Based in Boston, connected to the world

Preparing People to Lead What Comes Next.

Leadership, strategy, innovation and human development for a world being reshaped by technology, artificial intelligence and global change.

Boston HeadquartersAt the center of one of the world’s leading academic and innovation ecosystems.
Global Faculty NetworkProfessors, executives, mentors and thought leaders with international reach.
International ProgramsPrograms, lectures, masterclasses, mentoring and customized experiences.
The Institute

A Global Institute for Leadership, Strategy, Innovation and Human Development.

Boston EDU, the Boston Institute for Applied Education, is a Boston-based international education platform bringing together professors, executives, mentors and experts to prepare people and organizations for the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing world.

The Institute combines academic thinking, practical experience and human development through executive programs, youth programs, healthcare education, lectures, masterclasses, mentoring and customized international experiences.

Boston EDU · Founders

The People Behind the Institute.

Academic authority and executive leadership, joined to turn an educational vision into programs, partnerships and international impact.

Michael McCarthy
Founder & Academic Director

Michael McCarthy

Leadership, Workplace Engagement & Entrepreneurship

Michael McCarthy is an educator, entrepreneur, author and leadership advisor with more than 15 years of experience teaching leadership, workplace engagement, entrepreneurship, sales management and professional development. His work helps leaders build stronger organizations by combining practical business experience with research-based approaches to leadership, positive psychology, employee engagement, communication and human performance.

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A serial entrepreneur, Michael has founded and led multiple businesses across different industries. He also developed an experiential leadership sailing program built around decision-making, teamwork, communication, adaptability and performance in dynamic environments.

Michael holds a Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in Finance and Management from New York University. He is also an author, TEDx speaker and host of the Happy at Work podcast. His teaching is grounded in the belief that stronger leadership, positive workplace cultures and greater employee engagement can improve both human wellbeing and organizational performance.

“Education should not only prepare people for the future. It should help them develop the judgment, confidence and character to shape it.”
Emerson Eugenio de Lima
Founder & Executive Director

Emerson Eugenio de Lima

Strategy, Partnerships & International Education

Emerson Eugenio de Lima is a Brazilian-qualified attorney, entrepreneur, strategist and international education executive with a career spanning business development, institutional relations, governance, professional education and the creation of educational programs and partnerships. As Executive Director, he leads BOSTON EDU’s strategy, operations, institutional partnerships, market development and international expansion.

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Over the course of his career, Emerson has designed, coordinated and led professional education initiatives, executive programs, conferences and international learning experiences. He has delivered more than 100 lectures and has authored and co-authored books and professional publications. He has also served as legal counsel to several prominent Brazilian medical associations, advising organizations and leadership teams in complex institutional, legal, governance and risk-management environments.

His work in healthcare law and risk management led to his recognition as one of Brazil’s leading professionals in the field, and in 2013 he was named among the most influential professionals in Brazilian healthcare. His executive education background includes the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School and Liability Prevention for Physicians & Health Care Professionals at Harvard Medical School, as well as international legal and professional education in Europe and Brazil.

His experience combines entrepreneurship, negotiation, institutional development, governance, partnerships and execution, helping transform ideas into structured programs, organizations and new markets.

“Education creates its greatest impact when knowledge is transformed into opportunity, experience and meaningful action.”
Programs

Education Designed for Different Stages of Life and Leadership.

Three initial platforms form the foundation of the Institute’s educational portfolio.

01
For students and young people

Young Leaders

Leadership, personal development, academic direction, global mindset, communication and preparation for the future.

02
For business owners and executives

Executives & Entrepreneurs

Strategy, leadership, innovation, decision-making and growth programs designed for business owners and senior executives.

03
For physicians and healthcare professionals

Healthcare & Medical Leadership

Programs for physicians and healthcare professionals navigating AI, leadership, communication, risk and the future of medicine.

Young Leaders · Featured program

An immersion created by Boston EDU and MOVA for young people who want to create, lead and make things happen, with Michael McCarthy, the Institute’s Academic Director, and mentors with international experience.

  • Ages 14 and up
  • Online session + two days in person
  • Boston EDU certificate

How it works

  1. BeforePreparation and connection

    An online session with the program guidelines, the prep materials and the cases participants will work on.

  2. The weekendTwo days to learn and practice

    Saturday and Sunday in person with Michael McCarthy and the mentors: group activities, discussions and challenges.

  3. AfterAn international certificate

    Participants receive a certificate issued by Boston EDU and carry the skills into school, projects and their next steps.

Six pillars, one for each letter

  • InnovationInnovation and a view of the future
  • MindsetAn entrepreneurial mindset
  • Power SkillsEssential human skills
  • ActionTurning ideas into action
  • CommunicationCommunication, persuasion and negotiation
  • TransformationLeadership that creates change

Editions

New editions

Take IMPACT to your city

IMPACT travels city by city. We build each new edition with schools and local partners. Tell us where you are and who you represent.

Talk to us →
Faculty & Global Mentors

Knowledge From People Who Shape Ideas, Organizations and Communities.

The Institute brings together a selected network of professors, executives, mentors and thought leaders whose experience can be delivered through programs and lectures around the world.

Keynote Speeches Executive Programs Masterclasses Workshops Mentoring Customized Programs
Meet Our Faculty & Mentors
Faculty Members
Louis Alloro

Louis Alloro

Leadership, Wellbeing & Applied Positive Psychology

Louis Alloro is a leadership advisor, educator, facilitator, and coach with twenty years of experience designing and delivering high-impact leadership and team development programs. His work focuses on helping leaders and organizations strengthen communication, navigate uncertainty and change, build psychologically safe teams, and translate values into everyday behaviors and organizational culture.

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He is the Founder and Principal of Champions of Change and co-founder of the Certificate in Applied Positive Psychology (CAPP), where he continues to teach in partnership with leadership organizations across multiple sectors. He also co-created The Change Lab, integrating wellbeing, resilience, strengths-based leadership, and sustainable organizational change.

Louis holds a Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) from the University of Pennsylvania and has advanced training in leadership development, coaching, evaluation, and organizational change. His work translates behavioral science and positive psychology into practical tools for leadership, team effectiveness, psychological safety, resilience, difficult conversations, and performance in complex environments.

Danielle Grossi

Danielle Grossi

AI Strategy, Product Innovation & Business Transformation

Danielle Grossi is a technology and business transformation leader with more than two decades of experience across artificial intelligence, product management, go-to-market strategy, operational excellence, and organizational change. She currently holds a senior leadership role at Microsoft, where she works at the intersection of customer insights, product strategy, engineering, and commercial transformation.

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Throughout her career at Microsoft, Danielle has led global initiatives across AI Business Solutions, Microsoft Cloud, Microsoft 365, workplace analytics, worldwide sales, and commercial engineering. Previously, she spent nearly eleven years at SAP in leadership roles spanning business development, innovation, strategic communications, and enterprise technology, with earlier experience at Intel, Nestlé, and Microsoft.

Her work focuses on translating emerging technologies into practical business outcomes and helping organizations navigate AI adoption, product innovation, market strategy, and large-scale change.

Derrek Cooper

Derrek Cooper, MAPP, ACC

Leadership, Resilience & Human Performance

Derrek Cooper is an executive coach, former technology executive, and leadership facilitator focused on helping leaders and teams perform sustainably in complex, fast-changing environments. He brings more than 25 years of experience in technology, product leadership, organizational transformation, and executive management, combined with an evidence-based approach grounded in positive psychology, resilience, mindfulness, character strengths, and behavioral change.

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Before moving into executive coaching, Derrek spent more than fourteen years at Autodesk, where he held senior leadership roles including Vice President of Cloud Data, AI and Process Lifecycle Management, as well as leadership positions across product development, manufacturing solutions, and global product management.

Derrek holds a Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) from the University of Pennsylvania and an Executive Certificate in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown University. His work translates research into practical tools that help individuals and teams build resilience, manage stress, strengthen self-awareness, develop sustainable habits, and perform more effectively under pressure.

Featured Workshop

Showing Up at Your Best

90-Minute Experiential Class

This experiential class bridges evidence-based science with practical action to help participants build a sustainable system of habits for showing up at their best.

Designed for a fast-moving and unpredictable world, the session combines character strengths, mindfulness, optimism, resilience, and interactive exercises to translate research-backed concepts into real-time practices. Participants engage in hands-on interventions designed to build personal resilience, navigate acute stress, and respond more effectively to challenges as they arise.

Participants leave with an actionable framework to support ongoing growth, thrive under pressure, and maintain greater balance in daily life.

John C. Westman

John C. Westman

Strategic Sales, Business Relationships & Commercial Leadership

John Westman is an educator, commercial executive, and business leader with extensive experience in sales strategy, marketing, business development, strategic partnerships, and organizational growth. He has led commercial initiatives for both Fortune 500 companies and high-growth healthcare ventures, combining executive experience with a strong focus on practical, relationship-driven leadership.

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John has taught at the Harvard Division of Continuing Education and Boston College for nearly two decades, with courses focused on strategic sales management, professional selling, customer relationships, and building trust-based business alliances. His teaching approach combines real-world experience with applied methods designed to strengthen commercial performance and long-term business relationships.

He holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, an MA in International Relations from the University of Wisconsin, and a BA from Colgate University. He is also a Fulbright Scholar.

Lisa Downing

Lisa Downing, MAPP

Student Development, College Advising & Positive Psychology

Lisa Downing is a college advisor, career coach, and positive psychology practitioner focused on helping students better understand their strengths, make thoughtful academic and career choices, and thrive through major life transitions. Her approach combines college advising best practices, career assessment, and research-based positive psychology to support students in building self-awareness, confidence, and a stronger sense of direction.

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As Principal of College Horizon, Lisa has advised more than 1,000 students across 20 states, including recruited student-athletes and first-generation students, and has visited more than 400 colleges nationwide. She also serves as a Holistic Reader for the University of California, Davis, evaluating hundreds of applications each year, and has experience as an Assistant Instructor at the University of Pennsylvania.

Lisa holds a Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) from the University of Pennsylvania and a Graduate Certificate in Career Planning and College Advising from the University of California, Berkeley. Her work focuses on helping young people identify and build on their character strengths while navigating college selection, career exploration, and the transition toward greater independence and purpose.

Chye Hock Koh

Chye Hock Koh

Global Compliance, Corporate Governance & Cross-Border Leadership

Chye Hock Koh is a senior legal, compliance, and corporate governance professional with more than 30 years of international experience across the energy, shipping, construction, and technology sectors. His career includes 27 years with Chevron, as well as roles with Occidental Petroleum, Unocal, Meta, and advisory work with companies in shipping and biotechnology.

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Throughout his career, Chye has held senior legal and compliance leadership positions across Asia-Pacific, including Regional Compliance Counsel for Chevron, Chief Legal Counsel in China, Legal Director and Chief Compliance Officer in Bangladesh, and corporate board roles in Singapore and Vietnam. His work has focused on corporate governance, anti-bribery, sanctions, export controls, trade compliance, investigations, complex commercial agreements, and cross-border regulatory matters.

He has extensive experience working with international regulatory frameworks including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), OFAC sanctions, U.S. export controls, the UK Bribery Act, OECD anti-bribery standards, and FATF anti-money-laundering principles, translating regulatory requirements into practical policies, training programs, contracts, and organizational systems.

Chye holds an LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center, an LL.B. with Honors from the University of Wales, and both a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from the University of Utah. He is admitted to the Virginia State Bar and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and also holds the Malaysian Certificate of Legal Practice.

Beyond his corporate career, Chye has served in board, ethics, mentoring, cultural, and nonprofit leadership roles in Singapore and internationally, including positions connected with the Singapore Ministry of Health, the Singapore Institute of Directors, the National University of Singapore Mentor Program, and several nonprofit organizations.

Publications

Ideas That Travel Beyond the Classroom.

Books and articles by the Institute’s founders and faculty on leadership, communication, education and the future of work.

Books

Cover of O Aluno do Futuro (The Student of the Future)
Forthcoming · 2026

The Student of the Future

Gianlucca Lima & Michael McCarthy

A candid conversation between an international student and his Harvard mentor about education, careers and the future of work. Portuguese edition: O Aluno do Futuro.

Cover of How to Sell: Even When You Don't Want To
Book · 2018

How to Sell: Even When You Don’t Want To

Michael McCarthy

The top professional selling tips, in a quick read format, from a Harvard instructor of Strategic Sales Management.

Cover of Power Public Speaking: Harness Your Fear
Book · 2018

Power Public Speaking: Harness Your Fear

Michael McCarthy

Forty minutes to master fifteen techniques that turn the fear of public speaking into confidence.

Articles

Articles by our founders and faculty will be published here soon.
Global Experiences

Born in Boston, Built for Global Impact

From Boston to international classrooms, companies, conferences and learning environments, the Institute develops and delivers educational experiences that connect ideas, people and opportunities.

BOSTON → THE WORLD
Contact

Bring Our Programs, Faculty and Experiences to Your Organization or Community.

Talk to us about international programs, lectures, executive education and customized experiences.

Contact the Institute