Brent Copen recognized for outstanding teaching

Haas Lecturer Brent Copen, CFO of Asian Americans for Community Involvement, was named to the latest Berkeley-Haas “Club Six”.

Based on written student evaluations, the “Club Six” ranking is a key metric used by Haas to measure the teaching performance of its instructors. It means that students in his class rated his teaching 6.0 or above on a 7 point scale. Despite his busy schedule, he teaches the Nonprofit Finance course for both full time and part time MBA students.

On his commitment to teaching, he says:

“I find it personally rewarding to help students appreciate the complexities of the nonprofit business model – as well as what is required to move an organization ‘from good to great’.”

His favorite part of working with students:

“I enjoy sharing some of the practical tools and approaches I have picked up over the years that will help students – as future nonprofit leaders – analyze and act upon financial information as part of an overall approach to strategic decision making.”

Why MBAs are important to the social sector:

“As future board members and senior managers, MBA’s bring the financial background and the business acumen that many nonprofits need to realize the double bottom line of mission impact and financial sustainability.”

Brent brings more than 15 years of nonprofit experience into the classroom, including management roles at the Nonprofit Finance Fund and La Piana Consulting. He is committed to strengthening the sector by helping nonprofit organizations develop more robust financial management practices.  He has presented hundreds of workshops and trainings nationally to executive directors, board members, funders and future leaders. He has also consulted extensively to a wide variety of nonprofits across sub-sectors.

Brent will also publish a new case study for the Berkeley-Haas Case Series later this month.