Alex Budak
Haas School of Business, UC-Berkeley
“Alex is the creator of Berkeley Haas’s signature course, Becoming a Changemaker, a class whose pedagogy catalyzed UC Berkeley’s campus‑wide Berkeley Changemaker® initiative in 2020. His teaching is distinctive for its experiential rigor and inclusive, action‑oriented design. A hallmark assignment asks students to intentionally seek a small, safe rejection – ‘go fail’ – to build resilience, normalize smart risk‑taking, and practice ‘failing forward.’ Students credit this with expanding their comfort zones and leadership capacity.” – Brian Jang
Alex Budak, 41, is an educator, entrepreneur, and author who helps people cultivate courage and turn everyday moments into change.
A UC Berkeley faculty member, he holds a triple appointment at the Haas School of Business, School of Public Health, and College of Natural Resources, where his courses teach students and executives to lead with character, connection, and contribution—and have even inspired student tattoos.
His book, Becoming a Changemaker, is being translated into 27 languages. CNBC named it a top-five nonfiction book about work and Inc. named him a top 50 leadership and management expert.
Budak’s change journey began when he co-founded StartSomeGood, which has raised more than $12 million to launch and scale new initiatives in more than 50 countries.
A UCLA and Georgetown graduate, he delivers keynotes on leadership, change, and courage to audiences worldwide, from Ukraine to Cambodia, and regularly leads interactive sessions for organizations such as Accenture, Salesforce, the World Bank, and UNHCR.
Formerly a travel writer, Alex now enjoys the everyday adventures of life with his two young kids—his favorite changemakers. A lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, he brings the same loyalty to his work, though he admits one lesson came the hard way: never go budget skydiving.
BACKGROUND
At current institution since what year? 2019
Education: B.A. (Political Science and Geography), UCLA; MPP, Georgetown University
List of Undergraduate courses you teach: Becoming a Changemaker
TELL US ABOUT LIFE AS A BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR
I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when … I opened the door and walked into the classroom on my very first day of teaching at Berkeley Haas and saw the classroom completely filled with eager, energetic students. I always knew I was an educator at heart, but that moment is forever etched in my mind as when my purpose in life became crystal clear.
What are you currently researching and what is the most significant discovery you’ve made from it? I’m researching courage, particularly what I call “Everyday Courage,” and how it’s not a fixed trait, but rather a learnable skill. I’ve discovered that there are six different types of courage: physical, moral, emotional, social, intellectual, and creative, and that we can all bring more everyday courage into our lives and our leadership.
If I weren’t a business school professor, I’d be … a social entrepreneur (that was my life before joining Berkeley)!
What do you think makes you stand out as a professor? I love doing magic tricks with my young son, especially when his face lights up with wonder — that feeling that something seemingly impossible just became possible. I try to bring that same magic into my classroom. Not with sleight of hand, of course, but with facilitating experiences that help students tap into their natural curiosity, courage, and joy of learning. But the magic isn’t just for them. It’s also for me in those beautiful moments when a student’s mindset shifts and they begin, for the very first time, to recognize the power they already possess.
One word that describes my first time teaching: Home.
Here’s what I wish someone would’ve told me about being a business school professor: That the greatest joy comes not from teaching content, but from witnessing transformation. It’s such a privilege to be there with students as they discover new parts of themselves and carry those lessons out into the world.
Professor I most admire and why: Clayton Christensen. Of course he left his mark on the field as an incredible scholar, but it’s his commitment to teaching and serving others that I’ve always found most inspiring. I love his quote, “the only metrics that will truly matter to my life are the individuals whom I have been able to help, one by one, to become better people.”
TEACHING BUSINESS SCHOOL STUDENTS
What do you enjoy most about teaching business students? I’m deeply drawn to Berkeley Haas’ Defining Leadership Principles, especially “Beyond Yourself.” I believe that business can be an incredible force for good in the world, and our students, grounded in this value, give me so much hope for the future.
What is most challenging? The most challenging part of teaching business students is helping them pause. So many of them are brilliant high achievers who’ve spent years racing from one external marker of success to the next. I try to help them slow down long enough to ask deeper questions: What do I actually want my life to stand for? How do I define success on my own terms? Unfortunately, so many of our educational systems are not built to support students in that way.
In one word, describe your favorite type of student: Curious
In one word, describe your least favorite type of student: Spectator
When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as … supportive and stretching: encouraging students to take risks in their thinking and to look beyond easy or expected answers for something more authentic.
LIFE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
What are your hobbies? Spending time with family, traveling, food adventures, and photography (ideally in combination), and most recently: sauna and cold plunging.
How will you spend your summer? Aspirationally: do a lot of writing. Realistically: eat a lot of ice cream with my kids.
Favorite place(s) to vacation: I lived in Stockholm, Sweden for 3 years and can’t wait to go back!
Favorite book(s): Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
What is currently your favorite movie and/or show and what is it about the film or program that you enjoy so much? White Lotus. Beyond the fantastic humor and stunning cinematography, it’s a fascinating study in character — how power and insecurity shape human behavior.
What is your favorite type of music or artist(s) and why? As my students will attest, I have very eclectic musical tastes (and pre-class playlists!) but I love James Taylor, 90’s alternative, and 2000’s pop-punk. Lately I’ve been especially loving the creativity and authenticity of Jacob Collier.
THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS
If I had my way, the business school of the future would have much more of this … Teaching character. We do an excellent job developing competence — strategy, analytics, innovation — but not nearly enough in cultivating who we are as leaders and humans. I believe the future of business education should focus as much on character as on capability.
In my opinion, companies and organizations today need to do a better job at …Articulating and leading with their values. Too often, values live on a wall or a website rather than in daily decisions and behaviors. The organizations that thrive in the long run are the ones whose actions consistently reflect what they claim to stand for.
I’m grateful for … every single one of my students, past, present, and future; they remind me every day that change is possible. I’m so grateful for the privilege of helping them become the changemakers our world needs.
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