UC Berkeley Haas celebrates EMBA Class of 2026 at commencement

Berkeley Haas Executive MBA students in the tight-knit class of 2026 graduated last Saturday, celebrating months of hard work and coming together as a cohort.

Professor Alexandre Mas, associate dean for Academic Affairs, welcomed family and friends of the 64 graduating students in the top-ranked EMBA program.

“Each and every one of you is already making a profound impact in your communities and organizations,” he told the graduates. “And without a doubt, I believe that what you do next will be even greater than what brought you here to Haas.”

Student speaker Matt Balint, MBA 26, U.S. Army veteran and former assistant deputy director of Operations and Counterterrorism for the Joint Staff, thanked “the unsung heroes,” who supported them while they earned their degrees. (EMBA students attend class Thursday through Saturday, one weekend per month.)

“Thank you for keeping things running while we were studying late at night, trying to catch up with work on the weekends or while we were away for days at a time,” Balint said. “Without your support, without you keeping things running, we wouldn’t be here today.”

Balint, whom fellow students described as the “soul of our class,” said he looked forward to every class at Haas, where he’d find people from the cohort laughing in the hallway, sharing ideas, or supporting each other. Balint also gave a shout out to entrepreneurs in the group, calling them “the heartbeat of our class.”

“Along with Toby Stuart’s Entrepreneurship Immersion, you changed the way I thought about life in general,” he said. “It wasn’t ‘How can I be better at my job?” It was ‘How can I make things better?’ …And that is a powerful life philosophy.”

Commencement speaker Shaan Parasnis, EMBA 14, head of product at GreenPen AI Labs and a partner in the historic Hotel Shattuck Plaza in downtown Berkeley, spoke of the value of an MBA degree as he navigated career changes. “I think of it as a toolkit,” he said. “It’s a toolkit not full of answers but full of questions to ask, which makes it perfect for any pivot you choose.”

Before presenting degrees, Elizabeth Stanners, executive director of the EMBA program, noted that all graduates would receive two yellow roses to pass on.

“These roses are meant to be personally offered by the graduates to the family members, friends, or loved ones who have been instrumental in supporting them along the way,” she said.

Defining Leadership Principles Awards

Question the Status Quo: Lily Steinbach

Confidence Without Attitude: Emily J. Thompson

Students Always: Ravinder Atwal

Beyond Yourself: Steven R. Jim

Berkeley Leaders: Josh Imhoff and Emily Nakashima

Outstanding GSI award: Lokesh Mandava

2026 Valedictorian: Emily Nakashima  

Cheit Award for Excellence in Teaching

Professor Steve Tadelis

Inclusive Teaching Award

Professor Xiao-Jun Zhang