Watson Institute Master Courses

Each week a Master Course teacher is invited to share their entrepreneurial journey and experience as well as mentor Watson students. Master Courses range from a fireside chat to an interactive workshop, and revolve around sharing best practices, learnings and failures.

During the global COVID-19 pandemic we have the privilege to offer four open virtual Master Courses to anyone interested in our programs. Join us for one or all of these courses led by diverse and powerful speakers!

The Schedule:

February 12, 9-11 AM (MT), Jane Miller

Jane Miller is a leading CEO in the natural and organic food industry. She is currently the CEO of Lily’s Sweets, one of the fastest growing sweets companies in the US, and has previously served as an executive in Heinz UK, PepsiCo, and Frito Lay. Jane is a board member of Watson Institute, The Leeds School of Business at University of Colorado, and numerous other for-profit and non-profit organizations. She also publishes the popular blog JaneKnows.com on the tips, tools, and truths to lead a meaningful career.

February 26, 9-11 AM (MT), Jeff Hoffman

Jeff motivational speaker, Bestselling author, Hollywood film producer, a producer of a Grammy-winning jazz album, and Executive Producer of an Emmy Award-winning television show. In his career, he has been the founder of multiple startups, he has been the CEO of both public and private companies, and he has served as a senior executive in many capacities. Jeff has been part of a number of well-known successful startups, including Priceline.com/Booking.com, uBid.com, and more.

April 2, 9-11 AM (MT), Sabrina Pourmand

Sabrina is a Silicon Valley native who’s lived in Peru, Haiti and Jordan. Sabrina has spent more than ten years working in international and domestic aid and development, and has led programmatic initiatives for large-scale international humanitarian aid organizations. She has significant experience in the Global South as an international humanitarian crisis responder and proven experience implementing and delivering upon high growth revenue strategies. She holds a Masters in Nonprofit Administration from the University of San Francisco, a Bachelor’s in Political Science from University of California San Diego and has been named the Young Nonprofit Professional of the Year for the San Francisco Bay Area.

April 16, 9 AM- 11 AM (MT), Clare Byarugaba

Clare Byarugaba is an activist fighting for social justice and basic rights for marginalized populations in Uganda. Clare has served as the co-coordinator of the Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Law and was the 2014 Oak Human Rights Fellow at Colby College. The Coalition led the fight against the Anti-Homosexuality Bill in the Ugandan Parliament and Clare continues to work towards mainstreaming lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) concerns in Uganda.