Civic Scholars Student Profile John Maher
Director
City: Chicago, IL
Organization: MASS Design Group
- February 25, 2021
- Student Experience
What are your career aspirations?
I am dedicated to designing and building architecture that has a positive environmental impact and makes a difference in the lives of the people it serves. I often find myself frustrated by the slow pace of design and construction. My career aspirations are to accelerate and scale the impact of the built environment through sustainable development without displacement with the goal of improving the lives of people in underserved communities around the world.
What skills are you looking to develop at Booth and implement into your sector?
The business fundamentals, leadership strategy, and unique approach to problem solving I will learn at Booth will empower me with the tools I need to advance my career as a leader and increase my impact in the social sector. With the skills gained through a Booth MBA, I will translate social impact principles through a business lens and speak the same language as donors, clients, and partners.
Why Booth?
A Booth MBA is an opportunity for me to develop business fundamentals, challenge myself as a critical thinker, and bring a new perspective to my experience in architecture and international development. In architecture and design, social impact is measured anecdotally and qualitatively. With my MBA, I will couple the qualitative with quantitative results, proving the impact of the architecture to secure more project funding and expand nonprofit development that makes a difference. At Booth I will develop the tools I need to reinforce design deliverables with applicable financial strategies to instill confidence in donors, catalyze capital campaigns, and increase impact.