Mastering the Next

Ep. 60: The MBA ROI Challenge: Meeting Workforce Demands Head-On

The MBA landscape is shifting faster than ever. Programs are experimenting with online hybrids, one-year accelerators, and specialized tracks. With so many formats competing for attention, how can schools adapt and stay relevant? In this episode, Oren Margolis [https://www.linkedin.com/in/orenmargolis/], Founder of Pinetree & Palm Consulting [https://www.pinetreepalm.com/], offers a candid look at what business schools are getting right and where they risk falling short. Drawing on his experience at NYU Stern and in talent development at high-growth companies, Oren explains why skills matter more than pedigree and how institutions can frame MBA ROI in ways that resonate with today’s students and the evolving workforce. Join us as we discuss:  * [4:54] Gen Z and millennial career priorities: what’s changed, what hasn’t * [8:11] Rethinking ROI: short-term salary vs. long-term trajectory * [16:26] Skills vs. pedigree: where MBAs really create value To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mastering-the-next/id1736016083], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5WWmJILWgBzaeuZqHCOei3], or our website [https://www.enrollify.org/], or search for “Mastering the Next” in your favorite podcast player. Guest Name: Oren Margolis, Founder of Pinetree & Palm Consulting Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/orenmargolis/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/orenmargolis/] Guest Bio: Oren Margolis (MBA, SPHR, ACC) is a leadership and executive coach, MBA admissions consultant, and career coach specializing in ambitious Millennial and Gen Z professionals. He brings deep corporate experience leading People & Talent at VC-backed fintech Nova Credit and building career development programs at Westfield and WME, combined with six years in MBA admissions at NYU Stern where he evaluated thousands of applicants and helped launch innovative programs. With an MBA from NYU Stern and certifications including ICF-Certified Coach (ACC) and SPHR, Oren helps clients navigate leadership challenges, career transitions, and competitive graduate admissions by blending business strategy, organizational dynamics, and individual development expertise. - - - - Connect With Our Host: Dr. Ray Lutzky https://www.linkedin.com/in/lutzky/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lutzky/] About The Enrollify Podcast Network: Mastering the Next is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network [https://podcasts.enrollify.org/]. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!  Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com [https://451.elmt.link/49ocwR8]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ep. 59: Why Branding Matters More Than Budgets: Authenticity as Advantage in Higher Ed

In a saturated higher education landscape, how can a business school stand out without the budget or brand power of top-tier competitors? In this episode, we talk with Matt Alex [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewalex/], Director of Marketing at Drucker School of Management [https://www.cgu.edu/school/drucker-school-of-management/] at Claremont Graduate University, who is leading a comprehensive brand refresh rooted in Peter Drucker’s legacy. Matt shares how the school is navigating the challenges of differentiation in Southern California’s crowded MBA market, balancing the weight of Drucker’s global reputation with the need to connect authentically with modern students. From faculty buy-in to enrollment outcomes, this conversation explores the future of branding in higher ed and why storytelling, authenticity, and human-centricity matter more than ever. Join us as we discuss:  * [7:59] How to get faculty buy-in for brand messaging * [10:39] Storytelling as the most authentic marketing tool * [13:29] Why brand strategy must align with institutional strategy To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on  Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mastering-the-next/id1736016083], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5WWmJILWgBzaeuZqHCOei3], or our website [https://www.enrollify.org/], or search for “Mastering the Next” in your favorite podcast player. - - - - Connect With Our Host: Dr. Ray Lutzky https://www.linkedin.com/in/lutzky/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lutzky/] About The Enrollify Podcast Network: Mastering the Next is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network [https://podcasts.enrollify.org/]. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!  Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com [https://451.elmt.link/49ocwR8]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ep. 58: What Stanford Is Learning About Gen AI in the Classroom

The notion of reimagining education alongside generative AI is no longer a simple sentiment but a necessity. Chris Agnew [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-agnew-74bb8217/], Director of the Generative AI for Education Hub at Stanford Accelerator for Learning [https://acceleratelearning.stanford.edu/], joins Ray to outline three roles AI plays in higher education: efficiency, outcomes, and reimagining the classroom. Chris shares what his team has learned about AI’s ability to support educators and why most current tools miss the opportunity to deeply transform how students learn. He also addresses concerns around academic integrity and suggests how real change requires a reevaluation of long-held faculty practices. Join us as we discuss:  * [1:42] The three buckets of AI applications in higher ed classrooms * [6:15] Faculty wariness and resistance to change in the AI storm * [13:55] Why durable skill-based education will become a focal point Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: * Stanford University’s Generative AI for Education Hub [https://scale.stanford.edu/genai] To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mastering-the-next/id1736016083], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5WWmJILWgBzaeuZqHCOei3], or our website [https://www.enrollify.org/], or search for “Mastering the Next” in your favorite podcast player. Guest Name: Chris Agnew, Director of Stanford's Generative AI for Education Hub Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-agnew-74bb8217/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-agnew-74bb8217/] Guest Bio: Chris Agnew is Director, Generative AI for Education Hub at Stanford University. As the Director, Chris is the principal organizing force in designing and implementing the new Generative AI in Education Hub - from concept to strategic planning to full implementation. Chris works closely with faculty and staff to build partnerships with education organizations and practitioners including schools, educators, policy makers, funders, NGO’s, and the edtech sector. With over 25 years in education, Chris has taught and led both K12 schools and non traditional learning environments adjacent to K12 and post secondary. Committed to learning that is experiential, applied and relevant, Chris shifted to edtech to improve access and reduce cost of transformative learning models. Prior to Stanford, Chris led US higher ed strategy and credentials for Multiverse, an edtech startup using professional apprenticeships as an alternative to college and university. - - - - Connect With Our Host: Dr. Ray Lutzky https://www.linkedin.com/in/lutzky/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lutzky/] About The Enrollify Podcast Network: Mastering the Next is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network [https://podcasts.enrollify.org/]. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!  Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com [https://451.elmt.link/49ocwR8]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ep. 57: When AI Meets Old Governance: Canadian Higher Ed at a Crossroads

As Canadian higher education faces unprecedented financial pressures and rapid technological change, AI has emerged as both a solution and a challenge. In this episode, Dr. Andre De Freitas [https://www.edvisingu.ca/speakerad], Founder of EdVisingU [https://www.edvisingu.ca/], joins Ray to explore how AI is reshaping governance, teaching, and student engagement across Canadian universities and colleges. From the risks of top-down decision-making to the urgency of embedding AI literacy in every classroom, Andre shares candid insights on how institutions must adapt without compromising their core values.  Join us as we discuss:  * [1:38] Financial pressures and the "Uberization" of education * [9:10] Why bottom-up leadership and student input matter * [16:28] The future of public-private partnerships and fast-tracked curricula Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: * Council of Ontario Universities [https://cou.ca/]   * Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario [https://heqco.ca/] * Disco.co [http://disco.co] * Element451 [https://element451.com/] To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mastering-the-next/id1736016083], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5WWmJILWgBzaeuZqHCOei3], or our website [https://www.enrollify.org/], or search for “Mastering the Next” in your favorite podcast player. - - - - Connect With Our Host: Dr. Ray Lutzky https://www.linkedin.com/in/lutzky/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lutzky/] About The Enrollify Podcast Network: Mastering the Next is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network [https://podcasts.enrollify.org/]. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!  Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com [https://451.elmt.link/49ocwR8]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ep. 56: The Runway Model: Where Research Meets Entrepreneurship

What happens when brilliant PhD researchers want to turn groundbreaking ideas into real-world ventures, but lack the entrepreneurial playbook? In this episode, Ray sits down with Michael Escosia [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mescosia/] of Cornell Tech [https://tech.cornell.edu/jacobs-technion-cornell-institute/]’s Runway Startups Program, a unique postdoctoral initiative that helps PhDs become startup founders. Michael shares how the program fills critical gaps in business skills, fosters team-building, and creates a strong network to support postdocs as they transition from academic research to commercial ventures. Join us as we discuss:  * [1:51] How Runway fills the gap between research and business * [7:15] The power of community, mentorship, and networks * [10:32] Success stories, alumni paths, and program outcomes To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mastering-the-next/id1736016083], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5WWmJILWgBzaeuZqHCOei3], or our website [https://www.enrollify.org/], or search for “Mastering the Next” in your favorite podcast player. Guest Name: Michael Escosia, Associate Director of Operations, Cornell Tech Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mescosia/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mescosia/] Guest Bio: Michael Escosia serves as Associate Director of Operations at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute, a groundbreaking joint academic venture between Cornell University and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. As an integral partner at Cornell Tech in New York City, the Institute brings together faculty, students, business leaders, and tech entrepreneurs to reinvent how we live in the digital age through innovative educational, research, and entrepreneurial opportunities. With over seven years at the Institute, Escosia advances strategic goals through program development and management, including trek programs to Israel and San Francisco. His career spans healthcare systems design at Mount Sinai Health System, biomedical sciences program management at NYU, and nonprofit leadership as Director of Programs at VR Kids. He holds an MPA from NYU's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, specializing in non-profit management and policy.   - - - - Connect With Our Host: Dr. Ray Lutzky https://www.linkedin.com/in/lutzky/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lutzky/] About The Enrollify Podcast Network: Mastering the Next is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network [https://podcasts.enrollify.org/]. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!  Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com [https://451.elmt.link/49ocwR8]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.