Upcoming sessions
Tuesday, January, 20th 2026 | 2pm ET | 11am PT
1. The Business of Design
Great design work is only part of running a successful A/E firm. Growth, resilience, and profitability come from understanding the business engine behind the work. In this kickoff to the A&E MBA Series, Matt Cooper draws on his experience in tech and investment firms to reveal the core principles that drive high-performing companies in any industry—and how those same principles apply to architecture and engineering practices. This session introduces the essential economic and strategic concepts every A/E leader needs to know: how firms create value, why financial clarity matters, and how people, projects, and profit shape long-term performance. Attendees will leave with a clear business framework that sets the foundation for the entire series.
Wednesday, February, 11th 2026 | 1pm ET|10am PT
2. Macroeconomics of the A/E Industry
Architecture and engineering firms operate within a complex economic environment, and understanding that landscape is essential for sound business and project decisions. This session introduces an MBA-style framework for interpreting the macroeconomic forces that influence demand, competition, and long-term opportunity in the A/E industry. Austin Miller examines key indicators such as the Architectural Billings Index, interest rates, and infrastructure spending, and explores how globalization, AI, and evolving alternative practice models are reshaping the competitive landscape. Using tools like Porter’s Five Forces and SWOT analysis, attendees will learn how to connect external market dynamics to internal strategy, resource planning, and forecasting so they can anticipate change and guide their firms with greater confidence.
Thursday, March, 12th 2026 | 1pm ET|10am PT
3. Microeconomics of Firm Performance
Profitability in an A/E firm is driven by everyday decisions—how teams are staffed, how work is priced, and how projects are managed. In this session, you’ll unpack the core microeconomic mechanics behind firm performance, including utilization, realization, and multiplier, and see how they work together to shape margins. We’ll explore staffing leverage, labor mix, and the hidden economics of scope creep, showing how small operational choices can quietly erode or improve profitability. You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of where profits are really made—and where they’re most often lost.
Wednesday, April, 22nd 2026 | 1pm ET|10am PT
4. Strategic Planning and Positioning
Strategy only matters when it leads to clear, focused action. This session helps A/E firm leaders turn analysis into a practical strategy they can actually execute. You’ll explore how to define a defensible niche and value proposition, weigh the tradeoffs between growth and focus, and translate SWOT analysis into measurable business goals. Rather than abstract planning exercises, this session emphasizes clarity, prioritization, and decision-making. You’ll leave with a draft one-page strategic plan that brings alignment to your leadership team and direction to your firm.
Wednesday, May, 13th 2026 | 1pm ET|10am PT
5. Financial Management for Non-Financial Leaders
Strong leadership requires financial clarity, even for those without a finance background. This session demystifies the core financial concepts that shape firm performance and decision-making in architecture and engineering practices. You’ll learn how to read and interpret key financial statements, understand the difference between project-level and firm-level profitability, and use essential ratios like overhead, net multiplier, and breakeven to evaluate performance. The session also covers cash flow and work-in-progress management, giving leaders the insight needed to make informed decisions with greater confidence and control.
Tuesday, June, 16th 2026 | 1pm ET|10am PT
6. Marketing, Business Development & Client Economics
Marketing and business development are not just about winning work—they shape the long-term value and stability of your firm. This session explores how A/E firms attract, convert, and retain the right clients, and how those decisions influence profitability over time. You’ll examine the full client acquisition funnel, from awareness and trust-building to RFPs and long-term relationships, and explore how perceived value and fee elasticity affect pricing power. The session also covers thought leadership and brand positioning, giving firm leaders a clear framework for prioritizing pursuits that align with their strategy and support sustainable growth.
Tuesday, July, 21st 2026 | 1pm ET|10am PT
7. Project Management as a Profit Center
Project management plays a direct role in firm profitability, yet it is often treated as a purely administrative function. This session reframes project management as a core profit driver within architecture and engineering practices. You’ll explore earned value and project economics, learn how scope control and change management protect margin, and examine how communication and client expectations influence financial outcomes. The focus is on equipping project leaders with the insight and tools needed to run projects that safeguard both profitability and professional reputation.
Wednesday, August, 12th 2026 | 1pm ET|10am PT
8. Process Optimization: Lean, Scrum & Continuous Improvement
Efficiency and collaboration don’t happen by accident—they are the result of well-designed systems. This session introduces proven process frameworks from manufacturing and technology and shows how they can be applied to architecture and engineering workflows. You’ll explore the eight wastes of design and engineering, learn how lean thinking improves service delivery, and see how Scrum practices like sprints, standups, and retrospectives can support creative teams without adding bureaucracy. The session emphasizes building a culture of continuous improvement and provides a repeatable framework for increasing efficiency, alignment, and collaboration across your firm.
Wednesday, September, 9th 2026 | 1pm ET|10am PT
9. Leadership, Culture & Organizational Behavior
Great firms are built on more than strategy and financials. They are shaped by leadership behaviors, cultural norms, and the systems that guide how people work together. This session explores how architects and engineers can lead creative, cross-disciplinary teams with greater clarity, trust, and accountability. Rachel R. Gresham brings an MBA-informed, science-backed perspective to leadership and organizational behavior, helping firm leaders understand what truly motivates people at work—autonomy, mastery, and purpose. You’ll learn how psychological safety, feedback cultures, and explicit business systems influence performance, and leave with practical tools to align your desired workplace environment with the way your firm actually operates.
Wednesday, October, 14th 2026 | 1pm ET|10am PT
10. Talent Strategy & the Future of Work
The future of your firm depends on how well you plan for and support the people who power it. This session explores how generational shifts, hybrid work, and evolving expectations are reshaping talent strategy in architecture and engineering firms. You’ll examine workforce planning and succession, the economics of recruitment and retention, and how remote collaboration and productivity metrics influence performance. The focus is on helping firm leaders build a sustainable people strategy that supports long-term goals, strengthens culture, and ensures continuity as the practice evolves.
Thursday, November, 12th 2026 | 1pm ET|10am PT
11. Innovation & Technology in Practice
Technology is reshaping how architecture and engineering firms operate, compete, and create value. This session examines how innovation and AI are changing firm economics, from productivity gains and shifting billable models to new opportunities for automation and data-driven decision-making. You’ll explore emerging tools like design automation and digital twins, and discuss how firms can begin to monetize intellectual property rather than relying solely on time-based services. The focus is not on chasing trends, but on understanding where technology investments create real strategic advantage—and how firm leaders can make informed choices that support long-term performance.
Wednesday, December, 2nd 2026 | 1pm ET|10am PT
12. Capstone: Strategy in Action
The capstone session brings the entire A&E MBA Series together and turns insight into action. This session reviews the core frameworks covered throughout the program, including SWOT, Porter’s Five Forces, lean thinking, and key financial levers, and focuses on applying them to real firm challenges. Through guided discussion and case-based exercises, participants will synthesize what they’ve learned and translate it into a practical plan. Attendees will leave with a personalized 30-60-90-day roadmap that helps convert strategy into measurable progress and ensures the lessons of the series carry forward into daily practice.
Past sessions
Meet Your Instructors
Learn from A/E Leaders with Real Business Expertise
Matt Cooper
CEO, BQE Software
Matt Cooper has spent his career helping companies grow with clarity and discipline. As the CEO of BQE and a former leader in tech and investment firms, he understands what makes businesses resilient, scalable, and financially healthy. Matt now brings that experience to the A&E MBA Series, guiding architects and engineers through the business principles that drive successful firms. His mission is to give design leaders the confidence and clarity they need to elevate their practice.
Austin Miller
CMO, BQE Software
Austin Miller is Chief Marketing Officer at BQE and an MBA-trained strategist with a broad background across marketing, sales, operations, and customer success. He brings a rare blend of analytical rigor and creative problem-solving shaped by years of working alongside innovative leaders in the SaaS industry. Austin excels at translating market trends, economic signals, and business dynamics into clear, actionable insights—perspectives that offer valuable guidance for any leader navigating a changing environment. As part of this MBA-style series, Austin contributes his cross-industry experience to help A/E professionals build the strategic clarity needed to recognize opportunity and plan with confidence.
Tom Godin
Sr. Director, Performance Consulting
Tom brings nearly two decades of executive operating experience leading the business side of a multi-office engineering firm. As Chief Operating Officer, he oversaw core functions including finance, HR, IT, and legal, and helped guide the firm through economic disruption, ownership transition, and sustained growth. With a background in telecommunications operations and service as a nuclear-trained Submarine Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy, Tom brings a disciplined, systems-thinking approach to firm leadership. He holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Duke University, and contributes a practical, real-world business perspective to the A&E MBA Series.
Rachel Gresham
Senior Director, Professional Practice Programs
Rachel R. Gresham, AIA, MBA, WELL AP, CDT, is an architect and national leader in professional practice and business education for the architecture profession. After more than a decade in architectural practice, she shifted her focus to industry transformation and now serves as Senior Director of Professional Practice Programs at the American Institute of Architects, where she leads efforts to develop tools, resources, and programs that help firms operate with purpose, clarity, and financial confidence. During her MBA studies, Rachel conducted research on firm structure and organizational culture that continues to shape her approach to leadership, performance, and team dynamics in A/E practices. She is passionate about helping architects build business strength as they lead their firms into the future.
Lawrence Fabbroni
Chief Innovation Officer, Practice of Architecture
Lawrence is an architect and strategic advisor with more than two decades of experience at the intersection of design, development, and business strategy. He has led large-scale master planning and urban development projects at firms including Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects and Strada Architecture, contributing to some of the largest development efforts in the United States. Today, Lawrence works as a consultant focused on strategic pre-development services, helping organizations align vision, feasibility, and long-term value. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, with a focus on entrepreneurship and strategy, and has served in numerous national leadership roles within the profession, including National President of the American Institute of Architecture Students, Chair of the AIA Young Architects Forum, and a member of the AIA National Board of Directors.