PASSING THE LEAD

BUCKY BROOKS

AND MATT RANGE

Local leaders in their fields are making impacts at an individual level through the LEAD Scholars program.

By Grant Repshire

Getting an MBA can help students develop the knowledge that they need to advance their career, but deciding how to apply that knowledge may be just as challenging as earning the degree. The Bloch LEAD Scholars program is helping a new generation of professionals solve that problem while completing their Professional MBA (PMBA).

Students in this program already have professional experience and are pursuing their MBA to advance in their chosen careers. LEAD Scholars are encouraged to develop a personalized strategy for both academic and professional growth. This involves thoughtfully selecting courses that align with their career goals, pursuing relevant Coursera industry certificates, leveraging opportunities with their current role and building the critical competencies needed for their desired career path. Through the LEAD Scholars program, students are paired with an executive coach or industry mentor who provides guidance and encouragement as they navigate these choices and work toward their professional objectives.

Students also have the opportunity to participate in additional extra-curricular activities, workshops and networking events to build critical skills. In addition, through the generosity of the Marion and Henry Bloch Family Foundation, they receive a scholarship to help make the MBA affordable.

Lou Van Horn recently retired as the CFO of Cingulate, a major pharmaceutical manufacturing company based in Kansas City. He is also an alumni of the very first class of Bloch’s EMBA program. When he found out that the school was looking for mentors, he took the opportunity, becoming a mentor to Chloe Wessel, who recently completed a doctorate in pharmacy along with her MBA.

Wessel and Van Horn’s meetings were initially over Zoom. Eventually, Van Horn was able to arrange for Wessel to visit Cingluate’s headquarters in Kansas City. Knowing her busy schedule as a dual postgraduate-degree student, he set up an intensive one-day introduction to pharmaceutical research.

“I said, ‘for one day, I’m going to put you in front of all the key people, from sales and marketing, to leadership, to market access, to accounting and all that. We’re going to make you drink from a fire hose for four hours,’” said Van Horn. “She was awesome! She came prepared with questions, but said she was surprised by what she heard and didn’t know about. She learned a lot in just one day.”

Wessel felt that doing the MBA in conjunction with her Pharm.D. considerably broadened her understanding of the industry.

“Pharmacy school primarily focuses on the science of drugs once the patient takes them, but there is so much more that happens before the pill ever gets to the patient,” she said. “Many business considerations need to be made to bring a drug to market and successfully see it through its life cycle.”

Her decision to pursue an MBA alongside her doctorate was validated.

“I learned that someone with pharmacy as well as business knowledge can be a strong asset at a company.” Wessel moved to Boston and is working for CVS. She said her employers were very interested in her MBA and sees it as a signal of management potential.

“In almost every case, the people you surround yourself with will be the most influential factor in the success of your career and in your life.”

–Bucky Brooks, principal at Copaken Brooks

CHLOE WESSELL AND LOU VAN HORN

MBA student Matt Range also benefited from exposure to real-world work through the LEAD Scholars program. His mentor was Bucky Brooks, principal at Kansas City commercial real estate firm, Copaken Brooks. Range had experience in corporate real estate and was eager to learn about the commercial real estate world.

“The timing was good,” said Brooks. “I had embarked on a new development project in Lenexa, and later an acquisition pursuit out of town.” He saw the opportunity to use these projects as learning opportunities for Range.

“Every time we met, we discussed a different aspect of the project, from raising capital and reviewing revenue forecasts to actually visiting the site and reviewing the challenges with construction,” Range said. “Seeing the project progress in real time was interesting and exciting.”

“Different from academic case studies, he was able to learn and track an actual project, in progress, at real speed.” Brooks said. “He gained understanding of the risks and the business plans, as well as the pressures and decisions made at the time.”

“Bucky’s knowledge helped me understand the commercial real estate process in a way that I couldn’t have obtained from a classroom,” Range said. “It really opened my eyes to all of the nuance and effort that goes into a successful real estate transaction.”

Kyle Peterson is a LEAD scholar with experience as a pediatric ICU nurse and a hospital services coordinator.

“The idea of a mentor in the healthcare field was also a major draw for me,” he said. “I recently moved into a position that includes more informal leadership, and I want to learn how to be the best leader I can be.”

Peterson’s mentor, Nathan Gause, M.D., is an adjunct clinical assistant professor at UMKC School of Medicine and the medical director of health equity at University Health. “Mentorship is one of my many passions,” Gause said. “I know how impactful having a mentor can be for one’s development.”

Gause felt their shared profession was a key component of their relationship. “We shared similar experiences and a like-minded passion to prevent illness and mitigate disease when possible,” he said. “Trust is important in the mentor-mentee relationship. We have experienced similar challenges on our leadership journey in the healthcare sector which has fostered a genuine bond.”

Both Gause and Peterson believe that having that trust is essential to mentoring in some of the more sensitive areas of business.

“Dr. Gause has been invaluable because he can draw on his different positions and healthcare systems to find similar instances that he may have had to provide me with advice to grow with,” said Peterson. “He also understands the unique nature of the ‘politics’ of healthcare which is helpful for me as I strive to move forward into formal leadership roles.”

Demand for the LEAD Scholars program is growing. The scholarship was launched in 2022 with 13 students. In Fall 2024, 161 students were recorded in the program.

Going beyond typical lessons in business, the program gives insight to the human quotient of doing business. When asked for one piece of advice they’d pass on to students, all three mentors’ answers involved the intangible, human element necessary to achieve success.

“In almost every case, the people you surround yourself with will be the most influential factor in the success of your career, and in your life,” said Brooks. “Don’t be an island or focused on the wrong or short-sighted motivations.”

“Purposely and continuously develop your emotional intelligence,” said Gause. “You are all smart individuals but that will only take you so far. I encourage you to develop your EQ, learn how to manage your emotions and navigate the emotions of others.”

“There are two people you need in your life,” remarked VanHorn. “First is a mentor — I mean a long-time mentor, someone to put their arm around you and guide you a bit in life. Second is a sponsor. Sponsors put their hand on your back and push you forward. They build you up and put you in positions to get you further along on your career ladder than you otherwise might have done on your own. Those are the kind of people you should find in your life.”

DR. NATHAN GAUSE AND KYLE PETERSON