, when nobody has the answers.

The world needs naMBA grads.

I can't see where else people are getting these kinds of skills, in a practical, applied, useful way. In 2027, Not An MBA is back for two cohorts – and better than ever. I’d love for you to join us.