Marilena Mademtzi ’25 MBA had already earned two advanced degrees, including a Ph.D., when she enrolled in the UConn MBA program.

A career-long advocate for students with autism and mental health struggles, Mademtzi ultimately hopes to drive innovation in pediatric behavioral healthcare throughout Connecticut.

“More children in Connecticut are struggling with mental health challenges than before the pandemic, with about one in three now reporting feeling emotional distress,’’ she said. “Growing stress from housing and food insecurity makes it vital to connect mental health care with family and community support.’’

“I want to be in a position to make an impact across the state. When you make successful ideas and techniques widely available, it can really transform the lives of children,’’ she said.

As she grew in her career, Mademtzi recognized that she needed to know more about business: how to write a business plan, how to motivate a team, and how to prepare a complex budget.

Thanks to the knowledge she gained through the UConn MBA program, Mademtzi said she has been able to advance from a clinical role to the Director of Analytics and Programs Operations at the Clifford Beers Community Care Center, one of the largest providers of mental health care for children, teens, and young adults in New Haven County.

MBA Classes, LEGO Project Were Impactful

Mademtzi was born and raised in Greece and every summer her family and several others would vacation together. One of the families had a son with autism, and, over the years, she saw how a professional support system improved his life.

By the time she graduated from high school, Mademtzi knew she wanted to study special education, with an emphasis on children on the autism spectrum. She competed her bachelor’s at the University of Thessaly, before completing her master’s and Ph.D. at the University of Birmingham in Edgbaston, England. In the final year of her Ph.D. program, she had the opportunity to study at Yale University, and then stayed on for a few years in Yale’s post-doc program.

As her responsibilities increased, she recognized she need more business knowledge. That led her to the UConn FLEX MBA program, which allows students to take both in-person and online courses.

“I wanted to meet the professors and get to know other students from all walks of life; I didn’t want something fully online,’’ she said. “UConn is an amazing university and offered me the flexibility to take courses in the evenings, in person, and online. The combination of prestige and the flexibility were just right.’’

Two courses and one real-world learning experience were particularly memorable for Mademtzi, who earned her MBA in May.

“I would say the most transformative class was (professor) Gary Powell’s on Managing Organizations (MENT5138). He was amazing and instead of being very theoretical, he gave us practical applications. He had a way of making his lessons super fun. I left with new skills that I use daily,’’ she said.

Professor Mary Caravella’s graduate marketing class taught Mademtzi how to write a business plan, and Mademtzi used that knowledge as part of her application for her current director role.

In addition to her coursework, Mademtzi and other graduate students worked as consultants on a project with the LEGO toy company. Although she cannot disclose the exact nature of the work, Mademtzi said the opportunity to work with students from a variety of backgrounds to solve a business need for a large company was a tremendous experience that gave her insight into work outside her immediate realm.

“I learned a great deal and I loved the whole experience,’’ she said.

Laine Kingo, a Senior Advisor within the MBA program, said Mademtzi was a stand-out student.

“Marilena distinguished herself as an exemplary MBA student, not only with her outstanding academic performance, but also in her active and friendly collaboration with her classmates, including students from other School of business graduate programs,’’ Kingo said. “Together they participated in professional development opportunities both within the School of Business and opportunities offered by external partners. Marilena contributed meaningfully to the growth of her peers and the broader learning community.’’

Mission-Driven Professionals Use MBA as Springboard to Additional Success

At UConn, Mademtzi’s MBA concentration was in business analytics and she earned a near-perfect GPA. She also always had a fascination with technology and had used video-modeling to teach young students skills–such as how to wash their hands—after recognizing that they often responded more favorably to instructions on a video rather than from a person. She has collaborated with a software developer and clinicians to design an iphone app in behavioral health.

“In academia we were always conducting all this fascinating research, and I always had a hard time letting go when I saw things that were working,’’ she said. “I wanted to blend the clinical and the research for better outcomes.’’

Mademtzi describes herself as a life-long learner. She’s not sure that she wants to pursue another degree right now, but is still thinking about taking more classes. “Right now I’m looking into a certificate in artificial intelligence,’’ she said.

Michael Bozzi, director of the Office of Student Services for MBA Programs, said while Mademtzi’s work is inspirational, he has met many students who share her passion to bring about change.
“Marilena’s story is an example of how an MBA can benefit mission-driven professionals, even those with deep clinical or academic experience,’’ Bozzi said. “Through the education they receive in foundational business skills, strategic perspective and leadership confidence, they are better able to expand their impact and advocate more effectively for the communities they serve.’’